MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Could this be the last year for the big chains?

Xanthe · 12-24-2010, 01:31 AM

This is the type of thing that will sink Borders:

I ordered a DVD on 12/03 - delivery time was supposed to be 2-8 days. FedEx in Pennsylvania received it on the 8th -there's five days right there. Now, I live in NJ, right next to PA, that facility is about 70 miles away from me. I could have day-tripped to the FedEx site. My DVD was shipped by FedEx to Dallas TX. From there it went to Martinsburg WV. From there they sent it to the huge FedEx facility that is in my town (why it didn't go there right from PA is a mystery to me). And then the topper is, this was a FedEx "SmartPost", which means that THEY don't deliver it to my home, they sent it to MY LOCAL POST OFFICE for them to deliver it to me. My post office got it to me the day after they received it - I received it 12/17.

It took 9 days for that package to travel from PA to me. Now, think of all the people that handled it and their salaries, all the diesel and jet fuel that was expended flying that item around the country. And know that the price of that item was $2.99 with free shipping.

Perhaps in some strange, unknown way, it is cost-effective for them to ship things that way. All I know, it that the aggravation factor was so high that I'm not going to order anything other than an ebook online from them anymore.

I contacted both Borders and FedEx about this, and I just got generic responses that didn't address the issue.

12-24-2010, 01:31 AM	#59
Xanthe Plan B Is Now In Force Posts: 1,894 Karma: 8086979 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Surebleak Device: Aluratek,Sony 350/T1,Pandigital,eBM 911,Nook HD/HD+,Fire HDX 7/8.9,PW2	This is the type of thing that will sink Borders: I ordered a DVD on 12/03 - delivery time was supposed to be 2-8 days. FedEx in Pennsylvania received it on the 8th -there's five days right there. Now, I live in NJ, right next to PA, that facility is about 70 miles away from me. I could have day-tripped to the FedEx site. My DVD was shipped by FedEx to Dallas TX. From there it went to Martinsburg WV. From there they sent it to the huge FedEx facility that is in my town (why it didn't go there right from PA is a mystery to me). And then the topper is, this was a FedEx "SmartPost", which means that THEY don't deliver it to my home, they sent it to MY LOCAL POST OFFICE for them to deliver it to me. My post office got it to me the day after they received it - I received it 12/17. It took 9 days for that package to travel from PA to me. Now, think of all the people that handled it and their salaries, all the diesel and jet fuel that was expended flying that item around the country. And know that the price of that item was $2.99 with free shipping. Perhaps in some strange, unknown way, it is cost-effective for them to ship things that way. All I know, it that the aggravation factor was so high that I'm not going to order anything other than an ebook online from them anymore. I contacted both Borders and FedEx about this, and I just got generic responses that didn't address the issue.