Colder than Inuvik in February: FedEx, UPS, Airborne raising home delivery prices

[GetReal]

There *ARE* options other than Mailboxes or Staples.


Why does anyone mess with middlemen like OD,Staples, or Mail Boxes etc . Both FedEx and UPS offer one time pickup options with no surcharge even if you do not have an account. You can call 1-800-PICK-UPS or 1800-GO-FEDEX to schedule a pickup. Neither of these require you to be present for pickups if you pay via CC over the phone.

Don't want to wait, then go online at either FedEx or UPS and enter your package info online and bill to your CC. Yo ucan then drop off your package at one of the thousands of drop boxes, customer counters, or give to a driver without any hassle

It is that simple and about half what those shipping centers charge.

 

[Pothead]

Those b@stards at Staples and MailBox Etc. gouge you until you're broke. Don't they charge several dollars more than going direct to the counter?

I sell about 30-40 items on ebay monthly. I don't trust leaving my packages on the doorsteps for the UPS man or FedEx man to pick it up. I'll just go to the UPS counter. It's about a 15 min. drive

 

[phreakyzen]

For example, a 2 lb shipment within your zone (a couple hundred miles) is about $3.00 to a business address, $4.25 to a residential address. Big deal - same as Priority Mail, right? WRONG.

Selling on Ebay is nationwide for me and even though I live in highly populated Northern VA I have shipped more packages to Hawaii than anybody in my zone. Lets do this equation again and who is cheaper? The fact that 95% of my business is out of my zone makes Fedex a lot more.

Now I agree that the USPS is inefficient. They give themselves raises because their productivity goes from 30% to 32%. And finally they raise prices twice a year it seems like. But right now Priority is the best/cheapest option for me considering the free boxes and supplies.

 

[Kwad Guy]

What do you have to do to get a bargain "business" rate? Any
way for someone who is not really a business to set up a business
account with UPS or FedEx and get cheaper rates?

Kwad

 

[may]

<<
Don't want to wait, then go online at either FedEx or UPS and enter your package info online and bill to your CC. Yo ucan then drop off your package at one of the thousands of drop boxes, customer counters, or give to a driver without any hassle

>>



my ups driver does not accept the internet shipped ground package. I called 1-800 no. and they told me I have to drop at the drop boxes or customer counters. Is it true?

 

[rickforrest]

<< >

That is likely correct, and they also will not insure anything that is *NOT* immediately replaceable, e.g. "antiques". If it's something that you can go out and get another one (or one like or "better"), they will (like a television), but if you're thinking they will cover that 1930's antique radio or 1850's dress.... they won't...

But I also challenge you to get the post office to pay for some of that should it be damaged..... Just seems people haven't been told, as a rule, it's not covered with them. >>



I didn't know that about Office Depot. I'll keep them in mind for the one time a year that one of my customers requires that I ship UPS. Thanks.

About the irreplaceable items - I sold some 50 year old china for my Mom last year and shipped it via USPS to Australia. Some of it was broken along the way. USPS reimbursed
the customer for the replacement value as determined by a website that sells old china. I think it was replacements.com but I don't remember exactly.

Some more reasons I don't ship UPS:

1. If you aren't home, and you're supposed to sign, and they leave a note, it's a huge hassle to get it from them. No less than 6 TIMES, I've called, told them to hold it for me, I'm coming to get it. When I get there, of course they didn't hold it - they put it back on the truck for delivery. And in the cases where they have held it for me, it has taken them 1 HOUR to find the damn thing. Plus the center is out in the middle of nowhere.
2. When they leave a note, they usually mark a time-range the next day when they'll re-deliver it. I've made arrangements to be home during that time, only to have them deliver another time.
3. Sometimes they leave packages out in the rain. Even if I leave a note telling them where to put it, they don't pay attention. They just drop and dash.

I just don't want my customers to have to deal with these problems.

 

[VBboy]

USPS will never go on strike, either!

 

[DealLurker]

> What do you have to do to get a bargain "business" rate?

