BikeFlights.com switches from FedEx to UPS

[fiamme red]

http://blog.bikeflights.com/post/183722935909/bikeflightscom-now-shipping-with-ups

https://bikerumor.com/2019/03/28/bikeflights-com-sends-it-with-ups-for-more-destinations-and-improved-service/

[Blown Reek]

Since I like BikeFlights but hate UPS, I'm not sure where I stand on this issue.

[ftf]

Don't know what to think, guess we'll see.

[AngryScientist]

this is unwelcome news to me.

i have a local FedEx office a few miles away that i routinely have packages held at. not so easy with UPS. i definitely would have preferred they stay with FedEx. Oh well.

[velotrack]

from those bikerumor comments, it looks like prices are going way up for most bikes.

that's gonna be a no from me.

[bcroslin]

Yup, not using anyone that uses UPS.

[pdmtong]

this is unwelcome news to me.
i have a local FedEx office a few miles away that i routinely have packages held at. not so easy with UPS. i definitely would have preferred they stay with FedEx. Oh well.
Agreed. My local UPS charges $10 holding fee day one, then $5/day thereafter.
When I found that out, no thanks.

[RobJ]

I saw this the other day when I logged onto BF. Most unwelcome news! The price through BF and UPS was slightly more than eBay/Fedex. The BF Fedex prices were always the lowest. I’m done with BF unfortunately unless they switch back.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[zzy]

As far as I'm concerned, this makes insurance on all BF packages MANDATORY. UPS was always the roughest handler of bike boxes in my experience (they always stack them sideways). This is a shame.

[Clean39T]

That stinks. I used Shipbikes for my last two and they were substantially cheaper.. I like BikeFlights and wish them well, but it seems they are hitting a pivotal moment here.



Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[Bentley]

Agreed. My local UPS charges $10 holding fee day one, then $5/day thereafter.
When I found that out, no thanks.

So if you have a signature required they will attempt to deliver 3 times then they hold it for a week, all no charge. Why bother asking them to hold it when you can get them to do it for free. YMMV, but that is my experience.

[WNC rider]

Yup, not using anyone that uses UPS.

Yup, pretty much sums it up for me, too. I do not give UPS my money, directly or indirectly. Sorry Bikeflights, you just lost another customer.

[NYCfixie]

I might be done with them too. While FedEx is not great, they are still better than UPS.

[m_sasso]

Strange doubled up post.
Going to pile on this one, UPS, Un-Professional Shipping has brought an end to my relationship with BikeFlights.

[m_sasso]

Going to pile on this one, UPS, Un-Professional Shipping has brought an end to my relationship with BikeFlights.

[kppolich]

No complaints with UPS here, yet. Our UPS guy is great. I've watched him treat all of our packages with care and they are always the first ones out and about in the morning.

I have a Kickr incoming via BikeFlights, it was shipped via UPS. Will follow up when it arrives!

[Hellgate]

Since I like BikeFlights but hate UPS, I'm not sure where I stand on this issue.Agreed. UPS tends to take the long way around...

[tbike4]

This sucks. Rant over.

[AdamSklar]

I'm into this. I make 10-15 shipments with Bikeflights a month. Just shipped a bike to LA and it was less than half the price that it normally is. I've had much better experience in my area with UPS too so... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[pdmtong]

Agreed. My local UPS charges $10 holding fee day one, then $5/day thereafter.
When I found that out, no thanks.

So if you have a signature required they will attempt to deliver 3 times then they hold it for a week, all no charge. Why bother asking them to hold it when you can get them to do it for free. YMMV, but that is my experience.

it's not the UPS depot...rather the UPS "store". the problem is that going to the depot is a PITA and of course the store is closer to my residence

[ojingoh]

UPS is way better *for me* than the local liars and thieves Fed Ex contractors. On-Trac is implausibly even worse.

[R3awak3n]

So much UPS hate....

In my experience they are all bad. Have had good and experiences with ups, fedex, usps, dhl, ect....


Just the other day I got some tile dor my kitchen, fedex, the dude was throwing the boxes down the floor in front of me as I told him, hey thats tile... he said ok. Kept doing it. Half the tile was broken (even though probably been broken from the first toss into the tru k at og drop location).

I do think fedex is faster than ups and they deliver on saturday so I do prefer em (and of course everyone that has it close to them, its a valid reason why you prefer em)

[saab2000]

Shipbikes dot com is my favorite. I think they still are with FedEx. I’ve had good experiences with them.

[Bob Ross]

Well...

Since every BikeFlights transaction I've had went swimmingly and I generally think that any change to a Good Thing™ will make things worse (at least in the short term) this announcement leaves me skeptical, bordering on disappointed.

However, separate from BikeFlights, my FedEx vs UPS experience tends to skew towards favoring the latter, especially if you are not using Next Day/Overnight service. FedEx Ground service is run by and populated by morons, period. I'd prefer to use UPS for shipping anything that doesn't have to be there tomorrow.

