Arc now using FedEx

After loosing too many packages with UPS and the USPS, I decided to switch to FedEx. That and they gave me discount that puts us within range of UPS prices.

The idea is that FedEx will loose less packages, simplify international shipping and give us tracking numbers on everything. They are also slighly faster to some states.

Basically, we will be paying a little bit more for better service.

I am still tweaking the rates but here is what we have so far:

Inside Canada, Puerto Rico
shipping: FedEx Ground International (Canada/Puerto Rico only) $20

Outside Canada, Puerto Rico
shipping: FedEx International Priority (Outside of Canada/Puerto Rico) $22

Inside United States
shipping: FedEx 2-day (US Domestic) $12.50

Inside United States
shipping: FedEx Ground (US Domestic) $5

Inside United States
state: HI, AK
shipping: FedEx Ground (Hawai/Alaska only) $10

Inside United States
shipping: FedEx Standard Overnight (US Domestic Only, excluding HI, AK) $18

We will see how this works out.

Peter Gransee

Originally posted by Gransee:

Inside United States
state: HI, AK
shipping: FedEx Ground (Hawai/Alaska only) $10

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Peter,

Boy you are working way too hard, you need to take a short vacation. I know you meant "Air" and not "Ground" to (Hawai/Alaska only) - Alaska maybe but not to Hawaii.

Best Regards,

Oh, Congrats on engagement too

Thanks and yeah, I was wondering about that too. They call it ground even though it obviously is going to have to leave the ground at some point.

Peter

I'm no shipping expert but my uncle is a head honcho at the local UPS hub so may I take a gander at it? Thanks...

Probably called ground because it travels to the coast via ground. Calling it Air would be worse than calling it ground because then you'd get the impression that your package went from Maine to California via plane...probably not the case though.

Yeah! I'm tired of having all of my ARC shipments get lost in Phoenix. Every single one over the course of a year or so gets misrouted on its way to me. Drives me nuts as the tracking info just *stops* for several days and the next thing I know, it's at the door. Can you imagine how hard that is on someone waiting for a new ARC flashlight?

FedEx has much better tracking and delivery service than UPS.

Looks like the US lower 48 ground rate is the same, so it looks like a good deal from this end. Don't go out of business on this, Peter!

I think they all could do a better job. I'm a ups employee for one of the biggest money makeing air hubs and I also work the preload shift. A package going through the air may even take several planes to get where its going and then sometimes ground is use to take it the extra distance. on our preload shift (where we load the package cars) management at my hub is just concerned about getting everything done so their numbers look good. We are even harassed when we need to use the rest room and when we get injured they try to make it like its our fault and get us to quit. I've seen boxes get caught under belts and on the slides so bad they just explode dumping whatever is in them all over. ups is also bad with bubble envelopes if they are odd shaped. I didn't think every ups building was as poor as the one I work at but I'm starting to wonder. I think ups air service is much better than their ground. but as i said at the top of the post all 3 of them need to do a better job so it doesn't really matter to me who ships my box. fedex seems to get me my stuff faster from states further away.

Chris

Hmmmm...well can I take another guess. My uncle said, and it's been proven (In this family at least) that if you give UPS a Zip+4 it will royally screw with the system. Maybe it's been fixed by now though, never bothered to try it again after that first time

Somone want to send me something UPS using Zip+4 so we can try it out

I sorta figured this out tonight. LOL! Got an email stating that the Arc LS Second kit I ordered on Saturday, was shipped today, forgot to notice that the tracking number was not a UPS one. I was up all night and into the afternoon, caught a nap and still not awake. This is my first purchase from Arc, but I doubt it is not my last. Now I am like a kid waiting for Christmas morning.

I called LEDCorp up in Akron, OH to inquire if 2 Cell Pro Series WHITE bulbs would be available. Talk about extremely good luck! John told me that they just gone done sorting a new batch of Luxeon Stars they got in, and that they indeed found some for the 2 Cell White (I have a 2D Mag-Lite), but they have to make the bulbs (about 10 days), and told me how to order one. So I followed procedures and ordered one.

Now for the real news: When I mention that I am a CPF member, John told me they are Feverishly working on a Luxeon Star based Focusable flashlight, though they are proceeding carefully in order to not infringe on any patents. No details, guys.

I also order a PT Matrix 3 LED module for my PT Solo from Brightguy.

For us, 'a kid in a candy store' translates to 'a flashaholic in a flashlight superstore'.

> FedEx International Priority (Outside of Canada/Puerto Rico) $22

Sorry Peter, but this just makes me angry! Looks like these prices - in effect - exclude all your customers outside the American continent. I just couldn't pay $22 to get a $28.95 light shipped!

Thankfully your dealers are a little more aware of the world outside the States ...

