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Thanks, B&H!

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StevenN

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Today I picked up my new Nikon 70-180mm f2.8 lens, which I had to have delivered to a FedEx pick-up site because I wasn't going to be home all day yesterday. The first thing I noticed when handed the box was the crunched-up corner of the carton. Obviously, it had been dropped (or thrown).

Knowing how lax B&H has been in the past when packing things -- a couple of air pillows thrown in the box on one side of the product -- I was a little worried about the condition of the lens.

But this time, I needn't have worried. B&H did a great job of protecting the lens, with plenty of bubble wrap and air pillows all around, including some larger, heavy-duty bubble wrap securely fastened around all sides of the lens box itself.

Needless to say, there was not a scratch or dent on anything inside the box, and the lens looks and works perfectly. This is the way things should be done.

Now if I can only get the word out to Amazon ...
 
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I've had a mildly annoying experience purchasing the same lens from B&H this week, but it's what I'm starting to experience as a recurring problem with retailers. Basically, I placed my order before the deadline yesterday to get the item shipped that day and paid for one day shipping, but the item didn't even get shipped until this morning and so it won't arrive until tomorrow, assuming FedEx doesn't hit some snag.

It's a first world problem, of course, and it shouldn't cause me any difficulty because the truth is that after similar experiences buying and renting camera equipment from other retailers I actually paid for the one day shipping as a way of ensuring that it actually got here before Saturday, when I plan to use it for something. In other words, their free 2 day shipping should theoretically have gotten the item here by Friday so I could use it Saturday, but lately every time I have bought anything it has taken an extra day even when I have paid premiums for faster shipping.

Again, a first world problem but nevertheless from a general perspective I think it's a bad thing that a person can regularly pay for faster shipping and not actually get it, with no real way to get the money back for which the consumer has apparently not received any benefit. At some point I or someone else may actually need some sort of item or product rushed out for some more serious reason and I hope this sort of thing doesn't happen in that case!
 
Lazer42 said:
I've had a mildly annoying experience purchasing the same lens from B&H this week, but it's what I'm starting to experience as a recurring problem with retailers. Basically, I placed my order before the deadline yesterday to get the item shipped that day and paid for one day shipping, but the item didn't even get shipped until this morning and so it won't arrive until tomorrow, assuming FedEx doesn't hit some snag.

It's a first world problem, of course, and it shouldn't cause me any difficulty because the truth is that after similar experiences buying and renting camera equipment from other retailers I actually paid for the one day shipping as a way of ensuring that it actually got here before Saturday, when I plan to use it for something. In other words, their free 2 day shipping should theoretically have gotten the item here by Friday so I could use it Saturday, but lately every time I have bought anything it has taken an extra day even when I have paid premiums for faster shipping.

Again, a first world problem but nevertheless from a general perspective I think it's a bad thing that a person can regularly pay for faster shipping and not actually get it, with no real way to get the money back for which the consumer has apparently not received any benefit. At some point I or someone else may actually need some sort of item or product rushed out for some more serious reason and I hope this sort of thing doesn't happen in that case!
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In that case I would call and ask for a refund or store credit for the shipping costs.
 
Lazer42 said:
I've had a mildly annoying experience purchasing the same lens from B&H this week, but it's what I'm starting to experience as a recurring problem with retailers. Basically, I placed my order before the deadline yesterday to get the item shipped that day and paid for one day shipping, but the item didn't even get shipped until this morning and so it won't arrive until tomorrow, assuming FedEx doesn't hit some snag.

It's a first world problem, of course, and it shouldn't cause me any difficulty because the truth is that after similar experiences buying and renting camera equipment from other retailers I actually paid for the one day shipping as a way of ensuring that it actually got here before Saturday, when I plan to use it for something. In other words, their free 2 day shipping should theoretically have gotten the item here by Friday so I could use it Saturday, but lately every time I have bought anything it has taken an extra day even when I have paid premiums for faster shipping.

