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Amazon UK Question

DarkNetworks

DarkNetworks

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Apr 12, 2005
1,527
0
If it says,
Availability: usually dispatched within 24 hours. Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
Without the Express, how long usually will it take for it to arrive? In the UK obviously. With Express, how long will it take and usually how much do i need to pay for the Express? Getting a handheld. Thanks in advance.
 
The last thing I ordered took a week with the included shipping cost, although it wasn't actually dispatched for three days after my order (strange definition of 24 hours). So two working days from leaving Amazon.
 
DarkNetworks said:
If it says,
Availability: usually dispatched within 24 hours. Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
Without the Express, how long usually will it take for it to arrive? In the UK obviously. With Express, how long will it take and usually how much do i need to pay for the Express? Getting a handheld. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

Hey!
I'm from the UK and I mainly use Amazon for my purchases. With standard shipping it normally takes 3-4 days, but sometimes sooner. If you ordered today, you might get it Wendesday or Thursday. Not sure how much it cost though, not much I don't think. I'm sure if your basket adds up to a certain amount it's free.
 
DarkNetworks said:
If it says,
Availability: usually dispatched within 24 hours. Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
Without the Express, how long usually will it take for it to arrive? In the UK obviously. With Express, how long will it take and usually how much do i need to pay for the Express? Getting a handheld. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

In my opinion? Too bloody long. :p Amazon UK take the mickey in so many ways, if you ask me.

What seems to take a long time is the dispatching – even though it says dispatched within 24 hours, if you don't cough up for the extra it usually takes a couple of days, and delivery is usually a couple of days after that. I would say probably 4, maybe 5 days after you ordered it, on average.

I'm not sure what a 'handheld' is, but if it's something expensive and electronicy, you usually also get the joy of DHL or similar, and you can look forward to your expensive electronics being left out to be stolen or soaked in the rain. :D

As for express, I would say it would be more like 2 or maybe 3 days, but as for prices, I would look on the Amazon site for that one. ;)
 
If you need it, pay for the shipping.

If you don't mind when it arrives, go for free delivery. They tend to wait a couple of days before picking and then despatch it on a 72 hour carriage - which can arrive quicker depending on the courier they use.

Last free delivery items I had took 10 days, although to be fair, that was partly because they outsourced the delivery to Parcelnet who deliver from the back of cars and have no tracking mechanism. They tried to deliver it to an office at 9pm - and then lost it for 2 days.

It was books for a trip I was going on and they finally showed up at the office at 5.20pm on the day I was leaving for the trip despite me having spoken to the guy the day before and being promised they'd be there before 12noon.
 
So on average, without the Express it usually takes at most 5-7 days. I'll be leaving for vacation in two weeks time, end of this month, 31st. if i order it without the Express, will it arrive on time? Really worried if it'll not reach on time. If I go Express will i be assured to get it before I leave? I dunno but according to my friends, they once ordered something from Amazon and it took more than two weeks for it to arrive...so I'm worried.
 
DarkNetworks said:
So on average, without the Express it usually takes at most 5-7 days. I'll be leaving for vacation in two weeks time, end of this month, 31st. if i order it without the Express, will it arrive on time?
Click to expand...

If you need it, pay the £3 and it will probably turn up the next day - 2 at most.

As I say, I've ordered with 10-12 days before my deadline and gone 'free' twice. Once it missed it (Christmas with 20 days before last order date) and once it made it by the skin of its teeth.

Typically, when I haven't had a deadline and sent it 'free', it's turned up within 5 days.
 
I reckon Amazon deliberately keep you waiting if you choose their free delivery option. Probably just to get you to stump up more cash next time you buy. I've often waited a full week for a delivery.
 
Amazon are pretty reliable and I have only had a couple of problems with my many dozens of orders.

It is rare in my experience that it will take much longer than 24hours to be despatched if that's what is quoted on the site and delivery is normally within a couple of days after that. Choosing express delivery will normally be even quicker.

However, I've had a mixed results when using the free shipping, normally they take around 5 days to depsatch, then the delivery time is slower. On a couple of occasions even with free delivery, the item has been despatched within a day, but then again it has also been a couple of weeks on occasion too.
 
I think Amazon has gone downhill in this department of late. I remember when if it said "dispatched within 24 hours", it would be dispatched that day if you ordered before, say, 3pm. Recently I've ordered quite a few things from Amazon UK and they haven't been dispatched for, sometimes, up to three days!! I only ever order things that say they will be dispatched within 24 hours because I've heard horror stories about ordering things they don't actually have in stock at that moment.

