We are down to seven days left to receive deliveries in time for the big day and it is officially crunch time. As we covered last month, there’s a lot of information to take into account when shopping for the holidays.
Good news is, seven days left to receive deliveries means there’s still six 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. In case you missed them, here are our tips and the breakdown of options still available:
Tip #1: Aim for Tuesday, Dec. 23rd as your absolute last date for receipt. – Wednesday, Dec. 24th 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. Why spend more on faster shipping if you don’t have to? Check out our daily shipping deadlines to make sure you order arrives on time without bankrupting Santa.
Tip #3: Watch the weather. Winter is upon us and, that means winter storms are inevitable. A good storm can easily ground cargo planes or cause accidents for the trucks on the road. If there’s a storm coming, select a faster method than you 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 unexpected delays.
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 – There is hope! (Especially for our neighbors in IL, WI, IA, MO, IN & MI) If you’re further out order soon!
- Express Mail – 2-3 days – Should make it in time for the holiday if ordered by Friday, 12/22 or earlier!
UPS:
- Mail Innovations – Up to 9 days – Not going to make it for most customers.
- SurePost Saver – Up to 8 days – Not going to make it for most customers.
- Ground – Up to 5 days – There is still hope all of our domestic customers! Find how many days your shipment will take here: http://www.ups.com/maps/ (Enter Zip: 60098)
- Two Day – 2 business days – Order by Monday, 12/22.
- Standard Overnight – 1 business day – Order by Tuesday, 12/23.
- Priority Overnight – 1 business day – Order by Tuesday, 12/23.
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 – There is still hope all of our domestic customers! Find how many days your shipment will take here: (http://www.fedex.com/grd/maps/ShowMapEntry.do (Enter Zip: 60098)
- Two Day – 2 business days – 2 business days – Order by Monday, 12/22.
- Standard Overnight – 1 business day – Order by Tuesday, 12/23.
- Priority Overnight – 1 business day – Order by Tuesday, 12/23.
- Saturday Delivery – Will specifically deliver on Saturday, 12/20 if ordered on Friday, 12/19 – Why worry about late deliveries, get it on Saturday and save time for wrapping! (Btw, OWC has videos for the best way to wrap a new SSD or Memory! Simply install it in the machine, of course!)
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 confirm shipping times directly.
The U.S Postal Service does not yet have a quick tool for ETA look-up. For these services, we have seen their longest delivery times as:
- First Class (or International Mail Service) – Typically ~14 days but can take up to 45 days
- Priority Mail – Up to 2 weeks – Really depends on where you are, it may, it may not.
- Express Mail – Up to 1 week – Will likely make it if you order soon!
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, which will include the cost of the items being shipped be adhered to the outside of the package. 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 get it when you need it. You can contact our friendly and helpful Sales, Customer Service or Technical Support by phone at 800-275-4576 or Internationally at 815-338-8685, or via Live Chat or email via our website.
We will be here until 6pm Christmas Eve and until 7pm on New Years Eve.
We wish all the best to you and yours during the holiday season. Happy shopping and thank you for your support!