Again, a first world problem but nevertheless from a general perspective I think it's a bad thing that a person can regularly pay for faster shipping and not actually get it, with no real way to get the money back for which the consumer has apparently not received any benefit. At some point I or someone else may actually need some sort of item or product rushed out for some more serious reason and I hope this sort of thing doesn't happen in that case!
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Hey, almost the same thing happened to me. I saw the lens on sale on Monday of this week, and it was available at this price from B&H, Adorama and Amazon. What sold me on using B&H was that it said underneath the Add to Cart button, "Free Next Day Shipping." Great, I thought ... I was going to New York City on Wednesday for B&H's Bild Photo Expo and wasn't going to be home all day, so with "next day shipping" the lens should have been delivered on Tuesday.

However, 4 hours after I ordered the lens, I got an email from B&H saying, "Your items have shipped! ETA: Wednesday, Sept. 6.

Since I wouldn't be home on Wednesday, I had to go to the FedEx tracking site and ask them to hold my package at one of their pick-up sites.

So, as far as I can tell, when B&H says "Next day Shipping," they don't mean "Next day Delivery!"
 
Typically, I try to place my B&H orders in the morning, and usually they manage to ship it on the same day. However, if you order too late in the day, especially from the western states or during the busy holiday season, they may go out the following day.
 
shuncheung said:
Typically, I try to place my B&H orders in the morning, and usually they manage to ship it on the same day. However, if you order too late in the day, especially from the western states or during the busy holiday season, they may go out the following day.

__PRESENT
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I think as a concept that's altogether reasonable, but I also think that if the "real" deadline for a given shipping date is, say, 12PM then that's what your site should say rather than some later time which is likely to get the shipment pushed back.
 
Lazer42 said:
shuncheung said:
Typically, I try to place my B&H orders in the morning, and usually they manage to ship it on the same day. However, if you order too late in the day, especially from the western states or during the busy holiday season, they may go out the following day.
Click to expand...
I think as a concept that's altogether reasonable, but I also think that if the "real" deadline for a given shipping date is, say, 12PM then that's what your site should say rather than some later time which is likely to get the shipment pushed back.
Click to expand...
I have never put myself in such a time-sensitive situation. However, if you must receive an item on the next day, I would order by phone and let the B&H rep know you need to receive it by a certain time. It has been like 20 years since I ordered from B&H by phone. I hope that may help, but I have no current experience with that.
 
shuncheung said:
Lazer42 said:
shuncheung said:
Typically, I try to place my B&H orders in the morning, and usually they manage to ship it on the same day. However, if you order too late in the day, especially from the western states or during the busy holiday season, they may go out the following day.
Click to expand...
I think as a concept that's altogether reasonable, but I also think that if the "real" deadline for a given shipping date is, say, 12PM then that's what your site should say rather than some later time which is likely to get the shipment pushed back.
Click to expand...
I have never put myself in such a time-sensitive situation. However, if you must receive an item on the next day, I would order by phone and let the B&H rep know you need to receive it by a certain time. It has been like 20 years since I ordered from B&H by phone. I hope that may help, but I have no current experience with that.

__PRESENT
Click to expand...
This isn't a matter of what kind of a time crunch a person may be under. Its a matter of a company trying to be accurate in its representations to customers and working to fulfill whatever commitments it makes to customers. Saying that if you pay a fee things will ship that day when you know anything ordered after 3Pm (or whatever) probably won't is like a business taking your payment for a product and not ever giving you the product.
 
StevenN said:
Today I picked up my new Nikon 70-180mm f2.8 lens, which I had to have delivered to a FedEx pick-up site because I wasn't going to be home all day yesterday. The first thing I noticed when handed the box was the crunched-up corner of the carton. Obviously, it had been dropped (or thrown).

Knowing how lax B&H has been in the past when packing things -- a couple of air pillows thrown in the box on one side of the product -- I was a little worried about the condition of the lens.

