Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: eBay shipping cost question

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Posted by Tyler Potts (Member # 4952) on 01-08-2009, 09:20 AM:

Does anyone have experience shipping heavy things sold on eBay? I'm going to be putting up an electric guitar and an amp but don't know how to set up shipping cost easily. Do I have to box the items and weigh them then get USPS to quote me then have the customer pay in advance? Or do I ship it then hope the customer pays me back for shipping?

Stupid student loan payments kicked in...

Posted by Todd McCracken (Member # 4718) on 01-08-2009, 09:48 AM:

Just put the items and packaging on a scale, then goto whoever your going to ship with web site and get an estimate. I would use the farthest point your willing to ship as your posted shipping cost.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 01-08-2009, 09:53 AM:

Tyler: If you use a website to calculate your shipping cost, be sure to take note of the measurements of your shipping box. UPS charges by size as well as by weight and distance, and the postal service also has "large package" surcharges when you exceed a certain size. UPS also has extra charges for shipping to residences and small towns. But all this can be calculated at the appropriate website (ups.com or usps.com).

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 01-08-2009, 10:01 AM:

UPS is EXTREMELY expensive to ship through, since I think normal people without accounts must go through The UPS Store. Kinkos/FedEx is much cheaper (quicker to deal with at the counter, too), and FedEx is less likely to destroy your shipment. According to my friend who works for FedEx, signatures of the recipient are not required, but they like to get one if they can.

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 01-08-2009, 10:10 AM:

Don't go to a UPS store just to ship via UPS; they mark up the shipping cost. Non-business customers can ship via UPS at less-inflated rates by going to a "UPS customer counter." These can be found on their web site.

A UPS Store can actually be useful if you need the item packed properly before mailing it. Unfortunately, damage claims can be difficult to pursue through them. I shipped something back in August of last year at a UPS store specifically because I wanted it to be packed correctly. Naturally, the unit was damaged in shipment (apparently due to rough handling and not improper packing) and it took until December to get a check from UPS to cover the repair costs.

Fedex Ground is generally good to deal with and cheaper than UPS. I would recommend either over USPS for shipping something expensive and fragile.

Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 01-08-2009, 06:29 PM:

I am in the process of shipping 12 cases from Iowa to myself in Medford and checked with UPS, FedEx and DHL. The least expensive was DHL at about $650. So I checked with the post office and learned I could mail them all for $94.83. I have sold some stuff on eBay and charged the buyer shipping. Check with the shipping companies and post office and add the freight and any extra insurance to the cost of the guitar.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 01-08-2009, 07:04 PM:

Sometimes, I find good ol' USPS to be the fairest amongst all of them .. when using parcel post, and if shipping recorded items (CD's DVD's, audio/film recordings, printed matter) - then Media Rate wins them all, but with a small price: Media Rate is a ground shipped item.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 01-08-2009, 09:25 PM:

I reccomend "Foamed In Place" for heavy valualable things sold. This way the foam in place outfit also packs it at the same time eliminating the packing hassle AND liability for you. Getting UPS or whom ever's insurance doesn't necessarily eliminate the liability if they deny a claim. I also always charge extra for packing heavy objects... Its going to take you time and tape/packing materials or the "Foam In Place" guy to do it!

Mark

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 01-08-2009, 10:25 PM:

I've sold a lot of stuff on eBay over the years and the buyer has always paid shipping costs. In turn, I have always paid when I bought something.

Granted these were never really heavy items, but we're a long way away from the rest of the world so it's not cheap.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 01-08-2009, 11:25 PM:

quote: Scott Norwood
Don't go to a UPS store just to ship via UPS; they mark up the shipping cost.

I thought they went to using the standard (not marked-up) rates a couple of years ago. Either way it can be expensive.

I'm really curious about Robert's situation:

quote: Robert E. Allen
shipping 12 cases from Iowa to myself in Medford and checked with UPS, FedEx and DHL. The least expensive was DHL at about $650. So I checked with the post office and learned I could mail them all for $94.83.

Over $600 for DHL, but the Post Office shipped the same stuff for under $100? and UPS was even MORE than DHL??? UPS rates aren't THAT much different from the post office. Maybe they quoted air rates or something.

Posted by Eric Webb (Member # 2772) on 01-09-2009, 12:52 AM:

It looks like all are increasing their prices during this month also.
USPS on Jan 18. USPS Price Changes
UPS & FedEx changed their prices on the 5th
UPS Price Changes
FedEx Price Changes

Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 01-09-2009, 02:50 AM:

Hey Mike!

I went to the websites for DHL, UPS and FedEx last month and did the figuring using their software. I went to the USPS website last month and again a few days ago and their price was the same for 12 2'x2'x2' 25 pound boxes $94.83. They were all ground rates.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 01-09-2009, 10:10 AM:

Hi Robert,

Well I hate to ruin your day, but that rate for the Postal Service is for EACH box, not a total for 12 boxes.

I went to UPS.com and put in the specs you provided and got a result of $746.40 for UPS vs. $1137.96 for the post office. I also selected that you would "give your packages to the UPS driver" instead of scheduling a pickup (it saves money to do that). In addition, I selected a "residential" delivery -- if you could have the packages sent to a commercial address (a storefront, not a business-in-a-home address) that'll save money as well. Finally, I selected that you do NOT have a daily pickup account. If you could find someone who does have an account to handle the shipment for you (using their software rather than going thru the webvsite) it could cost even less. Since I don't know the exact zip codes or Iowa city involved, actual costs might vary somewhat but not too much.

