Shipping

I just discovered this website, so bear with me if my first post doesn't work properly. But I'm a longtime customer of Easton Press based in Edmonton, Alberta (Canada), and would like to know if there are other Canadians on this website who have had delays in receiving their orders from EP in the USA?

The average shipping time used to be 2-3 weeks, but this was about 2 years ago. I ordered a set of books from them about 2 months ago, but still haven't received it. Any insight is most appreciated.

Cheers!

>1 Gilded_Tomes1: you sound like Bob the reader. Lol Please see numerous posts that already discussed it.

>2 fancythings: Hi, I don't know who that is. But how do you find the older posts on this website? It would be great to see how. Thanks, Margaret.

>3 Gilded_Tomes1: enter shipping in search topics. I’m sure you will find quit a few posts from your fellow Canadian collectors. Hope it helps. Welcome back Bob, I mean Margaret

I’m still waiting on books from end of May…this will be week 11.

>5 RRCBS: Thanks so much RRCBS. Are you from Alberta, Canada too?

>4 fancythings: Not sure why I'm getting a rude welcoming here. If you're not going to address me by my name, don't address me at all.

Just looking for answers (Thanks RRCBS!) And for the record, I have dual citizenship between the US and Canada but am living in the latter since I got my new job a few years ago. Did all my university training at Princeton and lived in my native NJ until moving.

You have a nice day dear . xx

>7 Gilded_Tomes1: I wasn’t being rude and sorry if it seemed that way. I was just joking about someone here. This person was removed and you just sounded a lot like him. Welcome to EP forum.

>7 Gilded_Tomes1: Welcome to the forums Margaret. I'm relatively new myself. I would not read anything into the perceived tone of anyone here. Internet forums tend to just be insanely informal, considering we're all mostly strangers to each other and tone is next to impossible to discern in written format even between parties who are much more acquainted with each other. I've seen fights break out in families because of tone in email where the tone has been because the reader put a stress on a different word or syllable.

Have you tried calling EP's customer service? They've been very helpful to me in the past. But it might be because some volumes can be ordered before they have been officially restocked. I live in the Northeast and have yet to receive an order I placed a couple of months ago but I also knew that would be the case when I placed the order, as I saw online that they were "now accepting orders" for an item that would be back in stock, well, I forget when. But customer service is usually pretty good, at least for me.

In Canada I haven't been west of Ontario, but Princeton is a lovely area. My wife was born there. Some great food!

>9 aeneax: Thank you for the warm welcome aeneax and neil_luvs_books! I dunno, I just found this website by accident as I looking for a general forum or something for Easton Press or like an FAQ section. I just don't like it when people make assumptions when they don't even know me. I went through this in grad school at Princeton, and am not putting up with it now that I'm in the working world.

Princeton is a great place to live. It' s so cool that your wife was born there! There's a lot of Jersey peeps who move to Canada, and I even met some in Edmonton. It's a beautiful place, and being among fossils and away from the politics that has engrained itself in all forms of entertainment is golden for me. Not even the dinosaur fossils I deal with can tell me what to think ;-) bahahaha...

>10 Neil_Luvs_Books: That is so cool to meet another Edmonton peep on here. Thanks about the update; I called Easton and they don't seem to know what is causing it. It's weird because several months ago, I received another sci-fi title in couple weeks, and then I ordered a title two months ago and nothing. I was afraid it was an Alberta thing or something. I do wish they offered tracking to Canada; I would soooo pay for it.

One option that I used for some LOA books was to have them shipped via shippsy. Easton would ship them to shippsy locker in the us and then shippsy brings them to Ontario and ships them out to you. I’m in Ontario and it would me about $20 CAD plus the tax on the books. You don’t have to pay duties if the item was made in North America so saved money that way. I’ve only used shippsy once but was happy with it.

>13 RRCBS: Thank you RRCBS. I will have to look into this service. It's just so weird. I bought all these EP books months ago and like nothing has arrived. I'm starting to get worried. I remember when I bought books while still living in NJ, and it took a week max after they were shipped. In Canada, it's been over 2 months and nothing!

>14 Gilded_Tomes1: It is weird. I had this problem at the beginning of the year, took three months to receive my books. Then things were normal for a couple of months (received 3-4 books during that time), now things are slow again. I even have a non EP package that I can see has been held in customs for almost a week!

I might have posted this before, but it bears repeating. Last fall a manager at Library of America posted this message in its LT forum: “Our suspension of foreign shipping is temporary and is entirely because of COVID-related deliverability issues.

