The excitment of tracking a shipment

Big Mike · Jul 9, 2007

Mike, I hope you don't decide to get into watching paint dry.

If I get a package when he paint is dry...I just might watch it. :lol:

My shipment from B&H showed that it was in Louisville. The next few steps showed that the documents were filed, then approved, then the first Canadian location approved the delivery...but it never said that it actually left Louisville...although it did say 'In Transit'.

Well, I just check it...and it's in my city and 'Out for Delivery'...so it will be here today. The only problem now is that it's going to my house by I won't be home...so I might have to pick it up at the depot...where ever that is.

Johnboy2978 · Jul 9, 2007

I HATE having to wait for the delivery truck, but since there aren't any local camera stores, my only option is B&H (I do have a RITZ but they apparently don't sell anything at that branch but P&S and do printing anymore). Anyway, I recently ordered a macro lens from B&H and w/in 2 days, it was at the local UPS hub and "out for delivery". I kept checking the site from work and finally saw it was delivered. I rushed home, only to find there was no package there. I live in a nice subdivision and it would be very rare to have it stolen from the front porch. Anyway, I checked w/ a neighbor or two thinking it was mis-delivered to no avail. I called UPS thinking maybe something happened and the driver took it back to the station. 2 days later our mailman delivered the wrong mail, and my wife took it over to the correct house and discovered UPS delivered it to them and they were about to take it back to UPS. That was frustating. UPS was of no help saying I needed to call B&H and have a trace put on it. I kept saying, yeah, but I know that it made it successfully from NY all the way to your driver's truck. Seems like he should've re-traced his steps or at least the neighborhood. That whole deal got me a bit fired up.

Anyway, I'm with ya, it's like Christmas morning and I hate to wait.

Richard · Jul 9, 2007

Hey just be happy you guys have something to watch and track. Right now I'm at that stage where I just keep going to B&H website and stare at the picture. Sometimes I will read the specifications again only when I get bored of the picture. Then there is the day you might get lucky and maybe someone has left a new review that you can read. I'm waiting till after I get some grant money back from school, I want to get the Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 lens. I should get the money in October.

Actually I just ordered an SB-600 not too long ago and it's funny how when that day came for my package to arrive I had to bite my tongue when my wife wanted to go out and do something with the kids while I was at work. I really wanted to say "no you have to stay home to make sure I receive my package". Just in case the UPS guy wouldn't leave it at the door, or even if he left it at the door I wanted her to be there to bring it in, I mean what if someone took it. But of course I know better and to keep my mouth shut and then I would just pray that the package would arrive and be safe when I got home.

smyth · Jul 9, 2007

If any of you guys work office jobs, why would'nt you just have it delivered to work? That way you don't have to worry about missing the delivery.

DeepSpring · Jul 9, 2007

The worst part is when I get home early the day it's supposed to come. The tracking says "out for delivery" 4pm...5pm...6pm...7pm... Still nothing, start thinking to myself how late do they deliver!!!!! 8pm....9pm... Look outside for kicks and the package is sitting there.... Didn't even bother to knock. I had looked outside over the course of the day tho so it came at least after 8.

Maybe it's the route the trucks take but I always seem to get my packages pretty late. Of course those times when I don't get home until 10pm the package came at noon............

tempra · Jul 10, 2007

July 10, 2007 06:44 London-Heathrow - UK Arrived at DHL facility in London-Heathrow - UK

July 10, 2007 06:53 London-Heathrow - UK Processed for clearance at London-Heathrow - UK

tempra · Jul 10, 2007

July 10, 2007 06:55 London-Heathrow - UK Clearance processing complete at London-Heathrow - UK

July 10, 2007 07:21 London-Heathrow - UK Departed from DHL facility in London-Heathrow - UK

July 10, 2007 07:48 London-Heathrow - UK Arrived at DHL facility in London-Heathrow - UK

tempra · Jul 10, 2007

July 10, 2007 10:55 London-Heathrow - UK Departed from DHL facility in London-Heathrow - UK

July 10, 2007 11:54 Oxford - UK Arrived at DHL Facility

That cartoon up there is sooo accurate!

Big Mike · Jul 10, 2007

If any of you guys work office jobs, why wouldn't you just have it delivered to work? That way you don't have to worry about missing the delivery.

That doesn't always work. B&H, for example, when using a credit cards from out of the US, will only ship to the billing address of the card...so I can't have B&H ship to my office. I could have used Paypal and had my office as a confirmed address...but when I tried to confirm the address, Paypal was being weird.

Anyway, once I got the 'we missed you' notice from UPS, I just called and arranged for them to deliver to my office today.

Now the only problem is that I forgot to bring a camera to work today...so when I get my new lens...I'll only be able to look at it. :lol:

tempra · Jul 10, 2007

Mine arrived half an hour ago! not bad for 6000 miles!

PushingTin · Jul 10, 2007

You guys get parcels just left on the porch! WOW!

Would not last 2 seconds without being stolen here, guess thats why they insist on signature on delivery for proof.

I find the UPS/DHL whoever deliver relatively fast (will be in South Africa from USA in about 3-4 days) but then sits in customs for about a week

Always have hassles with our customs! They dont know what efficiency is.

Richard · Jul 10, 2007

UPS is known for the "drop and run". The UPS driver that comes to my house does that exactly he will lightly knock on the door, so light that if you were up stairs you would not hear it. One time I was about 10 feet from the door, I heard a quite knock by the time I open the door the driver was just getting into his truck. I guess for now I'm okay with it, because at least I know I will get my package instead of "I was here" slip, but if my package gets stolen or weather damages something then I will play a different tune.

Big Mike · Jul 10, 2007

I don't have a mailbox on my house...it's a group mail box out on the street that only the Canada Post mail carrier can access...so when the UPS driver left the slip...it was just stuck to something on my porch...it could very easily have blown away.

When I purchased a camera & lens on E-bay, I had the shipment come via the post office. The package was too large for my mail box (previous house) and so they left the box sitting my my steps. A $1000 camera just sitting on my steps :shock: The package even said 'signature required'. It crossed my mind that I could have reported that I didn't get the package and probably have gotten my money back via insurance...but that would have been fraud.

Johnboy2978 · Jul 10, 2007

I've received several thousand dollars worth of camera equipment from B/H and lighting equipement from Alien Bee, etc and they never require a signature. You always kind of hold your breath until you get home and see it on the porch, but our house is generally late on the route apparently and our guy usually doesn't get there until after 5pm. The only piece of equipment I've had that required a sig was an inexpensive canon camcorder from butterfly photo. I've always been amazed that B/H doesn't require a sig when you are getting packages over $1000. Seems like they would constantly be having disputes w/ customers who "never received" the package, kind of like my lens that was delivered to a neighbor incorrectly. Some people would just be like "hey, free lens. I'll list it on ebay".

DwainDibley · Jul 10, 2007

There's been a few occasions I've had Recorded Delivery parcels (which need a signature) just plonked in our porch, which isn't good as they were often mobile phones (Though usually broken and needing repairing!) Though at least our porch is relatively secure and completely enclosed, I so far haven't had a problem with stolen parcels.

Whenever I've tracked a parcel it's been a bit dissapointing, as they're usually Royal Mail ones, so don't have the full tracking. It normally just says they are in reciept of the parcel and will try to deliver on such and such a date!) I'll have to order something from B&H just to track the parcel :lol: