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Post by Johnkenn on Oct 23, 2015 12:54:55 GMT -6
I just shipped my Retro...  and first went to the Post Office...they were going to charge me $90 some odd freaking dollars...Jeesh. (Going across country) Anyway, I took it to Fed Ex and the same thing - with their box and them packing it, insured and all, was $67... I think that USPS might be better for smaller things and Fed Ex for larger items... |
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Post by svart on Oct 23, 2015 13:07:52 GMT -6
My experience has always been the opposite. UPS and Fedex have always charged me more for everything. Also, if you ship international, UPS and FedEx will charge the receiver a fee over and above what you already paid in shipping. USPS does not.
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Post by mobeach on Oct 23, 2015 13:23:23 GMT -6
Remember those videos of the Fedex driver throwing boxes over the fence?
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Post by b1 on Oct 23, 2015 14:04:20 GMT -6
I recently became aware of a fly-by-night delivery system: Prestige Delivery Systems
I've seen their vans on the road but never experienced them. Their service varies by region, but there's a lot of chatter about their horrible service. I found this out when Staples said my office chair was delivered, when it was NOT. I researched the name and found plenty of horror stories. You may encounter them when buying through Staples or Amazon Prime. I'll shop at a physical Staples store instead of online. I had to place several calls to finally get them to deliver, even though their records said it was delivered. Then the chair leg was poking through the box.
Personally, I prefer UPS and USPS for delivery. When I ship overseas, I've only dealt with USPS, at outrageous costs and extremely slow delivery. Still out on a limb when I ship overseas.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2015 16:58:44 GMT -6
Really depends on your neighborhood (at least on the receiving end). The normal Fedex driver who comes through here will leave stuff on the porch without ringing the doorbell. When there's something to be signed for, I've got about ten seconds to get to the door before that truck is gone! The UPS guy is the complete opposite--genuinely friendly and helpful. When my wife was seriously ill some years back (fine now), he knew it and insisted on bringing things into the house and placing them where she needed them.
Other people will have the alternate experience--a saint of a Fedex driver and the UPS driver from way down below. The mechanized part of their services are probably quite similar. But the person at the counter or behind the wheel of the truck is the face of the company.
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Post by baquin on Oct 23, 2015 18:51:54 GMT -6
I like USPS for most of my fine investments. The last time I used Fed Ex, they charged a whole lot extra stuff: first a handling fee, then 2 hours of storage, then the tax for making a bill and for printing the bill (obviously). They expect me to pay $200 when the package arrives, and have never called me to tell me how much it's gonna be...Not my best experience with them.
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Post by EmRR on Oct 23, 2015 20:13:34 GMT -6
International USPS IS Fedex now. They are the actual carrier to other country.
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Post by jimwilliams on Oct 24, 2015 9:47:55 GMT -6
I use Express Post for international shipping, no broker fees and fast delivery with tracking. UPS is my domestic choice here. I avoid FedEx unless the customer requests it. The reason is insurance. USPS and UPS always pay for damage, if packed properly. FedEx does not, ever. They have never paid a penney over 30+ years of shipping. They always have an out, their final rejection will say "it was too fragile to ship".
FedEx will only pay for loss, 4 years later once Tom Hanks get's back from the island.
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Post by jsteiger on Oct 24, 2015 14:47:19 GMT -6
I went round and round with UPS on a STA-Level they dropped and messed up. It took me many months but finally got reimbursed. It was deny, deny, deny hoping I would go away but I didn't. Asshats.
FedEx dropped the box with my beloved Fairchild 660 in it causing thousands of dollars of damage. They handled it very quickly and easily, never batting an eye.
I ship all of my store orders with USPS and insure with Endicia. The insurance claim process is not super quick but always easy and they have never denied a claim. Knock on wood.
Like with many things, YMMV.
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Post by Martin John Butler on Oct 24, 2015 15:52:24 GMT -6
I've used them all since 1981.
Overall, FedEx Ground has worked the best. I've only had one issue with them in almost 35 years, and that was partly due to delays getting a package into Canada.
I still like to use the USPS for small packages that fit into those Priority Mail boxes. Most packages cost $6 or less that fit in them.