But this time, I needn't have worried. B&H did a great job of protecting the lens, with plenty of bubble wrap and air pillows all around, including some larger, heavy-duty bubble wrap securely fastened around all sides of the lens box itself.

Needless to say, there was not a scratch or dent on anything inside the box, and the lens looks and works perfectly. This is the way things should be done.

Now if I can only get the word out to Amazon ...
Click to expand...
Right, Amazon just puts the lenses in a white plastic bag.
 
shuncheung said:
Lazer42 said:
shuncheung said:
Typically, I try to place my B&H orders in the morning, and usually they manage to ship it on the same day. However, if you order too late in the day, especially from the western states or during the busy holiday season, they may go out the following day.
Click to expand...
I think as a concept that's altogether reasonable, but I also think that if the "real" deadline for a given shipping date is, say, 12PM then that's what your site should say rather than some later time which is likely to get the shipment pushed back.
Click to expand...
I have never put myself in such a time-sensitive situation. However, if you must receive an item on the next day, I would order by phone and let the B&H rep know you need to receive it by a certain time. It has been like 20 years since I ordered from B&H by phone. I hope that may help, but I have no current experience with that.

__PRESENT
Click to expand...
If I may ask, what does "__PRESENT" mean?
 
Mackiesback said:
shuncheung said:
I have never put myself in such a time-sensitive situation. However, if you must receive an item on the next day, I would order by phone and let the B&H rep know you need to receive it by a certain time. It has been like 20 years since I ordered from B&H by phone. I hope that may help, but I have no current experience with that.

__PRESENT
Click to expand...
If I may ask, what does "__PRESENT" mean?
Click to expand...
Somehow "__PRESENT" is automatically added to the end of some of my posts in the last couple of weeks. I post from four different computers, a mix of Windows and Mac, plus my iPhone. I haven't quite figured out why that is happening, and I believe it is happening from more than just one computer.

And apparently nobody else has that same issue. :-O
 
shuncheung said:
Mackiesback said:
shuncheung said:
I have never put myself in such a time-sensitive situation. However, if you must receive an item on the next day, I would order by phone and let the B&H rep know you need to receive it by a certain time. It has been like 20 years since I ordered from B&H by phone. I hope that may help, but I have no current experience with that.

__PRESENT
Click to expand...
If I may ask, what does "__PRESENT" mean?
Click to expand...
Somehow "__PRESENT" is automatically added to the end of some of my posts in the last couple of weeks. I post from four different computers, a mix of Windows and Mac, plus my iPhone. I haven't quite figured out why that is happening, and I believe it is happening from more than just one computer.

And apparently nobody else has that same issue. :-O
Click to expand...
Have you checked your forum signature? I'd assume so, but I suppose one never knows.

I did some quick research and others have had this issue on other platforms. One user suggests it is related to a browser plugin called DigiCert Authentication Client Extension.
 
Now, if only Adorama would pack as well, I would give them more of my business. The only things I order from them lately, are memory cards and camera bags. Mike
 
Lazer42 said:
shuncheung said:
Mackiesback said:
shuncheung said:
I have never put myself in such a time-sensitive situation. However, if you must receive an item on the next day, I would order by phone and let the B&H rep know you need to receive it by a certain time. It has been like 20 years since I ordered from B&H by phone. I hope that may help, but I have no current experience with that.

__PRESENT
Click to expand...
If I may ask, what does "__PRESENT" mean?
Click to expand...
Somehow "__PRESENT" is automatically added to the end of some of my posts in the last couple of weeks. I post from four different computers, a mix of Windows and Mac, plus my iPhone. I haven't quite figured out why that is happening, and I believe it is happening from more than just one computer.

And apparently nobody else has that same issue. :-O
Click to expand...
Have you checked your forum signature? I'd assume so, but I suppose one never knows.

