So... a change in the shipping date for the DFRPG books.

[Darkling]

This.

I want this.

I would frame it, and treasure it, and use it as gloat material to my fellow dresden fans whenever they come over.

At least you're not planning on using it in a spell against him.

[Ravangames]

At least you're not planning on using it in a spell against him.

Meh.... I believe that the connection to him would evaporate after a day or two...  or even sooner.

[neko128]

No worries. Folks have a right to be disappointed (and we're some of those folks). I just want to make sure we do right by people, y'know?

As previous people said, I hope I wasn't sounding ungracious also.  I bitch and whine as much as anybody, but it's an expression of my strong desire to get my mitts on these books (and jealousy over people who already have them!) and not meant as a complaint over you and yours.

There's a lot of stuff that goes into a process as complex as this, and I have an idea how much of it's outside your direct control.  You've been up-front and open and helpful and gone out of your way to help the community and your customers.  No further apology needed from my point of view. 

[Tom Reed]

 I have noticed that I have complained a lot, but mostly it is just the frustration at not having the books in my hot little hands. And I am also kicking myself in the butt for using USPS vs figuring out a way to use UPS. Like I said before, live & learn. I must agree with what everyone else has said, and thank you guys for being so open with us concerning the process. It does help calm me down.

It has made me go back to my painting table to work on some figures, which is always a very Zen like time, which has made me think of looking for some character type figures to paint.

[iago]

Hey guys, no worries, I know most of y'all are in our corner despite some frustration with the shipping process. Complaints (or whatever) are completely deserved here. With 20/20 hindsight there are ways we could've done it better, and hopefully next time, we will.

[prophet224]

Ahh.. I just noticed that I had a 'rescheduled' notation after all - didn't think that was there.

Just out of curiosity (I know it doesn't change anything, but particularly after seeing the mention that you were rethinking using this distributor in the future, I am wondering)... is this sort of experience due to them or due to UPS? In other words, if the distributor got the info in (i.e. "Billing information received") on the 23rd, but it didn't actually get picked up until July 6, that appears, at least to be UPSs fault, rather than the distributor's.  ??

Thanks again!

**********<sigh>**********

Status: In Transit
Rescheduled Delivery Date: 07/13/2010
Shipped To: FINKSBURG, MD, US
Shipped/Billed On: 06/23/2010

[iago]

Ahh.. I just noticed that I had a 'rescheduled' notation after all - didn't think that was there.

Just out of curiosity (I know it doesn't change anything, but particularly after seeing the mention that you were rethinking using this distributor in the future, I am wondering)... is this sort of experience due to them or due to UPS? In other words, if the distributor got the info in (i.e. "Billing information received") on the 23rd, but it didn't actually get picked up until July 6, that appears, at least to be UPSs fault, rather than the distributor's.  ??

It's a mix. Sometimes UPS doesn't pick up all of the packages (though they often do), sometimes the warehouse generates the label much more in advance of actually packing up the shipment than they should have. Right now I suspect it's more the latter than the former, but hard to say. Rescheduling can also happen AFTER pickup due to weather conditions or other issues that screw up the ability for UPS to work at peak efficiency.

[prophet224]

Wow, thanks for that response, it is appreciated.  And I hadn't even thought about someone sitting at the computer prepping labels before the shipments were ready.  Thank you again for your time!

[Saedar]

Ahhhh.... Mine is officially on the way... Delivery date is set for next Tuesday.

[Remy Sinclair]

It's a mix. Sometimes UPS doesn't pick up all of the packages (though they often do), sometimes the warehouse generates the label much more in advance of actually packing up the shipment than they should have. Right now I suspect it's more the latter than the former, but hard to say. Rescheduling can also happen AFTER pickup due to weather conditions or other issues that screw up the ability for UPS to work at peak efficiency.

Or they really suck. Believe me, I have a list of their issues delivering this package and others from other companies. I order from Amazon, White Wolf, Wizard of the Coast, your company, because I have no gaming store in my area. UPS always screws it up. It is not just with you guys. The weather excuse is one of their biggest ones.

