Shipping

Sigh, i just got boned, (with no lube) on shipping some C10 parts. I sold off most of my Good stock this weekend to pay off some bills. (happens every year it seems now) I took the 2 packages to the mail it for you store. I changed him $30 to ship them. Cost my $61. Im not sure what to do, i sold all these parts with an extimated shipping price, to late to change it now.
I'm wondering should i call ups and open an account, go directly to a UPS store? Any thoughts.

Glen

Don't go to any of those shipping stores, UPS or other ones. Don't have to tell you but you will get hosed!

Open up a UPS account, print your own labels and ship. You can bring your package to any Staples. Don't confuse UPS stores or authorized shippers with UPS, not the same. I bought a item on CL and told the guy to get a UPS price. He took it to a UPS store....$229. I knew that wasn't correct. I did it from my account....$38. I emailed him the label.

Tom

Tom,

Do you weight and measure them yourself? They bill your CC? Then you drop them at staples? Ups comes here every couple days. Any pick up fees?

I've been selling a lot of my 71-76 parts on eBay for the same reasons. I don't have the equipment to do any of the click and ship type of deals with anyone (as far as I know), so I just put the item I'm selling in a box, stand on a bathroom scale, weigh myself, then put the item down and weigh myself again to kinda/sorta get an idea of how much it weighs, round up the number, and then go to FedEx or USPS online and try to get an approximate shipping cost to Los Angeles or some place like that based on the weight and the size, and make that my shipping price. Or, if I know who I'm selling to first, I just get their zip code.

There's probably a more streamlined way, but I don't even have cable or a smartphone so I'm sure it's not surprising I do it this way.   

However, eBay sucks and if you use them you need to factor in their fee of 10 percent on the sale price, 10 percent of what YOU charge someone to ship (so dumb), the Paypal fees, your time to take it to the shipper, etc.

Lately I've been using Fedex to ship, they usually come out a bit cheaper than UPS. Make an online account and they bill your credit card. Also, if you sell on ebay you get discount rates through them.

I always use FedEx too...there is a Fedex hub or whatever you call it right near me, and their price includes 100 bucks insurance and tracking also, something to consider. Sometimes the USPS flat rate boxes are the best bet, or if someone is close, Priority Mail in a random box you have laying around that is the right size for the item...

No Moa wrote:

Tom,

Do you weight and measure them yourself? They bill your CC? Then you drop them at staples? Ups comes here every couple days. Any pick up fees?

You weigh and measure them yourself.  They send me a bill once a month, but we have a small business.  I'm sure CC would work.  I've never had a pick up, I'm guessing there is a fee, as it is a special trip.  But, if they come to your place or your catch them, there is no cost.

Tom

Thanks everyone, looking at setting up an account right now.

They probably have to pay the driver double time to go to YOUR house

Word gets around you know....  

sdstick wrote:

They probably have to pay the driver double time to go to YOUR house

Word gets around you know....  

Funny but I went to them. No excuses there

FWIW, I ALWAYS use USPS. Tracking and insurance is included in most if not all packages for no extra fee. I sell tons of stuff on eBay, big and small. I haven't sold any auto body parts that require freight tho.

I've been using them a lot lately too Brian. It's convenient, and Priority Mail is like 2 day shipping too. I sold a small part on ebay and sent it out on noon on a Saturday a while back. The guy had it in CA on Monday, I was shocked. The only problem is if you have a taillight or something that doesn't fit in a flat rate box...then you have to get a box and then try to send it "standard post" with insurance added or something like that (tracking is still free, kehd).

I need to get some of the padded flat rate envelopes...I remember I used to cram stuff into the regular flat rate envelopes but I guess they don't want people doing that now.

Extremely convenient. I'll probably never use FedEx or ups again. I do however receive items from them when I buy stuff and it usually takes twice the amount of time than USPS. I ordered something from Cali last week, it showed today USPS before I bought something the same time closer in PA via ups. To each his own, but I've always used USPS even overseas. Sending stuff home from Iraq was easy as hell. I always received my mail and pkgs too. Even tho once it goes to a forward deployed address and military mail clerks sort and deliver to the log trains, they are trained and certified to handle USPS mail. Beside the point, but if it can work and be affordable over there (sending big foot lockers home with customs) it can be and is here too.

UPS's website must be a bitch, and on the rag, i been trying to 2 days to set up a shipping account, and it won't have it. man what a pain in the ass.

USPS is great until they fail
Guy I work with was singing thier praises (cost being the real perk) then they didnt deliver the most important paperwork he had sent in months.
They're now out.
UPS picks up & delivers here every day
FedX I use for overnight letters & bid packages
Actual tracking not that USPS BS being the most important reason
When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight...
30 years in the business

I went over to get boxes for the steering columns, I send a steering wheel, standard insurance $26.00, and I send to dash boards, $31.00. Both weighted under 10 pounds.
The columns are 22 pounds each, can't wait to see how much I get f'd on those.

Going to call ups later, see if they can help me get set up

The UPS calculator said $37.00 to ship the columns, the store I'm betting will be $50

With big heavy stuff, I've had good luck with Greyhound freight. I shipped four Door Panels to California for $35....