How has Coronavirus / Covid-19 affected operations?
For the most part, it hasn't. I work from home and am the only employee. The only thing that has been affected is shipping time. USPS states "...products and packages may require more time to be delivered due to limited transportation availability as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 impacts." Source: USPS So, I really appreciate your patience and understanding.
When will my order ship?
Most orders ship within 5-7 days and in the order that they're received. However, since I work alone to fulfill orders it may take up to 2 weeks at times when I have a lot of orders to work through.
Will my order have a tracking number?
That depends. Smaller items that can go in a standard envelope with a stamp will not having a tracking number. Larger items, such as Banners, Shirts, and Quarter Window Decals will receive a tracking number since they need to be shipped in a package.
I've received a USPS tracking number but it has said "Pre-Shipment", "Shipping Label Created, USPS Awaiting Item" or something similar for weeks. Is it lost? Did you really even send it? Is this a scam? Is this yet another company taking money from car enthusiasts with no intention of actually sending the product?
As you probably know, I generate the tracking numbers and print the labels myself. As soon as I do this, you'll receive an email with a tracking number. From that point, I put the package in my mailbox, notify USPS that I have x number of packages, and my local mail carrier picks them up along her route on the next business day. Your tracking information will say "Pre-Shipment", "Shipping Label Created, USPS Awaiting Item", or something similar until the package gets scanned at the postal hub in Jacksonville, FL. These days that can take anywhere from 24 hours to 2 weeks. Yeah 2 fricken weeks. -_- However, that's rare.
USPS has seen a lot of changes lately that are slowing down their business. Namely, the recently appointed Postmaster General/CEO Louis DeJoy has told "postal workers to leave mail behind if it slows down their route" Source: BusinessInsider.com Article. Honestly, take a minute to read the article and you'll have a better understanding of what's going and why packages are taking soo damn long to reach their destinations. They're not lost, I'm not operating the least lucrative scam operation of the century, aliens aren't involved (probably), and I'm not really your subconscious operating in the moments that you can't quite remember. Some First-Class Packages really are taking up to a month+ to be delivered and there's nothing you or I can do about it.
Do you do custom work?
Rarely and definitely not during the Spring when I'm at my busiest. Unfortunately, I don't have time to complete custom orders in a timely fashion.
Aside from products listed on the website, what else does TheTonyAnderson.com do?
I spend a good amount of time completing orders for small businesses. There are several landscaping companies in town that rely on me for branded t-shirts and magnets for their trucks. I also function as a drop-shipper for some of your favorite automotive tuners.
