Shipping costs out of hand

[harrisonreed]

Hey all,

It seems like every time I go to ship anything these days, which is not often, I walk into the USPS (not a lot of options where I am) and the price has gone up by a huge amount. I know that the fixed price priority boxes are basically a rip unless you are shipping gold bars or lead, but maybe I'm just not looking into the right options. I don't want to spend $35 to ship a $40 mute, and it's usually not cool, at least on this forum, to ask for the shipping separately without stating exactly what the shipping is before interested parties context you. If you say the price after the fact they either don't reply back or immediately back out. In my experience, it's impossible to know what the shipping will cost without literally trying to ship the box -- the USPS staff seem to just make up prices for non-priority boxes on a whim.

What do you guys do to keep your shipping as CHEAP as possible when you are selling stuff?

[Burgerbob]

USPS is still the cheapest option where I am, but it's much more expensive than it's ever been.

[Matt K]

I use click n ship. It’s part of the USPS website. I change the dimensions until its an acceptable price and then I try to make the box match those dimensions. If you just go to the USPS location you need to have it already packaged up so you’re at the whim of whatever the price is.

I like Uhaul lamp boxes. They seem to fit most things and are reasonably cheap to ship still.

I think the mail benefit to the flat rate boxes is they have insurance and tracking. If you bundle it all together it isn’t much different than If you included all the services together.

[sungfw]

Click-n-ship with priority mail regional rate boxes run 1/3-1/2 of regular priority mail rates, depending on how many zones the package traverses. Second day delivery and tracking included. Boxes are free (just like regular priority mail), but you have to have them delivered to your house or business. They come in 10- or 25-packs.

Also, worth a look at https://www.pirateship.com. A lot cheaper than shippers, and occasionally beats USPS Regional Rate.

[Posaunus]

I think the mail benefit to the flat rate boxes is they have insurance and tracking. If you bundle it all together it isn’t much different than If you included all the services together.

At USPS, all "parcels" (boxes, etc. - anything but a thin envelope) now are shipped with "free" tracking.

What is the default (free) insurance amount on a Priority Mail box?

In my experience, you're generally better off (cheaper) to use your own box. Still gets delivered quickly, and you'll save $2 - $3 by shipping a mouthpiece or two vs. Priority Mail Flat Rate Box.

[harrisonreed]

I'm already learning things I didn't know about.

[Doug Elliott]

With Click-n-ship you can see exactly how much it's going to be based on weight or size.

This is never made very clear, but Priority Mail comes in 3 varieties which is why you get surprised:

Flat Rate (envelope, small, medium, and large box rates), boxes that actually say "Flat Rate" on them;

Regional (probably doesn't apply to your situation), and

"Your Own Box" by weight, which includes the Priority Tyvek envelopes, all Priority Mail boxes which don't say "Flat Rate," and any other box you want to use. It's by weight, so big and light can actually be cheap. You need your own accurate scale.

A lot of USPS employees don't understand it themselves and make wrong choices which cost you more than they should.

[sungfw]

What is the default (free) insurance amount on a Priority Mail box?

Up to $100.

[Doug Elliott]

$100 is for Priority Express.
Priority Mail is $50 insurance included.

[Posaunus]

Priority Mail is $50 insurance included.

Whether or not you use a "Flat Rate" box.

[sungfw]

$100 is for Priority Express.
Priority Mail is $50 insurance included.

For retail mailing, yes; however, USPS Additional Services: Insured Mail: 4.2 Insurance Coverage – Priority Mail

Priority Mail pieces bearing an Intelligent Mail package barcode (IMpb) or USPS retail tracking barcode (see 4.3.4) are insured against loss, damage, or missing contents, up to a maximum of $50.00 or $100.00, subject to the following:

a. Insurance coverage is provided against loss, damage, or missing contents and is limited to a maximum liability of $100.00 when the Priority Mail pieces bear an Intelligent Mail package barcode (IMpb) and if the mailer pays Commercial Plus prices. [emphasis added]

Also, Priority Mail Cubic (packages up to half a cubic foot with no dimension greater that 18" and up to 20 lbs) insurance is $100. Ain't gonna be able to ship a trombone, but a mpc, leadpipe, mute, harmonic pillars, (some) parts, etc.

