Apple store blows...

[mbabauer]

I don't care if everyone ignores this post or what...I just need to vent.

I had to drive into Jacksonville, FL from where I live outside of Orlando, Fl, for business, which is about 3hrs. I am a tellecommuter, but whenever I have to go into the office like that I *ALWAYS* bring my MBP with me. Well, like an idiot I left the power adapter sitting on my desk in Jacksonville, and didn't realize it until I got home.

I have been kicking around the idea lately anyway about buying a new adapter just for the house, that way I could just leave one here and have one for my laptop bag. So, I looked at this as an opportunity to get another adapter, but for obvious reasons I need it sooner than later.

Now, when I said I live outside of Orlando, I mean about 1hr outside of Orlando in a poo-dunk called Winter Haven. The nearest Apple store is 1:15 away, the nearest CompUSA is 45min away and through about $4 in tolls. So, I said "Self, lets just order this thing online and get next-day shipping". I get a 12% discount at the apple store anyway from work, so it would help offset the cost.

So, I order, cringe as I hit OK to the $17 they wanted for 1-day shipping, and feel all-around pleased with my decision. Thats when I thought "Hmmm, maybe I should check my order status to verrify the shipping date". Well, my 1-day shipping, which I "thought" would be here on Aug 18th, was scheduled for delivery on Aug 21st!

So, I call up the apple store at 1-800-MY-APPLE, option 3 for existing orders. There I am greeted with a message "Thank you for your interest in apple products. Due to the over whelming response to our products, we are unable to take your call at this time...". WTF! So, I hang up, call again, and this time choose to place an order and get someone on the phone. After I explain the situation, I am told that the availablity of the product effects the shipping date. Doesn't apple have power adapers around? Can't you just ship one?

The the guy goes on to tell me that 1-day shipping only counts business days, so Saturday and Sunday are not considered. For $17 for shipping on a little a$$ power brick, they aught to send Steve Jobs out to my house in a limo to hook the **** up for me! I mean, common! Use your brain, Apple! There are 2 Apple stores in Orlando and 1 in Tampa, you could send the order to one of them and have them ship it to me today.

I angrilly canceled my order and decided I would just drive into town Saturday and buy the darn adapter. It just sucks that now I can't use my MBP until Saturday.

 

[clayj]

Erm... OK.

The Apple Stores are not set up to ship out ANYTHING. So Apple is not going to call a local store and tell them to box up an item and FedEx it to you. And no, FedEx and UPS do not deliver on weekends... you didn't know that? (One of them offers Saturday delivery, but it's EXPENSIVE.)

I have found in the past that overnight shipping is only a good option if the place you're ordering from actually ships stuff out the day you order it. Apple sometimes ships stuff out the same day, but (in my experience) usually does not. The same is true for Sony, who rooked me once on "sure, we'll ship it out overnight today, so you'll have it tomorrow", and then the item didn't ship for almost a week. The only place I know of that reliably sends stuff out the same day you order it is Crucial.

If you've absolutely gotta have it today or tomorrow, my advice is to get in the car and drive to a retail location that sells what you need. Sure, you'll spend some money on gas and tolls, but you'll save on the shipping costs AND you'll alleviate your stress.

 

[kretzy]

Yeah, you can't really expect shipping over weekends, so I don't really see the big issue. As clayj said the online store and actual stores are separate so they can't do much about it.

 

[bleimone]

If you only understood...

Everyone has their right to vent once in a while but we should do it with correct knowledge. The internet business has been around long enough for people to know that all next day, 2nd day, 3 day, etc, are simply quotes from the actual shipping companies. Whether it is FedEx, UPS, etc, they cannot get it there any faster unless the company you purchased it from has given it to the shipper.

I work for UPS in management and we do our best to inform our customers that there package is not the only package being shipped that day. Despite our efforts we still have customers that feel similiar to yourself that they think it is someones personal duty to loose sleep over getting a package picked up and delivered just because they forget their power cord at home. Shipping companies will continue to get blamed for this, when most of the time it is not FedEx or UPS's fault, it is very often the shippers fault - in this case Apples.

UPS does on average 14 Million packages a day and they work round the clock to have each and every package delivered on time and on the correct day. I cannot say that is true for every shipping company.

Before making your purchase next time be sure to understand the difference between your shipping options and shipping dates.

I love Apple to death - however the would be a much stronger company if they switched their shipping account to UPS. Oh well....

 

[Unspeaked]

There are plenty of smaller Apple Authorized Resellers (who aren't Apple themselves) that would have gotten this to you the next morning.

I've needed something next day from time to time, and it was never my first instinct to turn to Apple...

