Hardware Shipping Issues

[Rich-M]

I am not sure how many of you have noticed the same issues as I have but during the pandemic shipping has become an almost constant
invariable pain.

Most of us buy hardware from Newegg because shipping either in the East or the West had become almost invariably a 2 day affair but lately
now a serious nightmare. Now if you live in the East and buy from Newegg and can actually find real shipping information you still get 2 day direction but items in most
cases take over a week and the tracking isn't there. Tracking notifications sit forever with "label created" and until it gets there you have no clue though UPS may show a 2 day deliverey date still.
And hopefully the item doesn't come from West Coast to East because that can take 2 weeks or more now from Newegg and you can't tell where they are shipping it from before you buy the item.
Personally since I realized I can exempt retail sales tax at Amazon on components for resale I have been buying there instead as they seem to have done a far better job of 2 day delivery for Prime users where originally they had issues as well and I have completely ended any Newegg purchases now myself as shipping was always more critical to me than price there where now that reliability is completely gone. And also watch out for items that said "US Shipping" suddenly turning into "China shipping" after the purchase is complete and that can take months. Lately I had been receiving West Coast and foreign shipping that were so late I had troubloe finding out who I had purchased them for.

The other area where real problems exist is with printers. It seems you can still buy $35 printers and you can buy $225 printers but try to find $85-$150 retail printers
and they are either out of stock or non existent. In many case what were $80 printers are now $160 printers as most retailers simply doubled the prices on every category
from ink jet printers to black laser printers where you could always find items in the past, they are no more. You can find them at double and more the price even with what
had been inexpensive black laser printers so be careful out there! And similar is true with ink if you look carefully as black laser cartridges have mostly doubled in price
for oem versions. And no one is talking about this either.....

 

[Digerati]

Most of us buy hardware from Newegg...

"Most of us"? Ummm, not sure about that.

Certainly Newegg is a popular "on-line" retail outlet. I have been buying from them for years - long before Amazon got big. But I still hear of folks who have never bought from or even heard of Newegg.

I and many I know (and I am not talking about those just living here in Nebraska) still buy more from Amazon and other retailers like B&H Photo, OutletPC, Micro Center, and elsewhere like Walmart or even local retailers like Nebraska Furniture Mart or Best Buy.

For me and many, it typically depends on who has the best price (factoring in shipping, if any) on that specific day. And yes, the estimated delivery date often maters too - but not always.

One of the biggest reasons Amazon delivery times are often so good is because Amazon has built over 100 MASSIVE distribution or "Fulfillment" centers in the US alone. More than 175 around the world. So odds are, there is an Amazon warehouse/distribution center within a couple 100 miles of your house, no matter where in the US you live. Plus they have their own, ever-growing fleet of 60,000 delivery trucks running out of those centers - with 100,000 more on order! Not to mention Amazon has nearly 1 million employees!!! compared to Newegg's 1,500+. Newegg has no choice but to rely on the US Postal Service, FedEx, or UPS.

In live in the Omaha metro area and Amazon has one of their fulfillment centers ~170 miles away in Kansas City. There have been many times I get the part I ordered the very next day - even on Sundays - and I don't even have Prime!

 

[Rich-M]

In many cases today "Prime" means next day delivery and that includes Saturday and Sunday too. For the most part I have stopped even looking at Micro Center as their ads seldom are any but in store pickup and seldom are desirable items even offered online with shipping. For me the closest store is over 80 miles so that is really out of the question. I used to buy a lot from Fry's online but they started pulling the same thing with in store pickup only on desirable items. B&H is a relative newcomer but they have great pricing usually and excellent shipping as well except on the weekends where they are shut Friday night thru Sat night. But for most hardware gurus Newegg was the "gold standard" for many years. I used to buy a lot from D&H Wholesale until they stopped carrying AMD cpus for some reason though they still carry their motherboards which I can't quite figure out. When Ryzen became so popular I would have thought they would be back in cpus but not as of yet. I have a D&H Wholesale Warehouse in Harrisburg which is 40 minutes away and I can get overnight. I have not had the freight problem with Newegg Business
oddly enough so I still use them occasionally but the selection is not nearly as broad as Newegg and often times we were paying freight there and not on Newegg which I think they have been correcting. The other problem was often mfgr coupons were only good on the retail site not the Biz site.

 

[Digerati]

B&H has been around for 20+ years. They are often the first place I look for TVs and home theater components. I bought my last two big screen TVs from them as they had the best prices.

