Every year people have a shopping list of things both large and small they want for a specific date in November and December. Every year, people wait until its too late and are left wanting on their particular date. No one wants that, least of all the company you are ordering from, so here is a list of things to consider to make sure you get your order delivered on time.

1. Country of Origin.

When researching products and what you need for your event, consider where the product is being made. If the product is made in the United States, chances are you should have no problem get the product when you need it as manufacturers in the United States typically make products on repeated schedules daily, weekly, and monthly. If the product out of stock today, chances are it will be back in stock in a few business days. If your product you are researching is imported, however, out of stock really means out of stock. Between the time a manufacturer requisitions a new stock of an imported product and actually receiving that product at their warehouse can take upwards of 6 weeks or longer!!! That means if you wanted your backordered, imported product delivered in time for Christmas this year, the manufacturer would have to have a requisition in for the product by November 11 at the latest. If you do not know where the product is made, contact the company you are ordering from and they can tell you. Do not wait until closer to Christmas only to find out your product went of out stock and will not be available until mid January.

Size and weight of package.

When packages are small, typically a small parcel service – like FedEx or UPS- can deliver the package really quickly. If your product is large – i.e. in a box longer than 55 inches or heavier than 150 lbs. or both – small parcel services are no longer an option and you will have to use an ltl freight carrier. Ltl freight carriers do not make as frequent of stops as a FedEx or UPS would. They also typically take a business day longer for delivery. So, when your product you need fits the large criteria, add at least 4 business days to the expected transit time to make sure you get your order in time.

Shipping times and costs.

If your event is tomorrow and you have not ordered your product yet, chances are you waited too long. Shipping takes time. FedEx typically shoots for 5 business days anywhere in the continental United States; you can expect about the same from UPS. Freight carriers can also get deliveries done relatively quickly. If you need your order sooner than this time period, be prepared to pay and pay a lot. For instance, shipping a 50-lb. product from Tennessee to California might cost a retailer around $40 to do and would take around the typical 5 business days in transit. Now, speed that up to a 3-day service, and that cost jumps to around $75. 2-day? Try $135. Next-day by 7 p.m.? We are now at about $180. Next-day priority (typically means before 8 a.m.)? How does around $265 sound? Now this was just an example, and a lot of things not considered in this example go into the actual cost of shipping, but hopefully the point is clear. Save yourself $225 and order your product early enough. If you are not sure what early enough is, contact the company you intend to order from now and see what their expected ship times are.

Hopefully this list will help you avoid the pitfalls of holiday shopping. Happy holidays.

The nature of online purchases is full of uncertainty and trust. Will I get my package by a certain date? When will I get my package? How is the package shipped? When will it ship? Do I have to be available for the delivery? These questions are best answered with Competitive Edge | Shipping Policy. This post will just focus on the most important details: How is my order shipped? And, can I get my package delivered by a certain date? All other questions will hopefully be answered under these two headings.

How is my order shipped with Competitive Edge?

This question is best answered with some details about the specific product you are wanting to purchase. In general, most small packages, those weighing 75 lbs. or less are shipped via a small package carrier like UPS or FedEx. Other, larger packages are typically shipped via an ltl carrier like ABF, Roadway, Old Dominion, or Estes Express. Depending on the carrier, we can also typically determine an approximate delivery time. For most small package shipments, delivery occurs within 5 business days when shipped within the 48 United States. Larger items are typically about 6 or 7 business days in transit. Shipping to off continent or Alaska locations can vary widely in delivery times from 10 to 15 business days.

Package or Product Damaged in Transit?

While damage in transit for our product is rare, we do see it happen some times. This problem is easily remedied. With freight shipments, delivery requires a signature. We ask the customer to inspect that product at the time of delivery and not any damage with the carrier at the time of delivery. After that, please contact Competitive Edge and a representative will file the replacement order request with the respective supplier. No further action is required at this point. After we have reported the problem to the proper supplier, they will file a freight claim with the delivery company. At this point, the freight company will decide if they want to salvage the order by picking it back up, or if they just want to have the customer destroy the product on site. In either case, your Competitive Edge Products representative will inform you. If the delivery is through FedEx, UPS, or some other parcel post delivery, simply let us know that the product was damaged and we will have our supplier file a freight claim and reship the product. Once again, the delivery company may or may not want to pick up the order so your Competitive Edge representative will let you know.

My order is missing parts. What should I do now?

This issue is by far the most rare with any of our shipments (along the lines of probably 1 in 1,000 shipments), but does occur every now and then. Once again, we will take care of the issue for you. Most all of our products are shipped directly from our suppliers and leave the warehouse in brand new shape. If upon receiving your package you find that parts are missing, simply take not of those parts and let us know. We will get in touch with the respective supplier and make sure the proper parts are shipped to you. Sometimes our supplier will expedite this shipment and sometimes they will not. Please take note of this possibility as we cannot make any guarantees of whether a replacement part will be expedited or not. Please also let us know if you are under any sort of time constraint with needing the replacement parts missing in an order as we will make every attempt to have our suppliers expedite this parts to you.

Do you expedite shipments?

Yes we do. Please note that if you complete the order online, no matter the shipping option you select at checkout, the shipment is being shipped standard ground, i.e. 3-6 business days in transit depending on your proximity to the warehouse the product is shipping from. To expedite a shipment, please contact us by phone or email and a Competitive Edge representative will get a shipping estimate for you. Only after you have paid for the expedite shipping through the assistance of a Competitive Edge Products representative will an order be expedited as per your request with the representative.

Do I need to be available to accept delivery?

In some cases you do and other you do not. If your order is for an ltl item (usually for bigger products like 8 ft. tables, 60 and 72 inch round tables, larger basketball systems with 1-piece poles, any shed, etc.) a signature is required upon delivery. If your order is being shipped via a small package delivery, i.e. FedEx and UPS, the delivery is done with the driver placing the package at your doorstep, no signature required. Lastly, if you have expedited an order (please see the above paragraph), you must be there no matter what company is carrying the package. If you have any questions about whether or not you need to be present at the time of delivery, please ask a Competitive Edge representative by phone or email.