They've been doing this for years, blaming shipping regulations for all the other stuff they wouldn't ship but everyone else would. I would be much less bothered if they just said it was too much hassle for a tiny part of a huge operation like theirs. Just be truthful. I mainly order from Freestyle because no one else really supports film and darkroom with the range of products they do, even though it means both longer times and higher shipping costs for me. I have bought film and paper from B&H at times due to substantial savings though.
Finished thread and agree - if they are back to shipping the stuff they always did then all is back as it was. I will buy film and paper from them if they have something I can't get elsewhere or I need it quickly or I am buying ONLY film and/or paper. Chemicals I will continue to get mainly from Freestyle, even the stuff BH would ship, because I'm almost always getting something in both categories and for stocking film and paper I'll likely get it from them too while I'm at it if they have it and I'm not in a hurry for it.
IOW same as I've done for years.
The squeakly wheel gets the oil. A few years ago ago they got a lot of complaints about their diminished supplies of film and darkroom paper, especially by walk-in customers, and readdressed it. People like me complained about their diminishing selection of filters, and that has dramatically improved too, even if they don't need to overall quantities they once did. Chemicals are in a different category because they potentially require special handling at extra expense, overhead, and training, which obviously just doesn't dovetail with the way they want to promptly do business. Even special paperwork must be on hand and kept filed. I can't fault them for that. The tiniest accident happens with chemicals and all hell breaks loose. A sack of sugar spills on the freeway and it's shut down for hours until the analysis is done. Happened last week in this neighborhood with some kind of benign powder. Regulations prevent that from happening on cargo planes. They've already go shipments of lithium batteries to help them burn and crash.
Come January, that may change too.
Effective January 1, 2017, UPS will change its requirements for shipping lithium batteries by air.
https://www.ups.com/content/us/en/ab...ry_update.html
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