Not that I'm actually worried - if my maths is right I make it 22 business days since my deck 4 appears to have shipped, which is firmly in the 'between 9 and 36' limit - but I was just wondering if anyone in Europe has seen deck 4 yet? UK specifically, though I doubt that makes any difference...
Got ours last week, FLGS, UK.
27th?! oof. oh well. not worried yet. not worried yet. not worried yet...
Received mine last week - Germany
Can I assume the 'A parcel is expected to ship by...' date from the shipping email is superseded by the 'Shipped package' date from the order section of my account? Or is the latter just related to when my card was charged?
Still not worried, obviously. Don't I sound not worried? Absolutely I don't... :-/
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This is how I understand it (and is not official). Some of this you might know, but I'll just cover it for the sake of completeness.
For each subscription order, you get two emails from Paizo. The first email is when they authorize your payment method. So we'll call that the authorization email. This is where they check that your payment method has sufficient funds to cover the order. It also serves as a reminder to you about the order in case you want to add or remove anything from it.
The second email occurs when they print your shipping label. We'll call this the shipping email. This is when the charge is finalized for your payment method. This is also the email that says "Expected to ship by XYZ date."
Now, Paizo divides their shipments into two groups. If your order is similar to a bunch of other orders, it will be in their "batch" group. If your order isn't very similar to a bunch of other orders, it will be in the "individual" group.
This is done to ensure as much order accuracy as they can. If there are a bunch of people that are all ordering just the PACG adventure deck, then it is much faster and more accurate to have someone simply putting 1 adventure deck and the associated promos in the same size box and slap a label on it over and over again until all those orders are complete. That person doesn't have to look at the packaging list or do anything to double check that the correct items are in the order, since the orders similarity to all the other orders they've done for the past few hours ensures that as long as they keep putting those same items in each package they will be accurate.
If your order isn't fairly unique, then someone has to pick the unique items out of the warehouse and put them in your box and then double check the package for accuracy.
I say all that to say, for orders in the "batch" group they print the labels in batches. And they might not use all the labels from a batch for a day or two. For orders in the in "individual" group, they print the labels when they are ready to package the order. So if you are in the "batch" group, you might get your shipping email a few days before the package is actually packed and shipped.
So, the last two months I've had only the PACG adventure deck and promos in my order. I think it is safe to assume I'm in the batch group. I also have tracking on my order because it goes standard postal. Here is the breakdown of dates for my last two orders:
December
Authorization Email: 12/3
Shipping Email: 12/8
Expected to ship by date: 12/16
Shipped package date in order history: 12/8
First tracking date: 12/10
January
Authorization Email: 1/9
Shipping Email: 1/14
Expected to ship by date: 1/23
Shipped package date in order history: 1/14
First tracking date: 1/17
So, it looks to me like that date in the order history is the date they printed my label, which is the date I got the email. It shows up in package tracking a couple of days later (I'm sure one day in the gap is probably just the fact that they have to wait for the next pickup).
All that to say, if you see a similar pattern (date you got the email is the date you see in your order history) then it probably isn't exactly the date it really left Paizo's warehouse, but it is probably pretty close. Your shipment email should also include an "estimated days in transit" for your order. I'd say your best bet is to take that estimated transit date and add it to your shipping email date, and maybe another day or two.
I hope that helps in someway. And I hope you get it soon so you can enjoy your adventure soon.
As always, thanks Hawkmoon269 for a very informative response!
I started my subscription with S&S Deck 4.
Submitted the order and sub Dec 29, 2014.
Received the shipment email Dec 31, 2014.
Estimated shipment 7 to 11 business days.
Package has not arrived. (Jan 19, 2015)
I think what makes us feel uneasy is because we have no available tracking option for international customers. I am from Canada and this is my first order from Paizo's site, so I am hoping it goes well.
I was assuming the package leaves the warehouse the same day the email was sent, so I was expecting it by last Friday. After reading Hawkmoon's post I will give it another day or two before I actually get worried. But I already emailed customer service just incase.
Thanks Hawk, as usual. I'm probably just being paranoid: I moved from our head office to another one (relatively) nearby about a month ago, so I'm just hoping someone in the old place will tell me when it turns up. They certainly should. They did with another (non-Paizo) parcel.
bbKabag is right, there is a slight uneasiness to lacking tracking internationally, but I've both heard and fully understand Paizo's explanations for it. I'm certainly still within the 36-day delivery envelope, and let me, in turn, reassure you bbKabag that not one of my previous eight(ish) Paizo deliveries has gone AWOL.
I just wish Gavin's hadn't turned up three weeks ago!
(this is all largely moot anyway. my team gets together so rarely we're only halfway through AD1 atm!)
... and let me, in turn, reassure you bbKabag that not one of my previous eight(ish) Paizo deliveries has gone AWOL.
Thanks! It actually arrived yesterday later in the afternoon. I think it's more of just the fact that it's my first package directly from Paizo and the lack of tracking that made me so unsure. Now, I can move on with my subscription with greater confidence.
I surely hope yours arrives safely as well :)
it's heeerrrrrere. I make that 25 business days. maybe the international postal service uses rafts these days. and to think, only 13 more won scenarios till we actually need it...
And now, hilariously, 5 is also here. Which I make about 12 business days. Speedy rafts!