For Canadians it's just UPS ground that's a problem. Otherwise UPS is fine. KEH will ship FedEx if like me you just hate the brown truck but even if they ship UPS Air it will be cheaper then the what the postie charges.
Ordering from Freestyle.
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Top notch service and absolutely exemplary packing. I can't recommend them highly enough. All my orders have come by Post.
I avoid giving UPS business
Great service from Freestyle - some items were backordered and even though split into two packages, Freestyle made sure entire order was a single bill so Canada Customs charged only once. (I was expecting separate charges for each parcel) I am happy they send by USPS mail to Canada and it takes about 10 days to Calgary.
Agree about the UPS bad fees issue. After numerous bad experiences with UPS, I will usually not buy from a seller who only uses UPS. Even though UPS expedited has no fees, unhappiness with past service leads me to the consumers choice of not giving UPS my business. The straw that broke it was paying over $55 UPS brokerage fees for a $110 item. I had no problem with the $8 sales tax but the other $45
I don't get me started about their total lack of response when they fail to meet delivery time guarantees.
USPS and Canada Post rock!
Great service from Freestyle - some items were backordered and even though split into two packages, Freestyle made sure entire order was a single bill so Canada Customs charged only once. (I was expecting separate charges for each parcel) I am happy they send by USPS mail to Canada and it takes about 10 days to Calgary.
Agree about the UPS bad fees issue. After numerous bad experiences with UPS, I will usually not buy from a seller who only uses UPS. Even though UPS expedited has no fees, unhappiness with past service leads me to the consumers choice of not giving UPS my business. The straw that broke it was paying over $55 UPS brokerage fees for a $110 item. I had no problem with the $8 sales tax but the other $45
I don't get me started about their total lack of response when they fail to meet delivery time guarantees.USPS and Canada Post rock!
I use Freestyle exclusively. They stock pretty much anything you want and their customer service is just that, service! With Freestyle in CA and me being in NY it takes the better part of 4 days for delivery but I have found that the experience is worth the wait.
Maybe I should stop driving there and have it shipped!
Steve
Steve
I like Freestyle's service, but my problem is Fedex. I always have trouble with them. My last order was shipped quickly, but Fedex took a week & a half to actually deliver my package. I live in a 2 family house & with many phone calls to Fedex they still will not deliver & I'm not wasting my gas to pick it up from them. UPS & USPS ar much better. They deliver!
Craig
Craig
State side. A week + ago received via UPS a shipment.
One of a handful in the area. USPS small package boxes
line the streets where I live. Mail and secured packages
delivered and picked up in one trip. Reduced fuel
consumption.
No complaint with Freestyle although package size for
contents and more fuel efficient delivery should be
considered. War with Warming. Dan
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2006
- Messages
- 16
- Format
- 35mm
I live in Hong Kong, and shipping is very fast, less than one week. Everything is very well boxed, packaged, and protected.
About 2 weeks to me in Rural Australia, which is impressive as even a package from the capital city can take a week sometimes.
Nothing but nice things to say about them.
Nothing but nice things to say about them.
Another vote for Freestyle from Sydney. I've ordered from them several times & been pleased.
I dropped by the shop when I was in Los Angeles in December & it was traditional photography heaven. All the stuff in their catalogues is sitting there on the shelves. Friendly, helpful staff also.
I dropped by the shop when I was in Los Angeles in December & it was traditional photography heaven. All the stuff in their catalogues is sitting there on the shelves. Friendly, helpful staff also.
I've just ordered from Freestyle via their website. Can't comment on how fast, or well packaged the items were as they haven't arrived yet.
However .... since UPS is getting slammed here, let me add my $.02 worth. My wife ordered a book for my birthday in the fall of 2006 from a publisher in the US. They made an error and shipped it UPS. I was able to track it to Winnipeg (the point of entry into Canada) where it 'stopped'. When I called UPS after an appropriate amount of time, they agreed it was 'lost'. I contacted the publisher (Alpine), who sent another book by USPS, which arrived, and they initiated a claim with UPS.
In the spring of 2007 I was contacted by a collection agency, on behalf of UPS, for the brokerage fees that they claimed were owed on a book they never delivered. Talk about having balls! After forwarding the emails from the publisher to the collection agency, they withdrew their aggravating calls.