 

[7on]

snipped

I don't really like UPS. In my town their facility is only open from 8PM to 8:30PM for pickups. Since I work 8AM-5PM I can't ever sign for stuff so I always have to drive to the outskirts of town and pick it up in that tiny window. At least DHL and fedex just drop off the box.

 

[EricNau]

Well, I ordered a replacement BT mouse for my iMac and it arrived the next day, and I didn't have to pay a dime for shipping. It's not my fault you live in Florida.

 

[Sun Baked]

Do I see stress related illness in your future.

Get up walk around, kick a dog or two and let some of that stress out on the office punching bag (or intern).

 

[yg17]

$17 for overnight shipping is relatively cheap. I've seen places charge $50 for overnighting things not much bigger than a power brick

 

[OnceUGoMac]

1 day shipping does not mean that you get it the next day. It means that once the product is ready for shipping, it will be shipped in day.

 

[Timepass]

E
I love Apple to death - however the would be a much stronger company if they switched their shipping account to UPS. Oh well....

no no no it not that. Apple would be much stronger if they could could get there shipping time down and stop bs there ship dates on ne products. Apple has a long history at very poor practice there and shipping times on new products. (oh we release this item today but it going ot take you 2 months to get it bull)

 

[clayj]

1 day shipping does not mean that you get it the next day. It means that once the product is ready for shipping, it will be shipped in day.

Um... it depends on how it's worded. I don't know of anyone who advertises 'one-day shipping' as 'it'll ship within one day of placing the order'.

On Apple's site, 'one-day shipping' means 'once we ship it, you receive it the next day'. The problem is that they do not often ship the same day you order something... hence the urgency implied by 'one-day shipping' falls by the wayside. Why pay for overnight or 'one-day' shipping if the item's not going to ship for 2 or 3 days, or longer?

 

[2nyRiggz]

I feel your pain....next time just got with the regular shipping option and save your money...I never go with any other option....All I got is time but money I don't have.





Bless

 

[bleimone]

I don't really like UPS. In my town their facility is only open from 8PM to 8:30PM for pickups. Since I work 8AM-5PM I can't ever sign for stuff so I always have to drive to the outskirts of town and pick it up in that tiny window. At least DHL and fedex just drop off the box.

I am sorry that its not convienient. The reason that UPS does this is because the trucks are not back from delivery so it cannot be any earlier. UPS does not decide whether they will leave the box or not unless its not a safe area from the public (which is rare). Shippers are the ones that have to request a signature. Most computer companies require signatures in person.

Any box that does not require a signature which is most of what UPS ships may be left at the address listed. For what its worth other shipping companies will not hold packages like UPS does and will just continue to try to deliver until someone is home. After a few tries its returned to the shipper. UPS's goal is to ALWAYS get it to the customer. We'll basically bend over backwards to help.

It never hurts to call your local UPS and see how they can help in the future.


A couple of suggestions to help releive your frustations in the future -

1. Have the item shipped to your work. People do this all of the time, that way someone in the office will be guraunteed to be there and sign for it. Plus on most routes since its a business you'll get it sooner than you would your home.
2. Leave a note and ask your UPS driver to leave it a neighbors house. As long as they are there, they will leave it.

 

[iTwitch]

Erm... OK.

The Apple Stores are not set up to ship out ANYTHING. So Apple is not going to call a local store and tell them to box up an item and FedEx it to you. And no, FedEx and UPS do not deliver on weekends... you didn't know that? (One of them offers Saturday delivery, but it's EXPENSIVE.)

I've had FedEx deliver on Saturdays and it wasn't any more.

Whenever I buy computers, iBook..., I pop for Overnight. Cost more but my package isn't getting kicked around?

 

[clayj]

I've had FedEx deliver on Saturdays and it wasn't any more.

Whenever I buy computers, iBook..., I pop for Overnight. Cost more but my package isn't getting kicked around?

On computers, I agree... overnight shipping packages aren't in the system as long, and therefore suffer less abuse (on average).

But Saturday delivery does cost more, according to the FedEx web site.

 

[iGary]

So wait, you ordered something on Friday and were upset you didn't get it Saturday?

 

[iTwitch]

But Saturday delivery does cost more, according to the FedEx web site.

Is that a new policy? Last time, a couple of months ago, I ordered from LL Bean the order arrived on a Sat. and I specified ground, cheap, shipping. Oh well, that sort of stuff can take as long as necessary.

 

[yg17]

no no no it not that. Apple would be much stronger if they could could get there shipping time down and stop bs there ship dates on ne products. Apple has a long history at very poor practice there and shipping times on new products. (oh we release this item today but it going ot take you 2 months to get it bull)

I don't know what Apple you're ordering from, but every time I've ordered with Apple, it shipped the same day (unless I ordered late at night or on a weekend/holiday) and arrived on time.