[NYCfixie]

I'll add into this thread again and give a different viewpoint. For graduate school (yes, I went back to school in my late 40s), I wrote a paper comparing the Enterprise Risk Management plans of both FedEx and UPS (if you are up for reading a 20 page academic paper PM me and I will send you a copy) and learned a great deal about both companies.

The most interesting point, related to this thread, is that UPS is and has always been one integrated company whereas FedEx runs each vertical business (FedEx, FedEx Ground, FedEx Freight, Kinkos, etc.) as separate businesses. FedEx Ground was Roadway Package System (https://about.van.fedex.com/our-story/history-timeline/history/opco-ground/), was purchased by FedEx, and then re-branded but they always used a contractor model so FedEx Ground/Home drivers are not actually FedEx employees; they are private contractors. FedEx keeps it this way to control costs.

This is not unlike Amazon using private individuals and/or private commercial contractors to deliver its packages and calling it "Amazon Delivery Services (https://flex.amazon.com/)". The issue is that most private individuals and commercial contractors get paid by the number of packages they deliver so they are more concerned about volume than care for the individual boxes getting to the destination in one piece.

One could also argue that UPS' full time employees do not care because they have union protected jobs.

In the end, I think the "middle processing" and "transfer" is about the same for FedEx and UPS but what varies is the "pick-up" and "drop-off" person. In NJ, we had the best UPS driver in the world who would send us XMas cards and knew everyone on the route but if packages were damaged when they got to him there was not much he could do. He would often leave packages with neighbors and ask them to call you and check first just because he did not want to make you wait until the next day; often he would just come by at special times because he learned when people got home. In Boston, our doorman tells us that we have the same UPS driver every day which is great but FedEx and Amazon are a nightmare because you never know who and when they will show up. Often the drivers are in a hurry and get angry when our doorman wants to check every box for damage before accepting them.

I think if someone did a study they would find that UPS and FedEx damage packages in equal amounts so who actually knows if this change is good or bad from a damage standpoint. Can one really prove where along the way a box may have been damaged?

[oldpotatoe]

this is unwelcome news to me.

i have a local FedEx office a few miles away that i routinely have packages held at. not so easy with UPS. i definitely would have preferred they stay with FedEx. Oh well.

Saw that but even tho the $ seems the same(wheelbox to SF), the 'UPS store' local to me has really short hours..to bad. I'm looking at ShipBikes for next wheelset ship.

My only real grip is the driver that swiped an IWatch outta the box..

[Lewis Moon]

I really hate UPS. I have received an order of magnitude more damaged goods through UPS than any other shipper. I have watched shipments come to within five miles of my house then head to Portland Maine before coming back to Tempe. At work I've had UPS drivers refuse to pick up packages because they were inconvenient. I've watched a UPS driver dump a box marked "fragile, scientific equipment" off the back of the van onto the road without even blinking.
I really like BikeFlights, but I'm going to have to pass in the future.

[William]

...Fed Ex sucks more than a brand new Dyson vacuum cleaner. So much so that a buddy of mine who ships and receives a lot of product in his business quit using them. I've had my own issues with them as well.







W.

[wallymann]

agree 100% -- this is terrible. i will no longer use bikeflights. UPS sucks.

[Jdg68]

We've had FedEx lose a few packages which we later received...delivered to the wrong address etc.

In fact, right now, they are researching a large package (a new 1up Rack) which was supposedly delivered last Thursday to us...

[Bentley]

it's not the UPS depot...rather the UPS "store". the problem is that going to the depot is a PITA and of course the store is closer to my residence

Understand, my depot is a bit away as well, but the good thing is I can go by around 8pm and pick my stuff up no fuss.

Ray

[chiasticon]

Yup, pretty much sums it up for me, too. I do not give UPS my money, directly or indirectly. Sorry Bikeflights, you just lost another customer.so any time you buy anything online, you contact them first just to make sure they don't use UPS? really?

This is not unlike Amazon using private individuals and/or private commercial contractors to deliver its packages and calling it "Amazon Delivery Services (https://flex.amazon.com/)". The issue is that most private individuals and commercial contractors get paid by the number of packages they deliver so they are more concerned about volume than care for the individual boxes getting to the destination in one piece.are you saying this is true for FedEx or Amazon? my main gripe with FedEx is that they frequently will mark items "out for delivery" and then at about 6pm or so, decide they've had enough for the day and push delivery to the next one. which would be strange if the employees are paid per package...

I've had stuff damaged by all three major carriers so I can't say I'm on either side of the fence on this BF change-up. so for the moment, my main viewpoint is price; I'll shop around next time I ship bike parts, just to verify that it's a decent price.

[Lewis Moon]

so any time you buy anything online, you contact them first just to make sure they don't use UPS? really?

I actually will switch sellers if the price is within the ballpark and I see they ship UPS. For me, it really has been that bad.
As for FedEx, I ship tissue samples all the time via their overnight service. Not. One. Error. I'm not saying they're infallible, I'm just saying UPS is a LOT worse.
Also, too: If there's a slower method of shipping than UPS ground, I have not seen it.

[NYCfixie]

...are you saying this is true for FedEx or Amazon? my main gripe with FedEx is that they frequently will mark items "out for delivery" and then at about 6pm or so, decide they've had enough for the day and push delivery to the next one. which would be strange if the employees are paid per package...


FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, and FedEx Home Delivery are in-essence separate companies with FedEx Ground and Home Delivery using contractor services. And, just because someone gets paid per package, does not mean they do not have a family to get home to so at 6pm they may say they have had enough for the day.

[bcroslin]

My only real grip is the driver that swiped an IWatch outta the box..

This. Years ago my mother bought a Tiffany bracelet for my daughter. The clasp broke and Tiffany's sent it off to be fixed and the bracelet was shipped back via UPS. We tracked the bracelet to the point where it was out for delivery and it never arrived. It just up and disappeared when it was on the truck. Imagine that.

Of course we reported to UPS that it was never delivered and went through their insurance process and eventually received a check for a new bracelet but then UPS flagged our address that they wouldn't deliver packages to our address without a signature. This went on for years and during that time period they delivered a MTB fork to an address on the other side of town which I had to go pick up from the homeowner.

Sorry, but no UPS for me.

[WNC rider]

so any time you buy anything online, you contact them first just to make sure they don't use UPS? really?


Yeah, sorta saying that. I don't buy on amazon, the stuff I buy on ebay doesn't ship UPS, and I can count on one hand (and still have several fingers left over) the number of times in the last year that UPS showed up with something that I paid for.
If my customers want to pay for supplies and parts and they show up via UPS, that's fine, but that's not on my dime.
I have has nothing but awful service through UPS for longer than I care to remember. Showing up at my house (where I work) at 9pm with work/business related/necessary deliveries, ridiculous "brokerage fees" for overseas shipping (yes, I stopped buying from that overseas seller, which hurt my business a bit, but I got over it), damaged packages, packages clearly marked "Fragile" dropped (yes, DROPPED) on my cement sidewalk/porch while I watched the driver do it, etc.
Fedex is here by 11:30am. USPS is here typically by 11am (it's now 10:29am as I type this, and the USPS guy just showed up). Haven't had any major gripes, complaints, or issues with these carriers in, well, I can't even remember.

[papa bless]

Hopefully this switch to UPS is not a sign of things to come. BikeFlights was excellent a few years ago, and they've been declining. Hopefully the switch to UPS is not a last ditch effort to stay afloat.

[redir]

My experience in shipping guitars has been bad for both FedEx and UPS so I don't use anything but the good old USPS anymore. Plus they used to sponsor a cycling team ;)

So that begs the question... Why don't you just box up and ship the bike on your own? :confused:

[simplemind]

Hopefully this switch to UPS is not a sign of things to come. BikeFlights was excellent a few years ago, and they've been declining. Hopefully the switch to UPS is not a last ditch effort to stay afloat.

Agreed. However I just received a bike on time and undamaged from Bikeflights via Fedex as usual. UPS quality on other items has declined rather dramatically in the past year or so. Clouds on the horizon?

[papa bless]

No doubt. This switch is going to kill BikeFlights. If Paceline is upset about this, there are millions of other people too.

Agreed. However I just received a bike on time and undamaged from Bikeflights via Fedex as usual. UPS quality on other items has declined rather dramatically in the past year or so. Clouds on the horizon?

[radsmd]

How I wish this was an April Fool’s day prank.

[chiasticon]

No doubt. This switch is going to kill BikeFlights. If Paceline is upset about this, there are millions of other people too.I get your reasoning/sentiment, but...millions...? I'm actually doubtful they've done a million total transactions since they started...

just because someone gets paid per package, does not mean they do not have a family to get home to so at 6pm they may say they have had enough for the day.totally. it's just a regular trend I see, and them getting paid that way makes it strange. I do see it from Amazon delivery as well, so you're likely 100% correct about why. never seen it from UPS, for what it's worth. if it says "out for delivery" they attempt to deliver. could 100% just be my driver though (as I suspect a lot of the horror stories here are, for any carrier).

[oldpotatoe]

Hopefully this switch to UPS is not a sign of things to come. BikeFlights was excellent a few years ago, and they've been declining. Hopefully the switch to UPS is not a last ditch effort to stay afloat.

Been using BF for a long time and have seen no ‘decline’. The only exposure is via the website to input addresses and get a label..seems the same to me.
How ‘declining’?

[NHAero]

Here on MV both suck, but the fact that Fedex Ground is an independent contractor means they are worse. They could care less about customer satisfaction and complaining to the "real" Fedex isn't an option.
I like Bike Flights because they deal with the issues if there are any, they're between you and the shipping company.

[papa bless]

Prices have been increasing lately, to the point where it's sometimes cheaper to skip BikeFlights altogether and just use USPS or FedEx. Maybe when BikeFlights first started, they made shipping prices low just to bust into the market, and now that they have a userbase they're increasing prices.

Been using BF for a long time and have seen no ‘decline’. The only exposure is via the website to input addresses and get a label..seems the same to me.
How ‘declining’?