I did some quick research and others have had this issue on other platforms. One user suggests it is related to a browser plugin called DigiCert Authentication Client Extension.
Click to expand...
Thank you. That explains it.
 
I placed an order for a new 50mm F1.8 S this morning. It arrives Monday.
 
Indeed B&H has provided me with endless boxes over the last years that were exceedingly well packed and protected. When ordering a lens, I learned over the eyars the extra $$ paid for specific "Priority Overnight" status shipping has delivered completely unmolested boxes that almost always have not only NO dents or scratches but net even dirty from their priority level of handling. It's been my go to whenever ordering a potentially fragile item. Any additional assurance of light handling to me is worth it.
 
ProDude said:
Indeed B&H has provided me with endless boxes over the last years that were exceedingly well packed and protected. When ordering a lens, I learned over the eyars the extra $$ paid for specific "Priority Overnight" status shipping has delivered completely unmolested boxes that almost always have not only NO dents or scratches but net even dirty from their priority level of handling. It's been my go to whenever ordering a potentially fragile item. Any additional assurance of light handling to me is worth it.
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My box (ordered 1 day but arriving in 2) just arrived and I would say it was extremely well packed. There was the lens as well as a filter and gimbal head in there. When I opened the box it was packed totally full of large air cushions. The gimbal box was at the bottom and wedged in with the air cushions in a way that it couldn't move and hit the other boxes. The lens box was additionally wrapped in its own healthy layer of bubble wrap as was the filter.
 
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jjz2 said:
StevenN said:
Today I picked up my new Nikon 70-180mm f2.8 lens, which I had to have delivered to a FedEx pick-up site because I wasn't going to be home all day yesterday. The first thing I noticed when handed the box was the crunched-up corner of the carton. Obviously, it had been dropped (or thrown).

Knowing how lax B&H has been in the past when packing things -- a couple of air pillows thrown in the box on one side of the product -- I was a little worried about the condition of the lens.

But this time, I needn't have worried. B&H did a great job of protecting the lens, with plenty of bubble wrap and air pillows all around, including some larger, heavy-duty bubble wrap securely fastened around all sides of the lens box itself.

Needless to say, there was not a scratch or dent on anything inside the box, and the lens looks and works perfectly. This is the way things should be done.

Now if I can only get the word out to Amazon ...
Click to expand...
Right, Amazon just puts the lenses in a white plastic bag.
Click to expand...
Indeed, and Amazon then has them unnecessarily bouncing around the country for a few extra days (at least in my case).

Even though I had eagerly awaited this particular lens, I sent the Z 24-120mm straight back to Amazon in its heavily damaged box. There was no way I was ever going to trust that expensive precision instrument.

Fortunately B&H delivered a well-packaged copy of that lens a few weeks later.
 
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Don't blame the shippers... blame the shipping companies. Some of them and their workers, but not all. Some of the people that handle the packages simply don't care and toss or kick things around like no big deal. I've seen them get 3 feet from the porch and just toss the packages. Don't need to set it down like a carton of eggs, but come on. Should find them in a coffee shop and toss them their latte and just say "back at ya".

And the same goes for the luggage guys at airports. Watch them load the plane. They more than likely will take every bag and flip it up and let it fall a couple feet on to the conveyor belt.
 
Member said:
Knowing how lax B&H has been in the past when packing things -- a couple of air pillows thrown in the box on one side of the product -- I was a little worried about the condition of the lens.

But this time, I needn't have worried. B&H did a great job of protecting the lens, with plenty of bubble wrap and air pillows all around, including some larger, heavy-duty bubble wrap securely fastened around all sides of the lens box itself.
Click to expand...
Throughout the spring and summer of this year (2023), I've observed the B&H shipping dept. going "full Amazon" in the shoddy 2-pillow shipment packing of new, somewhat expensive equipment like Z7II, Z24-70/2.8, etc. A disturbing trend, especially with lenses, especially with zoom lenses. Hopefully they'll correct it.


-KB-
 
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