The High Cost of Shipping
 

Hi, Everybody,

I have been shocked to learn recently how expensive shipping can be.
What do you guys all do when you have to ship equipment?

I am selling a Drake station and took the AC-4 / MS-4 to the local
Mailboxes, Etc. store to get an idea of how much it would cost. They
told me that UPS Ground was $36.86 to ship from California to Michigan.
And that was not including the packing! And there would be two more
boxes to ship (for the receiver and transmitter)!

I had to give my buyer that sad news that, at these prices, I can't
afford to ship!

What is the best practice to follow when needing to ship equipment
across the country?

Thanks.


Regards,

Al W6LX

Al Lorona wrote:
Hi, Everybody,

I have been shocked to learn recently how expensive shipping can be.
What do you guys all do when you have to ship equipment?

I bite the bullet and consider it part of the cost. I live in Zone 8
from most locations and the rates have skyrocketed in the past few years
compared to more local zones..

I am selling a Drake station and took the AC-4 / MS-4 to the local
Mailboxes, Etc. store to get an idea of how much it would cost. They
told me that UPS Ground was $36.86 to ship from California to Michigan.
And that was not including the packing! And there would be two more
boxes to ship (for the receiver and transmitter)!

I have heard that the "Mailboxes" places mark up the UPS rates by about
20-25%. You can check the REAL rates online at their website. I hope
you didn't ask about the cost of packing or you'd just now be getting up
off the floor!

I had to give my buyer that sad news that, at these prices, I can't
afford to ship!

What is the best practice to follow when needing to ship equipment
across the country?

Pack it yourself and carry it to the Post Office or UPS.

-Bill

I have been shocked to learn recently how expensive shipping can be.
What do you guys all do when you have to ship equipment?

I signed up for an account directly with UPS and they come right
to my house. And the rates are HALF what the 'retail' places charge.

GS

On Mon, 21 Jul 2003 18:21:50 -0500, Phil Witt wrote:

Shipping them together should save some. I was surprised today when I
shipped a rather large box, weight 21 lbs., from Alabama to Arkansas
for only $12.49. That was from a UPS/Mailboxes. The USPS cost was like
$19.00 for the same. They said they typically run about 10% higher
than the UPS terminal counter prices. The cheapest way to ship is from
someplace that has a UPS account with daily pickup service. A friend,
maybe.

Still, shipping ain't cheap.

Shipping heavy items used to be cheapest by Greyhound Package
Services, but the drawback was that you had to take it to the bus
depot when you were the shipper and pick it up there when you were
the recipient. I don't even know if they do that any more.

Just this afternoon I shipped something from the UPS Store, the new
name for Mailboxes. Shipping was $12 and packing was $4. The "do
it yourself" cost would have been about $9 for shipping and $3 for
the right size box and packing (I've packed many a shipment so I do
know how to do it properly). The drawback is that I would have had
to drive about 15 miles to the UPS Service Center (it's 95 degrees
out today in the blazing sun and I would have to drive into the sun
to get there) versus the UPS Store about three minutes away locally.
It was worth the extra few bucks.

Don't ask why the FedEx truck drove up to the UPS Store just as I
was leaving.....

--
73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane

From a Clearing in the Silicon Forest
Beaverton (Washington County) Oregon

Forget UPS and their so-called "shipping agents." They've made it quite
clear their not interested in residential business. Then Mailboxes tacks on
20% more? What are we wearing, "KICK ME" signs on out backs?
Look into Federal Express GROUND. Its cheaper than UPS AND the post office
Parcel Post,packages are treated better, insurance is included and you'll
have the item in 3 days.

Vern Weiss W9STB
All boatanchors-All CW
"Brenda Ann" wrote in message
...

"--Bill--" wrote in message
...
I have heard that the "Mailboxes" places mark up the UPS rates by about
20-25%. You can check the REAL rates online at their website. I hope
you didn't ask about the cost of packing or you'd just now be getting up
off the floor!

Pack it yourself and carry it to the Post Office or UPS.

-Bill


What Bill said... I have found that going to Mailboxes, Etc., or anything
like them, will cost right at twice what packing it yourself and driving
to
the post office costs. I live in Korea, and I have to use USPS to send or
receive all my parcels. I have sent items much heavier than what you
planned
to ship for only about $35 to the east coast (APO's are charged from San
Francisco). Pack it, weigh it, and check online at www.usps.com or
www.ups.com for actual shipping costs.