In many cases today "Prime" means next day delivery and that includes Saturday and Sunday too.

Yes, but like I said, I don't have Prime and still often get next day and Sunday delivery too. And that is because (1) they have a fulfillment center 170 miles away and (2) keeping merchandise in inventory costs money. So in the long run, it is cheaper (read: more profitable) to get it out of the warehouse and out of their delivery channels as fast as possible.

I think the bigger advantage for Prime members (besides streaming and other services) is free shipping. But I almost always get that anyway because I usually am spending more than $25, thus qualifying for free shipping.

But for most hardware gurus Newegg was the "gold standard" for many years.

"Most" hardware gurus? That may be true. But maybe not. Care must be taken when trying to speak for the majority of any demographic. Some times it is easy to forget our personal world of existence (family, friends, colleagues and experiences) is just a tiny little bubble in the big picture of the entire universe. We may be able to speak for those inside our own personal bubbles but not for "most" in the entire industry (or country).

Long before Newegg and Amazon, I was buying from MWave, Googlegear (later ZipZoomFly after Google sued them) and TigerDirect. And before that, by something you youngin's may never have heard of, "mail order" through Computer Shopper magazines and Popular Electronics.

I personally have never shopped at MicroCenter or Fry's because there are none in this area. But again, I know many "hardware gurus" who have, and still do.

And while I have always liked Newegg, and I know "many" hardware gurus and other enthusiasts who like and buy from Newegg too. But I would never call them the "gold standard", nor do I believe "most" would either.

****

Back to your opening statement concerning shipping woes during this pandemic. Yes, it has gotten bad. Really bad. And not wanting to turn this into a political debate, but, at least in the US, the Postmaster General removing 100s of mail sorting machines didn't help. That forced the postal service to dedicate more USPS employees to sorting letters rather than processing packages.

But yes, the pandemic affects FedEx, DHL and UPS too - not to mention the regional delivery services, as well as the retailers' employees. So delays have incurred and are to be expected for some time to come. I have a couple kids and grandkids who live in Kansas City. And in the past, birthday cards, for example, would take 2 days, 3 at most to get there. It took 13 days for my granddaughter's card to get to her last month! I can see an extra day or two due to COVID. But 13 days to go 170 miles! That's ridiculous!

I personally think COVID is too often being used as an excuse everywhere to explain incomitance. But perhaps that's for a different discussion.

 

[Wrench97]

Package shipments are up across the board this year along with the rates.

UPS said its average daily shipping volume rose 21% in the quarter, faster than the company has ever recorded, with a 65% increase in shipments to homes.

And that is with less Amazon packages in the system(due to Amazon starting there own delivery service)
Don't look for it to get better anytime soon.

USPS is now delivering on Sunday( I got regular mail and a package this Sunday) heck last night the mailman was here at 8 PM in the dark........

 

[Digerati]

USPS is now delivering on Sunday( I got regular mail and a package this Sunday) heck last night the mailman was here at 8 PM in the dark........

I've noticed that here too though I wondered if I would have received the regular mail had it not been for the package they delivered too.

I also note that UPS and FedEx post contract with the Post Office to deliver packages for them - including on Sundays.

along with the rates.

And that bothers me because fuel prices have been down and are still down from its peak a few years ago. And in most businesses, when volume goes up, prices come down. But again, not here. Hard to blame that on inflation either.

 

[Rich-M]

Bill I was buying from B&H Camera more than 40 years ago when I had a photo business, I was just referring to their entry
into computer sales and supplies as they are an old established business goint back to the 1970's.
I don't know anyone with a computer sales and repair business who didn't buy primarily from Newegg until recently and going back 20 years ago
they were a "peanut" compared to D&H Sales but Newegg has grown tremendously in the last 10 years though I suspect if they don't handle their shipping problems
sooner or later they stand to lose a lot. I am on two FB computer business owner forums that were originally on Linkedin (and I wish to Hell they still were so you know)
and they are all up in arms about this issue with them, that and damaged shipments that have gotten even worse. Many have also had issues where they typically ship
items in mfgr boxes where cases and monitors frequently suffer major damages as they are really not meant to be shipped that way. One of the reasons I went back to D&H a bit last year is they always re-box everything and never ship in mfgr boxes. I also frequently returned items, especially motherboards, where I could tell Newegg does not have good inspection anymore because I was getting customer returns shipped to me as if they were new items.

 

[Wrench97]

I've noticed that here too though I wondered if I would have received the regular mail had it not been for the package they delivered too.