It's been a bit of a time-consuming and expensive nightmare: many packages were being returned to us, either because there was no available transport out of the country or because of delivery issues in the destination country; a lot of the books that did make it were taking three to four months to get to customers, by which time we had already refunded them; I mailed nearly 500 catalogs to our list a couple of months ago and nearly 200 of them were returned; etc.

We're not the only company facing this problem, obviously. After consulting with other publishers of our size (and several that are a lot bigger), we followed their lead and decided that it was best to suspend foreign shipping until the situation with the pandemic clears up.

We are truly sorry for this situation and we hope to be able to begin shipping again in early 2021.

--David“

Then about a month ago he posted this follow up: “My apologies for our continuing inability to ship outside the U.S. As you’ll recall, last year I reported that we had to suspend shipments because so many packages had either been returned to us or had taken months to be delivered. Those deliverability issues continue to many destinations, and the list of countries with service suspensions changes on a weekly basis; it’s a game of whack-a-mole.

We are one of a tiny number of clients in our Des Moines warehouse that ship internationally, and our volume is small—rarely more than 1,500 packages in a given year, or an average of 30 packages a week. That limits us in two ways: we don’t have enough volume to ship through many international shipping concerns (like DHL). So international shipments need to be manually and individually handled and shipped through various services offered by USPS. Combined with the need for customs forms for some countries, and GST/VAT requirements for others (including the new VAT requirements implemented by the EU this month), it’s a lot of work, and it requires a dedicated staff member in the warehouse. Our Des Moines warehouse staffing was drastically scaled back during the pandemic (and several CDS facilities were shut down for extended periods due to illness and hospitalizations), and is nowhere near fully staffed again, so there really isn’t anyone to spare to prepare non-U.S. packages for shipment.

What will *probably* happen during the next year, as things return to “normal” (we hope), is that we’ll gradually add countries/regions back in: maybe Canada first, maybe the UK and the British Commonwealth nations second, etc. I don’t have a timetable yet, and I can’t even predict the order; we have larger priorities needing our attention. But we ask for your continuing patience as we figure out how to resume operations to pre-pandemic levels.

--David”

Easton Press is undoubtedly experiencing similar issues.

>17 jroger1: Yes saw this. I was complaining about EP, don’t think it’s their fault or anyone’s fault really. It’s just weird and random. Throughout the last period where I didn’t get my EP books through, I got about 50 books from independent US sellers via USPS. More about having a place to discuss the oddness of it than to complain.

What's typically time frame to getting shipping notification. I've ordered a few of the tolkien books, and it's been almost 2wks and no shipping notification. Located in US.

That you both for this info. So I called EP today and they told me that it might even take up to 3 months for books to arrive in Canada. 3 months to travel from Connecticut to Edmonton... This is ridiculous. And they refuse to offer express tracking shipping... Unbelievable. I wish I was still in NJ to avoid this bullshit.

>20 Gilded_Tomes1:
They used to offer express shipping for an additional charge. I don’t know why they quit.

>19 trentsteel:

It depends. Sometimes, I've had notifications of shipping within a day or two or ordering. Other times, when supposedly in stock, a couple of weeks. In cases like Reader's Choice, we know to expect nothing for months-to-half a year. For something perennially in stock like Tolkien, after two weeks, I'd call and ask for an update. It's equally possible that they shipped but missed the notification trigger as it is that those particular items were technically out of stock but reprints are due within a short time.

>22 treereader: thanks. Just got shipping notice on 2 of the three books. Never ordered EP before. Used to folio or centipede press where shipping is usually within a few days of order.

They typically ship books out within 2 weeks of the order. However, I've noticed lately that they have very limited print runs, where the book will appear, and then a few weeks to a couple months later, it's already on its way out of print. It's really crappy for those not living in the US, as there is a 3-month shipping time and the books often are out of print by then. If it doesn't arrive, you have to go to the secondary market and pay up to 5 times the price.

Has anyone who ordered the rerelease of the DLE Paradise Lost received their books yet? I paid for the books on Aug 7th and Easton said they sent them out on Aug 20th but neither FedEx nor USPS has any record of books from Easton Press being sent to my house. How can they provide $300 books without tracking info? Do they use a third carrier in the US?

>25 mad_yosemite: we get all of our DLEs delivered by Fedex and EP provided tracking number only for some of our DLEs. We received a lot of DLEs out of the blue without EP providing any tracking number. But, if you call their customer service they can track it for you. Go figure

>25 mad_yosemite:
If you log into your account and click on “track an order,” you should see the shipping information with tracking. Typically it isn’t shipped until 6-10 days after placing an order.