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Post by Guitar on Oct 24, 2015 18:21:37 GMT -6
The main advantage of USPS is a really cute delivery girl comes in the little truck and wants to say hi to me and give me cool gear. I've got time for that. Where I used to live this guy always gave me the pink slip and never gave me time to sign for my packages...not cool. I'm in a more attractive place now.
FedEx is cool the delivery guy wants to talk for 10 minutes. What? I thought you had boxes to deliver dude?
UPS is right to the point, big brown truck, big brown box in good shape no time to chat. Right on.
On the sending end, USPS has always been the cheapest so that's been my default option. I'm a budget type of guy. Only one instance of damage on a very large and heavy item in the past 15 years.
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Post by WKG on Oct 24, 2015 19:51:52 GMT -6
I really like the USPS Priority Mail boxes too. On larger items I'll use either USPS or UPS because they are nearby. Occasionally I'll use FedEx. I've only had one problem with any of them and that was FedEx who fractured a guitar neck. They settled it quickly with no problem.
I always pack my own stuff. I won't pay the fees for that and I trust my work better, it could fall off the truck at 75mph and probably survive. |
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Post by Bob Olhsson on Oct 25, 2015 17:51:07 GMT -6
I've stopped using anything other than USPS priority mail. Maybe its because they are no longer the busiest and maybe the results would be different outside Sylvan Park but the service and lack of damaged shipments has beat both FedEx and UPS.
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Post by Randge on Oct 25, 2015 19:00:43 GMT -6
I hate to tell you guys, but they all use each others trucks and planes daily. Only USPS items must be loaded and unloaded by USPS personnel only. That is the only difference between them. So, take that into consideration when you are shipping. Pack well and insure the hell out of it and the better deal is usually that.
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Post by jsteiger on Oct 25, 2015 20:14:21 GMT -6
I hate to tell you guys, but they all use each others trucks and planes daily. Only USPS items must be loaded and unloaded by USPS personnel only. That is the only difference between them. So, take that into consideration when you are shipping. Pack well and insure the hell out of it and the better deal is usually that. Yes this is true. My wife's cousin is a bigwig at the UPS facility here in Hogkins IL. He says they do all of the sorting for the USPS on their lines because the USPS is not setup for it. |
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Post by tonycamphd on Oct 25, 2015 21:37:56 GMT -6
I think the real question is... who pays insurance claims with the least amount of hassle? I think someone said Fedex is horrible? who's the best at paying claims?
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Post by levon on Oct 26, 2015 0:44:39 GMT -6
I recently became aware of a fly-by-night delivery system: Prestige Delivery Systems I've seen their vans on the road but never experienced them. Their service varies by region, but there's a lot of chatter about their horrible service. I found this out when Staples said my office chair was delivered, when it was NOT. I researched the name and found plenty of horror stories. You may encounter them when buying through Staples or Amazon Prime. I'll shop at a physical Staples store instead of online. I had to place several calls to finally get them to deliver, even though their records said it was delivered. Then the chair leg was poking through the box. Personally, I prefer UPS and USPS for delivery. When I ship overseas, I've only dealt with USPS, at outrageous costs and extremely slow delivery. Still out on a limb when I ship overseas. I stopped buying from several vendors when they wouldn't change their useless shipping companies after I complained. Ama.zon is one of them (had to insert a full stop to avoid the automatic link, bastards), everything they sell is available elsewhere. No big loss. I've made the best experiences with DHL over here, they're fast and reliable. B1, your avatar makes me dizzy.... |
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Post by levon on Oct 26, 2015 0:46:48 GMT -6
I think the real question is... who pays insurance claims with the least amount of hassle? I think someone said Fedex is horrible? who's the best at paying claims? I guess they're all equally bad when it comes to claims. |
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Post by b1 on Oct 26, 2015 0:58:57 GMT -6
I recently became aware of a fly-by-night delivery system: Prestige Delivery Systems I've seen their vans on the road but never experienced them. Their service varies by region, but there's a lot of chatter about their horrible service. I found this out when Staples said my office chair was delivered, when it was NOT. I researched the name and found plenty of horror stories. You may encounter them when buying through Staples or Amazon Prime. I'll shop at a physical Staples store instead of online. I had to place several calls to finally get them to deliver, even though their records said it was delivered. Then the chair leg was poking through the box. Personally, I prefer UPS and USPS for delivery. When I ship overseas, I've only dealt with USPS, at outrageous costs and extremely slow delivery. Still out on a limb when I ship overseas. I stopped buying from several vendors when they wouldn't change their useless shipping companies after I complained. Ama.zon is one of them (had to insert a full stop to avoid the automatic link, bastards), everything they sell is available elsewhere. No big loss. I've made the best experiences with DHL over here, they're fast and reliable. B1, your avatar makes me dizzy.... I cut way back on buying from Ama.zon. It seems like some large company's have all of the leverage and don't want to consider the customers. I've got a gripe with them on slowing my shipments WAY down, because I'm not a prime member. So, Amazon gets last choice lately. "B1, your avatar makes me dizzy...." Lol - it was starting to freak me out too... It's gone! |
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Post by kcatthedog on Oct 27, 2015 9:47:37 GMT -6
when I shipped my adcam to jim there and back cost more than the amp !