[sacfxdx]

you can get a trombone in a 1/2 cubic foot box. Here is step one.

flatTrombone.jpg

[Mikebmiller]

I had to ship my Lawler to Roy for some work a couple of weeks ago. A uhaul lamp box cut down to 40” cost $61 to go 250 miles with no extra insurance.

[WGWTR180]

Here in CT Fed EX is the cheaper way to go but I do the payment ahead online. Everything has gone up due to fuel costs. Also in CT I don't even walk into a UPS Store anymore-total ripoff.

[cmcslide]

I bought an Eb tuba a few weeks ago, seller was in Baton Rouge and I am in Myrtle Beach. He shipped it UPS. The UPS online calculator quoted $156 for ground shipping but he went to the UPS distribution center and they charged $54 to ship it. His wife packed the horn well and I got it quickly and without any damage. So for large packages like horns, might be something to consider if you’re able to get to a distribution center.

[greenbean]

I do a lot of shipping. Here are some ideas that might be helpful.

1. USPS rates have gone way up for large packages. Trombones? Forget it. Parcel Select is double what I pay for UPS Ground with insurance!

2. Use software to get good rates. One that you can use for free is Easyship.com. Or buy with PayPal. For anything - not just items purchased with PayPal.

3. Use software to buy insurance cheaply. I pay between $0.85 and $1.00 per $100 of value, depending on which carrier I use.

4. For mouthpieces, I use USPS First Class mail for about $4.50. Use PayPal or software to buy the label to avoid standing in line. I haven't stood in line at the PO in about 5 years! Woohoo!

[wayne88ny]

I agree with greenbean; I always use an online discount shipping service. The one I use is pirateship.com but there are others. You'll always get a discount for any of the major shippers, USPS, UPS, FEDEX etc. How do they do it? Large volume commercial shippers get big discounts from all shipping providers, including USPS. pirateship (and similar services) make their profit by charging you more than their commercial rates, but less than retail. (I'm going to use pirateship as an example, but it's no doubt true for similar websites) With pirateship you always get a discount, sometimes it's big, sometimes small, but always less than retail. They also email you a shipping label, so you can just drop the package off at the shipper.

Here's a few quirks regarding USPS. If you go to the post office to ship a package, the first class weight limit is 13 ounces, anything over 13 ounces has to go priority mail. At pirateship, you can ship first class for any package under 16 ounces (that includes 15.999 ounces). Why? For commercial shippers, the weight limit for first class packages is higher. The USPS maximum size package for first class mail is 22" x 18" X 15". The price of first class shipping is dependent only on weight, size doesn't matter (where have I heard that one before?) So, using a service like pirateship, the cheapest way to ship anything under a pound is first class mail. For packages one pound or over, the USPS priority mail flat rate boxes are the best deal, as long is you can fit the item in the box. As I understand it, the USPS weight limit for all packages is 70 lbs. With the flat rate boxes, weight doesn't matter. You can ship a 70 lb parcel for the same price as a 1 lb parcel. pirateship will even give you a discount on flat rate box postage.

pirateship will also give you huge discounts for overseas shipping.

[biggiesmalls]

For shipping horns internationally, it's always worth checking FedEx Great Rates, which is available to all FedEx account holders, for shipping parcels weighing 11 pounds or more:

https://www.fedex.com/en-us/great-rates.html

Great Rates discounts are offered by FedEx to fill "dust space" on international cargo flights, which isn't always available, so it can take a few days or a week (or more) to find a good rate. But with a bit of patience, I've hit discounts as big as 90%. During the pandemic, I used Great Rates to ship an antique Cerveny Eb tuba from the States to Germany, in a washing machine box, banded to a pallet, for $270 and change (standard rate was $2700 and change), and it was on the new owner's doorstep in three days.

[greenbean]

^ This is really good to know!!

[HawaiiTromboneGuy]

Sadly anything the size of a trombone is costly to ship here.