>27 jroger1: Thanks. Usually that is how it’s worked for me but this time it says my order was shipped but instead of a tracking number it says: Paradise Lost Volume 1 from Paradise Lost (Dle) (2 Volumes)
Your item shipped on Friday, August 20, 2021. Please allow 7-10 days after ship date for delivery. Sorry, no tracking information is available.

For what it’s worth, I talked to someone from customer service on Friday about my orders to Canada and she said even orders within the US were taking up to two months lately.

>29 RRCBS: Do you know what is going on with the shipping delays? And has anyone here ever asked why they refuse to use tracking express shipping? They sell books that are hundreds of dollars. Aren't they worried about losing them???

I called customer service today to find out where my books are but they didn’t have a tracking number so they didn’t know. The reason they don’t have a tracking number is because they never sent them. I have both USPS & FedEx Informed Delivery and neither company has any record of packages from Easton. They were supposed to call me back today but didn’t. Maybe they’ll call me tomorrow. I can’t wait to see how they’re going to handle this situation.

>31 mad_yosemite: sorry to hear that. It is disappointing. Let us know how it was handled

>33 Neil_Luvs_Books: There is something seriously wrong going on. I've ordered 5 books, with 2 of them over 3 months ago, and the other 2 books 2 months ago, and nothing has shown up. I'm almost considering calling my credit card company and telling them that there must be fraud going on here, as it should not be taking more than 3 months to ship a book from CT to Alberta.

>34 Gilded_Tomes1: you could ask for a refund or replacement? I’m going to ask for a refund on a mid June book if it doesn’t come by Friday.

>35 RRCBS: Can you even get a refund? They said that you have to wait 3 months now for the item to arrive ("because of 'covid'")...

I called back today since they declined to call me. They changed the 7-10 day delivery time to 4 weeks and told me to call back September 20th. I ordered on August 7th. They continue to blame USPS.

>40 Neil_Luvs_Books: Where in Canada are you based? I'm in Alberta and it's bloody ridiculous with shipping. I ordered a deluxe edition back in May, then they screwed up my order and sent me a copy of the book I ordered but that is well over 3 months ago. What postal service do they use? Squirrels? Badgers? Pidgeons?

>42 Neil_Luvs_Books: I don't understand this. I'm in Edmonton as well, having moved here only a few years ago. And I used to receive DLE books like no problem, sometimes within 2-3 weeks max. Even during the Christmas rush, books arrived within 10 weeks. So I don't understand why during the summer, I have not received books that have allegedly been shipped between 2 and 3.5 months ago. I wonder if EP is even shipping them out at this point. I never had an issue when living back home in NJ. I also don't understand why EP ignores me every time I ask for them to offer express shipping. I'm buying an 800 dollar book, so I obviously would be willing to pay an extra 100 to ensure I get it!

Also, Neil, it's fantastic to meet another fellow Edmonton resident on here. And its comforting to know that I'm not the only Alberta-based person on here who isn't receiving their orders! :-)

I’ve posted this before, but it looks like I need to again. A manager at Library of America posted these messages on the LOA forum, but they probably apply to EP as well:

Last fall: “Our suspension of foreign shipping is temporary and is entirely because of COVID-related deliverability issues.

It's been a bit of a time-consuming and expensive nightmare: many packages were being returned to us, either because there was no available transport out of the country or because of delivery issues in the destination country; a lot of the books that did make it were taking three to four months to get to customers, by which time we had already refunded them; I mailed nearly 500 catalogs to our list a couple of months ago and nearly 200 of them were returned; etc.

We're not the only company facing this problem, obviously. After consulting with other publishers of our size (and several that are a lot bigger), we followed their lead and decided that it was best to suspend foreign shipping until the situation with the pandemic clears up.”

This summer: “My apologies for our continuing inability to ship outside the U.S. As you’ll recall, last year I reported that we had to suspend shipments because so many packages had either been returned to us or had taken months to be delivered. Those deliverability issues continue to many destinations, and the list of countries with service suspensions changes on a weekly basis; it’s a game of whack-a-mole.