I also note that UPS and FedEx post contract with the Post Office to deliver packages for them - including on Sundays.


And that bothers me because fuel prices have been down and are still down from its peak a few years ago. And in most businesses, when volume goes up, prices come down. But again, not here. Hard to blame that on inflation either.

Maintenance costs and down time are way up with the EGR valve, EGR Cooler, particulate trap/catalytic convertor issues and all the modules in these trucks today there is a real lack of decent well trained mechanics to work on them, with autonomous braking, front and side looking radar units audible warnings for following too close, lane change warnings front, inside and side looking cameras these are probably the safest trucks have ever been but it's' coming at a cost.

 

[Digerati]

Maintenance costs and down time are way up with the EGR valve, EGR Cooler, particulate trap/catalytic convertor issues and all the modules in these trucks today there is a real lack of decent well trained mechanics to work on them, with autonomous braking, front and side looking radar units audible warnings for following too close, lane change warnings front, inside and side looking cameras these are probably the safest trucks have ever been but it's' coming at a cost.

Yeah, but at the same time, with today's vehicles, you plug your OBD-II scanner into the vehicle's data link connection and the code tells the mechanic what's wrong. Okay, its not always that easy but its getting there. And with Amazon's upcoming purchase of 100,000 all electronic delivery vehicles, that should help cut maintenance costs since EVs appear to require less maintenance and be more reliable than power trains that use traditional internal combustion engines and transmissions.

And are they even called mechanics any more? Or is technician the proper term? Electronics Account for 40 Percent of the Cost of a New Car. And depending on the vehicle today's vehicles have 30 to 50+ computer systems.

these are probably the safest trucks have ever been but it's' coming at a cost.

On several levels. Modern cars are much more likely to avoid getting into accidents, and if in an accident, the occupants are much less likely to have serious injuries or worse. That "should" result in lower insurance costs for consumers but it doesn't because a little fender-bender may cost several $1000s to repair - in part because of all those radar, adaptive cruise control and other sensors located inside.

I don't know anyone with a computer sales and repair business who didn't buy primarily from Newegg until recently

All I am saying is it is best not too assume our personal experience is representative of the whole national or global industry. While "everybody" you know may have used Newegg as their "primary" source for parts, and while I may have used them frequently, even as recently as last month, they were not the primary source for everybody I know and I've been in this business for a long time too. Considering the fact Newegg's prices, while competitive, are rarely the cheapest, I know some folks who did and still do consider other sources, including eBay and Amazon before Newegg.

I suspect if they don't handle their shipping problems
sooner or later they stand to lose a lot.

I don't know how Newegg can improve their shipping issues when they have to rely on FedEx, UPS, DHL and the PO. They certainly could improve their internal logistics to get parts to the shipper faster once the order is placed. Beyond that, no way they can afford an Amazon type distribution and delivery service.

One area they can do something about is their turn-around times for RMA replacements. That whole process has really gone downhill the last few years in my experience. I don't know if that has anything to do with them being bought by some Chinese company a few years ago. But the timing is suspicious. When companies are acquired, it seems the new owners or majority share holders always start looking for ways to cut expenses.

For just one of several examples, last month I returned a DOA motherboard via an authorized RMA. I dropped it off at UPS on Sept 28. Tracking showed it was delivered to Newegg on Oct 1. On Oct 10, after hearing nothing for 9 days, I contacted Newegg customer support where they verified it was logged into Newegg's RMA return center on Oct 2 but no further action was taken on it. It was just sitting there collecting dust.

So the customer support rep had to contact the RMA center and prod them to process the return and send my replacement. That was Oct 10.

Oct 11 - nothing happened. I guess they don't work on Sundays.
Oct 12 - they issued a new tracking number for the replacement motherboard.
Oct 13 - they created the shipping label. It takes a whole day to create a shipping label???
Oct 14 - It left their warehouse in Urbancrest, Ohio.
Oct 17 - It was delivered to my house in Eastern Nebraska.

So yeah, RMA turnaround times are horrendous. I wonder how long I would have waited if I didn't contact customer support.

