DriveThruRPG Site Says 45 Days Until Product is Considered Lost

Lynn · August 11, 2020, 06:32:20 PM

We knew it was bad, but it got worse. I had ordered Silent Legions previously, and sure enough, it took another 20 days or so as warned, then finally delivered in short order. I guess it has just gotten worse:

QuoteCurrently USPS is reporting delays on package shipments and unfortunately their tracking has become very unreliable, so much so that we've stopped even recording them on new orders. We have seen some orders sit un-moving for weeks and then get delivered the next day. Currently we can't consider USPS packages to be lost until they have been out for forty five days. If you haven't received your order by September 19th, please let us know and we can get a replacement order created for you. I'm sorry we don't have a more immediate solution for you. I'm sorry we don't have a more immediate solution for you.

I got this after a book was issued a tracking number and sat for seven days untrackable BUT shown to have been ready to go a mere 12 days after placing the order. Does anyone know if Lulu is also having this sort of problem?

Makes you wonder if USPS is going to be able to scale up for additional states for mail in voting if this really is on them.

Arkansan · August 11, 2020, 06:52:40 PM

Quote from: Lynn;1144389We knew it was bad, but it got worse. I had ordered Silent Legions previously, and sure enough, it took another 20 days or so as warned, then finally delivered in short order. I guess it has just gotten worse:

I got this after a book was issued a tracking number and sat for seven days untrackable BUT shown to have been ready to go a mere 12 days after placing the order. Does anyone know if Lulu is also having this sort of problem?

Makes you wonder if USPS is going to be able to scale up for additional states for mail in voting if this really is on them.

Just got something in from Lulu the other day, took roughly three days to print and got it I think three days after that. So less than a solid week.

danskmacabre · August 11, 2020, 06:56:07 PM

I ordered "Wolves of God" from Drivethru (I back the KS).
It never arrived and I contacted them and they sent another, which never arrived.

They refunded the amount I paid, but it's a darn shame. This is not the first time I've had problems with Drivethru deliveries, yet I've ordered stuff from the USA on Ebay, Amazon etc and no problems, so I don't know what the problem is with Drivethru.

Whatever the case, they didn't quibble at all about giving a refund. but it kinda sucks as there's a few things I wanted to order from Drivethru, but it seems at this stage there's really no point.

It'd be great if Drivethru used printers in Australia where I live.

HappyDaze · August 11, 2020, 07:26:00 PM

That really sucks. I know when I order things I try to avoid USPS (and the FedEx option that uses USPS for the final leg of delivery), and that was just to save a few extra days, but up to 1.5 months...fuck.

brettmb · August 11, 2020, 07:28:56 PM

I have found USPS to be fairly reliable as long as the package does not first go through UPS or Fedex (surepost/smartpost, or whatever they are called).

estar · August 11, 2020, 09:07:03 PM

Quote from: danskmacabre;1144396so I don't know what the problem is with Drivethru.

For the technical side of things the problem is not with DriveThru it is with Lightning Source who they have the PoD contract with. If it cards, tiles, and posters then it is all on Drivethru as they do the printing of those items and the shipper.

Spinachcat · August 11, 2020, 10:50:00 PM

I'm unsure why any small publisher would not use Amazon for POD.

Anyone know?

Venger Ass'Nasty Satanis uses Amazon POD and everything I've gotten from them has been equal quality to DriveThru or Lulu. But I think Amazon POD only does softcover as that's everything I've gotten. Like any POD, there's ink issues with a couple images, but nothing notable. It's fun to order mundane crap for the house and find a crazy Venger book in the box too.

danskmacabre · August 11, 2020, 11:03:54 PM

Quote from: estar;1144422For the technical side of things the problem is not with DriveThru it is with Lightning Source who they have the PoD contract with. If it cards, tiles, and posters then it is all on Drivethru as they do the printing of those items and the shipper.

Yeah I get its not precisely their fault, but at the end of the day, when I order a physical product from Drivethru, there's often problems with it arriving at my door, yet I have no problems with the other online products I buy, including products from the USA.

Anyway, I mostly buy these things on a whim, I don't run RPGs very often anymore (I like to read them though). So they're probably doing me a favor

.

Thornhammer · August 11, 2020, 11:37:07 PM

Quote from: brettmb;1144406I have found USPS to be fairly reliable as long as the package does not first go through UPS or Fedex (surepost/smartpost, or whatever they are called).

Used to be, anyway.

Now not so much.

Edit: they made me the asshole. Ordered Fall of Delta Green on Monday afternoon, it got here Wednesday afternoon. Shipped Media Mail, of all things. Two days. That’s good even for The Before-fore Times, to say nothing of now.

Lynn · August 12, 2020, 02:31:08 AM

I had a bit of back and forth with DriveThruRPG after the above.

After a round of copy-pasting answers without reading my question, I learned a bit more.

They do not take possession of the books, but the books are sent directly from the printer. That makes sense.

However, I got a 'to the best of our knowledge' to a question about if the actual book has left the printer point of origin after tracking number assignment. That is, USPS tracking numbers get assigned, but it isn't confirmed that they've actually been picked up or not. Keeping in mind you can print postage on a home printer, I find this a bit concerning. This is what USPS shows:

QuoteLabel Created, not yet in system
A status update is not yet available on your package. It will be available when the shipper provides an update or the package is delivered to USPS. Check back soon.

So USPS puts it squarely back on the shipper.

Lynn · August 12, 2020, 02:33:27 AM

Quote from: Arkansan;1144395Just got something in from Lulu the other day, took roughly three days to print and got it I think three days after that. So less than a solid week.

Thanks!

kythri · August 13, 2020, 12:49:28 PM

My recent experiences with DTRPG/Lightning Source have not had any real issues with the USPS, it's all been on Lightning Source's end - a couple weeks to actually print the thing, then days after sending a ship notification via DTRPG until they actually drop the package with their shipping partner (UPS Mail Innovations, in this case), then a few days in transit until UPS drops to USPS for last mile, and then a couple days later, it arrives.

Placing the blame on USPS instead of their slow/inept printing company isn't cool.

Lynn · August 13, 2020, 02:53:45 PM

Okay, I got an update!

The book arrived and the USPS site updated to show that it was delivered. The tracking number was completely worthless (as above) right up to the time in which it was delivered.

However my account on DriveThruRPG didn't update to show that it was delivered, so it seems to me that info just isn't get passed between parties.

Imaginos · August 13, 2020, 06:56:52 PM

I had a package that was out for delivery yesterday. USPS flagged it as no access to delivery location yesterday. During a storm. I live on a main road and am the only person on my driveway. I appreciate not wanting my package to get wet, but just flag it as bad storm, try tomorrow instead of trying to make it look like there was some other issue.

I've also been having a spate of the USPS claiming delivery and the package not showing up for days.

Anthony Pacheco · August 14, 2020, 01:15:56 AM

My distributor is Ingram (which owns Lightning Source and Ingram Spark), and I can confirm COVID-19 has hit them and the USPS offices in their area hard.

I just shipped 50 packages from Redmond, WA, via USPS (with tracking numbers) without any issues.

Problems with USPS are local. I know an Etsy seller that is losing her business because of USPS delays.