Rough Trade NY shipping package quality

Can someone let me know the quality of Rough Trade NY packaging and shipping care for vinyl records.

 

I normally pick up from the store, but due to their recent closure---all of my preorders are being shipped. I have a record on the way and it should arrive any day so I'll let you know.

 

Arrived today with no problems despite the mailer being beat up a bit. They use something similar to the Deluxe Ultimate LP Mailer from Sleeve City.

 

Has anyone received any Lp`s from Rough Trade lately ?
I ordered an album for RSD and have not heard a peep and no one picks up the phone there...
says 'voicemail full'

 

Yes, but they were all preorders.

I know that unless your card has been charged, there's no guarantee that you're getting the record. I bought an RSD release a couple of years ago and never received it. Even though they wouldn't directly admit it, it seems like they oversell some of their RSD stock online.

 

I got an email from them today...
"Hello Steve,
My apologies for the delay but rest assured, your order is headed your way and will be shipped soon. You'll receive an email notification when your order is en route to you via USPS.
We've been experiencing an overwhelming amount of online orders this month and are working as fast as we can to fulfill them all. Sincere apologies that these issues have effected your order.
Thank you for your patience and have a great day.

Rough from Rough Trade"

Will wait and see

 

Did you ever get your order, @SCM?

...my issue with them is that they use a shipping consolidator to save money: Meaning that shipments are bundled, then sent to a central location for processing. This slows things waaaaaay down. I live in New York City and ordered a title on December 6. The item didn't allow for in-store pickup (I assume they had it at their warehouse but not in the store). Got a shipment notification on December 8. Received the item on December 29...while the return label said it came from their warehouse in Brooklyn, post office tracking shows the label being printed in Brooklyn, but the item being processed in Atlanta. Then it went to Memphis. Then New Jersey. Then finally to me.

It all seems quite a rigmarole considering I'm happy to ride the subway a few stops and pick it up in-store...

 

same thing with an order they shipped me on 11/6. after a month it hadn't moved or been scanned by USPS at all so RT refunded me. a month after that tracking updated and it was here in a couple days. my understanding is that it continues to be a big nightmare at the NJ hub. it's like a black hole. and RT isn't the only company that ships things this way.

 

Is it really Rough Trade's fault or USPS? I recently shipped a record from Brooklyn to Beacon, NY that USPS felt needed to go to Massachusetts before it arrived in Beacon.

 

If Rough Trade hadn't used a freight consolidator, it would have been routed differently. I wouldn't say it's their "fault," but it's how those consolidation systems work...we used to use them for promo mailings at the label I worked at. It's fine for promos, since those go out early and are not orders by paid customers. But for customers paying full price for shipping, it feels a little lame.