Al Lorona wrote:

I have been shocked to learn recently how expensive shipping can be.
What do you guys all do when you have to ship equipment?

I pack it myself and take it to the local FedEx ground depot. FedEx Ground
is usually cheaper than UPS for large objects.

I am selling a Drake station and took the AC-4 / MS-4 to the local
Mailboxes, Etc. store to get an idea of how much it would cost. They
told me that UPS Ground was $36.86 to ship from California to Michigan.
And that was not including the packing! And there would be two more
boxes to ship (for the receiver and transmitter)!

Right, but they are also tacking a substantial fee on top of the UPS fee.
You'll find if you take it to the UPS depot yourself, it'll cost half
that. FedEx will be still cheaper. The pack and ship places are NOT
cost-effective if you do a lot of shipping.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

In article ,
STB wrote:
Forget UPS and their so-called "shipping agents." They've made it quite
clear their not interested in residential business. Then Mailboxes tacks on
20% more?

Twenty percent? *HAH*!!! I've had MBE qoute a price that was in excess of
THREE TIMES what the on-line calculator at www.ups.com qouted. Admittedly,
it was a small, _light_ package,


What are we wearing, "KICK ME" signs on out backs?

MBE is in the business of selling "convenience" -- to those who "don't know
any better." At a 'what the market will bear' price-point.

UPS recently _bought_ MBE -- look for the name "THE UPS STORE".

Remember MBE is a *franchise* operation. Costs circa $200,000 to open one.

Poor franchise sucker has to make his money _somewhere_. 'Surcharging' on
3rd-party services is one way.


Look into Federal Express GROUND. Its cheaper than UPS AND the post office
Parcel Post,packages are treated better, insurance is included and you'll
have the item in 3 days.

Vern Weiss W9STB
All boatanchors-All CW
"Brenda Ann" wrote in message
...

"--Bill--" wrote in message
...
I have heard that the "Mailboxes" places mark up the UPS rates by about
20-25%. You can check the REAL rates online at their website. I hope
you didn't ask about the cost of packing or you'd just now be getting up
off the floor!

Pack it yourself and carry it to the Post Office or UPS.

-Bill


What Bill said... I have found that going to Mailboxes, Etc., or anything
like them, will cost right at twice what packing it yourself and driving
to
the post office costs. I live in Korea, and I have to use USPS to send or
receive all my parcels. I have sent items much heavier than what you
planned
to ship for only about $35 to the east coast (APO's are charged from San
Francisco). Pack it, weigh it, and check online at www.usps.com or
www.ups.com for actual shipping costs.

In article ,
Phil Kane wrote:
On Mon, 21 Jul 2003 18:21:50 -0500, Phil Witt wrote:

Shipping them together should save some. I was surprised today when I
shipped a rather large box, weight 21 lbs., from Alabama to Arkansas
for only $12.49. That was from a UPS/Mailboxes. The USPS cost was like
$19.00 for the same. They said they typically run about 10% higher
than the UPS terminal counter prices. The cheapest way to ship is from
someplace that has a UPS account with daily pickup service. A friend,
maybe.

Still, shipping ain't cheap.

Shipping heavy items used to be cheapest by Greyhound Package
Services, but the drawback was that you had to take it to the bus
depot when you were the shipper and pick it up there when you were
the recipient. I don't even know if they do that any more.

Yawp. As does AMTRAK -- between limited locations.

Just this afternoon I shipped something from the UPS Store, the new
name for Mailboxes. Shipping was $12 and packing was $4. The "do
it yourself" cost would have been about $9 for shipping and $3 for
the right size box and packing (I've packed many a shipment so I do
know how to do it properly). The drawback is that I would have had
to drive about 15 miles to the UPS Service Center (it's 95 degrees
out today in the blazing sun and I would have to drive into the sun
to get there) versus the UPS Store about three minutes away locally.
It was worth the extra few bucks.

Don't ask why the FedEx truck drove up to the UPS Store just as I
was leaving.....

They're a *FRANCHISE*. And handle FED EX shipments as well.


FED EXP 'ground' is usually cheaper than UPS ground, these days.

And FED EX _will_ pick-up.

How about sending it by bus?

