Shipping via UPS without knowing the shipping weight?

[daniel1113]

In about a month I'll be graduating and moving across the country. Since I only have about ~10 boxes worth of stuff, I am planning on packaging everything up and shipping it via UPS.

I'd also like to arrange for a home pick-up, but have no means of weighing each box to create the necessary shipping label.

Does UPS have a system in place to weigh each box as they pick them up, and then charge my UPS account with the corresponding charges?

I'd check the UPS website, but for some reason the site never works with my home ISP.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Slick5150]

They reweigh them at their end and don't charge you until its delivered anyways (if you have a UPS account obviously), so I don't know that it really matters. Just call them up and tell them that you have x # of boxes you want picked up, tell them you don't know the weight but give them the dimensions of them anyways, and you should be all set.

 

[d33pt]

i just weigh it on a bath scale. if it doesn't fit right, i pick it up then weigh myself and myself+box and take the difference. that usually gets it good enough for UPS/FEDEX.

 

[daniel1113]

Originally posted by: d33pt
i just weigh it on a bath scale. if it doesn't fit right, i pick it up then weigh myself and myself+box and take the difference. that usually gets it good enough for UPS/FEDEX.

Yeah, when I'm at home I use a bathroom scale, but I don't have one here at school.

Originally posted by: Slick5150
They reweigh them at their end and don't charge you until its delivered anyways (if you have a UPS account obviously), so I don't know that it really matters. Just call them up and tell them that you have x # of boxes you want picked up, tell them you don't know the weight but give them the dimensions of them anyways, and you should be all set.

Great, thanks.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: Slick5150
They reweigh them at their end and don't charge you until its delivered anyways (if you have a UPS account obviously), so I don't know that it really matters. Just call them up and tell them that you have x # of boxes you want picked up, tell them you don't know the weight but give them the dimensions of them anyways, and you should be all set.

If they reweigh and you are misreporting the weight, there is a penalty. I'd definitely call though and explain the situation...

If they say you need to wiegh them get a scale, even if it's a $10 cheapy. Round up a pound. If you can at least weigh one of the boxes of an average weight of what you are shipping with a real postal type scale and then check the cheapy scale for accuracy you'd be best off.

 

[TBone48]

I've found the post office to usually be cheaper for shipping than UPS. Have you compared prices? You might be able to save a decent amount of money. I don't know if they'll pick them up for you, though. I always drop off in person.

 

[ElFenix]

doesn't it work like fedex where if you put your account on it they'll just bill you for whatever it turned out to be?

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: TBone48
I've found the post office to usually be cheaper for shipping than UPS. Have you compared prices? You might be able to save a decent amount of money. I don't know if they'll pick them up for you, though. I always drop off in person.

The post office is usually only cheaper on light items. For larger boxes the post office is usually obscene.

I have found FedEx Home Delivery the best private pricing. DHL is great right now for me, but I am running everything through a national contract so I am not sure how much the average joe pays.

Most of my smaller items get their the next day for $4.20 even coast to coast...for larger items it works out to far less than a buck a pound for next day service. I have shipped large and heavy boxes for $20-30 via 2-3 day service.

For the largest packages though BAXGlobal is the best bang for buck.

 

[potato28]

They give you ten lashings and send you on your way.

 

[amdskip]

Originally posted by: TBone48
I've found the post office to usually be cheaper for shipping than UPS. Have you compared prices? You might be able to save a decent amount of money. I don't know if they'll pick them up for you, though. I always drop off in person.

Pretty much 2lbs or less will be the cheapest with the USPS. Anything more and they charge crazy prices.

OP, find a local authorized shipping store if you can't find a scale. I think staples is one and I'm sure theres a couple local places in your area. They charge a little extra but it'll be worth it if you can't find a scale to use.

Otherwise I'd ship via DHL ground, fast and cheap.