[unterhausen]

I'm always happy and somewhat surprised if I get a Fedex package on time and undamaged. My only dealings with them in a long time was through bikeflights, and it did seem to work. UPS has been better for me, but I have never shipped large items through them. I'm pretty sure the sorting operations of both companies is pretty bad as far as how they handle the packages. I try to pack accordingly, but know that they still might stick a forklift tang through a top tube if they are feeling saucy.

[seanile]

No doubt. This switch is going to kill BikeFlights. If Paceline is upset about this, there are millions of other people too.

per a bikeflights order number dated last night, #574415. millions aint it. but i agree in the general sentiment. i used them to send a bunch of shoes last night, i also used shipbikes to ship a bigger more fragile box last night though, as i don't trust UPS as i trust FedEx.

[mhespenheide]

Only one data point here, but for our deliveries, UPS has one driver who's here everyday, knows us, is careful with out deliveries, and generally tries to take care of us.

FedEx drivers are subcontracted out and we never know who's coming. Days will go by before they pick up a package clearly marked for pickup, with documentation/label clearly visible.

YMMV.

(That doesn't, of course, say anything about handling during transit...)

[bikser]

I've used BF for several years now, and have always preferred Fedex shipping to UPS for larger items. Better experience overall for me. Shipped a frameset today, trying it. Quite a bit more expensive shipping was my experience today. Fingers crossed it arrives safely. Box was perfect going out.

[oldpotatoe]

Update..I sent a note to BF about how I wasn't thrilled by their choice, beacuse of apersonal experience and experience in general when I owned the shop..Got a really nice, not form letter, personal response from one of the bigwigs at BF..nice...so..I'm gonna stick with them for 2 reasons.

-Great service, including 2 damaged wheelset claims(that fedex refused..strike?-FedEx)
-Nice personal note from Gordon...about better international service, more stable pricing(I just sent a wheelset to SF via BF/UPS..same $ as with FedEx), etc. But a nice note that he didn't have to write..so

BF it is. :)

BTW-I ship about 100 or so wheelsets per year..have been very happy with BF...

[oldpotatoe]

Prices have been increasing lately, to the point where it's sometimes cheaper to skip BikeFlights altogether and just use USPS or FedEx. Maybe when BikeFlights first started, they made shipping prices low just to bust into the market, and now that they have a userbase they're increasing prices.

Maybe why the switch to UPS..my wheelset $ have been very stable..like I said, about 100 or so wheelsets shipped per year via BF..going direct to FedEx(I have an accout) way more expensive. Same with USPS..more expensive..26 by 26 by 11 8 pound box..2-3 days..

It's a contract with FedEx and now UPS...I doubt they are subsidizing the carrier...But as I said, the $ haven't been increasing IMHO..

[alancw3]

yeah switching to ups is a deal breaker for me on using bike flights based on previous experience with both ups and Fedex. how often does anyone here ship bikes or frames internationally? I think that is a lame excuse to make the change but I do not know their business model or shipping territory. how often are any of us shipping international anyway? just my two cents.

[oldpotatoe]

yeah switching to ups is a deal breaker for me on using bike flights based on previous experience with both ups and Fedex. how often does anyone ship internationally? I think that is a lame excuse to make the change but I do not know their business mode. and again how many of us are shipping international anyway.

I do fairly regularly...But as I said, for the personal note..YMMV and all that.

[m_sasso]

This is one of the very reasons I avoid UPS shipping like the plague. The brokerage fees attached to UPS shipments coming into Canada on average have been almost double other carriers.

And UPS seem to always get any government taxes attached to an item wrong, Canadian GST on bicycle equipment should be 5%, UPS almost always grabs more off the top, 12% and forces you to go back to the government to retrieve their over charge.

I was a big Bikeflights fan and used them regularly unfortunately not any more, nice letter or not, does not put food on my table.

[fmradio516]

yeah switching to ups is a deal breaker for me on using bike flights based on previous experience with both ups and Fedex. how often does anyone here ship bikes or frames internationally? I think that is a lame excuse to make the change but I do not know their business model or shipping territory. how often are any of us shipping international anyway? just my two cents.

Yeah but when its needed, IIRC, it was a huge pain. The one time I had to do it, I remember having to wait a really long time for the shipping label to arrive in my inbox. talking many days, but i dont remember exactly. This was probably the main driver to UPS.

[raygunner]

I've used "ShipBikes" before and was had a great experience.

They sent out a box for a bike I purchased on eBay, and it was fabricated to fit great & provided straps, padding, etc. Also included was a prepaid label so the seller just had to pack it up & drop it off.

It looks like they still use FedEx so they it'll be good to compare prices.

[Pegoready]

Update..I sent a note to BF about how I wasn't thrilled by their choice, beacuse of apersonal experience and experience in general when I owned the shop..Got a really nice, not form letter, personal response from one of the bigwigs at BF..nice...so..I'm gonna stick with them for 2 reasons.

-Great service, including 2 damaged wheelset claims(that fedex refused..strike?-FedEx)
-Nice personal note from Gordon...about better international service, more stable pricing(I just sent a wheelset to SF via BF/UPS..same $ as with FedEx), etc. But a nice note that he didn't have to write..so

BF it is. :)

BTW-I ship about 100 or so wheelsets per year..have been very happy with BF...

