inferno13

iTrader: (202)

i understand now what you where sayin, very true

Precision1

iTrader: (51)

Don't worry buddy, for every complaint or grumble there are many happy and loyal customers. You guys are top notch and have a first class on-line store and facility up there. I have actually had to call a few times and always spoke with very helpful and genuine employees willing to go out of their way for me. In the age of internet shopping that is rare. And for those that don't know, Chico is pretty much in the "boonies" of NorCal.

I'd buy you a round or two at the best brewery in the world if I was there now!

If you guys ever put in a 1/8 nitro track I'll buy a whole keg !

SolderGlob

iTrader: (13)

Not to come across as snarky or anything but you should consider marking those packages as "staged" or "pending carrier pick-up" to avoid confusing your customers. When they see that its status is "shipped" they are under the impression that it has left your hands and is now in the "abyss" of their chosen carrier. It's a small issue but it keeps the customer informed of what is actually happening with their purchase and keeps them from complaining.

Besides that, I gotta say I love your store and have been completely satisfied with every purchase I have made their. Keep up the good work ^.^b

infanterene

iTrader: (18)

The fact that they offer a rush charge doesnt sit right with me. Ever since they started doing that, I use them as a last resort. I think that whatever I buy should ship the same day if I order early enough.

I dont know of any other store that offers that "service".

Sideshow Bob

I think most of the posters on this thread get that it is not the stores' fault, but rather a carrier thing one of my last packages from amain took forever and yes, i did come to you first via your live chat on the site and it turned out there was a problem with my tracking numbers....also a USPS thing, which Amain promptly sorted out on my and USPS behalf it seems Like i said, the fact that i am sitting 15000+ km away and can order stuff over the internet from amain is great. your service has always been great for the time i have been using you, you have the best selection of goods too...amain is more of a online hobby mall than a store if you ask me

Rsickles

iTrader: (21)

You can already tell the difference, whether it's on the back dock or actually in the carriers truck. Just use the tracking info (provided you're not shipping first class).

USPS:
-"Electronic info received..." It's waiting to be picked up/dropped off.
-"Acceptance" It's been picked up by USPS. Sometimes tracking will jump straight to "Acceptance" and skip the received part if the package is picked up before the tracking number is active in USPS.

UPS:
-"Order Processed" It's waiting to be picked up/dropped off.
-"Origin Scan" It's been picked up by UPS.

Obviously things differ sometimes, but you just have to look at tracking to tell the status.

I agree, it should be done away with... especially now that the shipping page has been redone and tells us what day our product arrives. I was playing with it last night and whether or not I check "Rush my order", the day of delivery doesn't change. Only Express delivery has actual cutoff times, in which case you would obviously NOT check 'rush my order' if you place an order before the cutoff. For any other order such as Priority mail or 3-day, etc, it's kind of like, I feel if I don't check it and my order doesn't go out, it'll be my fault; if I do check it, then I feel like I'm wasting money.

SolderGlob

iTrader: (13)

Sometimes it isn't feasible to ship the same day as it's ordered (i.e., order queue, time of order, available man-power, etc.)

Of the orders I have placed, they are usually "shipped" within 48 hrs after check-out and I never use the rush processing (i'm cheap and patient )

The practice of "rush processing" has become more and more prevalent as of late. I know Newegg has had that service for sometime now. I feel it's justified because they are putting other orders aside to rush yours out which may cause conflicts or loss of sales from the displaced customers.

Actually, that's exactly what I do.

My advice pertains to those customers that like to complain about anything and everything or those that are OCD about their order. It gives them one less reason to complain and one more reason to become a repeat customer.

SolderGlob

iTrader: (13)

Double post

Rsickles

iTrader: (21)

But AMain doesn't 'guarantee' anything... if there's no guarantee, why pay extra?

It's like if I shipped a package, I do pay extra for shipping insurance. Probably 99% of the time I won't end up needing the insurance, so you could say I "wasted" money since I didn't need it... but not really, because there was a GUARANTEE if I did need it.