I don't really know.. I would think it involves Tax ID's, business "proof" and being in a "business district" (e.g. most cities have laws against business "traffic" (people/vehicles) in residential areas, and that would likely include daily UPS pickups.)

Also being in a business area would put you in line with a typical daily pick up/drop off route. They're not going to go out of the way into a residential area daily on the off-chance you have something to ship.

That's exactly why the business rates are 15%+ lower than the "customer counter" for shipping, AND that shipping TO a business is less expensive than shipping to a residence...they're always going to businesses, it's on their daily routes (for most anyway), whereas your home is not, and why it costs more to ship there due to the extra time/gas/salary they have to pay to get the package there (and likely not having someone there, so redelivery if they can't leave it due to local laws, your request, neighborhood saftey, feeling of the driver that day, etc...)


Note: If your local grocery store offers UPS/FedEx shipping, you might want to ask them if you can simply leave your packages with them, that are already prepaid via their web stuff the other poster mentioned (I forgot about that). Most seem like they would be willing to do that (so long as you don't drop off 20 packages per day or something). Then you can have the convience of printing/labelling/paying for the cost online, but then just drop off on your way to work and then you don't have to be home for a one-time pickup, or risk leaving a package outside for pickup.

Just a thought...

 

[SSGTi]

<< There *ARE* options other than Mailboxes or Staples.


Why does anyone mess with middlemen like OD,Staples, or Mail Boxes etc . Both FedEx and UPS offer one time pickup options with no surcharge even if you do not have an account. You can call 1-800-PICK-UPS or 1800-GO-FEDEX to schedule a pickup. Neither of these require you to be present for pickups if you pay via CC over the phone.

Don't want to wait, then go online at either FedEx or UPS and enter your package info online and bill to your CC. Yo ucan then drop off your package at one of the thousands of drop boxes, customer counters, or give to a driver without any hassle

It is that simple and about half what those shipping centers charge. >>



GetReal, UPS adds on a $3 surcharge if you call there 800 and ask them to come to your house for a pickup.

 

[DealLurker]

> as far as i'm concerned USPS should raise the price on sending envelopes to 35 or 36 cents and kill off those junk mailers once and for all.

Sadly, I think that is the ONLY thing that the post office MAKES money on yet.

Personal correspondance is down so much due to e-Mail. Packages have dropped due to competition from UPS/FedEx (and their own "competition" by increasing Priority rates 40% over the last 3 years). Therefore they're making money on junk mail. (And remember, they DONT pay 34 cents.. they pay the low bulk-mail rates which, if memory serves, is in the sub 25 cent rate anyway).


> Some more reasons I don't ship UPS:
> 1. If you aren't home, and you're supposed to sign, and they leave a note, it's a huge hassle to get it from them. No less than 6 TIMES, I've called, told them to hold it for me, I'm coming to get it. When I get there, of course they didn't hold it - they put it back on the truck for delivery. And in the cases where they have held it for me, it has taken them 1 HOUR to find the damn thing. Plus the center is out in the middle of nowhere.
> 2. When they leave a note, they usually mark a time-range the next day when they'll re-deliver it. I've made arrangements to be home during that time, only to have them deliver another time.

AGREED 100%. Like I said before, I have had NUMEROUS run ins with UPS and they have p1$$ed me off royally with problems just like that.

However, I have found, that dealing with eBay buyers, they want the lowest shipping cost (at least on the stuff I sell... old 80's things).. I know some people are more than willing to pay $16 to ship, say a compact flash card, via priority mail (with the seller pocketing the difference from $3.50 actual cost), but I find that they're happy customers if I charge as close to customer counter rates as possible, and the simple fact is, UPS beats Priority on virtually everything over 5 pounds from where I live in the country. If I could ship via FedEx ground with the ease and low cost of UPS and not deal with UPS delivery hell... darn right I would choose them. But for now, UPS gets my business since my buyers want the lower cost.

