Shipping store, what a rip off!

[Dean]

I sold an item on ebay a few days ago and needed to ship it out. So last night on my way to a MO Pilots Asso meeting I stopped at a shipping store to have them ship the item for me. The young girl measured the item for the box size and then check the shipping weight. She then looked and me and said, that the total for shipping and packing would be $98.00, I about stroked. So I bought the box and bubble wrap from her ($8.55) and did it myself. I then shipped it myself for $22.00. I think $76.00 is a lot to pay for 10 minute job.

 

[KennyFlys]

I've seen the UPS and other similar stores a ripoff. I'm not sure what the Kinkos charge but they have expanded so many small stores just to compete and they are sure doing it. I used to do courier work for them. Last August, one store was at 170% of its projecton.

I always get my own boxes and material. 99% of the time, I'll use priority mail and buy the labels online to print. That's the most efficient I've found.

 

[JohnR]

Our UPS stores here are so expensive I expect to see the guys working there driving home in Mercedes. I only use them as a last resort, when I've scoured all the local dumpsters for good boxes. B)

 

[mikea]

Our UPS stores here are so expensive I expect to see the guys working there driving home in Mercedes. I only use them as a last resort, when I've scoured all the local dumpsters for good boxes. B)

Shipping from Mailboxes Etc. and Kinkos had a lot larger markups before they got bought out by UPS and FedEx respectively. I was under the impression that now the shipping rates, at least, were pretty much the carrier's rates.

Even if you ship at a UPS terminal you should never buy the insurance. There's a reason why commercial shippers never buy it. I learned the hard way that insurance is a bad deal.

 

[ScottM]

I do UPS on line, very cheap, and then I jsut drop off at the UPS stores. That is free.

 

[Lawreston]

. . . . . and nobody offered the information that regardless of how perfectly you or I might have packed our merchandise to be shipped - - - - - the UPS Store will emphatically state that they have to repack the shipment to meet UPS specifications, and for "safe delivery." Of course, we'll be charged for the repackaging and their popcorn. Rip-off / Rip-off / Rip-off.

For years I would save the popcorn packing which came with incoming shipments to my retail camera store. When several rubbish bags were full I'd take them down the street to the UPS Store and give them the popcorn. It was better for it to be reused than to go to the landfill and wait 200 years for bio-degrading. Of course, UPS Store customers paid for what had been donated to the shipping location.

HR <end of rant>

 

[wsuffa]

. . . . . and nobody offered the information that regardless of how perfectly you or I might have packed our merchandise to be shipped - - - - - the UPS Store will emphatically state that they have to repack the shipment to meet UPS specifications, and for "safe delivery." Of course, we'll be charged for the repackaging and their popcorn. Rip-off / Rip-off / Rip-off.

Not the last time I shipped through UPS Store.

To top it off, I turned THEM in for violating their Mastercard merchant agreement by demanding ID and refusing to accept the card without seeing a driver licence. B)

 

[CJones]

. . . . . and nobody offered the information that regardless of how perfectly you or I might have packed our merchandise to be shipped - - - - - the UPS Store will emphatically state that they have to repack the shipment to meet UPS specifications, and for "safe delivery." Of course, we'll be charged for the repackaging and their popcorn. Rip-off / Rip-off / Rip-off.

For years I would save the popcorn packing which came with incoming shipments to my retail camera store. When several rubbish bags were full I'd take them down the street to the UPS Store and give them the popcorn. It was better for it to be reused than to go to the landfill and wait 200 years for bio-degrading. Of course, UPS Store customers paid for what had been donated to the the shipping location.

HR <end of rant>

After working for UPS (as a seasonal delivery driver) I am a firm believer that everything shipped through them needs to be able to withstand AT LEAST their recommended "5 ft drop" or whatever it is. Not only does stuff get 'dropped' from 5+ft, it gets thrown, pushed, kicked, 5+ ft frequently.

 

[mikea]

After working for UPS (as a seasonal delivery driver) I am a firm believer that everything shipped through them needs to be able to withstand AT LEAST their recommended "5 ft drop" or whatever it is. Not only does stuff get 'dropped' from 5+ft, it gets thrown, pushed, kicked, 5+ ft frequently.

Yep. You can (could) actually see the sorting at the UPS terminal in Chicago. They toss the package to a train of bins from quite a distance.

Now the only thing you can see from the Chicago UPS customer counter is a UPS customer counter person screaming at the top of her lungs to a customer to go to h*.

 

[CJones]

Yep. You can (could) actually see the sorting at the UPS terminal in Chicago. They toss the package to a train of bins from quite a distance.

Now the only thing you can see from the Chicago UPS customer counter is a UPS customer counter person screaming at the top of her lungs to a customer to go to h*.

Yep.. I've been in the distribution center in DSM (DSM is an airport hub for UPS). It's pretty slick how they have everything set up, but it still requires some skillet-handed joe somebody getting it on-and-off the truck.

 

[Richard O]

I just shipped my DG from GA to CA. I took the DG and an empty box to the UPS store. They packed it. Total was 20.92. I didn't think that was too bad.

 

[msupples1]

You can get boxes from USPS for free online...

 

[JohnR]

Shipping from Mailboxes Etc. and Kinkoshad a lot larger markups before they got bought out by UPS and FedEx repectively. I was under the impression that now the shipping rates, at least, were pretty much the carrier's rates.

It's not that, it's if you have no shipping container (like for my wheel pants once) and need them to pack them. They charge out the wazoo for packaging. Hence my dumpster diving for free boxes.