Shock: UPS shipping charges UPDATE: PAGE 3

[Cheshire Figment]

I have a UPS account, although I ship using them fewer than six times per year. It does not cost anything to set up or maintain the account.

On Friday, December 7, I dropped off a box that was 24 x 24 x 18 and weighed 64 pounds at a UPS Store in Poinciana Florida. It was insured for $800. I sent it ground service, and it arrived at my mother's apartment in New York City on Tuesday (December 11) for $43.81.

I paid about $5.00 at Office Depot for the box.

Where they really get you is not the shipping costs, but the fees the UPS store charges for boxes and especially for packing. When I print the UPS label my credit card is charged for the shipping fees (including insurance). When I drop the box off it is ready for the truck to pick up and there is no fee paid to the UPS Store, all they do is scan the bar code to show USP that the box is now actually in the system.

 

[Iluvthemouse]

I do a lot of shipping. For large, heavy boxes FedEx Ground or FedEx Home Delivery are the most reasonable and the most reliable in my experience.

I agree. I was going to ship a 4.8oz box through the post office. Price was $17.xx, I shipped fed ex ground and it was $7.97.

 

[nanadeb]

The post office has at least 3 sizes of Priority Mail boxes which are labeled Flat Rate. They cost $8.95 to ship, regardless of the weight of the package (up to 70 pounds). This is a great thing for packages to APO/FPO addresses. I was the one in our ladies' church group that was in charge of mailing the care packages to our service men/women overseas this Christmas. One of the packages was filled with fudge, 7 layer bars, and hard candy. The Post Office person said it would have cost over $25 to ship if it hadn't been a flat rate box.
Flat rate boxes for Priority Mail are also available for both domestic and international use. You must use a Priority Mail box marked Flat Rate to get this rate.

 

[DMRick]

The post office has at least 3 sizes of Priority Mail boxes which are labeled Flat Rate.

I believe there are only two boxes as well as a flat rate envelope.
You may not change or distort the box in any way.

11-7/8" x 3-3/8" x 13-5/8"

11" X 8.5" X 5.5"

As for private shipping places., they often charge more for military, because they have to fill out a customs slip (which takes seconds). Go here to check out your shipping costs. There were changes last May, and it's best ot put in your actual measurements.

http://www.usps.com/tools/calculatepostage/welcome.htm?from=home&page=0061calculatepostage

 

[buzz5985]

FedEx holds the contract to carry USPS priority mail and flies a lot of the first class mail.

 

[jennz]

I agree - I will never go back to a ups store or mail store again - I was shocked by how much it cost to send a package to Scotland and then to an APO! The "service fee" they charge, or whatever is, is hidden in the fees and they say they charge what the post office charges. Not so. I took my receipt from a mail place into the post office and she quoted me the cost based on what was on there - dimensions, weight, and insurance, $15 less to Scotland and $10 left to the APO. Lesson learned. But what upsets me is that they specifically told me at different times at both stores they only charge what the post office charges them so I've been using them for the past 2 years thinking that's just how much it was.

 

[wdwstar]

I only use Fedex, because its cheaper, you get $100 free insurance, and i can track the box until it gets where its going. UPS charges way to much money to ship, i send a 3 foot christmas tree down to WDW every year, weighing about 14lbs using Fedex $8.00. charges also depends on where you send the item, at the same time i sent a 1.4lbs box to AZ, it cost me the same $8.00.

 

[DisneygirlTeacher]

I went to the Mailbox Relief store yesterday...scared what it might cost to ship two boxes to Arizona and one to Georgia. The total was only $39 for them to ship UPS and they will all be there in plenty of time for Christmas!!! I truly feel that your mailbox store ripped you off....I remember a few years ago I was sending my usual couple of medium sized boxes and the total was something like $160....imagine my shock! I had them check it and something went wrong with their computer and the total was for EVERY SINGLE package that got mailed that day!!! We had a good laugh, honest mistake, they corrected it and I go to the same place every year. Sorry yours was so much....maybe the same thing happened!!!

 

[poohs_hunny]

Geez, for that price, you could have flown to Texas and delivered them yourself!

 

[TxDsnyGrl74]

Geez, for that price, you could have flown to Texas and delivered them yourself!

I know!! I wish I was thinking clearly and I would have grabbed the gifts and walked out the door. Do you ever have those momements where you think 'I wish I would have done...'? That's how I'm feeling right now.

Oh well, nothing I can do about it now. Hopefully my post will help save someone else some money and from making the same stupid mistake I made.

 

[Kies99]

just as an example: I'm sending a Guitar Hero III to an ebay sellar this morning. I had to cut another box to fit around this one (cost $5.00 at OfficeDepot yesterday). The box measures 32x12x4 and it weighs about 5.5 lbs total. I just shipped it for about $12.40 via USPS priority.

I try my best to stay away from UPS, now you can see why


Esmerelda <happy to Ebay

Using the above measurements and weight, this package from Pittsburgh PA to Los Angeles would only cost $9.58 through FedEx Ground as well as this includes tracking and $100 in insurance.

I do a lot of shipping. For large, heavy boxes FedEx Ground or FedEx Home Delivery are the most reasonable and the most reliable in my experience.

I agree completely. They always beat the Post Office unless it's really heavy and I can fit it in the flat-rate box. I haven't used UPS in many, many years and I pretty much have eliminated USPS as well.