Nice to know. In my experience BF has been THE standard for customer service of anything I've purchased. Insurance claims, tracking a package I accidentally shipped with an old label, emailing my customers on my behalf to smooth out delivery issues, just above and beyond stuff.

I'll try their UPS partnership but agree with most that UPS has been the most disappointing of all carriers I've used.

[19wisconsin64]

Just shipped a frame by Fedex from Kansas City to New York city by Fedex..ground for $83. Tightly packed box, and it could not have been 10 pounds. $83 with no signature confirmation or insurance and ground delivery. Can see why they switched.

Prices were pretty amazing while they lasted, but it's easy to see how shipping larger boxes can get pricey as the prices of everything transportation-wise is now more expensive than years past.

[MrCannonCam]

ugh this is a bummer. I shipped a bike yesterday and while the rate was on par the pickup went from $5 to $16 for each pick up. Have no UPS store near me...looks like it's off to trying ShipBikes

[Mzilliox]

at the very least, you cant make the label same day as you ship, they dont let you anymore. shipbikes was about 20bucks cheaper too

[Pegoready]

you cant make the label same day as you ship

Really? Is there a delay in getting the label or does it just date it to the next day? If it's post dated then that shouldn't stop you from dropping it off with UPS.

One pleasant thing I found out about Shipbikes is the label is created instantaneously. With BikeFlights it usually took 5-10 minutes.

[Onion]

i haven't read through all the comments, so apologies if this is repetitive, but it seems like the general sentiment here is that folks prefer FedEx largely on the basis of cost, but some reliability/handling factors thrown in. The reason FedEx costs less compared to UPS is that they are virulently anti-union and anti-worker. they fight every union drive and every wage and hour claim. as an attorney i have personal experience with this. while you may not like the teamsters, you can earn a decent living driving a ups truck. I am pretty sure that fedex home delivery drivers are still, after years of litigation, classified as independent contractors and not even benefited employees of the company. so while i understand with how frequently we all ship bikes here that cost is an important factor, that skin comes off someones back. just my 2 cents.

[hoj]

Hello all, just thought I'd post a follow up to this as I too was slightly disappointed at first when I heard that BikeFlights had switched over to UPS.

I just finished boxing up a bike that I'm shipping out tomorrow, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that the price was only $19.99 to ship via UPS with next-day delivery. Of course it's not shipping across the whole country but regardless I don't think I've ever shipped a bike anywhere near that price. After including insurance the total came out to just over $27. Not bad at all.

Just my n=1 but thought people would be glad to hear that all is not lost! :)

[livingminimal]

i haven't read through all the comments, so apologies if this is repetitive, but it seems like the general sentiment here is that folks prefer FedEx largely on the basis of cost, but some reliability/handling factors thrown in. The reason FedEx costs less compared to UPS is that they are virulently anti-union and anti-worker. they fight every union drive and every wage and hour claim. as an attorney i have personal experience with this. while you may not like the teamsters, you can earn a decent living driving a ups truck. I am pretty sure that fedex home delivery drivers are still, after years of litigation, classified as independent contractors and not even benefited employees of the company. so while i understand with how frequently we all ship bikes here that cost is an important factor, that skin comes off someones back. just my 2 cents.

Boom. Im in it for this. I welcome the change. I hate Fedex.

[FlashUNC]

Just had a bike shipped to me via BikeFlights with UPS instead of FedEx. Arrived as scheduled and with no issues.

A lone data point, but brand loyalty to a shipping company is a weird thing to have.

[NYCfixie]

I think the issue with the change to UPS is going to be when something goes wrong with a shipment.

I just spent a maddening 45 minutes dealing with UPS (on a non-bikeflights shipment). I sent a package as a return to a company. The package was re-routed as "return to sender" which would be me. I called UPS, spoke with 3 different people who cold not tell me what any of these errors mean and where the package is actually going (due to security reasons) even though I confirmed the from address and the original send address.

"As requested by the sender, the package is being returned. Contact the sender for additional information. / Delivery will be rescheduled."

"As requested by the sender, the package is being returned. Contact the sender for additional information. / The package will be returned to the sender."

"We've incorrectly sorted this package which may cause a delay."

After some back and forth I realized (and the person on the phone confirmed) that UPS has outsourced its entire call center to a third party and it is simply impossible to get a UPS badged employee on the phone. The best they would do is tell me the local depot "should" call me back in an hour with more information. Having been down this road in the past, I know the inevitable outcome is that it will take several more calls once the package is delivered - who knows where - to actually speak with someone.

With FedEx, you call the 800 number and get to speak to a helpful person who actually works for the company.

[oldpotatoe]

I think the issue with the change to UPS is going to be when something goes wrong with a shipment.

I just spent a maddening 45 minutes dealing with UPS (on a non-bikeflights shipment). I sent a package as a return to a company. The package was re-routed as "return to sender" which would be me. I called UPS, spoke with 3 different people who cold not tell me what any of these errors mean and where the package is actually going (due to security reasons) even though I confirmed the from address and the original send address.