 

[Rich-M]

Bill price is always important and I so agree Newegg is seldom the cheapest on items but to me its a "package" and Newegg for me, and remember I am 1 zone away from Edison NJ,
was always the most reliable 2 day delivery no matter what way I chose for shipping (and by this I mean I never used any faster higher $ method in the past), and that has been gone since the pandemic. If in the past it annoyed me I could not tell whether the item would be shipped from Ca or NJ it now takes twice as long as it used to from either place maybe more. Having the item and getting it here in 2 days and the fact that most items ship free was my reason for using them and its the reliability that is completely gone that bothers me. My clients don't care much about price so it isn't my primary decision maker, reliability is. Three times including last week items showed 2 day delivery which turned into 4-5 after purchase and you can never cancel even 15 seconds after purchase with Newegg. In each case label showed created immediuately and as much as 5 days later still shows shipper waiting for delivery of item while tracking shows "in transit". In the first two cases I finally persuaded them to cancel and refund as much as 10 days later when nothing changed and delievery date still showed 7-8 days past "waiting for item" at carrier. What it really sounds like is they are selling items they don't actually have and never seem to get any where near on time. Past business experience suggests they are under capitalized?

What bothered me is RMAs always go to Ca and replacements come from there on RMAs as well and that has made returns alone unbearable for me personally. I never had one go as badly as what you describe but what you describe fits quite a few purchases that just sat somewhere and were never completed by them. When I caught that happening or called and chatted about it they refunded way too easily for me not to be correct in my assumption.

I can't help but wonder if maybe the whole change since the pandemic is they have reduced staff dramatically but whatever the reason I can't shop there anymore because I promise cleints a quick turn around and they cannot fulfill that now, not ever except with "shell shocker" specials. Those still come in 1 or 2 days so it means they can do it, they just don't.

 

[Corday]

Throwing in my two cents worth as I've bought from most of the suppliers mentioned. I prefer when the item is coming from the prime sender. 3rd party suppliers don't always have the same guarantees or return policies. Even though Amazon etc. eliminates obvious fraudulent suppliers, it can take time. Just because an item comes in what appears to be the manufacturers original packaging doesn't mean what's inside isn't counterfeit. I told Rich-M about an experience I had with Newegg about a year ago, where they cancelled the order (MOBO) because their supplier hadn't shipped from the UK in the promised time.

 

[Rich-M]

Yeah I eliminated the "Newegg sellers" a long time ago as so many I dealt with were completely unreliable. Amazon really watches their sellers and
they seldom get away with the same BS but when it involves a client purchase I stay away from third party sellers on Amazon as well. I bought a really nice case on Saturday
from Newegg and they immediately issued a shipping label and the thing has sat there ever since "waiting for item" by carrier. Ups shows it as should have been delivered yesterday and when I called Newegg this AM a grumpy voice told me it was just processed yesterday and will be shipped out today Wednesday but tracking shows none of that. This will be my final Newegg purchase
as there are so many other places to buy from. B&H shipping is so dependable and so is Amazon if it is their item.

 

[Digerati]

I prefer when the item is coming from the prime sender. 3rd party suppliers don't always have the same guarantees or return policies.

I'm with you on this too. When researching, I always select the main retailer only. For one, it usually means I only have 1 or 2 pages of hits to look through instead of dozens. But also for the reasons you mentioned too - not all of those 3rd party suppliers operate with the same integrity. Plus, in some cases with those 3rd party suppliers, shipping is extra - not to mention it comes via a slow boat from China.

As for counterfeits, ensuring you are buying directly from Newegg, Amazon, etc. does not always work either because counterfeiters have been able to scam Amazon and Newegg too - who in turn unwittingly pass the counterfeits on to us. But I will say, Amazon has launched several aggressive programs to thwart fraudulent sales. But with Amazon being so big and selling so many items, I am sure it is easier to make a high-speed turn on a dime for an aircraft carrier.

My clients don't care much about price so it isn't my primary decision maker, reliability is.

Reliability and performance for sure. And most of my clients don't care about the price of the individual components but do with the total cost of the computer. I have a couple who are totally involved in component selection and price. They just want us to verify their choices make sense and are compatible, then to put it together for them. And that's fine too.

To be fair about delays in shipping, weather does factor in - as it did this last week. You can sigh-up for service alert notifications from FedEx or visit UPS to see if there will be delays in your area.

 

[Rich-M]

Well its now 7 days from the original purchase (4 business days). UPS states it will be delivered Tuesday Oct 27 (2 days ago) and Newegg cannot refund the item because it is sitting at UPS so all they can do is cancel the shipment and wait until UPS returns it to them and I am supposed to believe this? Both parties claim the other guy has it and for the life of me I can't see why UPS doesn't ship it since that is their primary business and they have been paid to do so according to Newegg. In the meantime I bought a similar case from Amazon where I have real tracking and it shows it will be here Friday (tomorrow), because I still have a pc to build. So I am to wait for my refund until UPS returns something they say they don't have, yeah I don't think so. Disputed the purchase with Chase credit card and wrote nice account for Resellerratings to post!