Paying more for no guarantee just doesn't make sense and it's bad practice that just frustrates customers.

SolderGlob

iTrader: (13)

I don't agree with it either that's why I don't use it. If I need a part that badly, I go to my LHS.

I don't know the specifics of their "rush processing" nor what it guarantees, if anything at all, so I'm not gonna argue about the merit of it. I just gave my perspective of justifying it if I ever did need to use it.

Aaron Waldron

Precision1 - Thanks for the kind words! And as a SoCal Native, I thought when I moved up here that if it wasn't for Sierra Nevada I'm not sure that maps would know where Chico is...but it's sure not a bad place to live.

Oh, and our outdoor 1/8-scale track at Chico's Silver Dollar Fairgrounds should be open later this year. Start packing!

solderglob - I totally understand what you're saying. The packages are marked shipped when the label is printed, because another check would require an extra step to get the package out the door, and it could hold up the drivers waiting at the dock. But that doesn't mean the process can't be tweaked.

infanterene - Like solderglob said, while most of A Main's orders are gone within 1-2 business days, the rush processing option comes in handy for many customers. For example: for CA and surrounding customers that get ground-travel packages the following day, the rush processing fee could be the difference between a late morning order (that tiptoes along the line of missing our 10 AM suggestion) showing up one day earlier. If the order qualified for FREE Super Saver shipping, that's like getting Next Day service for four bucks.

It's not a world-changer, but depending on when you place the order and with what service the Rush Processing option can make a significant improvement in how fast a package is shipped on busy days. If you have questions about using the Rush option when placing an order, shoot one of our CS reps a call or Live Chat message and ask if it's necessary given the queue of the warehouse. They'll be happy to assist.

sideshow bob - Thanks so much! I really appreciate it.

Rsickles - You're right. I will work on getting the Rush Processing fee policy re-worded more clearly.

Jaz240

iTrader: (52)

I only get free shipping from GP if my order total is enough to offset the shipping charges. It seems like GP has multiple dealer accounts. The discount they give is directly related to how much product you order and how you pay for it. My account is set up as COD because that was the greatest discount percentage for me. They want me to pay 3% more on all orders to pay with a credit card and they would not give me terms because I was a new business. I agree with you about the low stock at HRP. I could not get a Horizon account because they were concearned that I was going to sell products to team members below MAP.

token

I like the "rush" service. I like to think it has saved my but a few times during the race season. I pay ALOT of money per year in this hobby. Im to the point I dont care bout shipping as long as i get it in a timely manner. I need it when I need it and I pay to get it. This hobbys to expensive to keep crying over the cost of everything. This is not a big hobby. But we want the most technological advanced equipment but dont want to pay for it.

kendallb

Yes, and one of the primary reasons we implemented the new shipping estimation system is to ensure that when you check out, you get a really accurate estimate of when the package will arrive at your house. This already takes into account when the shipping carriers pick up, how many orders are in front of your order right now etc, all in real time when you are ready to check out.

So regardless of when an order is actually marked as shipped, at least now the new shipping estimator should be really accurate in terms of when it thinks your package will arrive (it even skips holidays and weekends for you automatically ). Of course this is all new software and it may need a little tweaking, but it is a 100% better than simply saying something is 3-business days away, because that does not take into account how many orders are in front of yours at the point when you place your order, nor skipping over the weekend or over holidays.

kendallb

Plenty of 'larger' online retailers do offer that service actually. Just nobody else in the R/C industry. Companies like NewEgg.com for instance offer it, and I think maybe even Zappos.com.

However now that we have our new shipping estimator in place, the rush shipping is factored into the calculations when you check out. So if you choose rush shipping and the estimated delivery date does not change at all, then it won't speed your order up to choose it .

I have actually be considering changing the code such that if the rush shipping will have no effect on the speed of shipping your order out the door, that I would simply hide the option and you would not see it. No point paying for it if it won't help. But in many instances it can make a difference between your order getting out that day, and going out the next day.