We are one of a tiny number of clients in our Des Moines warehouse that ship internationally, and our volume is small—rarely more than 1,500 packages in a given year, or an average of 30 packages a week. That limits us in two ways: we don’t have enough volume to ship through many international shipping concerns (like DHL). So international shipments need to be manually and individually handled and shipped through various services offered by USPS. Combined with the need for customs forms for some countries, and GST/VAT requirements for others (including the new VAT requirements implemented by the EU this month), it’s a lot of work, and it requires a dedicated staff member in the warehouse. Our Des Moines warehouse staffing was drastically scaled back during the pandemic (and several CDS facilities were shut down for extended periods due to illness and hospitalizations), and is nowhere near fully staffed again, so there really isn’t anyone to spare to prepare non-U.S. packages for shipment.

What will *probably* happen during the next year, as things return to “normal” (we hope), is that we’ll gradually add countries/regions back in: maybe Canada first, maybe the UK and the British Commonwealth nations second, etc. I don’t have a timetable yet, and I can’t even predict the order; we have larger priorities needing our attention. But we ask for your continuing patience as we figure out how to resume operations to pre-pandemic levels.

--David”

>43 Gilded_Tomes1: >42 Neil_Luvs_Books: why you guys keep buying books from EP if you having these issues with their delivery. You guys talk about same things over and over again. Contact EP management since it will not get better by just complaining on this site. Hope you guys get books you ordered soon.

>45 fancythings: Sorry for taking up your screen time. I have deleted my entries.

>46 Neil_Luvs_Books: this is not what I meant. I was saying that things will not get better until you guys speak directly to EP to try to resolve them. Speaking about it on this forum over and over again will not help. And, as I said earlier hope you get your books soon and EP resolves it’s delivery issues for you

Neil_luvs_books your posts were actually helpful for those outside of the USA. As I don't live in New Jersey anymore, and now live in Alberta, it's been helpful to see that other people have these issues. EP have told me to wait 3 months. I just wanted to see if other customers are experiencing the same delays. Thanks again Neil, and hopefully you leave your messages for other visitors to this website who live in Europe or UK.

I’ve got some positive news. Today I received an alert from FedEx that they picked up a package from Easton today. After speaking with Easton yesterday somebody either decided to believe me when I said they never sent the books or maybe they did a book count and saw that they had more copies of Paradise Lost than they should have. Either way the books are now accounted for and I’m satisfied.

>49 mad_yosemite: awesome…. Congrats. Those are really beautiful two volumes. You will enjoy it. And, you can see that calling Easton press directly to resolve it was a great idea.

>49 mad_yosemite: This is wonderful. May I ask if you're in Canada or the US? And did you order normal shipping or express(if in the US)

>52 Gilded_Tomes1: I’m in the US. As for the shipping speed I opted for standard, although I’m pretty sure with this particular order, unlike some previous orders, Standard shipping was the only option. And actually, I’ve been under the impression that choosing the quicker option only applies to Easton’s handling time and not the courier’s speed. But I’ve only ordered a few books in the last couple of months so I’m not positive.

>53 mad_yosemite: Thanks for this my friend. I thought that EP uses USPS, right? I'm originally from the US, and never had a real issue using it for packages. I used to order books from EP back then and books came within 2 weeks. Now that I had to move to Edmonton for work, it's been like 3 months. Such a huge difference!

>54 Gilded_Tomes1: Good news! I just received my copy of Ender's Shadow from EP today. So that took a little longer than three months from the date of shipping that is indicated on my EP dashboard. I am in Edmonton, AB. What is interesting is that there is a tracking number on my package from Canada Post. When I inputted the tracking number into the Canada Post website it indicates that they received the book on Sept 2 and applied the tracking number based on what was submitted to them by the shipper. That would imply that Easton Press does track their packages.

Doesn't it?

Anyways, I am going to let EP Customer Service know.

BTW, the copy of Ender's Shadow I received is gorgeous. This is why I have started purchasing from EP again after a pause of a couple of decades despite these delays in shipping. They produce gorgeous books.

>55 Neil_Luvs_Books: Hi Neil, thanks so much for letting us know! So cool to meet a fellow Edmonton resident on here. I've never heard of this book; will have to check it out myself. You'll have to post pictures here! I'm from New Jersey originally but am finding Edmonton residents to be the sweetest ppl, and they've made me feel at home here.

Cheers! Margaret

>45 fancythings:

Given the fact that Easton Press can (and arguably should) improve time-to-ship for their orders, and provide tracking information as a standard on those orders, it is useful to have reports from buyers on sites like this. Personally, I appreciate the information since I use it to inform my decision to purchase from EP or not.

It is striking to me that you seem to focus on a conversation that apparently causes you frustration. Why bother?