Most bus companies have parcel services that take packages up to 50 pounds
or so and will get them to the destination faster than UPS Ground or FedEx
Ground or USPS, for about the same rate I think (tho' I've never compared
them)

We do that here in Montana for parts that one service tech needs and another
has. It's not cost-effective to drive 100+ miles to deliver a part, so we
put it on the bus. If you get to the station early enough, it will arrive at
the destination in only a few hours. With all of the other operations it
won't get there until the next day at the earliest.

"Al Lorona" wrote in message
...

Hi, Everybody,

I have been shocked to learn recently how expensive shipping can be.
What do you guys all do when you have to ship equipment?

Hi, Everybody,

I have been shocked to learn recently how expensive shipping can be.
What do you guys all do when you have to ship equipment?

I am selling a Drake station and took the AC-4 / MS-4 to the local
Mailboxes, Etc. store to get an idea of how much it would cost. They
told me that UPS Ground was $36.86 to ship from California to Michigan.
And that was not including the packing! And there would be two more
boxes to ship (for the receiver and transmitter)!

I had to give my buyer that sad news that, at these prices, I can't
afford to ship!

What is the best practice to follow when needing to ship equipment
across the country?

Thanks.


Regards,

Al W6LX



Pack it yourself. Double boxed with peanuts in between.
Take it to FedeX and ship it third day. FedeX is much
more gentle and it won't get lost. You will be shocked
at the low prices for third day.

BTW: I was in the business. I owned one of those stores.

Rocky

Al Lorona wrote in
:


Hi, Everybody,

I have been shocked to learn recently how expensive shipping can be.
What do you guys all do when you have to ship equipment?

I am selling a Drake station and took the AC-4 / MS-4 to the local
Mailboxes, Etc. store to get an idea of how much it would cost. They
told me that UPS Ground was $36.86 to ship from California to Michigan.
And that was not including the packing! And there would be two more
boxes to ship (for the receiver and transmitter)!

I had to give my buyer that sad news that, at these prices, I can't
afford to ship!

What is the best practice to follow when needing to ship equipment
across the country?

Thanks.


Regards,

Al W6LX


Buyer pays shipping.

DON'T ship an AC-4 still installed in an MS-4!
You will get one badly bent MS-4.
Be sure you seperate them.
Dave S.

Hi,

Don't forget to enter the package size in the shipping calculator
so you get a correct quote.

73 luke

Brenda Ann wrote:

What Bill said... I have found that going to Mailboxes, Etc., or anything
like them, will cost right at twice what packing it yourself and driving to
the post office costs. I live in Korea, and I have to use USPS to send or
receive all my parcels. I have sent items much heavier than what you planned
to ship for only about $35 to the east coast (APO's are charged from San
Francisco). Pack it, weigh it, and check online at www.usps.com or
www.ups.com for actual shipping costs.

Fedex ground is available you have an account with fedex.

Also when you ship using one of these package stores, the store
is the shipper, not you, so if there is a claim the package store has
to get involved to file the claim.




Forget UPS and their so-called "shipping agents." They've made it quite
clear their not interested in residential business. Then Mailboxes tacks on
20% more? What are we wearing, "KICK ME" signs on out backs?
Look into Federal Express GROUND. Its cheaper than UPS AND the post office
Parcel Post,packages are treated better, insurance is included and you'll
have the item in 3 days.

Vern Weiss W9STB

Robert Bonomi bonomi@c-ns. wrote:

The world has *CHANGED*.
FED EXPRESS "ground" is usually the least expensive way
UPS is considerably higher.
USPS "PARCEL POST" is even _more_ expensive, in general.

For larger items this is true.

USPS is cheaper for small items, BUT the USPS insurance is much more
expensive. So sending a couple tubes Priority Mail can be a lot cheaper
than UPS or Fed Ex but if you need insurance, we go back to Fed Ex being
cheaper.
--scott


--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

The cheapest way to ship anything is:

First you must box it yourself.
Second FEDX ground if you have a depot in you town.
Third USPO ground
Four UPS ground

If you must ship it Priority the USPO is the only way I go.

Yes the buyer always pays the shipping unless you have it figured into
the cost in the start.

Yes talk the Power Supply out of the MS-4 or the buyer won't be to happy.

Also double box the item and pack it real tight so it won't mover around
in the box.

Yes it is more work to double box but is almost better than buying the
insurance.

I never buy insurance unless the buyer want it.

I have never filed a claim on over 500 items shipped.