Originally posted by arab:
> FedEx International Priority (Outside of Canada/Puerto Rico) $22

Sorry Peter, but this just makes me angry! Looks like these prices - in effect - exclude all your customers outside the American continent. I just couldn't pay $22 to get a $28.95 light shipped!

Thankfully your dealers are a little more aware of the world outside the States ...

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Not Peter's fault LOOK at FedEx's PRICES

> FedEx International Priority (Outside of Canada/Puerto Rico) $22

Yep, I'm agree with Alan. I still remember when the last time I purchased LSs from you, the USPS $18 cost more than one LS.

Please consider to use USPS as another option for international buyers.

Vic

Oh man - just when the cost of business seemed to stabilize. I guess I've been pretty lucky - USPS hasn't lost a single package to me in Singapore yet. Unless its a group buy or a big personal order, I can no longer afford private invididual purchases from Arc anymore with this new price hike.

Any other international customers out there have a good/bad USPS delivery record to share? Please speak up now - it could affect your future buying experience with Arc...

I have never had any problems with US postal service stuff (OK now I said that, I`ll have 3 f***-ups in a row- you just watch ). I have had a recent trouble with Fedex. Admittedly it was the shipper`s fault, and the tracking number meant I could sort it out- but it did take four fone calls, giving my address in full each time, before they sorted it out. You would have thought that such a well organized organization would have sorted things from just one call, how hard can it be?

Actually I still don`t know if they have sorted it out yet. It`s due to arrive tomorrow, that`s what I was promised. But I was promised that two weeks ago. No parcel, and make that five fone calls to sort things out...

I guess there`s good and bad sides to using Fedex. Good side- improved reliability and fun, fun, fun obsessive-feeding tracking information (Hmm, better check Fedex again, it`s been 5 minutes since I last looked to see where my Arc is! ). And I don`t think Arc would f*** up my address once, let alone twice.

Bad side- expen$ive.

At least though, there is now at least one Arc dealer in this country. And more expensive purchases like Arc-LSses (not that I can afford such luxuries) wouldn`t sting so much as buying just the one AAA light.

I do agree though, that a US postal option for overseas buyers on a tight budget would be great- even if just a CPF-special like TAD do for us. I remember the days when Arc offered air shipping for their brand new little AAA-cell lights to the UK for about $5.

I also remember the days when all there was that fitted on a key chain and ran on an AAA, was the Mag Solitaire, so the past isn`t all good....

Originally posted by hotfoot:
Any other international customers out there have a good/bad USPS delivery record to share? Please speak up now - it could affect your future buying experience with Arc...

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">My last purchase 4 LS from Arc arrived without any problem thru USPS.

Vic

Peter,

I ordered a sLS from the web site and got an email with the tracking number a few days ago:

"...using UPS Ground (inside the US only) $5"

It confused me because I typed the tracking number into UPS and got an error because the number was invalid. I finally found a clickable link and it took me to the FedEx site. Unless you've fixed it since then, the notification email still indicates UPS in one place (I just checked and it does say FedEx later in the email).

- Russ

USPS (US Postal Service not UPS) has lost over a dozen international packages in the past year. This gets pretty expensive.

Another point is the extra overhead required with USPS. Typically, we get an order from Japan (second in volume after the US in Arc orders), we ship it, email the customer, several weeks go by, we get a worried email from the customer, the package either gets lost or finally shows up after a month. Having a tracking number would be really nice. And don't say USPS signature confirmation, that is not the same thing.

I do sympathize with our international customers. They must have it hard. We are constantly asked to use the absolute cheapest shipping method possible then we are emailed 5 times when it takes a month to arrive, people ask us to lie on the shipping manifest so they won't have to pay import fees, etc.

Frankly, I would rather they buy from an in-country importer. The shipping costs are a lot less to the end user and the package arrives sooner. There are also less taxes involved. Overall, your experience is better.

You could help by encouraging your local dealer to stock our product. I have seen this work countless times. I don't have near the clout you do with them.

FeDex to Japan is costing us in shipping alone about $40 a package right now even though we are charging $22. The UK is about $25-30. Domestic is typically anywhere from $4-6. I am working with FedEx to make sure we are maxed on all of our discounts and then I will audit our costs over a month. I don't want to go back to USPS, trust me. If we have to raise international shipping charges again I will try to make it easier to buy from our importers. One thing I can do is work on getting all of our importer information added to our website so they are easier to find.

Peter

My experience is that if you need it there on time, and with fewest lost packages, Fedex is the way to go.

I think USPS and UPS both are getting to big to be accurate. No endorsement, just my experience over the years.

Holy cow!
I just placed an order for another SLS.
Got the order confirmation @ 4:07; the shipped confirmation right behind it @ 4:39!!!

This new Arc headquarters location wouldn't be in the back room of the FedEx facility, would it??

Thanks, one of the perks of the new place is faster fulfillment.

Btw, you got the last SLS!

We might have more next week...

Peter