>57 Tyler_ghaskjd: not at all and sorry if I sounded that way. You absolutely right. I just think ep CS is the best source of inquiry.

>58 fancythings: It's alright. Another reason I think it's appropriate to use a forum like this to discuss our shipping experience from EP is that it is useful to have an idea of whether our own experience is normal or extraordinary. Coming to this forum and reading about the shipping woes of others has helped me understand that my own order is well within the normal shipping time of orders from EP. I don't personally enjoy the long shipping times, especially because I live in the U.S. and shipping ought not be impacted as severely as international shipping (though even in that regard I have purchased several books from the Folio Society, which I'm sure everyone here knows is based out of London, England, and those books arrived in less time than my EP order, which has yet to arrive).

Given all of this, I doubt I will purchase again from EP until their shipping problems are resolved. It's a shame, because I really enjoy the quality of their books.

>57 Tyler_ghaskjd: I agree with this. Do you know approximately how long it took to receive your orders from the time of ordering to receiving the book? My sister still lives at home in New Jersey, and ordered an EP book for a friend's birthday, and it took 1 month, I think (untracked). I've since moved to Alberta, and it's been 3 months and still no arrival. Just wondering if this is normal or not.

>59 Tyler_ghaskjd: I completely agree with you. To spend a lot of money for books the experience has to be good from the beginning when you push that button to purchase to the end when you get the book in your hands. We never had delivery issues with EP. I’m in NJ. I hope they resolve their shipping issues fast. I also believe that all customers who have issues with delivery to call directly ep and confront them about it. Even to speak to their supervisors or managers.

>60 Gilded_Tomes1: I placed my order from EP on August 21st, and it has not yet arrived. Since reading this thread I realize that my own shipping issue is not even close to what many other people are experiencing. I'll post on this thread when the book does arrive. Who knows, it could be months from now.

As for the Folio Society books, I placed my order on August 14th, and the books arrived August 23rd. Much faster, and to add insult to injury regarding my EP order, the Folio Society books were shipped internationally.

>62 Tyler_ghaskjd: Wow, that was fast with Folio. I don't really buy their books, but I saw a video of the Jurassic Park with the textured slipcase. I'm waiting on the FS forum to see if someone who owns it can tell me if this is the case. That might just make me jump on board.

As for EP, their shipping has been slow, way more than usual, so it's good to see I'm not the only one on here experiencing it.

>59 Tyler_ghaskjd: It is much easier to understand EP's shipping woes once you have acknowledged that they are a manufactured collectibles seller that does not actually make nor ship their products including books. It is a smart business model when things are going smoothly, but they are not now so cracks have started to appear...

In order to save money, books are shipped directly from the printer/binder upon production completion once EP has relayed the orders. Breakdown can happen anywhere along the way, during EP communicating order to the printer, at the printer, and finally after the shipment during printer to EP follow-up.

Recent snafu may be extrapolated by global raw material shortages, delays at ports and/or how Southern stated have handled covid, which included staff shortages etc. EP wants to make money and sells the books charging its customers upfront, but production may not have been completed yet. With all the costs going up, EP then sends it one of the slowest ways via FedEx. In the meantime, customers are in the dark about their purchases.

It may be difficult to get shipping information as Easton Press customer service are only a few folks who are working from home now with no access to actual copies of books, no access to the printer who packages books next door to them and limited access to information. Printer is busy trying to make deadline, which may have been set a while ago not taking into consideration current situation, and ship the books out. Do they want to hire an extra person to answer all calls and emails? Not if their margins, already under strain, are threatened...

Shipping problems will only get worse this year, so for those who have experienced shipping issues, order your Christmas purchases now. US Postmaster General has decided to slow mail delivery standards, so even if some of the USPS holiday volume shifts to two other major carriers, it may further exacerbate shipping delays...

>64 EPsonNY: very interesting. Thanks for this info. I read so much and go through books so fast. I’ll be very upset not getting my expensive books fast. That might have explained it all

>64 EPsonNY: That was a thorough break down of a lot of different factors, thanks for the interesting read.

Bottom line, EP is a seller of fine books, which puts them in competition with other fine book sellers. If EP isn't able to match or exceed the experience of purchasing books from their competition, EP will lose that competition. I fully expect a premium book to come at a premium price, and for that price to include a reasonable yet not exorbitant profit margin. I am more than willing to pay the premium for books of such high quality, and if the price they list only provides razor thin profit margins, I don't know what to say. I know I'm not alone in my willingness to pay the premium for premium quality books.