Last never go to the rip off places to have them pack and distroy you
item and end up paying through the nose for it.
Happy shipping

Ron


K5DH wrote:

Funny you should mention shipping Drake 4-Line gear...
I just shipped a C-Line station (TX, RX, PS, SPKR) to
a buddy in Pennsylvania from my home in north Texas.
He requested that I use the US Postal Service rather
than UPS or others. The cost, including insurance
and delivery confirmation, was about $18.00 per piece.
UPS and FedEx Ground would have been cheaper, but my
friend was paying the shipping costs, so he got to
pick the shipper.

I do my own packing using recycled boxes, bubble wrap,
etc, which I scrounge at work. I refuse to pay some
clerk at MBE or other vendor a lot of money to do what
I can do in 10 minutes at home.

I'm not offering any opinions on which shipper is the
best or fastest or most careful or anything else. I
am just sharing my recent experience (last week).

As for the cost, yep, it is getting high. I always
have the buyer pay the cost, and the buyer always gets
to choose their preferred method of shipment. If the
buyer doesn't want to pay the shipping, I find another
buyer. Simple as that.

73,
Dean K5DH


In article , says...


Hi, Everybody,

I have been shocked to learn recently how expensive shipping can be.
What do you guys all do when you have to ship equipment?

I am selling a Drake station and took the AC-4 / MS-4 to the local
Mailboxes, Etc. store to get an idea of how much it would cost. They
told me that UPS Ground was $36.86 to ship from California to Michigan.
And that was not including the packing! And there would be two more
boxes to ship (for the receiver and transmitter)!

I had to give my buyer that sad news that, at these prices, I can't
afford to ship!

What is the best practice to follow when needing to ship equipment
across the country?

Thanks.


Regards,

Al W6LX

On Mon, 21 Jul 2003 19:34:33 -0500, "STB"
wrote:

Forget UPS and their so-called "shipping agents." They've made it quite
clear their not interested in residential business.

UPS charges $1.00 per package "extra" simply if the identical address
is residential. FACT.

Then Mailboxes tacks on
20% more? What are we wearing, "KICK ME" signs on out backs?
Look into Federal Express GROUND. Its cheaper than UPS AND the post office
Parcel Post,packages are treated better, insurance is included and you'll
have the item in 3 days.

Vern Weiss W9STB
All boatanchors-All CW
"Brenda Ann" wrote in message
...

"--Bill--" wrote in message
...
I have heard that the "Mailboxes" places mark up the UPS rates by about
20-25%. You can check the REAL rates online at their website. I hope
you didn't ask about the cost of packing or you'd just now be getting up
off the floor!

Pack it yourself and carry it to the Post Office or UPS.

-Bill


What Bill said... I have found that going to Mailboxes, Etc., or anything
like them, will cost right at twice what packing it yourself and driving
to
the post office costs. I live in Korea, and I have to use USPS to send or
receive all my parcels. I have sent items much heavier than what you
planned
to ship for only about $35 to the east coast (APO's are charged from San
Francisco). Pack it, weigh it, and check online at www.usps.com or
www.ups.com for actual shipping costs.





..
Boycott anything made in France and vacation somewhere else.

FEDEX has walk-in service around the country, granted I'm about 30 miles
from one, but I make the trip to that town every two weeks for other
reasons. I guess I'm lucky I live about 120 miles from Memphis, TN and seem
to get my second day air packages the next day. HI HI

Chuck


"luke" wrote in message
...
Fedex ground is available you have an account with fedex.

Also when you ship using one of these package stores, the store
is the shipper, not you, so if there is a claim the package store has
to get involved to file the claim.




Forget UPS and their so-called "shipping agents." They've made it quite
clear their not interested in residential business. Then Mailboxes tacks
on
20% more? What are we wearing, "KICK ME" signs on out backs?
Look into Federal Express GROUND. Its cheaper than UPS AND the post
office
Parcel Post,packages are treated better, insurance is included and
you'll
have the item in 3 days.

Vern Weiss W9STB

Ups the real story....

UPS sends all parcels to Louisville KY, to a place they called HUB 2K... The
place is huge and mostly run by computers and conveyor belts (at One point I
counted 14 stacked on top of each other and running in every direction) The
conveyors do a number of things, like scan packages on all 6 sides, and dump
and bump like you wouldn't believe..