 

[yg17]

Any box that does not require a signature which is most of what UPS ships may be left at the address listed. For what its worth other shipping companies will not hold packages like UPS does and will just continue to try to deliver until someone is home. After a few tries its returned to the shipper. UPS's goal is to ALWAYS get it to the customer. We'll basically bend over backwards to help.

Ha, bull****. I had something arrive at the STL sort facility in the morning, but too late to be delivered that day. I called them, asking if I could pick up the package that day, and they said "No, they have to make one failed delivery attempt first"

 

[LethalWolfe]

Is that a new policy? Last time, a couple of months ago, I ordered from LL Bean the order arrived on a Sat. and I specified ground, cheap, shipping. Oh well, that sort of stuff can take as long as necessary.

LL Bean might have a deal w/FedEx to get special rates.


Lethal

 

[clayj]

Ha, bull****. I had something arrive at the STL sort facility in the morning, but too late to be delivered that day. I called them, asking if I could pick up the package that day, and they said "No, they have to make one failed delivery attempt first"

That is the truth. I know it from personal experience, plus my brother is a UPS driver. They have to attempt delivery at least once before they'll let you pick up the package.

 

[mbabauer]

I think you people missed the point entirely...

First off, I know it was 'my bad' for leaving my power cord...I can live with that.

Second, my beef is that its not clear ANYWHERE on the site that the item in question takes a full 24 hours for someone to get off that fat lazy a$$, walk over to a shelf, pick up a box, put a lable on it, and hand it to a FedEX guy. Any yes, I do have experiense working in a warehouse. In fact, my father was a warehouse supervisor for two large distributors. This is a process problem.

Third, I order a LOT of stuff on the net. Most places I have ordered things from guarantee that if you order prior to some set time, say 2:00pm EST, they will ship same-day. We live in a modern world, and such things are possible now.

Forth, and this is pointed to the package carriers, why is it so hard to believe people want stuff delivered on the weekends. I work for a bank, and people would roit in the streets if we told them they couldn't get thier money until Monday! And before you jump the gun, no, it wasn't ALWAYS like that. I remember at one point in time people had to pay extra for ATM access, they were not 24-hrs, and most, if not all, were physically attached to a brick-n-mortar bank. Times change, processes improved. Now, most banks even have weekend hours with live people.

Fifth, as stated, this was a vent session. Do I expect Apple to change their policy, nope. Do I think FedEX or UPS will ever go 24-hr, think again. It still doesn't make the situation any easier for me, the customer, who was trying desparately to give my money to them for service.

BTW, $17 for a 1lb package over night is REDICULOUS, especially if that does not include weekend delivery. USPS delivers on Saturday for a whole lot cheaper than that.

 

[mbabauer]

So wait, you ordered something on Friday and were upset you didn't get it Saturday?

No, I ordered at 7:30AM on Thursday morning, paying $17 for 1-day shipping, was told on the site it wouldn't be delivered until Monday. This would be 2 business days, 4 days total counting the weekend. When I called the 800 number to see what the heck was going on, and select the "Existing order" option, I got a nice automated message telling me they were too busy to help me, and to go pound sand. I had to call again and lie, choosing options to insinuate I was placing a new order, to actually talk to a live person, just to find out that it takes Apple 24hrs to actually ship something, so paying for 1-day is actually getting 2-day shipping (1 day for them to handle the package, 1 day for the carrier).

Had I ordered on Friday, I would have expected no weekend delivery and probably would have done 2-day shipping.

 

[clayj]

I think most of realize you were just venting.

But the problem is that it looked like you were venting about stuff that made no sense. For example, I don't think Apple says anywhere on their site that orders received by "x" time will ship out the same day.

And overnight delivery, via FedEx, UPS, or even the USPS, involves putting a package on a PLANE. Planes have limited space onboard, which is why sending something overnight usually involves some measurement of the volume of the package, rather than its weight. Not to mention, the package can't miss a single transition, or it won't make it to you on time. Making sure that happens costs money.

In fact, most 2nd or 3rd day delivery service uses the same methods of moving packages as overnight delivery, but with more "slack" in the process. They might fly a package part of the way, and then drive it the rest of the way.

Anyway, $17 for overnight delivery seems about standard. Even sending an overnight envelope with just a few pieces of paper in it costs almost that much.

Might I suggest that in the future, if you REALLY have to have something the next day, that you call in (vs. using the Internet) and inquire of the sales agent as to whether what you are ordering will ship out the same day, or the following day, etc. Then if it doesn't show up on time, you can have a legitimate complaint (i.e., that the agent misled you).