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ericn
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Post by ericn on Oct 27, 2015 16:50:13 GMT -6
I think the real question is... who pays insurance claims with the least amount of hassle? I think someone said Fedex is horrible? who's the best at paying claims? USPS ! FedEx and UPS are self insured and go out of their way to not pay out! The postal Master is usually much fairer . It was amazing how my fullco UPS rep could make a personal claim fly through when it was connected to a multi- million dollar acct! |
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Post by Bob Olhsson on Oct 27, 2015 17:26:34 GMT -6
USPS used to be horrible. I got back into it when they started letting you print priority mail labels and found them doing a lots better job than FEDEX for less money.
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ericn
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Post by ericn on Oct 29, 2015 9:02:58 GMT -6
They all really suck! just found out that the Dead mint Sony C48 that I shipped in its padded case with 2in of peanuts around every surface ended up with a damaged capsule. USPS not surprised as I witnessed my Lawson and an I5 tossed like baseballs last night!
I joked that to ship a mic you needed a Pelican with cut foam inside an Anvil with cut Foam in a box with 1in of peanuts inside a Crate with 1 inch of peanuts strapped to a pallet!
Yep if you want insure a 57 gets somewhere in one piece it will cost you as much as a U47!
Oh well if the buy decides to return it I'm guess at some point I get to see Shannon!
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Post by EmRR on Oct 29, 2015 10:46:26 GMT -6
Man, that sucks.
I haven't read the packing recommendations in awhile, but I know that few people follow or understand them. Used to be the threshold required for insurance payout was something like 2" of solid foam around a double box.
When I ship old heavy audio, it gets opened up, bubble wrap stuffed inside internal voids (transformers do like to shear off their mounts and fly around like little birds in a cage: I have seen this far too many times), 3-4 pass cocoon with heavy bubble, box with bubble or peanuts to fill, that box inside another box at least 2" larger in every dimension, filled with cut sheets of 2" hard insulation foam. Then stop a sec and imagine that box arriving in perfect external condition, with something sheared off inside the item from momentum impact force after being dropped 6' onto concrete. Did I miss anything? No, you can't leave tubes in their sockets. If you did and it worked you got lucky.
You want best insurance, pay for great overkill packing, pay extra for a higher level of delivery service. EMS mail instead of priority, 2 or 3 day instead of ground, etc.
A friend who worked a UPS depot receiving line one summer said it was a given that right after a truckload of little old ladies fine china went down the line the next truck on top of it (literally) would be 70 lb missile parts in crating. No service is particularly better than the other as a blanket statement, it's down to the vagaries of local action, including the adjuster you end up with on a claim. I have seen UPS pay a claim on a mixing console skinned in cardboard; shoulda never happened but thankfully it did....after it ended up on my doorstep that way.
I haven't heard of Endicia before, will have to check it out.
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Post by popmann on Oct 29, 2015 10:58:45 GMT -6
Yes, USPS is the premiere right now for us. All we use, except when Amazon picks UPS as part of the non choice "prime shipping".
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and first went to the Post Office...they were going to charge me $90 some odd freaking dollars...Jeesh. (Going across country) Anyway, I took it to Fed Ex and the same thing - with their box and them packing it, insured and all, was $67...
