Topic Wiki

Shipping Domestic

WeightUSPSUPSFedEx
13oz and UnderItems under 13oz are usually able to be shipped USPS First Class Mail. By far this is the cheapest option.
Weekly Pickup CostUPS charges $22 for weekly pickups - if you are not shipping with your own UPS account (e.g. Amazons account) If you ship with your own account at least $75 weekly then the fee is $11.It is about the same rates as UPS.
Who Pays When Refusing a packageNo oneShipperShipper
Ship to a PO box?YesNoNo

Need to ship a package with tracking?
Login to paypal and then click this link https://www.paypal.com/shiplabel/create/
https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_bulk-ship

Knowing which shipping service to use and when could be tricky. It depends on items weight, how fast needed to be delivered, contents value.

Here are 2 free tools I found that can answer many of the pricing questions on this thread:
1. Fitshipper is for when you know the delivery address, size & weight.    2. Fitshipper for listings is when you are not your sure of the destination (eBay etc.).



Items 1-5lbs is when it gets tricky.

For Fedex and UPS there is a Home Delivery charge of about $3 for all shipments that are delivered to a residential address.  This is what will usually make the rates with Fedex or UPS a lot higher than USPS Priority (on low weight packages)

The base rate - commercial address for shipping zone 1, 1lb with Fedex is $6.65, with USPS it's $5.05

With Fedex or UPS the rate increased much less per additional lb

Shipping Insurance with Fedex/UPS is a lot cheaper than USPS. This will be a key factor on deciding when to use USPS over Fedex

Direct Signature Requirement comes standard with $300 of USPS Insurance, and $500 of Fedex insurance

•°•°For Decently priced USPS labels see this post  Or this updated 8/2/21.•°•°

Latest 1/10/22 the best labels so far.
For insane rates.
https://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=28357.msg2538377#msg2538377


Q: Under 1lb what is the best service to use?
Typically USPS Priority Mail

Q: What is flat rate? When will it give you the best price?
Flat Rate is a specific size box that does not have a weight limit, and has the same rate for most of USA. Usually this will be the cheapest when shipping to the farthest zone.

Do all companys offer flat rate?
USPS has the best flat rate service. Fedex offers "One Rate" but that will only be a savings on Express shipments. If you have discounted rates with Fedex, the "One Rates" will not be cheaper, unless the box is heavy.

Q: If you don't have a shipping scale available, what would be the best website to find out the weight of a specific product?
Amazon has the shipping weight for most items. Add an additional lb or 2 for the weight of the box.

Q:When shipping to an apt building, will the package gets left in the hallway of by the recipients door?
A:It depends on the delivery driver. I would recommend requiring a signature when shipping to an apartment so that it will not get left outside.

Q:If USPS loses a package that wasn't insured, has tracking code. Can I get money from them?
A:$100 of insurance is included in Priority Mail Express service.
$50 insurance is included in Priority Mail service.
https://www.usps.com/ship/insurance-and-extra-services.htm

Q:What Carrier is the cheapest to send packages 1LB - 5LB NY to Canada?
USPS Priority likely will be the cheapest. If you have discounted rates with Fedex or UPS they may be cheaper.

Q:Items that I am shipping that the item is packaged in a box; is it necessary to put it in a shipping box or a shipping bag is good enough?
A:Depends what you are shipping. A bag is fine for items that wont get damaged in a bag. I use a bag all the time for such items.

I buy small boxes at Uline, its about $0.30 for a 7x4x4 - which in dimensional weight its 1lb.

You could also consider bubble envelopes ...

Q:How well priced is amazon shipping?
For having inventory shipped to Amazon using their UPS account, by far that is the cheapest option. For having an item shipped to a customer using Amazons shipping rates, they are not the best rates. If you ship enough to get discounted rates with UPS of Fedex you will be bettor off using your own account.

Q: How much does it cost for UPS Pickup?
UPS charges $22 for weekly pickups - if you are not shipping with your own UPS account (e.g. Amazons account) If you ship with your own account at least $75 weekly then the fee is $11.
It is about the same rates with Fedex.

How Much is pickup for one package?

Q: How can I get around it? Flag down a driver
Flagging a driver down not necessarily is the best way around the daily pickup fee. If you are shipping daily for the convenience it should be worth to have a daily pickup.
With Fedex if you do not have an daily pickup and give the packages to a driver you will be charged $3 per box.
Additionaly many drivers do not like accepting packages from people that do not have a daily pickup, as they have to save room on their truck for their daily pickup customers.