 

[GetReal]

<<

<< There *ARE* options other than Mailboxes or Staples.


Why does anyone mess with middlemen like OD,Staples, or Mail Boxes etc . Both FedEx and UPS offer one time pickup options with no surcharge even if you do not have an account. You can call 1-800-PICK-UPS or 1800-GO-FEDEX to schedule a pickup. Neither of these require you to be present for pickups if you pay via CC over the phone.

Don't want to wait, then go online at either FedEx or UPS and enter your package info online and bill to your CC. Yo ucan then drop off your package at one of the thousands of drop boxes, customer counters, or give to a driver without any hassle

It is that simple and about half what those shipping centers charge. >>



GetReal, UPS adds on a $3 surcharge if you call there 800 and ask them to come to your house for a pickup. >>



I have yet to ever pay a surcharge for a residental pickup from UPS . Even though 99% of what I ship is through my business, I do occasionally ship from a residence. When I do, I simply call the 800 number and pre-pay via credit card and pay no pickup surcharge. I did this last week while visiting my parents at their house an shipped some items back to my house. I called on 12/23 for a 12/24 prepaid pickup .

 

[colossus]

I love how they are raising rates AND still keeping the fuel tax surcharge on their billing even though gas prices in my area (SoCal) have been the cheapest since I was born.

Something doesn't figure out - AND USPS is still in the red every year!

 

[labooboo]

I love USPS
you can get free tapes and boxes for Priority mail.

 

[rickforrest]

<<

Something doesn't figure out - AND USPS is still in the red every year! >>



How do you figure? They no longer receive tax dollars. Every single expense is paid for by postal rates. If they were in the red they couldn't
stay in "business" since they have no other source of income.

 

[GetReal]

<<

<<

Something doesn't figure out - AND USPS is still in the red every year! >>



How do you figure? They no longer receive tax dollars. Every single expense is paid for by postal rates. If they were in the red they couldn't
stay in "business" since they have no other source of income. >>



You have got to be kidding Right ? The USPS has never been self-supporting. They lost 1.7 billion last year and have averaged a billion dollar deficiency every year in the past twenty. Tax payers have and always will have to support the USPS.

US Postal Service loses $1.7 bln in fiscal 2001

 

[Justincase]

1) All of these services suck, because - as pointed out previously, they are still raking in a huge amount of money on the fuel surcharge, while the price of a barrel of oil has gone down from $37 to around $17-$19.

2) I always use Fedex Ground, a.k.a. RPS for domestic EBAY shipments, but I really hate them and would *love* to be able to switch carriers if I could keep my shipping expenses the same...unfortunately, every time I price a package, taking in my packages to Fedex is the cheapest way to go. UPS rates are the same, but only if I would have packages picked up every day (one-time pickups are far more expensive). Airborne is pricey. And USPS domestic rates are NEVER as low as Fedex Ground (almost all of my outgoing packages must be insured, and USPS insurance rates just kill it for me).

3) The worst thing about Fedex Ground is their HORRIBLE invoicing system - it drives me nuts; and their customer-service/billing bureaucracy...it took me a couple months to get back a $1.00 overcharge, then when they finally sent it, they put the wrong name on the check (the whole thing wasn't worth the bother, but this was a matter of principle, so I pursued it until I got the money).


Response to a previous comment:
>>>FedEx Express & Ground both offer free shipping supplies to anyone just like Priority Mail except they give you more than a couple of options for box sizes and all your shipping can be does online.<<<

As of 3 months ago when I asked, my local Fedex-staffed center only provided free supplies for EXPRESS shipment; nothing for ground. How would one go about getting free GROUND supplies?

 

[GetReal]

How would one go about getting free GROUND supplies?

Log into FedEx.com and click on the order supplies link on the left hand side of the page (or the link below). You will see a lot of FedEx Express shipping supplies listed, but at the bottom, there are several options for standard brown boxes that are for both FedEx Express and Ground. We use these boxes all the time with no problem.

https:// apps.fedex.com/servlet/SuppliesOnlineServlet?cc=US&language=english

 

[Justincase]

Thanks, but I am only seeing white-box supplies there; no brown (ground) boxes (clicked on them all). My Fedex-staffed center told me white boxes can only be shipped Express. Oh well.