However .... since UPS is getting slammed here, let me add my $.02 worth. My wife ordered a book for my birthday in the fall of 2006 from a publisher in the US. They made an error and shipped it UPS. I was able to track it to Winnipeg (the point of entry into Canada) where it 'stopped'. When I called UPS after an appropriate amount of time, they agreed it was 'lost'. I contacted the publisher (Alpine), who sent another book by USPS, which arrived, and they initiated a claim with UPS.
In the spring of 2007 I was contacted by a collection agency, on behalf of UPS, for the brokerage fees that they claimed were owed on a book they never delivered. Talk about having balls! After forwarding the emails from the publisher to the collection agency, they withdrew their aggravating calls.
That infamous brokerage fee ($50) that UPS and Purolator claims.
How come USPS doesn't do such a thing? Think about it: how come such a fee would even exist between two countries that signed a free-trade agreement that has for objective the elimination of trade barrier and increasing commercial exchanges?
Those brokerage fees are a scam. Pure and simple. So much so that if you are waiting for a package and refuse to pay it (the brokerage fees, not the duties), your package will go to the customs house (yeah, the trouble) and they will charge you the duties to pay and that's the end of it. This scam is only good for UPS shareholders.
Nowadays, I asked for USPS for my shipment or no deal. And that's what Freestyle does
My .02¢ cents
Marc
I've had packages sent COD. UPS months later writes asking for the brokerage fee. I asked if it was sent COD? They said yes so I asked how I could have received the package without paying?
They sat there for a bit confused. So I told them when the package shows up again I'll pay the COD.:rolleyes: I've just had UPS Italia try the same stunt. They can sue me if they want this time
Postal 'bin doin' it for a long time
The way I figure it, UPS and FedEx have marketed their services to make you think that shipping a parcel across a border is some kind of royal favour, steeped in intrigue and danger. Maybe gunfire. "40 bucks extra, please and thank you".
The postal services have a different tradition. "Send a parcel to Canada (or Spain, France, Zimbabwe...)? Sure, no problem, 'bin doin' it for several hundred years."
The way I figure it, UPS and FedEx have marketed their services to make you think that shipping a parcel across a border is some kind of royal favour, steeped in intrigue and danger. Maybe gunfire. "40 bucks extra, please and thank you".
The postal services have a different tradition. "Send a parcel to Canada (or Spain, France, Zimbabwe...)? Sure, no problem, 'bin doin' it for several hundred years."
That infamous brokerage fee ($50) that UPS and Purolator claims.
How come USPS doesn't do such a thing? Think about it: how come such a fee would even exist between two countries that signed a free-trade agreement that has for objective the elimination of trade barrier and increasing commercial exchanges?
Those brokerage fees are a scam. Pure and simple. So much so that if you are waiting for a package and refuse to pay it (the brokerage fees, not the duties), your package will go to the customs house (yeah, the trouble) and they will charge you the duties to pay and that's the end of it. This scam is only good for UPS shareholders.
Nowadays, I asked for USPS for my shipment or no deal. And that's what Freestyle does
My .02¢ cents
Marc
JUst let me add that I am a happy lifetime customer of Freestyle, when I was a lad in the 70's they used to have densely packed adverts in the US Photomagazines full of odds and ends of out of date film. Get your Ansco All weather pan 100 ft rolls here!
I bought a lot then. The merket has completly changed, and yet they are still dedicated to hobby photography. they even arranged to get some Foma r-100 16mm in when I asked if they could get it. (just after J&C evaporated) They asked FOMA and sure enough the film was added to one of freestyle's bulk orders and was available in a month.
HIghly recomeded, and I would probaly be placing another order soon if there were not so many grey boxes marked "Arista" in my freezer.
I bought a lot then. The merket has completly changed, and yet they are still dedicated to hobby photography. they even arranged to get some Foma r-100 16mm in when I asked if they could get it. (just after J&C evaporated) They asked FOMA and sure enough the film was added to one of freestyle's bulk orders and was available in a month.
HIghly recomeded, and I would probaly be placing another order soon if there were not so many grey boxes marked "Arista" in my freezer.