At this point I fully recognize that I am armchair quarterbacking, but so be it. It seems to me that the issues you ascribe to EP would equally apply to their competition, which doesn't seem to be the case, at least as far as my own experience goes (I recognize that more information would be needed to make a more accurate assessment).

The business model may need an overhaul at this point.

>66 Tyler_ghaskjd: so is EP site lol

>67 fancythings: Agreed!

>68 Tyler_ghaskjd: People have been saying that EP needs to use express shipping. But they don't do it.

>69 Gilded_Tomes1: Yeah, I can't remember if there was an option for different shipping speeds when I ordered my book from them, but if I ever order from EP again I will definitely pay more for the faster shipping.

>70 Tyler_ghaskjd: Are you in the US or outside? That makes a difference too in terms of speed

>71 Gilded_Tomes1: In the U.S.

>72 Tyler_ghaskjd: Yeah, there's a lot of delays with shipping. Hopefully it gets better!

>65 fancythings:
>66 Tyler_ghaskjd:

Sad thing is that most of Easton Press's deluxe offerings could fit into a USPS Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate box or USPS Priority Mail Large Board Game box, which if simply offered at full retail prices (no corporate shipping deals involved), could amount to $15-25 per volume inclusive of any packaging material needed. I believe quite a few of EP's customers would be willing to pay that much for shipping of their new $250+ purchase...

EP used to offer multiple shipping options, but that was probably messing up their bottom line as dividing business between carriers was not allowing them to maximize any corporate shipping discount...

On a different note, recent EU rules have compelled Folio Society to use environmentally friendly materials, so they did away with shrinkwrapping books and only use ruffled paper tape as box stuffing. I do get my orders in timely fashion, in half the time or less it takes EP to deliver; however, every other larger book or set arrive damaged with bumps to corners...

>74 EPsonNY: It's interesting that your books from Folio have been damaged. I've received seven books from them, all wrapped in the paper like you describe, none damaged. Luck of the draw I suppose. I'm sorry your books have been damaged, that's a shame.

>74 EPsonNY: Do they send replacements for these damaged books?

>76 Gilded_Tomes1: They would if they weren't sold out or if I kicked up a fuss, but a bumped slipcase is not the end of the world and long as the book is intact. Things you can straighten out with a rubber mallet and a piece of 2x4 :D:D:D...

>77 EPsonNY: HAHAHAHA, that's so funny! You're joking, right? ;-) But yeah, I get what you mean. I will be placing my first folio order soon, so kinda nervous :-)

>78 Gilded_Tomes1: If you don't mind my asking, what will you be purchasing from Folio?

>79 Tyler_ghaskjd: Jurassic Park!

>80 Gilded_Tomes1: That copy looks awesome, no doubt about it.

Just an update FOR THOSE INTERESTED, I emailed EP customer service yesterday about a book which their website claimed had shipped on the 8th of this month, and hadn't yet been delivered. They came back and told me that they would re-ship the book today, and that it would arrive tomorrow. I'll let you know when I get the book, but this shipping situation with EP is simply no good. I don't think I'll be ordering from EP any time soon, or at least until the reports coming from customers of theirs start to improve.

>74 EPsonNY:

It's not EU rules, the UK isn't a member anymore. The UK tries to do something about plastic waste and this is the result. Combined with FS using DHL and only paper as protection, as well as less solid boxes for limited editions than they used to have, I've had a lot more transport damage. The last time I had any before those changes was in 2012/ 2013 before they started using lots of bubblewrap and very sturdy boxes. Other companies do manage with the new paper packing materials, though, so it's not necessarily that as such, but the type and how it's used.

And yes, FS do manage to get their orders to customers much more quickly and reliably than Easton Press. A friend of mine made an order and cancelled it when it still hadn't shipped after several weeks and there was a note in her online account (no email) telling her to contact them. The next day it said that it had shipped before she cancelled. Sure. She ended up being happy with her book, but the way Easton Press handled this was less than ideal and certainly not customer friendly. She decided not to buy another book she was interested in after this and another snafu - in that case they simply forgot to ship one book she'd ordered, then doubted her word about it until she showed them a photo of a box that was clearly too small to have contained another book. Two out of her three purchases were problematic - that's a good way to get rid of customers.

I got my book from EP finally. If I place an order from EP again in the future, I'm going to contact customer support directly after placing the order and ask for shipping information. Perhaps then the order will be shipped out in a reasonable time frame.