Okay, I made an order from ADE over a week ago and got their so-called free shipping, and it still hasnt arrived. I know I may be hasty but it does not take a week for a package to move from one place in the US to another place in the US. They tell you its free and then when it takes forever, they know you will never get "free" shipping again. I hate sale manipulation.
ADE is largely touted here as being on of the best online retailers represented on ADT. I think you are being a smidge hasty. Free shipping is free shipping and is likely that because ADE uses the cheapest available method. I'm sure they were up front about it, and the US mail has been known to be slow, and yes, things occasionally DO take a week or longer to get from one place or the other. My guess is they shipped it, and my guess is that you will get it. It might even take a couple weeks, but hey, it was free. :)
This is not "sale manipulation". If you wanted your order in two or three days, you probably should have payed for a shipping upgrade.
Actually, I think ADE's free shipping uses Media-Mail, which can be really hit or miss. Some times it's as fast as USPS, but sometimes it seems to take forever. If you check their shipping info page you will see that the average estimated time to ship using free shipping is 6-15 days.
Using media mail (one of the 4th Class mail classes) it does.
If you click on the "Free Shipping" button at ADE, you would see the following message:
You heard it right. Adult DVD Empire is offering free shipping on all adult products with no minimums! The good news is, if you have more than 4 adult items on your order, you automatically qualify to have your order shipped via USPS Standard Shipping. Packages will take about 7 - 20 working days to be delivered, but the shipping is free. We ship our packages the same day. If you order by 2:00PM EST, we'll ship your order regardless of whether you chose free shipping or not, unlike other online retailers.
They are right upfront with the shipping time. They tell you it "will take about 7 - 20 working days".
I have no problem with this. If they are paying for shipping, they should use a low cost methodology. If you order 4 or more DVD's they upgrade the free shipping methodology.
The free shipping (with no minimum order) is one of the reasons why I'm a loyal AdultDVDEmpire customer. I don't mind waiting the extra days, and I think it's a nifty offer. When the free shipping is combined with the excellent 15% Kickback rebate, monthly coupons and sales, the ultimate cost of the DVD to me is quite often lower at the Empire than at any other affiliate.
This works to their advantage, of course, because I have a hard time passing up any DVD on my wishlist when I see that the Empire is offering it at a truly bargain price.
Okay, I admit my faults. I think everyone here knows how it feels to go to the mailbox excited and get a total dissapointment day after day after day and tomorrow, when it doesnt come, i will be pissed again. I just really want my movies.
Media Mail sucks ass, which is why I don't use it for either high value shipments or ones that I want to get quickly. I once had a someone send me a package from less than 20 miles away and it took 20 calendar days to arrive, as evidenced by the postmark.
Having said that, I'm pretty cheap, so if it's not a big deal, I choose the free shipping and wait...
Of all the fishes in the sea, the mermaid is the one for me! 410 Posts 6/02
Posted - Apr 5 2003 : 2:35AM
I like ADE a lot but just for the record, they DO NOT use media mail. I had some slow mail problems last summer & started a thread about it here
My big problem was that I am close (about 90 miles) to ADE, which is located in Warrendale, Pa. Warrendale also happens to be the USPS relay point for my address, so I assumed I'd get fast shipping, regardless of method.
Here is the quote from MasterB in that thread: ____________________________________________________________ "i do want to make one very important distinction, though. our free shipping is on USPS Standard Mail, not Media Mail as you have said. i am investigating why USPS Standard Mail would take so long for a local delivery." ____________________________________________________________
The service did get a little better, maybe averaging 4-5 days. I got used to it. I haven't ordered from them in some time, but it's nothing against them (I'm just not buying much, period). I still think they are, overall, the best store to deal with. Plus, as others said, free shipping is free shipping.
Then someone at the Post Office must have changed the mail class of the last shipment that I received from Empire, because it was definitely media mail.
This is not an uncommon practice among online retailers-Express Mail is normally available as an extra-cost upgrade. It's up to you to decide whether the cost savings is worth the wait.
Personally, I hate waiting, so I normally shell out the few extra bucks for faster shipping.
Of all the fishes in the sea, the mermaid is the one for me! 410 Posts 6/02
Posted - Apr 5 2003 : 11:37AM
Well, Bill-maybe they took my advice from the other thread (to change from Smart Mail to media mail). They were using Smart Mail at that time (you remember-you were involved in the discussion). I lifted the quote in my post from MasterB at ADE in the other thread I linked.
(I just noticed that they no longer ship free Priority Mail for 4 or more-but their site still says they use "standard shipping")
Smart Mail & Media Mail are two completely different things. Smart Mail is a company that co-mingles packages and letters from different companies in order to achieve increased postage discounts. Media Mail is a USPS Mail Class. Before, I wrote that it was one of the 4th class mail classes, I think that it's really 3rd class (however, 3rd class is really a slower and cheaper mail class than 4th class).
From the USPS website:
Media Mail (Book Rate)
Description
Used for books, film, manuscripts, printed music, printed test materials, sound recordings, play scripts, printed educational charts, loose-leaf pages and binders consisting of medical information, videotapes, and computer recorded media such as CD-ROMs and diskettes. Media Mail cannot contain advertising.
The maximum size is 108 inches in combined length and distance around the thickest part.
____________________________________ War never solved anything ...except Slavery, Nazi's and the Taliban.
Of all the fishes in the sea, the mermaid is the one for me! 410 Posts 6/02
Posted - Apr 5 2003 : 5:26PM
Bill, I use media mail all the time, I trade & sell lots of dvd's. But I'm sure your excellent description of media mail will be useful to those who aren't aware of it. As I said before, ADE WAS using SmartMail for their free shipping (less than 4). MasterB at ADE said that they did not use media mail & that their free shipping was USPS standard service. I got 7 or 8 orders shipped via SmartMail-with SmartMail labels. SmartMail was taking a week or more, even though they have a 3 day shipping guarantee (at least they did at that time).
You say ADE uses media mail now. That's great. I usually have decent results using media mail. I get delv'y service from Calif. (to Ohio) in 6-7 days. The last 3 pkgs that I shipped were into Warrendale by that eve, & on the way out by next morning. All 3 took 3 days to be delv'd.
Listen, I've had great results with ADE's free shipping. I've had awful results just trying to send something to Queens, using a local 2-day rate (probably first class). The USPS is horribly unpredictable. If you WANT something and want it NOW, then go with UPS 2-day air and pay the extra $$. Otherwise, you might as well buy your smut at the store (which, mostly, is what I do here in NYC ... but iof the price is right it's cheaper sometimes to go the ADE route ... kickbacks, special sales, etc.)
I get free shipping when I order with Gamelink and they're the best. I mean they use Fed Ex for shipping so I have my order in like two or three days and that's why I'm very loyal to Gamelink.