Q: What Are the flat rate sizes?
« Last edited by myi on January 10, 2022, 02:13:34 AM »

Author Topic: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When  (Read 204921 times)

Offline Msetyn

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #720 on: April 21, 2021, 12:25:26 PM »
I found this thread from Google and in the past before fees I used to use fiverr so I was happy to get some deals but I wanted to warn everyone against instalabel009@gmail.com

I decided to try them out after some post here and all the packages I sent were lost. Initially I got a priority label for a $200 item I sold on eBay and it was picked up on Saturday by my Mail man alongside some sales I did on Mercari with their labels and all these packages scanned in and this item is showing like it was never picked up. I have no trace of it. No scan, it’s just completely vanished and I can’t confirm with anyone it has ever even been picked up.  All items first class through Mercari labels are about to reach the buyers today. I’ve never had a single issue with scans here.

I sent 2 first class items as well the following day lower value and a Poshmark item, Poshmark item scanned in and those once again completely untracked like they were never picked up. It’s 100% something wrong with those labels. So hope everyone here is careful.

Offline simplicity

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #721 on: April 21, 2021, 07:41:20 PM »
I found this thread from Google and in the past before fees I used to use fiverr so I was happy to get some deals but I wanted to warn everyone against instalabel009@gmail.com

I decided to try them out after some post here and all the packages I sent were lost. Initially I got a priority label for a $200 item I sold on eBay and it was picked up on Saturday by my Mail man alongside some sales I did on Mercari with their labels and all these packages scanned in and this item is showing like it was never picked up. I have no trace of it. No scan, it’s just completely vanished and I can’t confirm with anyone it has ever even been picked up.  All items first class through Mercari labels are about to reach the buyers today. I’ve never had a single issue with scans here.
I never had a issue tracking with him
I sent 2 first class items as well the following day lower value and a Poshmark item, Poshmark item scanned in and those once again completely untracked like they were never picked up. It’s 100% something wrong with those labels. So hope everyone here is careful.
and maybe your mailman took it? Next time bring it directly to post office and report back here
I never had an issue tracking with him

Offline E.c

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #722 on: April 21, 2021, 11:50:19 PM »
I found this thread from Google and in the past before fees I used to use fiverr so I was happy to get some deals but I wanted to warn everyone against instalabel009@gmail.com

I decided to try them out after some post here and all the packages I sent were lost. Initially I got a priority label for a $200 item I sold on eBay and it was picked up on Saturday by my Mail man alongside some sales I did on Mercari with their labels and all these packages scanned in and this item is showing like it was never picked up. I have no trace of it. No scan, it’s just completely vanished and I can’t confirm with anyone it has ever even been picked up.  All items first class through Mercari labels are about to reach the buyers today. I’ve never had a single issue with scans here.

I sent 2 first class items as well the following day lower value and a Poshmark item, Poshmark item scanned in and those once again completely untracked like they were never picked up. It’s 100% something wrong with those labels. So hope everyone here is careful.
I used him for 1 label and had no issues. I think your post office lost the package or maybe on the way but not scanned yet. I once had a package that I dropped off and was only scanned a week later on Sunday at the po I dropped it off at. So they must have lost it for a bit and then found it...
Hopefully that's the case with your package

Offline myi

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #723 on: April 22, 2021, 03:23:21 AM »
I found this thread from Google and in the past before fees I used to use fiverr so I was happy to get some deals but I wanted to warn everyone against instalabel009@gmail.com

I decided to try them out after some post here and all the packages I sent were lost. Initially I got a priority label for a $200 item I sold on eBay and it was picked up on Saturday by my Mail man alongside some sales I did on Mercari with their labels and all these packages scanned in and this item is showing like it was never picked up. I have no trace of it. No scan, it’s just completely vanished and I can’t confirm with anyone it has ever even been picked up.  All items first class through Mercari labels are about to reach the buyers today. I’ve never had a single issue with scans here.

I sent 2 first class items as well the following day lower value and a Poshmark item, Poshmark item scanned in and those once again completely untracked like they were never picked up. It’s 100% something wrong with those labels. So hope everyone here is careful.
Like mentioned over and over. Proceed at your own risk.

 And the best way to make sure your package makes it to the final destination is to have the package manually scanned in at the P.O.
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Offline Msetyn

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #724 on: April 23, 2021, 05:14:16 PM »
I used him for 1 label and had no issues. I think your post office lost the package or maybe on the way but not scanned yet. I once had a package that I dropped off and was only scanned a week later on Sunday at the po I dropped it off at. So they must have lost it for a bit and then found it...
Hopefully that's the case with your package

Actually no it’s not. I don’t have an issue with a single package in 7 years I lived here.

