We recently sat down with our OPAS Warehouse Manager, Steve. He is in charge of your orders from the moment they come through our doors until they are consolidated and securely packaged and ready to be sent to you. Steve shared with us some of the common questions that our customers ask about receiving and shipping.
What happens from the time my package arrives to when it leaves?
Steve: First, each item that comes in is registered into our system. Where it came from, the tracking number and the weight are recorded and it is labeled with a unique number. All the packages are stored together by the member’s ID number until we get a shipping request to send them out. The ID numbers of the items to be shipped together are printed out on what we call a “pick ticket”. The items are then consolidated, usually into a single package. Then we measure and weigh it to calculate the shipping charges. When customers want a shipping estimate or are paying by PayPal, we wait to get payment approval, and finally, we print out the shipping label and send it on its way.
I can’t find some of my items in my OPAS account. Where are they?
S: First of all, the tracking numbers of all packages are scanned and marked as “delivered” by most delivery services (like UPS and FedEx) when they arrive at our warehouse. However, packages delivered by the US Postal Service are scanned and marked as “delivered” before they are loaded onto the Post Office delivery trucks. The actual time we receive the packages from the post office may be several hours after it shows up as “delivered” in the system. In other words, you may track it as being delivered hours before it even arrives at OPAS. Recently we have had issues where some packages are marked “delivered” to us actually days before they reach OPAS. This is a serious issue and we are in contact with our local post office to resolve this issue. Please feel free to contact us if you are seeing a USPS package tracked as delivered, but not appearing in our system. But chances are this is what has happened and hopefully, we won’t be seeing this anymore soon.
We get a lot of inquires asking about packages that should have arrived on Saturday. We are not open on the weekends, so we wouldn’t have seen them yet. Our carriers know when this and bring us all the weekend deliveries on Monday. Also, Amazon contracts out many of their deliveries to private contractors who promise to make deliveries on the weekend. Our customers sometimes get an email telling them that a delivery attempt was made, but that no one was there to accept the package. In this case there is nothing the OPAS customer needs to do. We will receive your package the following Monday. So make sure you don’t pay extra for weekend delivery!
We receive deliveries from the post office and every other shipping company until the early afternoon every weekday. Any one of these deliveries can be hundreds of packages, which have to be registered one by one. So it may be a few hours between the time we receive the delivery to the time it is input into our system. Please be a little patient!
Shouldn’t scanning each package go faster than that?
S: Electronic scanners are fast, but they can’t do everything. They can’t check for any damage a package has received in transit. When a package is damaged in delivery we need to contact the customer and the shipper as quickly as possible to get it resolved. There really isn’t any way to make the process go quicker. We also have to deal with misdeliveries and mistaken orders, and it helps us speed things up when we know those things are coming. This is also true with hazardous materials. We inspect each package, input its measurements, and finish by putting a registration label on it.
What if I’d like to check on a package that OPAS has already received?
S: If you’d like to see a picture of what is inside your package, please select “Scan Request” on your received package. If you would like to make sure that the items you received were correct (i.e. size, color, model, quantity, etc…) please select the inspection option when you are ready to ship.
Where do you store my packages? Can you send out my order quickly?
S: After being registered, your packages are sorted and stored together based on your customer number inside the OPAS warehouse. When you make a shipping request it generates one of the pick tickets I mentioned earlier. Everything on the pick ticket is then collected. We double-check to make sure all items are there and accounted for. It is our policy to process every request within 24 hours after receiving it, but special situations and delayed payments can cause it to take more time. Customers who pay for express delivery will get preferential treatment. At especially busy periods there are times when packages have to be pushed back to the next day. If you are in a real hurry to get your items, the best thing to do is let us know this in advance. For example, if you are waiting for certain items to arrive before placing your shipping request, declare or “add” the items you are expecting in your account, and then make a shipping request with the items that are already at OPAS. In the “special requests” section let us know you want to include the items you are waiting for. Then we can get your order processed without you having to wait until you get delivery confirmation to OPAS. This is also a good way to speed up your order processing without having to pay extra express delivery fees.
I want to receive some shoes. Will you send them in the shoebox because I need the box too? I also want them to be as compact as possible.
Steve: Unless the customer specifies otherwise, as a rule, we don’t send the manufacturer’s boxes included with hats or shoes. We do this to get the shipping charges as low as possible. If the customer wants their shoes or hat to be sent in the manufacturer’s box, or if they have other specific requests, they just need to let us know in the notes section of their shipping request.
I received an email telling me I ordered something that is considered “Dangerous Goods”. Why was I able to order it from an online store if it’s considered “dangerous”?
S: Within the U.S. items considered to be “Dangerous Goods” are sent only on the ground, by train or truck, so there is no problem. But when we want to send internationally it has to go by air, so things like air pressure inside the plane have to be considered. There are all kinds of hazardous materials, but in general, we are able to ship things like hairspray, fingernail polish, or perfume and cologne in a special box with proper labels. Because Dangerous Goods need to be sent separately in a different box, the customer will need to pay for two separate shipments. The services you can use and the Dangerous Goods charges vary between different carriers. Whether or not we can send certain goods depends on the country, so please check your country’s restrictions before you order.
Can I send lithium batteries by themselves without any restrictions?
S: The rules for shipping loose lithium batteries (including portable power banks) are always changing. As of right now, IATA/ISAO has designated loose lithium batteries as Dangerous Goods, and so when we attempt to ship them we have to write them up as such. Because of this change, there are additional handling charges. There are also some locations we can’t ship lithium batteries to. If you aren’t sure, contact OPAS before you make an order for lithium batteries.
Can you send me a shipping estimate before I purchase an item?
S: The shipping charge can vary dramatically depending on the dimensions and weight of the items you are sending. For home delivery, the charge is determined by which is greater, the actual weight or the dimensional weight. We can only make an accurate estimate after your order has been packed and measured. When choosing your shipping method you can choose “Please send me an estimate.” Also since more of our users send internationally than domestically, the way we package the orders is different. Often it is too risky to send glass and other fragile items simply in the packaging they came in. Also, it’s not unusual for items received from online auctions and private sellers to arrive with no cushioning. At OPAS we take care to keep the packages we send as small and lightweight as possible, but there are times when we have to use extra packaging in order to keep an item from getting damaged in transit, which can cause shipping costs to go up. Please understand that when you ship something fragile, it may affect the final shipping cost.
I told you I wanted several orders shipped in one package, but you split them into two boxes. Why?
S: It’s a mistake to think that sending a single box is always cheaper. For example, if you wanted to send a baseball bat and a basketball together, it would require a box that is as long as the bat, and as wide as the ball. This box would be full of a lot of wasted space that you would be forced to pay for because you will most likely be charged for the dimensional weight. This is why we sometimes split an order into two or more boxes, in order to reduce the shipping cost.
I ordered something to OPAS and, but then I was told it is a restricted item in my country and I can’t ship it there. What items are restricted from import?
S: No one is allowed to import goods (plant and animal) that violate the Washington Convention (CITES). Outside of that, the restrictions on what you can import vary from country to country. There are also restrictions on some items depending on the carrier. Click here for the OPAS Restricted Commodities from US page, but keep in mind this list isn’t comprehensive, so if you aren’t sure and have a question, please contact us at service@opas.com with links to the items you are wondering about.