Maybe its worth noting that I only ever go for the free delivery. The actual delivery is usually pretty smart - often arriving a day or two before the predicted date. In fact, I doubt there's really a lot of difference between the 'free' delivery (not really free as you have to order a certain amount first :rolleyes: ) and the standard delivery. I've never tried the super fast delivery as I've never seen it as worth the cost.
 
Just thought I'd haver a look through my last few orders, see how quick they were sent

Order 1 9/7 @ 9:40 - Despatch notice 10/7 @ 15:29 Standard Delivery
Order 2 7/7 @ 13:51 - Despatch 10/7 @ 11:18 Free Delivery
Order 3 20/6 @ 21:51 - Despatch 21/6 @ 23:41 Standard
Order 4 14/6 @ 18:33 - Despatch 19/6 Free Delivery

As stated above, I don't think theres much difference in the delivery method whether you choose standard or free, it just tends to mean they will package it quicker if you choose the standard option
 
how many types delivery are there? Free Delivery. obviously eligeble since it's 100 and above. Express and Standard what're the difference?

Want guaranteed delivery by 1pm Wednesday, July 19? Order it in the next 19 hours and 52 minutes, and choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details

Is this express or what? How many days will it take to arrive at my doorstep if i order before 1pm Wed? And the Express Delivery rates, how does it apply? I checked, do i pay 8.99 only or do i have to add whatsoever other payments stated at the bottom?
 
Just pay for Standard - that will usually arrive within 48 hours. You don't need to go overboard with the Express.

It's just the Supersaver that I'd avoid with a deadline. So far as despatch dates go - on the last order that just scraped delivery in time, the despatch email arrived 6 days before the order did!
 
DarkNetworks said:
how many types delivery are there? Free Delivery. obviously eligeble since it's 100 and above. Express and Standard what're the difference?

Want guaranteed delivery by 1pm Wednesday, July 19? Order it in the next 19 hours and 52 minutes, and choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details

Is this express or what? How many days will it take to arrive at my doorstep if i order before 1pm Wed? And the Express Delivery rates, how does it apply? I checked, do i pay 8.99 only or do i have to add whatsoever other payments stated at the bottom?
Click to expand...

Express delivery is sent out on a guaranteed next day service, so as long as you order by the cut-off point (normally early afternoon) you'll get it the next day. Obviously its too late for tomorrow now, but if you ordered tonight you'd get it (normally via special delivery) on Wednesday.

Standard delivery is normally sent out first class, so you could still get it Wednesday, though this is not guranteed.

The best thing to do is put the items you want in your basket and go to check out, you can then alter the delivery options and you will see exactly what it will cost you, and when it should be delivered for each option.
 
Usually, comes day after tommorow for me, standard delivery. And I live in the countryside, on an Island, in the middle of nowhere. I think lots of you have just been unlucky.
 
Applespider said:
Just pay for Standard - that will usually arrive within 48 hours. You don't need to go overboard with the Express.

It's just the Supersaver that I'd avoid with a deadline. So far as despatch dates go - on the last order that just scraped delivery in time, the despatch email arrived 6 days before the order did!
Click to expand...

Hmm. I just ordered 3 dvds (well, on Sunday) that I need here on or before the 24th.. with super saver. I guess it *should* be ok.. Delivery estimate is 21st-24th :rolleyes:.
 
I guess I'll go with Standard. How much for Standard or it's free? I mean is there a fixed price? It says FREE DELIVERY in the UK. What's type of Delivery does it come with?
 
There are three delivery methods on Amazon UK

1 Express Delivery - order in the morning and get it next day but pay £8.99

2 Standard Delivery - usually arrives in 2-3 days. The cost varies depending on what you're ordering but it starts at about £1.50 and goes upwards. For a couple of items, it's about £3

3. Supersaver Delivery - free if you spend over £15 but can take up to 10 days to arrive. Sometimes it's quicker, sometimes it's not. I've had one order on SS delivery take 3 weeks (even though everything was available) and I've had one arrive next day.

If you have any sort of deadline, use option 2. If it doesn't matter when it arrives aside from your sheer impatience to use your item, use option 3
 
thanks AppleSpider. that sorta wraps up everything I need to know. Thanks a lot!
 
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