***?!? Shipping - $100 to ship wheels and frame!

[Dekonick]

Something has to give...

I just shipped a frame in a cut down box - didn't weigh much, but was over 85" so I got hammered...

$70 to ship the frame! USPS wanted another $60 for wheels... I told them to pound sand... UPS did it for $30 (35 with insurance)

This is absolutely absurd. I remember when you could easily ship a bike for $40 or so...

And that was only a couple of years ago!

[rugbysecondrow]

Fed ex is the best value in shipping. Fair prices, fast shippng and a tracking number. UPS beats up the packages too much.

[Cantdog]

I wish it was more standardized. I just shipped insured wheels to Denmark priority not long ago via USPS and it was 40$.

[cmg]

did you ship USPS parcel post? that is the lowest rate and it will take the longest time to get from side of the country to the other without the ability to track. also the box has to be fairly strong as to no telling what kind of abuse it's going to recieve but it is the cheapest. you can also ship the wheels in another cut down box just set them in diagonal slots in the box.

[dancinkozmo]

....fedex is the best option imho....i think if the length+girth of the pkg. is more than 130" its deemed 'oversize' and theres a 50 dollar surcharge

[bart998]

Just paid 50$ plus $20 insurance to ship a Ti frame to Tenn from CA. UPS has raised its rates...

[false_Aest]

Sorry bro but . . .

Ya'll have been b!tch!n about shipping rates since I joined the forum in 2007 or 2008.

I'm pretty sure that ya'll were bˆtch™n about it before that.


SUX.

But not as much as driving the stupid thing across the country yourself.

[oldfatslow]

That may have been the best price but if you got it at a UPS store realize they are independently owned and set their own prices for shipping.

I've had good luck setting up an account at FedEx.com, plugging my stuff in an printing out labels, and then dropping at FedEx Office (Kinko's).

Great service and very reasonable prices for ground. Shipping my hard bike box ground is usually 80-100 bucks (50lbs of bike, stuff, and hard box).

[Dekonick]

Originally Posted by oldfatslow

That may have been the best price but if you got it at a UPS store realize they are independently owned and set their own prices for shipping.

I've had good luck setting up an account at FedEx.com, plugging my stuff in an printing out labels, and then dropping at FedEx Office (Kinko's).

Great service and very reasonable prices for ground. Shipping my hard bike box ground is usually 80-100 bucks (50lbs of bike, stuff, and hard box).

No - US Postal, and then STAPLES. The bad part is my whole package, including wheels (packed separately) weighs - oh - what... less than 20 pounds WITH all of the bubble wrap, peanuts, tape, cardboard, more cardboard, etc...

$100 for that is a lot of dough to go from Maryland to Ct.



I just hope the CSI gets a LOT of use!

[Jeff N.]

Originally Posted by rugbysecondrow

Fed ex is the best value in shipping. Fair prices, fast shippng and a tracking number. UPS beats up the packages too much.

Very true.

[rugbysecondrow]

Originally Posted by Dekonick

No - US Postal, and then STAPLES. The bad part is my whole package, including wheels (packed separately) weighs - oh - what... less than 20 pounds WITH all of the bubble wrap, peanuts, tape, cardboard, more cardboard, etc...

$100 for that is a lot of dough to go from Maryland to Ct.



I just hope the CSI gets a LOT of use!

It cost that much just to go to CT? I bet fed ex would have been about 35 for the frame and 20 for the wheels.

[victoryfactory]

Originally Posted by Dekonick

No - US Postal, and then STAPLES. The bad part is my whole package, including wheels (packed separately) weighs - oh - what... less than 20 pounds WITH all of the bubble wrap, peanuts, tape, cardboard, more cardboard, etc...

$100 for that is a lot of dough to go from Maryland to Ct.

1. The Book UPS and Fedex rates are pretty much the same.
If you are getting different rates it is due to the reseller/store you are shipping with.

2. UPS and Fedex bill on package size not weight for large boxes like bikes.
the "dimensional" weight (their term) is calculated: LxWxH divided by 166= wt
Package goes by whichever is higher, Dim or actual Wt.
If one shipping store is a lot less it is often due to the clerk not knowing the rules. Take advantage of it when it happens.
And remember a full size bike box may invoke their hideous $50. Oversize
Surcharge Plus automatic 90 lbs rate!! So make sure your box is under 130" length plus girth (another
archaic measurement that is calculated by measuring around the box and adding
the length.)

2a: Watch the bulge! If your box bulges in the middle (common on large
boxes) the reader will come up with a larger size that you, and charge you a
penalty rate. yes.

3. UPS and Fedex both have a secret fuel surcharge that they add to every
package. currently its about 8% for ground and over 20% for air, recalculated
monthly.

4. If you insure for big bucks, you pay more.

5. In my experience, UPS does get more damage recently due to their
automatic machine handling system. Here at VF our motto is "they will throw it, so pack it accordingly"

6. Stickers like "fragile""handle with care""this end up" etc HAVE NO MEANING
to the laser readers at the depot.

7. In addition to the hidden fuel surcharge and oversize charges, they have
also been raising the basic rates every January for the last 10 years by ~5%

8. Oh yeah... If the second longest side of any box is over 30", that gets
an $8.00 surcharge (bike shippers beware) I'm not making this up.

9. they also charge a couple bucks for an "adult" signature and $3.00 extra to
a residential address.

10. UPS has recently shifted their claims to an insurance company in Texas.
That means, like any insurance company, they will due anything they can to
delay and avoid paying by claiming that your box was improperly
packed.

So after getting their asses kicked every week on their shipping bills due to all of the
nonsense mentioned above, many shipping stores have bumped up their rates
accordingly.

Had enough?
I thought so...

Happy shipping in 2011, this is not your father's UPS!

VF

[avalonracing]

Nice post VF. Thanks!

[SEABREEZE]

Originally Posted by rugbysecondrow

Fed ex is the best value in shipping. Fair prices, fast shippng and a tracking number. UPS beats up the packages too much.

AGREE !!!

[aosty]

For oversize packages such as frames and wheels, I find FedEx Ground to be the best value for domestic shipments and, believe it or not, USPS for overseas as International Priority Mail doesn't have an extra surcharge for frame/wheel size packages.