A package comes into the hub on a huge cargo plane.,,, A device called a
K-loader unloads two huge air cargo containers at a time ( oh and they have
to use a jackstand at the rear of the plane as they unload or the plane
could tip over) The container is set on roller plate (6 inch casters turned
upside down) that allows anyone to move these huge containers with ease. The
air cargo containers at locked in place in front of a movable belt that the
employees (pretty much the only folks there) move (read toss) packages
onto.... Heaven forbid your package gets on the bottom row of these
containers. From there is off to the maze of belts and chutes where more
employees repack your stuff into different air cargo containers.... The
place is huge and busy.. How do I know I used to work for UPS (in phx) and
have seen what and how they do business. Needless to say I use only FEDEX
ground....

Oh and good luck with insurance claims (the horror stories I used to get
when I mentioned I was a UPS employee... wheew .....)

This are my opinions only.... Make your own choices of carriers...
Bob

On Mon, 21 Jul 2003 14:56:10 -0700, Al Lorona
wrote:


Hi, Everybody,

I have been shocked to learn recently how expensive shipping can be.
What do you guys all do when you have to ship equipment?

I am selling a Drake station and took the AC-4 / MS-4 to the local
Mailboxes, Etc. store to get an idea of how much it would cost. They
told me that UPS Ground was $36.86 to ship from California to Michigan.
And that was not including the packing! And there would be two more
boxes to ship (for the receiver and transmitter)!

I had to give my buyer that sad news that, at these prices, I can't
afford to ship!

What is the best practice to follow when needing to ship equipment
across the country?

I ship FedEx Ground. a 12 pound box from west coast to east coast was
about $7.

Evan
To reply, remove TheObvious from my e-mail address.

For small light items (10# or less) Priority Mail can't be beat, unless you
have to insure it for a high value. Do buy the delivery confirmation,
however. Fedex Ground generally beats UPS, but check the UPS site. I have
found that my lowest costs come by scheduling a "1 time pickup" at my
residence, actually get better rates that dropping off at their customer
counter! YMMV
JohnL sends....

"Al Lorona" wrote in message
...

Hi, Everybody,

I have been shocked to learn recently how expensive shipping can be.
What do you guys all do when you have to ship equipment?

I am selling a Drake station and took the AC-4 / MS-4 to the local
Mailboxes, Etc. store to get an idea of how much it would cost. They
told me that UPS Ground was $36.86 to ship from California to Michigan.
And that was not including the packing! And there would be two more
boxes to ship (for the receiver and transmitter)!

I had to give my buyer that sad news that, at these prices, I can't
afford to ship!

What is the best practice to follow when needing to ship equipment
across the country?

Thanks.


Regards,

Al W6LX

On Tue, 22 Jul 2003 19:45:46 -0700, bobinphx wrote:

Ups the real story....

UPS sends all parcels to Louisville KY, to a place they called HUB 2K...

ALL of its parcels? The last five shipments that I have received
and/or sent have never been east of the Mississippi River, and
even those from "the East" never got anywhere near Louisville.

Or is the tracking record lying to me?

--
73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane

From a Clearing in the Silicon Forest
Beaverton (Washington County) Oregon

In article ,
Phil Kane wrote:

UPS sends all parcels to Louisville KY, to a place they called HUB 2K...

ALL of its parcels? The last five shipments that I have received
and/or sent have never been east of the Mississippi River, and
even those from "the East" never got anywhere near Louisville.

Or is the tracking record lying to me?

Nah, it's not lying as far as I can tell. Ground shipments seem to go
direct, pretty much... they arrive too fast to have been shipped to
Louisville unless they were sending 'em by air rather than by truck.

Now, it's quite possible that packages which are sent next-day-air are
shipped to one or more large dispatch hubs, and then shipped out again
from there. I recall hearing that Federal Express used this approach
with its overnight-delivery service... they'd fly everything back to
one big hub (arriving by late evening), sort it, and fly it out again
to the destination city in the wee hours. This approach probably
required a lot less individual airplane routes than would be required
to allow for direct city-to-city shipment.

--
Dave Platt AE6EO
Hosting the Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will
boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads!

"Phil Kane" wrote in message
.net...
On Tue, 22 Jul 2003 19:45:46 -0700, bobinphx wrote:

Ups the real story....

UPS sends all parcels to Louisville KY, to a place they called HUB 2K...

ALL of its parcels? The last five shipments that I have received
and/or sent have never been east of the Mississippi River, and
even those from "the East" never got anywhere near Louisville.

Or is the tracking record lying to me?