 

[rickforrest]

<<

You have got to be kidding Right ? The USPS has never been self-supporting. >>



Got a link to back that up? I thought the USPS had been self-supporting for years.

Also, I don't think their $199 million shortfall last year is a whole lot of money considering their multi-billion
dollar business. This year is a special case (anthrax, obscene fuel costs), don't you think?

 

[GetReal]

<<

<<

You have got to be kidding Right ? The USPS has never been self-supporting. >>



Got a link to back that up? I thought the USPS had been self-supporting for years.

Also, I don't think their $199 million shortfall last year is a whole lot of money considering their multi-billion
dollar business. This year is a special case (anthrax, obscene fuel costs), don't you think? >>



I already provided you the link. Duh!

BTW - For those of you who don't know , the USPS's fical year ends September 30 just like every other Government or quasi-government business. The 9/11 effect had very little to do with their reported 1.7 Billion loss last year. As stated before the USPS has never been self-supporting even with the billions that they get from tax payers each year.

 

[dew042]

<<

<<

<< I use USPS for everything, including heavy items, because it's cheaper, they
take better care of stuff, and they stand behind their insurance, unlike UPS,
FedEx, etc. >>



huh?

Fedex Ground is by far cheaper for heavier things (and its on par or cheaper for light things if you add ANY of the usps services):
Ground for 65# package: $29.33
Priority (without signature, tracking, or insurance mind you): $71.70
You do the math.

Never had a hassle with an insurance claim on fedex. I have used them for probably 500 packages and I have submitted two claims. One for a speaker and one for a cpu. Never a probelm and they will ship the bad part back to me.

Fedex has never lost one of my packages. USPS has just completely *lost* a number of my packages, Where did they go? Do the packages just get up and leave?

I like fedex ground and i still believe its the best shipper around. Best part about it is I never wait in a line of more than one person. Can't say the same for my shipping with USPS. can you? waiting sucks. i have better things to do.

dew. >>



I took your advice and did the math:

65# package from my zipcode is between $30 and $95 depending on distance for Priority,
and between $12.52 and $39 for Parcel Post.

$100 insurance adds $2 to those prices. You only get the first $100 free with UPS and Fedex, right? So you'd have to pay roughly the same rates as USPS above that, true?

If I want to ship fedex or UPS I have to go through one of the Mailboxes,etc or other pack and mail services, and they tack on a hefty service charge, which eliminates any savings. Further, I ship Parcel Post for heavy items. I've shipped THOUSANDS (literally) of parcels and had only a couple of problems. And I always insure, so it really isn't a problem. Further, I receive a lot of packages via UPS, and they just destroy too many of them for me to feel comfortable shipping with them.

Lastly, UPS and Fedex do not stand behind their insurance for any item with glass in it - monitors, projectors, tv's, etc. They limit you to $500 for these items. NOW, PAY ATTENTION - they will gladly take money from you for insurance for any amount, but they'll only reimburse up to $500. >>



okay lets try this "math thing" again:

Local delivery:
fedex 65# package from 55112 to 55414 with $100 insurance, signature, tracking: $11.47
usps priority 65# from 55112 to 55414 (with no services): $30.45
usps parcel post 65# from 55112 to 55414 (with no services): $9.04


From minnesota to CA
fedex 65# package from 55112 to 90210 with $100 insurance, signature, tracking: $29.33
usps priority 65# package from 55112 to 90210 (with no services): $71.70
usps parcel post 65# package from 55112 to 90210 (with no services): $30.62

Priority mail is consistantly, vastly more expensive. Priority mail sounds good on paper, but quickly bloats. Parcel post is more on par, but with less services.

