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How did Freestyle do that?

mjs

Member
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Mar 15, 2005
Messages
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Location
Elkhart, Ind
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I placed an order to Freestyle in Hollywood, CA in the mailbox Saturday morning in South Bend, Indiana. Just an ordinary envelope with a first class stamp; a printed copy of my shopping cart and a postal money order.

This afternoon (Monday) I got an e-mailed order acknowledgement from Freestyle. One business day from Indiana to California? How'd they do that? Everything else I mail to California takes 3-4 days. I can't usually get a letter to Chicago in one day (back when Calumet carried film.) Heck, I can't get a letter from the next town over in one day.

I'm trying to decide whether or not I should be worried...

Mike
 
The mail moves on weekends, so it is not too unusual -- what is unusual, in a good way, is the same-day email response from a letter.
 
Haha, nice!
I used to get everything from B&H, but I'm beginning to enjoy Freestyle myself, now that I live in SoCal.

Jed
 
Sounds like it wasn't so much Freestyle, though they did their part, as the USPS.
I've occasionally had similar rapid mail progress, though 2-3 days coast to coast is more common.
The record, for me, was a postcard for one the exchanges that showed up in Germany two days after mailing it.
 
WetMogwai said:
The mail is surprisingly good. I once got a 5 gallon keg shipped from Arizona to Ohio in two days for $6.50.
Click to expand...

Some exceptional Arizona microbrew?
 

What'd you buy!!??..Evan Clarke
 
Freestyle and the US Postal Service are just good like that ......I love Freestyle but the only downside is that a package from them shipped FedEx takes a week to get to me.
 
Can't go wrong with Freestyle. They're reasonably priced and fast. Also Fed ex does a pretty good job in delivering also. A winning combination.
 
Freestyle is great. So is the USPS. I don't know why people always slam them.
 
I am glad that you guys have such good luck with fedex. Service is abysmal here in Memphis. It's odd though considering Memphis is the world headquarters for FedEx. When I am ordering something I have to have on time, I use UPS.
 
Freestyle is amazing, and so is the U.S.P.S. For all its problems (like losing my $200 money order to buy 200 sheets of 4x5 Plus-X from an A.P.U.G. member, causing the film to be sold to someone else because the seller never got the M.O.), it still amazing to me that it works as well as it does. We in the U.S. are relatively lucky in this respect.
 
I would love to see Freestyle have a cheaper USPS option or even switch to FedEx. They charge a handeling fee for USPS ....
 
I just called Freestyle....They offer FedEx at the same price as UPS but since FedEx is their standard, if you want UPS you must call in your order. I never knew that. I am thrilled!! Bye Bye B&H!
 
Having dealt with Freestyle since the 1960s, I have always found them to be A Number 1. I do, however, plan ahead and make sure I order all my film and paper so it is delivered in colder weather. I shall continue to do so until I am informed one of the delivery modalities employs refrigerated trucks.
 
In southern California, their Fedex ground delivery is the least expensive -- and I can place an order up to about 3:00 in the afternoon, and the items arrive the next day. It's fantastic.

John Clark
www.johndclark.com
 
I work for the USPS as a carrier.

A thing you have to understand about the USPS is that, depending on your luck, your mail may go through very fast. Premium service gets preferential treatment, but no mail is deliberately slowed down if there's space to get it through faster. Trust me, we don't want to keep your stuff longer than necessary. There's always more stuff coming through and even the largest sort plants can only hold so much.
 

That's great to know....usually the USPS does a great job....thanks.
 
FS usually sends a shipping confirmation after it's already shipped. They're quite fast and reliable (although a bit packing crazy - search past threads, it's already been discussed).
 
Re: the letter, Freestyle is in LA, not far from what's probably the major postal facility for SoCal. So the letter was probably there within a day, and ready for the carrier to sort it for Monday. I'm in LA and occasionally get cards from family in Chicago. They leave them in their mailbox for pick up, and I still get them in two days!

As for Freestyle, it's great to have them in driving distance, but it's a wash - in LA, B&H and Adorama are a long UPS Ground trip away.
 
Ektagraphic said:
I would love to see Freestyle have a cheaper USPS option or even switch to FedEx. They charge a handeling fee for USPS ....
Click to expand...

When I order from Freestyle, I have it sent via the USPS and Canada Post (I am in Ottawa, Ontario), and from the time I place the order to the time it arrives in Ottawa is usually ten days.

Count your blessings; Canada Post charges a flat CA$5.00 in brokerage fees, whereas most of the courier companies charge CA$30-50.00 for the same service! I once had to pay a CA$35.00 charge on a item I bought on eBay for US$15.00!! The manger refused to lower or waive the fee...and I "waived" my future business with said courier company, and they haven't made dollar one from me in 12 years.

With Canada Post, they usually collect 13% combined GST and PST for the CCRA, soon to be replaced by the 13% HST...and don't get me started on that! I will leave it to my fellow Canadians to explain what that is about, if so interested.

And our American friends think that they are overtaxed, eh?
 
What'd I buy?

eclarke said:
What'd you buy!!??..Evan Clarke
Click to expand...

8x10 film, mostly, along with a re-supply of pyro developer from Photog. Formulary's line, some TF-4 fixer, etc. A longer shutter release for my new (to me) 16 1/2" RD Artar lens, a filter, that sort of thing. Forgot to get some lens wraps, though.

Will we see you this weekend, Evan? Kind of a long drive for you Wisconsin folks.

Mike
 
I live in CA (Northern) and once I ordered on Monday morning and I had it Tuesday afternoon. They are very fast. B&H for me takes 7-10 days?????????????
 
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