I know they don't send "all" parcels to Louisville.. they certainly don't
send local shipments there. We used to get Double O Electronics to ship to
us in Newberg same day all the time.. if we caught them early in the
morning, before pickup, we would have the parts that afternoon, around 2:30
or so.

"Brenda Ann" wrote in message
...

"Phil Kane" wrote in message
.net...
On Tue, 22 Jul 2003 19:45:46 -0700, bobinphx wrote:

Ups the real story....

UPS sends all parcels to Louisville KY, to a place they called HUB
2K...

ALL of its parcels? The last five shipments that I have received
and/or sent have never been east of the Mississippi River, and
even those from "the East" never got anywhere near Louisville.

Or is the tracking record lying to me?

I know they don't send "all" parcels to Louisville.. they certainly don't
send local shipments there. We used to get Double O Electronics to ship to
us in Newberg same day all the time.. if we caught them early in the
morning, before pickup, we would have the parts that afternoon, around
2:30
or so.



Perhaps they were referring to "their" local hub. Our hub just happens to be
New Stanton PA. I track all packages when they leave here and not all go the
same route. I've never taken the time to track Postal Shipments.... I do
know the one time I did, it showed a point within the City of Pittsburgh.
But that package was going North East. It would make sense... Not sure if
the mail went from the city to a plane or what....

As to shipping costs, packaging yourself saves bundles. If you look around,
you can find supplies to do the job. Also, when you GET packages, save some
of the stuff (boxes, foam, etc) for future use. For bigger boxes, go to some
of your local stores. Some will give up boxes, some won't. Appliance stores
can be a good source. The box can be bigger, but you don't want it too big.
Just enough room for some packing on bottom, top and sides. If the box is
too high, cut it down and fold it in. The flaps will also add cushion to the
top. There are a few stores here that sell shipping tape CHEAP. $1 a roll,
usually enough for a few packages. On some occasions, I use Masking tape as
well.. It is $3 a roll, and again, enough for several packages. Newspapers -
if you or your family or neighbors read them, save some. Supplies to ship do
NOT have to cost a bundle! As to rates.... SHOP.... In my business, I do a
lot of shipping. Often I find either UPS or Postal to be cheaper than the
other. Depending of course on the size and weight AND destination, sometimes
the difference is anywhere from a $1 to $5 or more. If only a $1 to $5, you
must consider this as well... If you have to travel any distance to a UPS
site, would it be worth the $1 - 5 OR just as convenient to go to the
nearest Post Office? That has to be a personal decision. I pack the unit,
weigh it on a scale and insert the dimensions "to the nearest inch". I've
often been right on the money but not more than $1 off in my figure based on
scale accuracy compared to the scale at point of shipping.

I've NEVER had a problem with a lost or damaged shipment to date with any of
my shippers, contrary to others who seem to have developed a hate for one or
the other for claims of such. PACKING is a HUGE issue here. IF it is packed
well, it should survive most anything. I've sent some rather heavy items out
and still, they made it with out incident. In those cases, I've double to
triple boxed them. Yes, it adds a bit to the weight, but if you want it
there in one piece, a little extra is what it is going to take. IF you're
willing to buy or sell an item of value then why cheap out on the shipping
to get it there????? PACK IT TO ARRIVE IN ONE PIECE - Then go on line and
get the cheapest quotes you can find. Packing and shipping is NOT rocket
science. I've seen many many complaints of shippers damaging goods, losing
them, and the cost thereof to ship... MAYBE if I have a problem I'll see the
other side of the coin. To date, I have not and therefore do NOT see what
the big deal is.

The ONLY time I ever "supposedly" had a package lost, was in shipment to
me... I paid $150 for it with shipping... It never arrived. I called the
company I bought the item from. They said it was shipped, but they could NOT
provide a tracking number even though they said they kept such records. They
couldn't find it. All the sudden, it was the "shippers" fault for not giving
them a tracking number for their files. NAH, I don't think so. The item was
also supposed to be insured, again, they had no "receipt". Hmmmm. I told
them, if I did not receive the item in 2 weeks tops, I was going to file
charges. It took 3 days, I had a certified check in the mail. Payment in
FULL. I had already looked up the State Attorney General's web site for that
company, sent them an e-mail and forwarded a copy to this company.

