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Hello,
THought I might share a nervous experience for anyone looking to buy from Calumet.

I have previously bought from HK, BHPhoto in NY, Adorama, all with no troubles. Three weeks ago I placed an order for a high end studio light with Calumet, and after a week proving my identity and that I was the credit card holder etc, my delivery was sent to the US Virgin Islands. I only wish the same discilpline that applied to my credit check applied to the monkey completing the address on the UPS order. Somehow a state and country (Victoria, AU) were replaced completely. So I watch my fragile, super expensive light travel from central USA, to Puerto Rico, to US Virgin Islands, back to Puerto Rico, back to Virgin Islands... then a few laps around central USA on the UPS website, my concerns raise that the flash tube is not yet broken and that it works by the time it gets to me in Melbourne. Shame its not clocking up frequent flyer points...

Calumet tell me its been intercepted, and that the correct address "will" be attached and it "should" be on its way soon.

So near on 3 weeks since order, and I only ordered from them as it was in stock, and not in stock at the other big stores... add the Christmas peak mail time, and I am getting less confident that it will turn up intack...

fingers crossed...

Bruce,

Ugly. Maybe it'll take a stopover in Hawaii along the way as well?

How in the hell did they manage to screw that up?

Ouch - nightmare - hope you didnt need it for an urgent job

Hope it turns up eventually, and hopefully intact. Was it insured?

gstark wrote:How in the hell did they manage to screw that up?

I'm guessing mind, but the USofA use two letter state abbreviations
And the first two letters of Victoria are?
And the standard abbreviation of Virgin Islands is?

Which reminds me of a quote that Stephen Fry repeated on Qi: "War was invented so Americans could learn geography".

I am sure it will turn up though.[Would the postal strike affect things?] Fingers crossed that no damage has occured due to the extra milage. You'd hope with a high end flash, they'd wrap it up properly.

Mr Darcy wrote:

gstark wrote:How in the hell did they manage to screw that up?

I'm guessing mind, but the USofA use two letter state abbreviations
And the first two letters of Victoria are?
And the standard abbreviation of Virgin Islands is?

Greg,

Quite possibly. You clearly are not just a pretty face.

hmm, its a joy alright.

Makes me appreciate quality delivery service of avenues like HK Supplies.

In year 11 history class in New York USA, the most important test was knowing the 53 states of the US. Yet not a sole in the room could point to the large island I came from when I spun the globe around... no wonder the fish rots from the head down...

All insured etc, its just the route that it has and will take leave me speechless.

Correct on the VI to VI abreviation, but how does "AU" transcribe to "VI"????

Willy wombat wrote:Ouch - nightmare - hope you didnt need it for an urgent job

job was booked for the 9th Jan, two months in advance... now doubtful, or I make do...

Last year I ordered an Acratech levelling base from Acratech themselves,was sent the usual tracking number etc, and after a week waiting, having paid the extra for express post, looked up the tracking number to find that it was in a mail exchange in New Zealand "awaiting delivery"!

An email to Acratech, with a reply <24hrs later confirmed that was where it was. "Would I mind waiting?"
I said I wanted the base for an impending trip, and if it did not arrive in time, next week, I would send it back on my return and they could refund me. Thier response?

Fiver days later there it was at the PO!! Sent priority air express

Three weeks later the original base arrived! This I returned to them with many thanks.

Shame of it was, it was to light for my use and now have a Gitzo levelling base after selling the Acratech on fleabay

Hope your light kit turns up in time in a useable state!!!

latest today is that its stuck in customs. no doubt the increased security after the terrorist plots in the US, added to the christmas peak work load, its gunna sit around for a while...

but today its in Mexico CIty. Wish I was. So it has (well one of the two packages at least) tracked back into the mainland USA, and now gone to Mexico, confused. Sometimes I think too much visibility of order tracking is a bad thing...

to calumets credit, they have offerred to ship me another one if this one takes too long to clear and get back on the road.

job rescheduled, unhappy client, unhappy me.

$500 USD for postage, I could have flown there and had a vacation for not much more.

I bought a backdrop stand kit of fleabay on 18/12 and it arrived from China on 24/12. What postal strike!

Hope the light arrives safely, and has some holiday snaps for you to view.

Oz_Beachside wrote:$500 USD for postage, I could have flown there and had a vacation for not much more.

Unfortunately, the excess baggage charges (or is it just baggage charges now? ) that you'd be hit with might mean that a first class airfare might have been the way to go.

CraigVTR wrote:I bought a backdrop stand kit of fleabay on 18/12 and it arrived from China on 24/12. What postal strike!

Hope the light arrives safely, and has some holiday snaps for you to view.

Thanks, unfortunately it doesnt have the ability to capture the journey like Patrick's FE national trip. First time I've had such an experience. Amazing that a web ordering system converts cuntries. Well I guess its programmed by an american, who may not understand that there are countries outside the US, or is it "us", an ironic abbreviation indeed. To be fair to him, their schooling doesnt teach the kids about silly things...

gstark wrote:

Oz_Beachside wrote:$500 USD for postage, I could have flown there and had a vacation for not much more.

Unfortunately, the excess baggage charges (or is it just baggage charges now? ) that you'd be hit with might mean that a first class airfare might have been the way to go.

True, hadnt thought about that. Think its around 70 Lbs, so that might push the limits, and at $1000 / kg luggage fee, it would be cheaper to charter my own flight...

Well, well, well... So despite my request in chicago for calumet to check the items before reshipping to my correct address, no one opened my parcels to check the contents to see if the big dent in the carton caused any damage. So when the kit finally arrives guess what? Yep, broken flash tubes in one head. Tube is approx $300 so they have proposed to send me a replacement at no cost, how generous, it could have been avoided if they did what I asked!

So, 7 weeks into the order and I have 3 of 4 items and a broken flash tube

Oz_Beachside wrote:Tube is approx $300 so they have proposed to send me a replacement at no cost

And by what routing, and with whom, will this be sent? Hopefully it will be here before Christmas.