Holiday Shipping From OWC - It's Not Too Late!

We are down to five days left to receive deliveries in time for the big day and it is officially crunch time. As we covered in our last post, there’s a lot of information to take into account when shopping for the holidays.

The time to visit malls and shops has passed, here on in it is going to be granny’s throwing elbows and bumper carts! Time to throw on some pj’s and fuzzy socks and hit the interwebs. (A little hot chocolate never hurts either.)

Having five days left to receive deliveries means there’s still five days left to order! There’s still hope and we’re certainly still here to help. Our four big tips still ring true for stress-free online shopping; we just have to pay closer attention to the available shipping options. Here are our tips and the breakdown of still available options:

Tip #1: Aim for the Friday before as your absolute last date for receipt. – Monday 12/24 is a delivery day for most carriers, so if for some reason your shipment is delayed, you have an extra day just in case.

Tip#2: Watch where your package is shipping from and that company’s daily shipping deadlines. For our customers, we’re in Woodstock, IL, so anything shipping from our location is only a day for anywhere in Illinois, a good chunk of Wisconsin and Iowa, and some of Michigan, Indiana and Missouri too. Why spend more on faster shipping if you don’t have to? Our daily shipping deadlines vary by carrier and service, so you’ll want to make sure you check our Shipping Options page to make sure your order is in on time.

Tip#3: Watch the weather. Winter is coming and typically, that means winter storms aren’t too far behind. A good storm can easily ground cargo planes or cause accidents for the trucks on the road, and that can cause delays both big and small. If there’s a storm coming, select a faster method than you technically need just in case. Cutting your time in half, if possible, will help make sure that if something does go wrong, you still walk away happy.

Tip #4: Ship to yourself as often as possible. Responsible merchants will be confirming credit card information to help prevent credit card fraud to their customers during the holiday season. Shipping to the same address the card-issuing bank has on file for you will ensure speedy processing and fewer delays.

Now for the good stuff! Here are our recommendations for holiday shipping estimates:

U.S. Postal Service:

Only the U.S. Postal Service (and UPS SurePost Saver) can ship to PO Boxes and military APO’s, FPO’s etc.

Parcel Post – approximately 2-3 weeks (3-6 for HI and AK) – Not going to make it.
First Class Mail – Up to 2 weeks – Not going to make it.
Priority Mail – Up to 1 week – Probably not going to make it. (IL,WI, IA, MO, IN & MI you have a chance, but it’s slim)
Express Mail – 2-3 days – Should make it in time for the holiday if ordered by tomorrow, 12/18.

UPS:

Mail Innovations – Up to 9 days – Not going to make it.
SurePost Saver – Up to 8 days – Not going to make it.
Ground – Up to 5 days – Only recommended if close to our main facility. (http://www.ups.com/maps/ Enter Zip: 60098)
Two Day – 2 business days – Will definitely make it in time for the holiday if ordered by Wednesday, 12/19.
Standard Overnight – 1 business day – Should make it in time for the holiday if ordered by Thursday, 12/20.
Priority Overnight – 1 business day – Should make it in time for the holiday if ordered by Thursday, 12/20.

Please note for Priority services the latest possible delivery time is specified by the carriers, varies by region, and is often extended during holiday hours. Please confirm with the carrier what time they consider priority delivery through in your area before counting on this service prior to any specific time.

Fed Ex:

Ground – Up to 5 days – Only recommended if close to our main facility. (http://www.fedex.com/grd/maps/ShowMapEntry.do Enter Zip: 60098)
Two Day – 2 business days – Should make it in time for the holiday if ordered by Wednesday, 12/19.
Standard Overnight – 1 business day – Should make it in time for the holiday if ordered by Thursday, 12/20.
Priority Overnight – 1 business day – Should make it in time for the holiday if ordered by Thursday, 12/20.
Saturday Delivery – Will specifically deliver on Saturday – Which would make it in time for the holiday if ordered by Friday, 12/21.

Please note for Priority services the latest possible delivery time is specified by the carriers, varies by region and is often extended during holiday hours. Please confirm w/ the carrier what time they consider priority delivery through in your area before counting on this service prior to any specific time.

For our international customers, we recommend reviewing the estimated delivery times to your area with your preferred carrier. Since we ship to over 200 countries it is difficult to give average estimates for international shipments via express carriers, so you may wish to check these carriers’ Web sites to confirm shipping times.

The U.S Postal Service does not yet have a good tool for quick look-up. For these services, we have seen their longest delivery times as:

First Class (or International Mail Service) – Up to 45 days – Not going to make it.
Priority Mail – Up to 2 weeks – Not going to make it.
Express Mail – Up to 1 week – May make it; would recommend a priority carrier service.

Please note, all shipments domestically from OWC are shipped with just the packing slip included, which does not include prices for those of you shipping gifts directly to friends and family. International import laws require that all packages shipped internationally include the appropriate customs paperwork be adhered to the outside of the package. This includes the cost of the items being shipped and, for some countries, the shipping fees as well. Any duties, taxes or brokerage/import fees due will be collected at the time of delivery.

Please don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions; we’re always here to help make sure you find exactly what you need and still get it in time!

You can contact our friendly and helpful Sales, Customer Service or Technical Support Teams via live chat, email, or by phone at (800) 275-4576 / internationally at (815) 338-8685.

Happy upgrades to all and to all a good night!