Amazon.ca not shipping via DHL anymore(?)

[toughbrets]

Yesterday I ordered two Steelbooks from Amazon.ca and I chose Standard International Shipping as I always do. Despite that, as many of you know, they have always shipped these Standard Shipping orders with DHL, and it only took 2 days for them to arrive. So this morning when I checked my account I saw this: "1 package via Canada Post". No tracking information. Delivery estimate, get this, July 27!

3 months?? That's ridiculous, and needless to say given that they're Steelbooks I fully expect a dented mess...

So apparently no DHL anymore. I'm surprised there is no thread on this here. If I had known this I at lest would have gone with Expedited Shipping.

[THunter]

Not sure, I ordered 4 Steelbooks about a week ago, which were shipped this morning via DHL according to the confirmation email I received today...

[nametag]

They always give/gave those ridiculous estimates, and never actually said items were delivered by DHL at point of purchase when you select the cheapest shipping option as far as I know.

I ordered the Goodfellas steelbook only last week, selecting the cheapest shipping, and it arrived here (in the UK) in about 2 working days via DHL...

[toughbrets]

Originally Posted by nametag

They always give/gave those ridiculous estimates, and never actually said items were delivered by DHL at point of purchase when you select the cheapest shipping option as far as I know.

I ordered the Goodfellas steelbook only last week, selecting the cheapest shipping, and it arrived here (in the UK) in about 2 working days via DHL...

The package shipped already, I'm not talking about the 30-40 weeks estimate when you have to select the shipping method.

This is what my last order looked like after it'd been shipped:


And this is the new order:


I don't think I have to point out what's different...

Originally Posted by THunter

Not sure, I ordered 4 Steelbooks about a week ago, which were shipped this morning via DHL according to the confirmation email I received today...

Great, so I just had bad luck this time?! Fantastic

[outdoor_miner]

I don't really see your issue? You went with the cheapo shipping and complain that they didn't upgrade you to priority shipping for free?
Just be grateful for the times they actually do upgrade you, or shell out for the real deal...

[toughbrets]

Originally Posted by outdoor_miner

I don't really see your issue? You went with the cheapo shipping and complain that they didn't upgrade you to priority shipping for free?
Just be grateful for the times they actually do upgrade you, or shell out for the real deal...

Prior to this instance I had ordered a number of items from them, and each time the shipment was sent via DHL. Because of this my understanding was that they, for whatever reason, do not ship any other way. On top of that I also haven't read anything on here that suggests that they do. And that is my problem. Complete lack of transparency.

How was I supposed to know that if you order 10 times you might get it in a couple of days the first 9 times and then on the 10th order you're going to have to wait 3 goddamn months? And that is the other problem. 3 months? Unacceptable. Are they kayaking this thing across the ocean? I would absolutely not mind Standard Shipping if it were a reasonable time frame. I regularly order from Amazon.com and always choose Standard Shipping because I know what I get. The estimate is usually 3 weeks and it always arrives in under 2.

My point is, that if this is a lottery in which the jackpot is 2 day shipping and the short end of the stick is waiting a quarter-year for a freaking Blu-ray, it has to be clearly stated for the customer to see before the order is placed. Because then I would gladly "shell out for the real deal" each time. It's not about money or getting anything for free.

[nekromantik]

I only bought from them once and they shipped my Vengence Trilogy blu using standard international mail when I selected cheapest option.

I am tempted to get the 300 bluray steel but at £18 I think its a bit much.

[RBBrittain]

The problem is you elected "Standard", not "Expedited"--which for BDs is only C$1.00 more per shipment; I've referred to it as the "lucky loonie". (Yes, I know what that really means to Canadians.)

From the delivery timeframes, "Standard" should be Canada Post; "Expedited" should be DHL. (I think Amazon.ca assumes DHL offers ground service to the U.S., but DHL's U.S. operations are now limited to international air express and Global Mail; DHL translates it to 2-day air.) If you ever got DHL for "Standard" shipping, consider yourself lucky.

[nametag]

Originally Posted by RBBrittain

If you ever got DHL for "Standard" shipping, consider yourself lucky.