I know the business of sending out orders worked for a company that did that for years, UPS offered your company they best deal but they do not do the best job bringing the packages. You are hearing it now.

My father's business does not use UPS because they are late delivery, lose packages, refuse to deliver packages if a certain amount to be delivered in the area exceeds their unwritten quota even when the trucks are not even full.

I had to get a manager on the phone at UPS Corporate Headquarters and they tracked it down the other day. The distribution center here in my area took the package out of their truck refusing to deliver it for no reason. It was a three way call, the lady who was the manager of the distribution center could not explain why they took off my package out and refused to deliver it. The address was correct and everything. The HQ Manager could not get a straight answer out of the woman. He even commented to me afterwards he had no idea everything was fine. I explained to him this is not the first time this has happened to me.

It has not. I have had all this happen to me in Aurora, Colorado; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Kingman, Arizona; and now Thoreau, New Mexico. Same things happen all the time same company and only with UPS. USPS, DHL and Fed Ex treat me way better and deliver the packages no matter where I live with little or no problem and on time.

I would pay extra not to have UPS deliver a package if I had a choice. They are brown because their service stinks.

[El Diablo]

I like UPS, never had an issue with them except during Katrina. So I cut them some slack for that.

Always delivers on time, easy to track, does not "pretend to try to deliver" for an afternoon off. Beeen using them for years with e-bay,  newegg - etc etc. Better than Fed-ex, or the Replacement mail lady that skips delivering for an afternoon to get home early.

[iago]

UPS taketh with one hand as it giveth with the other. For our current warehouse, they're more reliable about picking up deliveries and their pricing structure is more favorable especially as you move into the "100 weight" class with a major ship-out like this one. But in some areas of the country they just don't perform as well -- in others they're excellent. This often has something to do with the local driver culture, whether or not UPS has to contract out to third parties rather than in-house crews, and so on. Some of their box-monkeys can be REALLY brutal in terms of beating up the packaging enroute, too -- which is part of why folks getting their books may note that things are pretty "bulletproof" in terms of how their packaged. All that packaging is to make sure that there's as little damage in transit as possible.  And while I may be frustrated, even upset, with how the warehouse has handled this in terms of timetable, their packaging has been fantastic. I've only gotten one damaged book complaint so far -- most of the other "send a replacement" issues have been due to intrinsic product defect (binding on that copy being wonky) or a staffer's fatigued confusion during packing (putting two of one book into the package instead of one of each).

[Ravangames]

I like UPS, never had an issue with them except during Katrina. So I cut them some slack for that.

Always delivers on time, easy to track, does not "pretend to try to deliver" for an afternoon off. Beeen using them for years with e-bay,  newegg - etc etc. Better than Fed-ex, or the Replacement mail lady that skips delivering for an afternoon to get home early.

Huh... I dunno this time...

HODGKINS, IL, US     07/08/2010     11:41 A.M.     ARRIVAL SCAN
SPARKS, NV, US    07/02/2010    10:36 P.M.    DEPARTURE SCAN
   07/02/2010    8:38 P.M.    ORIGIN SCAN
   07/02/2010    4:38 P.M.    PICKUP SCAN
US    06/23/2010    1:44 P.M.    BILLING INFORMATION RECEIVED

Its gonna be close to get to my house in Michigan by tomorrow.  It can happen, but I'm not holding my breath.

[SoulCatcher78]

Well mine are on a truck for delivery as of this morning.  I live 8 blocks from the local UPS point so I'm hoping for sometime tonight (UPS usually does local drops last here for some reason, I suppose to catch folks at home).  I was trying to get home to see if the package had gotten dropped off early (as we had some torrential rains today) only to slide into the back of someone elses' car...so much for my great day getting better.

At least no one got hurt and I didn't get home to wet books, lol.  Now the pacing begins!

[El Diablo]

Since it's in Hodgkins - I'll have it tomorrow.

Now all I need is to schedule a bomb defusal team to make sure it's safe to open, and I'll have my books.

Didn't expect that Iago - did you! Mwuh aha ahahahhahahahha!