"As requested by the sender, the package is being returned. Contact the sender for additional information. / Delivery will be rescheduled."

"As requested by the sender, the package is being returned. Contact the sender for additional information. / The package will be returned to the sender."

"We've incorrectly sorted this package which may cause a delay."

After some back and forth I realized (and the person on the phone confirmed) that UPS has outsourced its entire call center to a third party and it is simply impossible to get a UPS badged employee on the phone. The best they would do is tell me the local depot "should" call me back in an hour with more information. Having been down this road in the past, I know the inevitable outcome is that it will take several more calls once the package is delivered - who knows where - to actually speak with someone.

With FedEx, you call the 800 number and get to speak to a helpful person who actually works for the company.

Perhaps but bikeflights stresses, if you have an issue,call/contact bikeflights, not UPS(or fedex).

Maybe, sorta, maybe not..My 2 wheelsets that were damaged(and one sent to the wrong address)..'helpful'?, not exactly..she seemed more interested in getting the call over with as soon as I mentioned 'damage' and 'claim' and they were quick to refuse coverage..Bike flights, on the other hand, took care of it for me, quickly and properly and they WERE helpful..and friendly..

so YMMV and all that.

[Bentley]

I see all the comments and I guess if we focus on the service provider rather than their contract carrier it seems like we can still benefit from Bikeflights. I am guessing Bikeflights moved from FedEx to UPS for a reason, likely financial. I am guessing that they probably changed the pricing structure such that Bikeflights was going to have a hard time making money. I am sure that it had to be a business decision, otherwise why would they change.

I just shipped a frame to Colorado Springs, I will soon find out how the new contract carrier works out, the price to ship a frame to the Springs with 1100 insurance was still "affordable". Actually when I went to drop off the frame the guy in front of me was returning two shirts, in a plastic bag at a cost of $26, without the insurance my cost was less for a 10# frame in a large box, I think the prices are still good.

Now, just to see if the service is as good with the new contract carrier

[oldpotatoe]

I see all the comments and I guess if we focus on the service provider rather than their contract carrier it seems like we can still benefit from Bikeflights. I am guessing Bikeflights moved from FedEx to UPS for a reason, likely financial. I am guessing that they probably changed the pricing structure such that Bikeflights was going to have a hard time making money. I am sure that it had to be a business decision, otherwise why would they change.



From BikeFlights, Gordon Wadsworth..bigish wig at BF
We have always worked to build a shipping service by cyclists for cyclists and that extends to delivering the kind of service we provide our fellow riders. Between us we had begun to encounter some troubling price and service instability with FedEx as our primary carrier. Between those instabilities and the opportunity to enhance our International and shipping options with UPS we dug into a discussion with them and some due-diligence regarding their customer service and their shipping network.

Im really excited at what we have found and pretty confident that we will see specific improvements while continuing to deliver our current ace service.


Shipped 2 wheelsets so far with BF/UPS..seamless and same $..

[William]

REASON FOR CLAIM DENIAL: Your item was insufficiently packed.




https://media1.tenor.com/images/5b87b00912abb421ec6ae75ac7b108db/tenor.gif?itemid=7929698






W.

[teleguy57]

Shipped 2 wheelsets so far with BF/UPS..seamless and same $..

And I received one set UPS yesterday, as scheduled/treacked, boxes were perfect. Of course, Peter's packaging is top-notch! But what's inside is even better :beer:

[NYCfixie]

I love the stupidity of this especially if he is the one who will still need to get all those boxes on the conveyor belt (or maybe he just gets paid by the hour).

REASON FOR CLAIM DENIAL: Your item was insufficiently packed.

https://media1.tenor.com/images/5b87b00912abb421ec6ae75ac7b108db/tenor.gif?itemid=7929698


W.

[Bentley]

;)Really? Is there a delay in getting the label or does it just date it to the next day? If it's post dated then that shouldn't stop you from dropping it off with UPS.

One pleasant thing I found out about Shipbikes is the label is created instantaneously. With BikeFlights it usually took 5-10 minutes.

Generally there is a delay of the label being available after you make the purchase, my experience is like 10min. But never had to wait a day

[chrispino]

I thought everyone was over-reacting about the switch the UPS.

My fiance just shipped her bike last week to try and save on some airline fees. The box was so badly damaged upon arrival that her entire gear bag containing rotors, tools, pedals and all the small parts was straight up missing. The bag was 12"x12" if that gives you any idea what kind of shape in the box was. A good number of scratches and marks on the bike too.

After contacting customer service they dispatched a UPS driver to pick up her bike (what? why?!) and return it to sender. I have no idea what the purpose of that was.

So no only did she not get to ride on her trip, we're now trying to get the $500 insurance payout we paid for.

Never again.

[Avispa]

I thought everyone was over-reacting about the switch the UPS.

My fiance just shipped her bike last week to try and save on some airline fees. The box was so badly damaged upon arrival that her entire gear bag containing rotors, tools, pedals and all the small parts was straight up missing. The bag was 12"x12" if that gives you any idea what kind of shape in the box was. A good number of scratches and marks on the bike too.