I contacted shippo and this is what I got back:
   
Oliver H. (Shippo)
Apr 23, 2021, 12:44 PM PDT

Hi,

Thanks for contacting us. After further investigating this issue, it looks like that the label you were given was a counterfeit label. Unfortunately, this means that the package that it was sent with is untrackable. I apologize for the inconvenience, please let me know if you have any other questions.

Offline E.c

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #725 on: April 24, 2021, 09:11:42 PM »
Actually no it’s not. I don’t have an issue with a single package in 7 years I lived here.

I contacted shippo and this is what I got back:
   
Oliver H. (Shippo)
Apr 23, 2021, 12:44 PM PDT

Hi,

Thanks for contacting us. After further investigating this issue, it looks like that the label you were given was a counterfeit label. Unfortunately, this means that the package that it was sent with is untrackable. I apologize for the inconvenience, please let me know if you have any other questions.
Sorry to hear. Thanks for letting us know...

Offline Yo ssi

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #726 on: April 24, 2021, 09:25:18 PM »
Shouldn't it be returned to sender then?
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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #727 on: April 25, 2021, 02:41:06 AM »
Shouldn't it be returned to sender then?

Well my post office handed it over to the sorting center since it’s untrackable I don’t know know what it entails if it isn’t registering or just they can’t scan it in but most likely my outcomes are either gets actually delivered to the buyer who will never tell me they got it because let’s face it a free $200 item, or it just sits somewhere with all discarded packages that USPS probably have many anyway. They aren’t exactly careful and super reliable. I already requested a search on the site to locate it and they basically said we have no info, hopefully it will begin to track lol and it’s been a week today.

Offline E.c

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #728 on: April 25, 2021, 11:43:31 AM »
Well my post office handed it over to the sorting center since it’s untrackable I don’t know know what it entails if it isn’t registering or just they can’t scan it in but most likely my outcomes are either gets actually delivered to the buyer who will never tell me they got it because let’s face it a free $200 item, or it just sits somewhere with all discarded packages that USPS probably have many anyway. They aren’t exactly careful and super reliable. I already requested a search on the site to locate it and they basically said we have no info, hopefully it will begin to track lol and it’s been a week today.
I know every post office is different but even when I drop it off I usually get a scan at the po I dropped it off at. If this label was counterfeit they should hopefully at some point send it back to you.
When u look up the tracking number what do u see? Whenever I get a label from these guys I always check the tracking and it says label created but not accepted by po yet. I am curious as too what u get.

Offline Msetyn

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #729 on: April 25, 2021, 02:32:51 PM »
I know every post office is different but even when I drop it off I usually get a scan at the po I dropped it off at. If this label was counterfeit they should hopefully at some point send it back to you.
When u look up the tracking number what do u see? Whenever I get a label from these guys I always check the tracking and it says label created but not accepted by po yet. I am curious as too what u get.

There’s nothing. The package simply doesn’t exist in their system. It’s just showing never picked up no scans nothing. It’s impossible to track it because not one scan exists and they closed my case. This is why I made the post. Just heads up hopefully no one gets into situation like me.

As for my package I am taking as $200 loss nothing else to do. I have no means to go to the post office I 100% rely on my postman who’s great and never lost a single thing and I send out 20 packages per week usually. Place it in his USPS white pick up  box as he holds it and he takes it to the PO.

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #730 on: April 25, 2021, 06:55:24 PM »
There’s nothing. The package simply doesn’t exist in their system. It’s just showing never picked up no scans nothing. It’s impossible to track it because not one scan exists and they closed my case. This is why I made the post. Just heads up hopefully no one gets into situation like me.

As for my package I am taking as $200 loss nothing else to do. I have no means to go to the post office I 100% rely on my postman who’s great and never lost a single thing and I send out 20 packages per week usually. Place it in his USPS white pick up  box as he holds it and he takes it to the PO.
Please respond to his question as to whether you confirmed the label before use and got a “label created” status upon checking the tracking prior to use.

If not, you may have gotten scammed but this would be a method to prevent you and others to avoid this in the future.

Offline E.c

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #731 on: April 25, 2021, 07:02:59 PM »
Please respond to his question as to whether you confirmed the label before use and got a “label created” status upon checking the tracking prior to use.