 

[Digerati]

so all they can do is cancel the shipment and wait until UPS returns it to them and I am supposed to believe this?

There is no reason to suspect someone is lying to you. The information you are being given may not be fully up to date, but I am sure it was accurate when posted.

It is clear in Newegg's RMA policy, and pretty sure Amazon is the same, they do not "cross-ship". Returns must be received and approved before a replacement is shipped.

And speaking of approval, I noted with the RMA I went through this last month a notice that stated there could be 3 - 4 business days between the time the shipper's tracking status reports the item was delivered to Newegg and when Newegg logs it in and reports it received. Then a couple more days to make sure all the parts were returned in the box and if applicable, its gets tested and verified to be bad.

During this time, the status page may not be totally accurate.

And then, once a replacement is authorized, it gets sent to the mail room, packed, labeled and assigned a UPS tracking number, and put in UPS's box on the loading dock where it sits and waits for UPS to pick it up. At that point Newegg will report it is in UPS's hands even though it may not be picked up by UPS and logged into their tracking system for another day or two.

And I certainly hear you - these "in limbo" delays where no one is admitting possession are very frustrating. That motherboard I was waiting an extra 3 weeks for was supposed to be for a grandson's birthday on Oct 4. He didn't get it until the 19th. I was just happy it worked because I was not 100% certain all the other components worked, in particular, the CPU, until I had a working motherboard.

When I look at the current national weather map, your part of the country is not sitting pretty right now. The mid-section, where I live got our first taste of winter 2 days ago with 3.5 inches of snow at my house and 20°F temps. Not good when the trees have yet to shed their leaves. And then the Gulf Coast has been dealing with yet another hurricane which is heading your way.

Distribution networks like UPS crisscross the country with complex interlinking and interdependent veins and arteries. Problems in one region affect all others. Its like how a disruption at O'Hare will cause delays at JFK, LAX, ATL and all points in between. Freight companies like UPS and FedEx have many times more trailers than they do tractors and drivers.

Then, of course, there is COVID.

So my point is, yes, you need to believe what you are being told is the most recent status they have. Delays and disruptions happen. People and companies cannot and should not be blamed (or receive bad reviews) when those delays and disruptions were caused by Mother Nature. Now the competence they display in dealing with and recovering from those inevitable delays and disruptions is a totally different matter and typically is the responsibility of the leadership - that is, those big wigs who are responsible for identifying problems and planning for them by hiring experts advisors and listening to and heeding their advice. By providing the necessary training, tools and guidance out into the field so they can do their jobs. And by giving those responsible the authority to properly execute those plans and do their jobs. Then finally, be willing to admit mistakes then learn from them and tweak those plans as needed. Sound familiar?

Note I said you need to believe what you are being told. I didn't say to trust Newegg or UPS. .

 

[Corday]

As a side note. If my wife yells loud enough, they sometimes cross ship.

 

[Rich-M]

OK Bill let me see if I get this. I don't need to worry about two giant companies who both swear the other guy has it when if neither have it
I will never get my refund? Nah you want to live like that fine and well. Me no I'll take my dispute the credit card any day of the week!
And covid 19 is here but not an excuse for lying in my book as one of them has to be lying and I really don't care which one either
and neither does Chase Manhattan.

 

[Rich-M]

Oh and my case arrives tomorrow as both Amazon and USPS say it will be here and USPS says they have it at my post office right now!
So win win ordered 5 days later from Amazon and arriving in 2 days as promised. 2 points for Amazon, 0 points for Newegg and UPS the losers!
Thus like I said bye bye Newegg clueless liars welcome Amazon who can actually deliver something! As I said to Newegg Customer Service, "Be well and I'll be back after the Pandemic if you survive!" And Bill, order all you want there its ok with me!

 

[Digerati]

OK Bill let me see if I get this. I don't need to worry about

Clearly you don't. Perhaps if you didn't twist my words around you would.

No where did I ever say don't worry it.

And Bill, order all you want there its ok with me!

Wow. No doubts after all my glowing praises for Newegg above, I will be doing all my buying from them from now on.

Have a good day.

 

[Rich-M]

You as well Bill and please it's all in good fun as entertainment, nothing else!