One thing: You said you were shipping "cases" -- if that means non-cardboard wood or metal shipping cases, you will have to pay an additional-handling fee on each one, somewhere around $5 per package.

In case you are wondering why I seem to know so much about this UPS stuff, we have a UPS customer counter in our store so I ship anywhere from 5 to 50 packages a day.

Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 01-09-2009, 11:46 AM:

Mike:

You're absolutely correct. Boy, do I feel stupid! Back to the drawing board. Thanks for the heads up.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 01-09-2009, 11:57 AM:

No problem! [Smile]

Another thought would be to check with a local trucking company. I have less experience with that, but I think it might be cheaper than the UPS option.

Posted by John Hawkinson (Member # 1135) on 01-11-2009, 01:57 PM:

I expect you can do a bit better. (I'd made a note to come back to this thread when I had a chance to run numbers; I'm glad Mike did and got to the numbers first!)

For qty 12 of 24x24x24" packages from 50301 (Des Moines) to 97501, no insurance (bad idea), residential delivery, no pickup:

For UPS I agree with Mike's number ($746.40). But for FedEx Ground I see ($493). And those are the undiscounted rates. If you find someone with a good discount (local volume shippers), you may be able to shave off 20% off the FedEx number, and probably something similar off the UPS number (but you're better off going with FedEx because of dimensional weight).

You are also (for UPS) losing badly here on "dimensional weight," where shippers charge you by the volume of the package if it exceeds a certain density. Your dimensional weight is 72 lbs each! (24x24x24/194 => 71.26). FedEx Ground does not charge dimensional weight like FedEx Express and UPS Ground do--the analog only kicks in for FedEx Ground under their oversize rules, which seem to say it doesn't apply if your package has no single dimension exceeding 7 feet.

Without dimensional weight, your UPS rate is $360. I expect you won't be successful in knocking down your dimensional weight down by repacking, but if that's an option...

Mike is also right to suggest LTL freight services (less-than-truckload). I'm not sure where to get online quotes for those...www.freightcenter.com says Yellow will do it for $330 (depending on a lot of variables). It looks like they won't even require you to palletize your boxes.

Oh, also, since DHL is going out of business (excuse me, "exiting the domestic shipping market") this month, I would try to avoid them...

I know these things because I, umm, sometimes ship films around? [Smile]

--jhawk

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 01-11-2009, 05:43 PM:

I'd have to run it on our Worldship to see what it would cost that way...note too...there is also hundred-weight class which is actually a discount applied when all shipments are going to one address and they exceed a weight threshold, combined.

I know for us, UPS has not proven to be very expensive, as compared to other methods. Also, in the DC/Baltimore area, the UPS packages tend to survive better than the FedEx ones. That said, we have really good drivers for BOTH UPS and FedEx.

Steve

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 01-12-2009, 09:54 AM:

I'm surprised that FedEx Ground is so much cheaper-- I thought all the non-postal service companies used the same dimensional weight rules.

We have a "daily pickup" UPS account but JHawk is right - there are definitely better discounts out there for higher volume shippers.

Posted by Robert Minichino (Member # 3495) on 01-12-2009, 11:18 AM:

FedEx Ground does charge based on dimensional weight; they didn't in the past, but they started about 2 years ago.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 01-12-2009, 11:31 AM:

Doing a 12 package shipment with 24x24x24 (inches) boxes of 25lbs each...I had a range from $283.44 to $576.24 using UPS, depending on how far I shipped and to what area...with cross-country being at the top end.

Steve

Posted by John Hawkinson (Member # 1135) on 01-12-2009, 03:17 PM:

Robert said, "FedEx Ground does charge based on dimensional weight; they didn't in the past, but they started about 2 years ago."

Umm, are you sure? That's not what the FedEx link I posted says, and it's also not what the FedEx online quote tool shows -- it gives me a dimweight -based price for the FedEx express shipment but not for the FedEx ground shipment.

--jhawk

Posted by Robert Minichino (Member # 3495) on 01-12-2009, 04:28 PM:

They've charged me based on dimensional weight recently, so I'm pretty sure. I don't think that page you linked to is a current calculator (and if not they really should take it down). Try with this link instead:

http://www.fedex.com/ratefinder/home?cc=US&language=en

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 01-12-2009, 06:45 PM:

quote: John Hawkinson was the last to post
FedEx Ground does charge based on dimensional weight; they didn't in the past, but they started about 2 years ago.

They probably started at the same time UPS did -- previously they only used dim-weight for air shipments. They recently replaced the "oversize" designation with dim-weight. This of course allows them to make more $.

Posted by John Hawkinson (Member # 1135) on 01-12-2009, 06:59 PM:

Hmm, that's the same online tool that I used.
Though today it seems to be behaving differently, insofar as it gives me $493 for FedEx Ground only when I don't check Residential delivery, and when I check residential delivery, it instead offers FedEx Home Delivery at $519 (still way better than UPS!). [I had kind of wondered why it didn't do that for me before, but...]

But you're certainly right, for 6x6x6" packages, the same shipment costs $255.

So I guess it's just discounting that makes FedEx cheaper, not dimensional weight. *weird*.

--jhawk