Rant on shipping

California · Nov 6, 2021

Doughknob said:
But at half the price of 'to your door' service?

You expect Amazon to do something to save you money?

California · Nov 6, 2021

Maybe this was already said in this thread - Anything from Amazon, Alibaba, Ebay that says shipped from China might take months to arrive if you didn't select expedited shipping. Hopefully 'expedited' will go as air freight to make the target date. Economy shipping on the other hand is likely to get caught in the delays at the ports.

I just read there is something like 160 ships anchored off Los Angeles, the longest one there parked since September. The customary shippers have priority for unloading while a random unknown line, maybe the cheapie doing the economy shipping, can get skipped over.

Then the land side of the port is jammed with containers partly because wherever the containers are supposed to go, can't handle the recent increase in volume so they aren't ready for containers to be delivered to them. So your shipment can be delayed at a number of points before it is sent to your door. Air freight at least skips over some of these delay points.

PILOON · Nov 6, 2021

Just came off a Chinese web site.
LOL. special price today only, $2.50, ---shipping $98.00
The item sells at any local retail shop for (maybe) $5.99

Moral is, read all the fine print! Lots of scams out there.

Diggin It · Nov 6, 2021

^^ They screw up their pricing sometimes. I'd been watching a widget for a few months in the $30-50 price range. When I saw one seller show it at $13.69, I jumped on it, figuring it was a sale. Bought 2 of the 5 available to check it out hoping to buy a couple more for spares. Turned out to be fine, but when I went back, the price was $31.69, meaning it was no longer that much of a value to just have spares on the shelf.

Jstpssng · Nov 6, 2021

The worst part about being on hold is that they keep playing that recording telling how important my call is to them. It wouldn't be quite so bad if they would just STFU or at least play elevator music. I honestly believe they do it intentionally to get people to hang up. I'll gladly oblige if it's a vendor. When it's a doctor's office or somebody else I need to talk though, to it's pointless to leave a message and hang up since I'm as hard to get hold of as they are.
On a similar note; I'm about to leave the vet I"ve been going to since getting my first dog in 1997. Their preview keeps getting longer and longer before I can actually leave a message; last week I waited 45 seconds, left a message only to have them call back asking me to call again.
Never mind...

Doughknob · Nov 6, 2021

California said:
You expect Amazon to do something to save you money?

LOL. Of course not. That is what i thought.

Dftodd · Nov 6, 2021

California said:
Maybe this was already said in this thread - Anything from Amazon, Alibaba, Ebay that says shipped from China might take months to arrive if you didn't select expedited shipping. Hopefully 'expedited' will go as air freight to make the target date. Economy shipping on the other hand is likely to get caught in the delays at the ports.

I just read there is something like 160 ships anchored off Los Angeles, the longest one there parked since September. The customary shippers have priority for unloading while a random unknown line, maybe the cheapie doing the economy shipping, can get skipped over.

Then the land side of the port is jammed with containers partly because wherever the containers are supposed to go, can't handle the recent increase in volume so they aren't ready for containers to be delivered to them. So your shipment can be delayed at a number of points before it is sent to your door. Air freight at least skips over some of these delay points.

Had a piece of equipment down at work for over 6 weeks. All I needed was a water pump for the engine.

The only one in the states was in Louisiana, just as that hurricane was hitting

Local Cummins dealer called down to that location and it was already sold.

It had a promise date of getting shipped as of October 11th. That was the day it was scheduled to get loaded on the barge in Shanghai. Mind you this was the middle of September when I ordered the the water pump.

Water pump made it in November 2nd and I was finally able to get the unit back up and running.

Oaktree · Nov 7, 2021

California said:
Amazon does that here (northern California). UPS stores, a few grocery stores, college bookstores are listed as alternate destinations generally to arrive one day earlier than to your home.

Hub lockers they call them. I've seen that option on some, but not all orders. I've tried it a couple times...great for something you're ordering as a gift and don't want them to know. Downside is they'll only hold it for a couple of days, if you haven't picked it up in that time it gets sent back.

Jstpssng · Nov 7, 2021

Not quite what the OP had in mind but I had a small item I wanted for $6. Shipping was an extra $17 which I can understand, it costs them money to handle things whatever the cost. So I added a roll of vacuum seal bags to the order... that brought the shipping up to $39.

Luckily I can get the bags for less money almost anywhere else, and free shipping to boot; and the jug caps are something I wanted rather than need, so will go without.

California · Nov 7, 2021

Dftodd said:
... a water pump for the engine.
... promise date of getting shipped as of October 11th.
... made it in November 2nd

Similar here, I won brake shoes for my Yanmar YM186 on an Ebay auction. Then got a message they didn't have any to ship. I can't find them anywhere.

Apparently a huge shipment of Yanmar third-party parts just arrived, very delayed, and there are suddenly lots of auctions - but none include these shoes.

Anybody know - are there still places that will bond on new lining if you send in brake shoes?

This isn't critical yet. The linings are still there, paper thin. But I want to reline before I gouge the drums.