Many people have been 'lucky' (including myself a number of times), so it's a bit unfair of them to make someone feel safe ordering with Standard delivery if they're going to be inconsistent about it. Their estimates are also completely ridiculous... 3 months for a Canadian company to mail an item, are you kidding me? The absurdity of it makes it easier to dismiss.

Toughbrets - you should just contact them and complain by saying that previous items always got sent out quicker... maybe ask for another one to be sent out via DHL and say you'll return the one that comes in July?

[sgmarine]

Ya i've ordered BOURNE TRILOGY from them on 2nd March. They shipped out on 10th March and till today, I am still waiting for my package. Wrote to them a few times and their last advice was to wait for 10 to 17 weeks. Ridicullous.......

[gettodamoofies]

Originally Posted by sgmarine

Ya i've ordered BOURNE TRILOGY from them on 2nd March. They shipped out on 10th March and till today, I am still waiting for my package. Wrote to them a few times and their last advice was to wait for 10 to 17 weeks. Ridicullous.......

Got you beat there. I pre-ordered some of the Warner Bros wave 2 SteelBooks and also included a copy of From Dusk Till Dawn in there. This was ordered on January 24th. I selected for them to wait with shipping until all items were ready to go so that would have meant that the entire order would have shipped at the end of March when the steels were released.

In February I decided I didn't want one of the steels I ordered so cancelled that item from the order. Their system automatically altered the order and sent From Dusk Till Dawn immediately and left the remaining two steels to ship when they were released. Now that sounds pretty reasonable as that means they were shipping the available item immediately. The problem is that it was shipped via Canada Post.

From Dusk Till Dawn dispatched on February 23 and guess what?.... It still isn't here. The delivery estimate is May 19!

Meanwhile the steels were dispatched on March 30, so a full 5 weeks later and they arrived on April 4 - taking only 4 days to get here. So one part of my order took four days and the other is expected to take 3 months. How that works when it's the same order with the same shipping options is beyond me. I understand Amazon choosing to or not to ship with DHL but their system changing things automatically just because you modify an order is not cool. Their response was to wait until the delivery date.

I normally find their service excellent but that is one things I am not happy with, especially considering the whole changing of the shipping options and dates wasn't something they responded about in my contact following up with them.

[gcnguy]

Originally Posted by atexp80

Got you beat there. I pre-ordered some of the Warner Bros wave 2 SteelBooks and also included a copy of From Dusk Till Dawn in there. This was ordered on January 24th. I selected for them to wait with shipping until all items were ready to go so that would have meant that the entire order would have shipped at the end of March when the steels were released.

In February I decided I didn't want one of the steels I ordered so cancelled that item from the order. Their system automatically altered the order and sent From Dusk Till Dawn immediately and left the remaining two steels to ship when they were released. Now that sounds pretty reasonable as that means they were shipping the available item immediately. The problem is that it was shipped via Canada Post.

From Dusk Till Dawn dispatched on February 23 and guess what?.... It still isn't here. The delivery estimate is May 19!

Meanwhile the steels were dispatched on March 30, so a full 5 weeks later and they arrived on April 4 - taking only 4 days to get here. So one part of my order took four days and the other is expected to take 3 months. How that works when it's the same order with the same shipping options is beyond me. I understand Amazon choosing to or not to ship with DHL but their system changing things automatically just because you modify an order is not cool. Their response was to wait until the delivery date.

I normally find their service excellent but that is one things I am not happy with, especially considering the whole changing of the shipping options and dates wasn't something they responded about in my contact following up with them.

my order including kill bill {which arrived damaged} took about 4 mnonths.

[D-Blitz]

Even locally they've been horrible for me.

They've started shipping via UPS and using those foldover cardboard boxes and I've been getting nothing but damaged Steelbooks.

[toughbrets]

Originally Posted by nametag

Many people have been 'lucky' (including myself a number of times), so it's a bit unfair of them to make someone feel safe ordering with Standard delivery if they're going to be inconsistent about it. Their estimates are also completely ridiculous... 3 months for a Canadian company to mail an item, are you kidding me? The absurdity of it makes it easier to dismiss.