After contacting customer service they dispatched a UPS driver to pick up her bike (what? why?!) and return it to sender. I have no idea what the purpose of that was.

So no only did she not get to ride on her trip, we're now trying to get the $500 insurance payout we paid for.

Never again.

I think this must have been a bad move from Bikeflights.com, but even their customer service seems to be getting as bad as UPS. This morning I received this email from a package I sent:

Please see below for a delivery status update on your recent shipment with BikeFlights.com.
FedEx has reported that adverse weather has impacted or delayed your shipment during transit. We will continue to monitor your shipment to ensure your package continues moving securely, and will provide any updates regarding further delivery delays.
Our apologies for any inconvenience this delay has caused, please let us know if we may assist you with your shipment in any way.
Alternatively, we can request that FedEx redirect the package to a local facility to be held for the recipient to pick up. The recipient may also request this directly under the available options when viewing the shipment’s tracking data on FedEx.com.
Please let us know if we can provide any further assistance with your shipment.
Thanks for shipping with BikeFlights!

The funny thing is they know they are not using FedEx anymore! And secondly, when I called UPS to clarify, UPS said that they "made a mistake in their sorting facility" and the package is on it's way... Oh, btw the link Bikeflights.com is providing, they want to charge you an additional $15 to hold the package. If one calls the carriers directly, there is no charge to do this!

To me this is strike one... But I can see the writing on the wall. I do not see Bikeflights sticking around for long. It seems that bike flights just buys bulk rates from the shippers and offers that discount to the public on this lower rates. Similar to a large corporation getting lower rates because they ship so often with a carrier. Apparently, there was a falling out with FedEx and they made a deal with UPS.

Let's see what happens next...

[fmradio516]

I think this must have been a bad move from Bikeflights.com, but even their customer service seems to be getting as bad as UPS. This morning I received this email from a package I sent:

Please see below for a delivery status update on your recent shipment with BikeFlights.com.
FedEx has reported that adverse weather has impacted or delayed your shipment during transit. We will continue to monitor your shipment to ensure your package continues moving securely, and will provide any updates regarding further delivery delays.
Our apologies for any inconvenience this delay has caused, please let us know if we may assist you with your shipment in any way.
Alternatively, we can request that FedEx redirect the package to a local facility to be held for the recipient to pick up. The recipient may also request this directly under the available options when viewing the shipment’s tracking data on FedEx.com.
Please let us know if we can provide any further assistance with your shipment.
Thanks for shipping with BikeFlights!

The funny thing is they know they are not using FedEx anymore! And secondly, when I called UPS to clarify, UPS said that they "made a mistake in their sorting facility" and the package is on it's way... Oh, btw the link Bikeflights.com is providing, they want to charge you an additional $15 to hold the package. If one calls the carriers directly, there is no charge to do this!

To me this is strike one... But I can see the writing on the wall. I do not see Bikeflights sticking around for long. It seems that bike flights just buys bulk rates from the shippers and offers that discount to the public on this lower rates. Similar to a large corporation getting lower rates because they ship so often with a carrier. Apparently, there was a falling out with FedEx and they made a deal with UPS.

Let's see what happens next...

Sad. It was such a great company to do business with.

[unterhausen]

I have heard of ups charging to hold a package

[vincenz]

It seems that bike flights just buys bulk rates from the shippers and offers that discount to the public on this lower rates.



Yeh if this is their main business model, good luck to them..

[zmudshark]

I have heard of ups charging to hold a packageOnly at the UPS Store, not at the terminal.

[Lewis Moon]

Shipped a complete bike via the new Bikeflights. Packed the frame the way I usually do (pipe insulation) and stuffed the box with bubble wrap so it wouldn't move...boy was that a good choice. Took it down to the local UPS shop and carefully carried it in, where the attendant, despite the box being marked "fragile" and "this end up" at least 3 times on each side, proceeded to turn the box on it's end. Right in front of me.
There is a reason (actually many reasons) I hate UPS. Luckily the bike arrived intact.

[azrider]

Shipped a complete bike via the new Bikeflights. Packed the frame the way I usually do (pipe insulation) and stuffed the box with bubble wrap so it wouldn't move...boy was that a good choice. Took it down to the local UPS shop and carefully carried it in, where the attendant, despite the box being marked "fragile" and "this end up" at least 3 times on each side, proceeded to turn the box on it's end. Right in front of me.
There is a reason (actually many reasons) I hate UPS. Luckily the bike arrived intact.

:mad::mad::mad::mad:

Good to know. I normally pride myself on my packing ability but looks like i'll be buying some bubble wrap to fill the nooks and crannies. :crap:

For 30 lb normal bike box from Phoenix to LA, I paid $80 and another $20 for insurance. Effffff that. BikeFlights was fun while it lasted.

Why does UPS have to ruin everything......

[unterhausen]

yeah, it's hard to make a bike box foolproof. I try to make it so they can put stuff on the side by putting cardboard columns in the box, but there just isn't a lot of room in a bike box for padding once you get the bike and wheels in there.

Reports on pricing have been all over the place, with some people reporting decent prices and others much higher. I suppose you could always check what shipbike wanted to charge.