Additional $100 increments of insurance are $.35 for fedex and $2 for the first $100 and $1.00 per $100 for any method of usps from there on. that adds up very quickly as well.

I don't know your sources, but if the excess of $500 insurance limit on items with glass is true, parcel post is a fine option. Parcel post is great for local stuff. I ship very little locally though. Its even slow compared to fedex ground on average though (fedex ground gets to the coast in four days versus 6 days for parcel post, often times longer). I think the vast majority of us don't send packages in excess of $500 in value very often though. Its give and take a lot with parcel post vs. fedex ground. you have to pick what's best for the situation. But I still believe fedex is the better value in most situations.

Folks who aren't in sizable cities has fewer options obiviously.

and most notably I DON'T have to wait in lines behind 15 people to ship items anymore. especially when i was in new orleans i would consistantly wait 20 minutes (no matter what time of day or which post office) to get helped. that's NOT good business practice. i have better things to do than wait for people to take my money.

i am just making a pitch for my preferred shipper, that's all.
dew.

 

[rickforrest]

<<

<<

<<

You have got to be kidding Right ? The USPS has never been self-supporting. >>



Got a link to back that up? I thought the USPS had been self-supporting for years.

Also, I don't think their $199 million shortfall last year is a whole lot of money considering their multi-billion
dollar business. This year is a special case (anthrax, obscene fuel costs), don't you think? >>



I already provided you the link. Duh!

>>



Please help me find the sentence in your link that states that the USPS has never been self-supporting. I can't find it.

 

[dew042]

<<

<<

You have got to be kidding Right ? The USPS has never been self-supporting. >>



Got a link to back that up? I thought the USPS had been self-supporting for years.

Also, I don't think their $199 million shortfall last year is a whole lot of money considering their multi-billion
dollar business. This year is a special case (anthrax, obscene fuel costs), don't you think? >>



yeah. its hard to make money when your employees are considered federal AND get federal pensions. I wouldn't exactly consider that a private, independant company, would you? I would consider that support. Perhaps I am wrong though.

they can never be private, nor can they fail. the governement would never let it happen. its against consumer interests. when you can never really fail you aren't private OR independant...

dew.

 

[GetReal]

rickforrest - Go to the www.usps.gov and lookup the USPS annual reports for the past ten years. USPS Financials. These don't even include the some 3 billion a year that tax payers dish out for postal employess Federal retirement as they have a "exemption" that they do not include retirement benefits in operating expenses. If any private company was run as inefficiently as the USPS it would have been out of business years ago. The only other one that I can think of is Amtrack, but then again they are tax-payer supported too - at least for a little while longer

Also next year the USPS was already forcasting another multi-billion dollar loss prior to 9/11...



It was already on track to lose/ an estimated $1.35 billion in its 2002 fiscal year prior/ to the attacks in Washington and New York, and has applied for a 3-cent increase in the price of a regular stamp.


Show me the profit

 

[rickforrest]

<< rickforrest - Go to the www.usps.gov and lookup the USPS annual reports for the past ten years. USPS Financials. These don't even include the some 3 billion a year that tax payers dish out for postal employess Federal retirement as they have a "exemption" that they do not include retirement benefits in operating expenses. If any private company was run as inefficiently as the USPS it would have been out of business years ago. The only other one that I can think of is Amtrack, but then again they are tax-payer supported too - at least for a little while longer

Also next year the USPS was already forcasting another multi-billion dollar loss prior to 9/11...



It was already on track to lose/ an estimated $1.35 billion in its 2002 fiscal year prior/ to the attacks in Washington and New York, and has applied for a 3-cent increase in the price of a regular stamp.


Show me the profit >>



So you agree that your first link does not include the statement that USPS has never been profitable? DUH!

Interesting that you bring up Amtrak. Both the USPS and Amtrak can never be as efficient as a private company because they both have to serve small markets. If USPS were completely privatized, you can kiss home mail delivery and pickup goodbye. That would hurt the US economy big-time. So, in my opinion, having an "inefficient" postal service pays back the investment many times over.