Toughbrets - you should just contact them and complain by saying that previous items always got sent out quicker... maybe ask for another one to be sent out via DHL and say you'll return the one that comes in July?

I called Customer Service and explained the situation. She was "terribly sorry" but couldn't help otherwise. I might call again and ask to speak someone who does have the authority to help. Even if it's just to make sure they understand the ridiculousness of randomly choosing between Priority Courier and THE slowest shipping method possibly available these days without making sure that you are aware that this could happen.

Originally Posted by sgmarine

Ya i've ordered BOURNE TRILOGY from them on 2nd March. They shipped out on 10th March and till today, I am still waiting for my package. Wrote to them a few times and their last advice was to wait for 10 to 17 weeks. Ridicullous.......

Indeed, ridiculous.

Originally Posted by atexp80

Got you beat there. I pre-ordered some of the Warner Bros wave 2 SteelBooks and also included a copy of From Dusk Till Dawn in there. This was ordered on January 24th. I selected for them to wait with shipping until all items were ready to go so that would have meant that the entire order would have shipped at the end of March when the steels were released.

In February I decided I didn't want one of the steels I ordered so cancelled that item from the order. Their system automatically altered the order and sent From Dusk Till Dawn immediately and left the remaining two steels to ship when they were released. Now that sounds pretty reasonable as that means they were shipping the available item immediately. The problem is that it was shipped via Canada Post.

From Dusk Till Dawn dispatched on February 23 and guess what?.... It still isn't here. The delivery estimate is May 19!

Meanwhile the steels were dispatched on March 30, so a full 5 weeks later and they arrived on April 4 - taking only 4 days to get here. So one part of my order took four days and the other is expected to take 3 months. How that works when it's the same order with the same shipping options is beyond me. I understand Amazon choosing to or not to ship with DHL but their system changing things automatically just because you modify an order is not cool. Their response was to wait until the delivery date.

I normally find their service excellent but that is one things I am not happy with, especially considering the whole changing of the shipping options and dates wasn't something they responded about in my contact following up with them.

See that's the thing with the lottery. That's no way of doing business.

Originally Posted by gcnguy

my order including kill bill {which arrived damaged} took about 4 mnonths.

Seriously, how is that even possible?

[GreatGreg]

Originally Posted by atexp80

I understand Amazon choosing to or not to ship with DHL but their system changing things automatically just because you modify an order is not cool. Their response was to wait until the delivery date.

But your item shipped early because you removed the Steels. I think that is reasonable and expected.

It sounds like you're happy with the fact that the system adjusted your shipment date, but just not that it took so long to arrive.

In general, if Amazon never promised you to ship within a few days, why are people not happy when their shipment takes more than four days? And just because 100 people on the internet received their shipment that way, doesn't mean that yours will be shipped that way also.

In short, I can probably tell you why this is all happening like all fellow Canadians on this forum. It is because of Canada Post. Their surface shipping is 6-8 wks standard for international. Yes, it is much cheaper, but yes, it will sometimes take 8 wks to ship. But their packets *do* arrive.

Air shipments can sometimes be a little bit more, but take 7 days -- even to Japan. No, it doesn't make sense. But neither does it make sense to me when buyers have asked me to go with the cheaper shipping to 'save a few bucks' (like five), and then complain that it "really took 8 wks" to get to their destination.

No, I don't like it either, but as they say here in Quebec, "C'est la vie".

[gettodamoofies]

^ The issue is that when cancelling the item you are not given any information about the shipping status. Only after it has occurred can you review the order and magically that's when it was shown. Prior to me cancelling the item it was shipping in one shipment. After 1 of 4 items was removed from the order it was split automatically by the system with no notice to me as part of the cancellation process.

I have no problem with Amazon in terms of estimates. If that's what they estimate then that's what it is. My issue is that it was changed on me automatically without my consent, that Amazon didn't respond to address the issue appropriately when I raised it and that aside from all that, of all the Amazon's their cheapest shipping option is the slowest.

As for the mention by another member that expedited only costs $1 more, that may be the case for them. Orders shipped to Australia cost almost twice as much by expedited and almost four times as much with courier.