General Rant about UK suppliers & shipping!

Just thought I'd have a rant to get this off my chest!

Has anyone else noticed how most UK photographic suppliers are now only shipping to the cardholder's address? I can see their reasoning to reduce card fraud, but it's so damned inconvenient. I had to take a day off work this week just to take delivery of a new bag. Not everybody has family members who can wait around all day for something.

It's understandable on £1000's of photo gear... but I now want to order a £60 Lowepro Toploader 75 and don't feel the need to take another day off just because no-one will ship it to my work address (a few companies will if I fax through a copy of my card and pay a surcharge, but frankly they can stick it!)

Jessops seem to be one of the few that will delivery to a work address, but their higher prices make it less cost-effective.

OK... rant over! Just wondering if it annoys other people!

It annoys me more when I get a delivery and the bl**dy concierge has taken yet another sickie so isn't there to sign for it and then I have to go pick stuff up, or if he actually comes to work and leaves me a note but then when I go to get it he's off again and I can see the parcel laughing at me from inside the security cage Where I used to live I often ended up driving to the delivery place to pick a parcel up on Saturday. No big deal. Depends how easy that is to do.

I'd rather have the security of knowing that it is harder for a crim to use my details to buy stuff. If worst comes to worst, I can get to the depot on a Sat am as Dave said.

but yes, you're right, it is a real hassle. I used to live 'above the shop' and that made deliveries a lot easier. Work and home addresses were the same. Of course that brought a whole bunch of other problems - namely that I was always at work....

Being in business, and having dealt with credit card companies, you can't really blame the retailers from whom you're buying. More often than not their insurance cover will only be effective if they ship to the cardholders address. So their hands are tied!

I can't see the credit card companies making any changes.

Umm... Warehouseexpress have been perfectly happy to ship to my work address. Never had a problem with them...

Good prices too..

Pete wrote in post #2260730
Umm... Warehouseexpress have been perfectly happy to ship to my work address. Never had a problem with them...

Good prices too..

Warehouse Express will ship to a work address, but only if it's not your first order. Fortunately the item I bought last week was from them, so my second order has been shipped to work today. Hurrah! Looks like I'll just have to buy everything else from them now...

FatPete wrote in post #2260751
Warehouse Express will ship to a work address, but only if it's not your first order. Fortunately the item I bought last week was from them, so my second order has been shipped to work today. Hurrah! Looks like I'll just have to buy everything else from them now...

This has been my experience for a lot of online companies - the first order will typically be shipped to the cardholders address, then you can change it for subsequent orders. There are exceptions to this, with Amazon you can ship items as 'gifts' to anywhere and have the invoice sent to the cardholders address.

Hmm.. Don't recall that being the case... I remember buying a strap/rocket-blower off them and having it at my work address. I could be wrong though.

It's handy as I can buy things off WE without my girlfriend wondering where all the parcels have come from. The objects of desire get sequestered in my bag without any attention being brought to them...

Lol. Fortunately I've no-one looking over my shoulder!

I think they may have changed their policy - I last ordered from them back in June 2003 and they were happy to ship to work then.

When I spoke to the salesman last Wednesday, he flatly refused to send my order to my work address (fairly small cost - £178 ). When I queried this for my second order, they explained that it was now their policy but they'd be happy to do it for subsequent orders.

No complaints using them again though - fast service, pleasant people on the end of the line, and decent prices.

PS. just noticed your 'Lost your photo-mojo' thread - good idea, and something I really should take part in!

I can see a day when credit cards just get tossed out on the basis that there's so much card fraud. With there being also such good paper money forgery I can well imagine that people will have to start going back to the old ways - barter and payment in gold.