Have the majors like B&H …been requiring signatures for items like this? I haven't bought anything expensive in a while and never remember having to sign for anything.
B&H had been requiring signatures on my deliveries even down to about $100, although the FedEx drivers dropped that ball very often during Covid abundance if caution days.
I habitually have their deliveries redirected to the local FedEx office which does follow through on signatures.
The added benefit is that the deliveries arrive about 6 hours earlier; their company locations are serviced at a different priority on dedicated routes, an advantage on those “just before a trip” days.
But then you have to have your fed x or ups store approved as a Drop ship address to the store. That can take some time. Some give a hard time if it's not the mailing address of the credit card. They think it's fraud.
I have run into this before. ESP when it's an expensive item
No, it's not that complicated. I do this with nearly every item that I order from B&H. The process is: Purchase your item from B&H with shipping to your home address. B&H always uses FedEx for shipments to my area. As soon I get the "shipment confirmation" email from B&H, I follow the "track package" link to the FedEx website, select the manage delivery options, and then redirect the delivery to a FedEx OnSite location of my choosing. I have mine sent to a Walgreens about 2 miles from my house.
I can do a similar thing with UPS, but I had to sign up to be a UPS My Choice member (~$20/year I think).
Understood. That can cause issues too when you redirect. Sometimes they don't. . My point is BH won't do a drop ship delivery address that easy. Luckily your Walgreens is good. The one by my house loses or has issues from time to time with FedEx packages. I wouldn't be sending a $5k plus camera there.
I'm going to chime in here and say that yes this can create issues. Sometimes they have to get authorization from the sender (in this case B&H) and then B&H has to call you to verify in some cases (or the sendor just has to contact you). I did this once from Unique Photo because I didn't want them to leave new rolls of film on my doorstep in 90 degree weather. But it became a hassle to a point where it got returned to them even though I went online and asked to have it redirected to my work address. Basically had to re-order again from them, so be careful. It may work for one person, but be a nightmare for someone else. It all depends on who you deal with and how quickly they respond.
I would say if at all possible, have it delivered to work, or to a neighbor if you cannot have it delivered to your house and it requires a signature. Place of work might be better so you can sign for it as some places need a signature from the person who ordered it, while others just need a signature.
I ordered a Sigma 150-600 from B&H last year. Realized the ship to address in my account defaulted to an office that we closed during Covid. I called Fed Ex to get it re-routed, No can do they say, call the shipper. So I called B&H. The guy was kinda gruff and very NY, but said he would try, no guarantees.
I called fed ex back and they said that we could re-route to a Walgreens now, but the only one they would recommend was one in the town where my old office was, even though the shipping center is three miles from my house. The call center was in India and I ended up hanging up in frustration. I just figured I wouldn't see the lens.
It was on my front step three hours later.