But I really want to keep anything fragile out of the hands of fedex ground drivers, never seen one that didn't look like he wasn't one bad day away from a mass shooting.

[yinzerniner]

Shipped a complete bike via the new Bikeflights. Packed the frame the way I usually do (pipe insulation) and stuffed the box with bubble wrap so it wouldn't move...boy was that a good choice. Took it down to the local UPS shop and carefully carried it in, where the attendant, despite the box being marked "fragile" and "this end up" at least 3 times on each side, proceeded to turn the box on it's end. Right in front of me.
There is a reason (actually many reasons) I hate UPS. Luckily the bike arrived intact.

Thought I'd add my $.02 since I recently sent two different items with both Bikeflights (used many times before) and Shipbikes (used for the first time).

First is Shipbikes (SB):
Used this for a set of wheels to CA from CT. I like that they used FedEx, as from my experience I've never had an issue with them sending or receiving an item. UPS in my area is great for receiving, but have had issues when sending stuff out and the boxes getting mangled along the way. The SB interface is somewhat confusing but I like that the shipping label PDF generation is instantaneous and they automatically add your email address for tracking updates. But alas, I didn't actually read the label after it was generated and somehow the interface entered in a "sample" destination and recipient that was in a town I've never even heard of nor typed, and also defaulted for a protection amount that was lower than what I'd entered in. I actually did an investigation in my search history and I'd never typed in the destination city in all my browsers. So I slapped on the label, dropped it off at my local FedEx shipping depot, and was notified a week later that it reached the destination. However a few days after that the buyer asked where his wheels were, and only then did I notice that the label was incorrect. Totally on me, but really weird that the label got so mucked up somehow. Called SB and the owner answered, took down all my info and opened a case with FedEx. I did my own investigation and tracked down the package which luckily was delivered to a hotel where the shipping manager was a super stand up fellow who kept the random package off to the side anticipating the rightful shipper/recipient to come calling. Got back in touch with SB owner, who was able to schedule a new pickup and provided a label to get the item to the rightful destination. A+++ for customer service, especially in terms of rectifying a weird occurrence and keeping me in the loop to make sure everything was A-OK.

Second was Bikeflights (BF)
Shipped a frameset to FL from CT, and did it before all the above was rectified. Told the buyer that the price was roughly $4 / 10% more but felt a bit more comfortable since I hadn't gotten a resolution yet from SB. Buyer agreed, paid the difference, and I packaged the frame like I always do - all surfaces wrap layer, then padding on top of all surfaces, then wrap again, and include all removable items in a padded envelope separate from frame, and pack fork removed from frame but secured to it afterwards in the box. I like that SB includes detailed instructions and extra labels to include inside the box just in case something happens. Dropped it off at the UPS depot (which is the same as FedEx above, they provide pickup confirmation for multiple shippers) and waited. Frame arrived safely with the buyer asking if it was in fact new, and all is well. The distance was shorter than above but I think it's key that with UPS they have a larger ground network than FedEx and thus there's more crappy roads that can effect safety of packages. Would recommend extra and/or extensive packaging to account for this.

Third was BACK to Shipbikes:
After getting the first package resolved, had to ship a single wheel for warranty work. Decided to give SB another shot. Paid extra attention to entering in info and checking that the label generated had correct destination, and also like before it was roughly 10% cheaper than BF and UPS. Shipped wheel, got to destination sooner than anticipated, happy with the service.

I think the best course of action when comparing the two is to know how well each service works in your area and also ask how it works at the recipients address. I like how my experience with SB's customer service was exemplary although I've not had any incidents to call BF.

I honestly think price should not be a determining factor. The average difference of 10% that I've seen is not enough of a difference to exchange for peace of mind.

[ColonelJLloyd]

First time shipping my bike since BikeFlights.com switched to UPS. Also the first time I'm shipping it in a Thule 699. Quotes were $93 for Shipbikes.com and $123 for BikeFlights.com with the $3k of insurance (commercial destination).

I know the "Premium Protection Plan" from BikeFlights has a very good reputation and I've read several accounts from friends and forum members about BikeFlights making good on claims in full and quickly. I haven't found any accounts of anyone making a claim using Shipbikes.com. I'm also not sure if this is Shipbikes.com's own insurance service (like BikeFlights) or if what you are paying for with Shipbikes.com is just FedEx's own "declared value" insurance. Anyone have any insight or anecdotes?

[rePhil]

Shipping tip: Pool Noodles. My local Dollar Store has pool noodles for a $1 each this time of year. They resist compression well. I cut them to the width and hot glue them to the cardboard box. Enough of them strategically placed really cuts down on crushing and they can also hold stuff in place. Obviously nothing will protect cardboard boxes 100% but it they're cheap & light

[fmradio516]

Shipping tip: Pool Noodles. My local Dollar Store has pool noodles for a $1 each this time of year. They resist compression well. I cut them to the width and hot glue them to the cardboard box. Enough of them strategically placed really cuts down on crushing and they can also hold stuff in place. Obviously nothing will protect cardboard boxes 100% but it they're cheap & light

Thats a good idea.