I had one other occasion... A man across the country from me, bought an
item from me on E-Bay. He said he sent payment out lets say for example May
25th 2003.. "I" should have seen that Money Order in 3 days - usual mail
time for cross country to me... I waited a week and a half. I told him it
didn't arrive. Right away, he accused me of ripping him off. I told him to
have it traced if he desired. He said ok, we'll see who's signature appears.
Well as it turns out, the Post Office requires 30 Days before tracing. ON
the 30th day, believe it or not, I DID receive the envelope. True to his
word, the MO was bought the day he said. Was it mailed that day????? The
stamp on it suggested otherwise. Was it in a mail box all that time, then
dug out, stamped and put in system??? I don't know.
But I did take a picture of the envelope with the cancellation stamp showing
and e-mailed it to him, then placed the item he bought, in the mail. SO,
what I'm saying is, honesty counts a lot and if payment was actually sent.
"I" ALWAYS offer to send an e-mail picture showing the receipt of a Postal
MO, copy of a check to that party, whatever. If it will cover MY ass, I DO
IT. It IS worth the effort. I've learned not to leave anything to chance. I
go by Murphy's Law when doing anything. It saves me more time than not. AND
aggravation in the end.....

The only other problem encountered was a shipment from Alaska..... It took
over a month to get the package. It took 8 days for the MO to get there.
They must use dog sleds or something. Not sure of the problem, but mail from
there in "package form" SUCKS for time. At least in MY case.

It boils down to packing, cost analysis for shipping, honesty of the shipper
and buyer, clogs in the system!

I hope this has helped.

JMS

bobinphx wrote:

UPS sends all parcels to Louisville KY, to a place they called HUB 2K...

Yeah, that's right. I was on an extended assignment doing a long
consulting gig for UPS in the mid-90s. UPS is the nation's fourth
largest airline, in terms of number of aircraft. Once everything is
flown in and sorted, it goes out of Louisville in an incredible event
known as the 'Midnight Flight' or some such thing, wherein in the middle
of the night, plane after plane takes off for its destination. It is a
sight to behold. You stand there on the tarmac and you watch endless
takeoffs that go on for *hours*. Endlessly. In the middle of the night.
It is surreal.

Watched a progoram on FedEx a few years ago on discovery or tlc
they took you all over the hub in Nashville, what a place !

And the planes ! I agree, they ought to sell tickets just to watch !




Yeah, that's right. I was on an extended assignment doing a long
consulting gig for UPS in the mid-90s. UPS is the nation's fourth
largest airline, in terms of number of aircraft. Once everything is
flown in and sorted, it goes out of Louisville in an incredible event
known as the 'Midnight Flight' or some such thing, wherein in the middle
of the night, plane after plane takes off for its destination. It is a
sight to behold. You stand there on the tarmac and you watch endless
takeoffs that go on for *hours*. Endlessly. In the middle of the night.
It is surreal.

On Fri, 25 Jul 2003 17:18:46 -0700, Al Lorona wrote:

bobinphx wrote:

UPS sends all parcels to Louisville KY, to a place they called HUB 2K...

Yeah, that's right. I was on an extended assignment doing a long
consulting gig for UPS in the mid-90s. UPS is the nation's fourth
largest airline, in terms of number of aircraft. Once everything is
flown in and sorted, it goes out of Louisville in an incredible event
known as the 'Midnight Flight' or some such thing, wherein in the middle
of the night, plane after plane takes off for its destination. It is a
sight to behold. You stand there on the tarmac and you watch endless
takeoffs that go on for *hours*. Endlessly. In the middle of the night.
It is surreal.

It is a copy-cat of FedEx who has been doing that from Memphis for
several decades.

--
73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane

From a Clearing in the Silicon Forest
Beaverton (Washington County) Oregon

fedex ground.

get an 'account' and they bill your credit card. you enter the data online and print the label on 8.5x77 sheet.. drop off at counter.

example: 50 lbs box 24x24x24 Texas to Ohio, $25.

Al Lorona wrote:

Hi, Everybody,

I have been shocked to learn recently how expensive shipping can be.
What do you guys all do when you have to ship equipment?

I am selling a Drake station and took the AC-4 / MS-4 to the local
Mailboxes, Etc. store to get an idea of how much it would cost. They
told me that UPS Ground was $36.86 to ship from California to Michigan.
And that was not including the packing! And there would be two more
boxes to ship (for the receiver and transmitter)!

I had to give my buyer that sad news that, at these prices, I can't
afford to ship!

What is the best practice to follow when needing to ship equipment
across the country?

Thanks.

Regards,

Al W6LX