Never pay attention to Freestyle until I read this post... Did I missed something, I saw some color slide film at 1/3 of what I am paying locally, even when I figure the exchange (almost inexistent) ???
I know the next place where I will spend some bucks...
I know the next place where I will spend some bucks...
I've placed 3 orders from Freestyle (from Canada) in the past 2 months. Great service, shipping is sort of reasonable, and the stuff gets here in less than 2 weeks. The selection is far greater than I can get even if i drive 3 hours to the nearest analog dealer.
I paid money and I got fresh film goods in a reasonable timeframe... what more can I say?
They have a good reputation and my experience was positive.
Whoa, they've started sending via USPS now? Was this a recent change? Because I tried making an order earlier in the year and they only had FedEx as the method of shipping. It was going to cost me $50+ for shipping on 25 rolls of film. I emailed them asking them if they had any cheaper methods because that price was completely absurd for just 25 rolls of film (especially when it cost less for the film itself). They responded with "sorry, that's it" canned message so I was a little disappointed with that.
Has anyone from Canada purchased any chemicals from them or is that a no-no? I'd like to give a hand at colour processing, but don't know of any suppliers north of the border.
Has anyone from Canada purchased any chemicals from them or is that a no-no? I'd like to give a hand at colour processing, but don't know of any suppliers north of the border.
I think they've always used USPS unless you pick a faster way.
Colour? What is Visket in Calgary like? How about Trent-Hall [Or is that Treck??]
Fotochem [She should be on Ebay] is in Montreal. If you can't find anything locally I'd see about Fotochem. But colour chemicals are mostly water. Shipping can be expensive.
Find a cute minilab operator and chat her up. -) Maybe they would order for you. The 1 and 5 litre packages tend to be great deals.
Colour? What is Visket in Calgary like? How about Trent-Hall [Or is that Treck??]
Fotochem [She should be on Ebay] is in Montreal. If you can't find anything locally I'd see about Fotochem. But colour chemicals are mostly water. Shipping can be expensive.
Find a cute minilab operator and chat her up. -) Maybe they would order for you. The 1 and 5 litre packages tend to be great deals.
Freestyle customer for 44 years
First time was to buy some cheap arse color film for my Yashica rangefinder in 1964.
My photographic life ebbs and flows; needs, interests, opportunities. Eventually I found myslf living in Los Angeles. I remember the first time I walked into their store, it was like entering a shrine. Real stuff! I visited them many a time, often buying things just cuz it was in front of me.
Now, years later and back in Florida, I'm ordering online. It takes 5 days or whatever UPS says. Awesome. I needed to correct an order and found out that they do batch processing still, twice a day. Although I had only a ten minute window to phone and talk to someone to change my order, it got done with a smile.
Freestyle is awesome. I have, also, nothing but positives for B&H PHoto.
First time was to buy some cheap arse color film for my Yashica rangefinder in 1964.
My photographic life ebbs and flows; needs, interests, opportunities. Eventually I found myslf living in Los Angeles. I remember the first time I walked into their store, it was like entering a shrine. Real stuff! I visited them many a time, often buying things just cuz it was in front of me.
Now, years later and back in Florida, I'm ordering online. It takes 5 days or whatever UPS says. Awesome. I needed to correct an order and found out that they do batch processing still, twice a day. Although I had only a ten minute window to phone and talk to someone to change my order, it got done with a smile.
Freestyle is awesome. I have, also, nothing but positives for B&H PHoto.
Not when I tried it a couple months back. They only had Fedex, atleast when shipping to Canada. Even when I emailed them, they confirmed that was all they'd ship to Canada with.
As far as colour developing locally, Vistek produces good results. Very good. However their level of service (or lack thereof) has turned me off from using them on a regular basis.
As far as colour developing locally, Vistek produces good results. Very good. However their level of service (or lack thereof) has turned me off from using them on a regular basis.
Don't they sell darkroom stuff? The shop in Toronto did. Including colour chems. Not exactly mass amounts but it was on the list.
As recently as December 2007, Freestyle mailed me an order to Canada.
I've ordered four times in the past couple of years. All were shipped by mail.
It isn't fast, but it is cheap and it's fast enough for me.
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