If not, you may have gotten scammed but this would be a method to prevent you and others to avoid this in the future.
Right exactly what I was getting at. I always check label to make sure it says label created. So I'm wondering what this package says

Offline myi

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #732 on: April 26, 2021, 01:54:06 AM »
There’s nothing. The package simply doesn’t exist in their system. It’s just showing never picked up no scans nothing. It’s impossible to track it because not one scan exists and they closed my case. This is why I made the post. Just heads up hopefully no one gets into situation like me.

As for my package I am taking as $200 loss nothing else to do. I have no means to go to the post office I 100% rely on my postman who’s great and never lost a single thing and I send out 20 packages per week usually. Place it in his USPS white pick up  box as he holds it and he takes it to the PO.
Just to put it out there. I've had packages delivered and only two weeks later did it show up in the system as delivered. So my rule goes as follows, if no one complains I take it as it was delivered!
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Offline myi

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #733 on: April 26, 2021, 01:55:20 AM »
Actually no it’s not. I don’t have an issue with a single package in 7 years I lived here.

I contacted shippo and this is what I got back:
   
Oliver H. (Shippo)
Apr 23, 2021, 12:44 PM PDT

Hi,

Thanks for contacting us. After further investigating this issue, it looks like that the label you were given was a counterfeit label. Unfortunately, this means that the package that it was sent with is untrackable. I apologize for the inconvenience, please let me know if you have any other questions.
That person seems to be very vague about the package.
 Didn't care to ask who what where and ... Just oh it didn't scan then it's a fake!
   Just not buying the story!
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Offline Msetyn

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #734 on: April 26, 2021, 02:34:00 AM »
That person seems to be very vague about the package.
 Didn't care to ask who what where and ... Just oh it didn't scan then it's a fake!
   Just not buying the story!

This is extremely weird behavior. I’m not asking to believe me. I just came to give people heads up so no one ends up in this situation as me as for me after nearing losing my mother to covid and ending up with high bills $200 was something very hard to swallow and I have no recourses to ever get it back.

I am attaching screenshots. Not sure what I get from trying to help people not to end up in my situation? I’m not offering any favors nor gain anything?







Offline Live N Learn

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #735 on: April 26, 2021, 02:49:06 AM »
This is extremely weird behavior. I’m not asking to believe me. I just came to give people heads up so no one ends up in this situation as me as for me after nearing losing my mother to covid and ending up with high bills $200 was something very hard to swallow and I have no recourses to ever get it back.

I am attaching screenshots. Not sure what I get from trying to help people not to end up in my situation? I’m not offering any favors nor gain anything?






Did instalabel offer any compensation?

Also, I currently have a package waiting to be shipped out, but I do see "label created" on the tracking page, did you check the tracking number beforehand? If that's the case, I might just purchase a new label to be safe...

Please respond if you checked the tracking beforehand, and if yes, what was it showing?
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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #736 on: April 26, 2021, 02:50:19 AM »
This is extremely weird behavior. I’m not asking to believe me. I just came to give people heads up so no one ends up in this situation as me as for me after nearing losing my mother to covid and ending up with high bills $200 was something very hard to swallow and I have no recourses to ever get it back.

I am attaching screenshots. Not sure what I get from trying to help people not to end up in my situation? I’m not offering any favors nor gain anything?






Interesting.
 Would love to know if the USPS can track a label that's fake?
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Offline Msetyn

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #737 on: April 26, 2021, 12:10:00 PM »
Did instalabel offer any compensation?

Also, I currently have a package waiting to be shipped out, but I do see "label created" on the tracking page, did you check the tracking number beforehand? If that's the case, I might just purchase a new label to be safe...

Please respond if you checked the tracking beforehand, and if yes, what was it showing?

Yes, that’s the only thing it says “label has been created” no other scans at all.

ETA: the last message of his I posted here I haven’t responded I haven’t spoken to him since I know the label is fake and won’t really help me locate my item.
« Last Edit: April 26, 2021, 12:16:40 PM by Msetyn »

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #738 on: April 26, 2021, 09:11:05 PM »
FWIW I had a package that didn't show tracking for awhile and then after about 2 weeks it showed up. The usps was overwhelmed with Covid at that time, but I wonder if the same thing happened again, maybe a facility is shut down and in quarantine for some reason and it will come back online shortly... My buyer filed INR and did not send it back despite the fact it finally arrived a few weeks late, (and I sent a postage return label) but my loss was under $25...hope it turns up

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Re: **Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« Reply #739 on: May 28, 2021, 05:37:29 PM »
Cheapest way to ship something weighing approximately 30 pounds to Mexico? Thanks