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 249168 times)

Online yuneeq

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**Shipping Master Thread** What service To Use When
« on: May 05, 2013, 01:30:18 AM »
I think its a good idea to have a thread to discuss all the domestic shipping options. There is one other thread, but its only for fedex http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=27223.



Anyways, here goes my question: I shipped out a valuable phone with USPS, and paid for signature confirmation and for insurance. After a couple days the USPS tracking says that a note was left on the door. I figured it would be re-delivered or picked up and waited a little more. When there was no change in status, I called up the buyer and was told that the mailman (yes CV, I know already) stupidly left the package on the porch. What would be a fair amount to claim from the USPS for mishandling my package? Keep in mind, that as far as their systems shows, they lost my package.
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Offline Yeki89

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Re: Fedex, UPS, and USPS Shipping
« Reply #1 on: May 05, 2013, 02:00:51 AM »
I find for Domestic economy shipping under 1lb (actually 13 oz) the best bet is USPS.
1-3 oz $1.69
4 1.86
5 2.04
6 2.24
ect....
This does not include insurance, but it does include tracking.
« Last Edit: May 05, 2013, 02:09:48 AM by Yeki89 »

Offline Saver2000

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Re: Fedex, UPS, and USPS Shipping
« Reply #2 on: May 05, 2013, 02:05:24 AM »
I find for Domestic economy shipping under 1lb (actually 13 oz) the best bet is USPS.
1-3 lb $1.69
4 1.86
5 2.04
6 2.24
ect....
This does not include insurance, but it does include tracking.
Do you mean ounces?

Offline Yeki89

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Re: Fedex, UPS, and USPS Shipping
« Reply #3 on: May 05, 2013, 02:09:32 AM »
Yes

Offline Saver2000

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Re: Fedex, UPS, and USPS Shipping
« Reply #4 on: May 05, 2013, 02:14:39 AM »
With USPS, if its under 13oz, it doesn't matter where the origin/destination is, it will be the same price. (Domestic)

Eta: deleted incorrect info.

I think people aren't aware of regional boxes. I started using them recently,  but still haven't figured out exactly how the pricing works.
@yeki
Regional is flat rate? Or it depends on the weight?
« Last Edit: May 05, 2013, 02:30:13 AM by Saver2000 »

Offline Yeki89

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Re: Fedex, UPS, and USPS Shipping
« Reply #5 on: May 05, 2013, 02:25:27 AM »
Incorrect, a flat rate priority mail box is always the same.
A small is $5.15 wherever you send it.

Offline Saver2000

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Re: Fedex, UPS, and USPS Shipping
« Reply #6 on: May 05, 2013, 02:27:41 AM »
Incorrect, a flat rate priority mail box is always the same.
A small is $5.15 wherever you send it.
Yea I realized that after I posted. Not sure what I was thinking. 

Offline Yeki89

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Re: Fedex, UPS, and USPS Shipping
« Reply #7 on: May 05, 2013, 02:30:02 AM »
But it is a terrible service, tracking takes forever to upload....

Offline Saver2000

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Re: Fedex, UPS, and USPS Shipping
« Reply #8 on: May 05, 2013, 02:35:49 AM »
But it is a terrible service, tracking takes forever to upload....
What are you referring to? To upload to where?

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Re: Fedex, UPS, and USPS Shipping
« Reply #9 on: May 05, 2013, 02:40:59 AM »
usps.com

Offline Moishebatchy

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Re: Fedex, UPS, and USPS Shipping
« Reply #10 on: May 05, 2013, 02:42:28 AM »
What are you referring to? To upload to where?

Their website. USPS.dumb generally shows tracking info that's at least a day or two old already as the "current" status.

Offline A European

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Re: Fedex, UPS, and USPS Shipping
« Reply #11 on: May 05, 2013, 07:07:14 AM »
What does it mean?

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Re: Fedex, UPS, and USPS Shipping
« Reply #12 on: May 05, 2013, 09:18:24 AM »
Likely they missed delivery or no one was there to sign

Offline A European

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Re: Fedex, UPS, and USPS Shipping
« Reply #13 on: May 05, 2013, 09:05:19 PM »
Likely they missed delivery or no one was there to sign
Was a simple envelope no signature required .

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Re: Fedex, UPS, and USPS Shipping
« Reply #14 on: May 05, 2013, 09:09:14 PM »
Was a simple envelope no signature required .
If it was USPS FC Mail with tracking, its the most unreliable service. The tracking is never updated correctly, and online it could display the most random information.

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Re: Fedex, UPS, and USPS Shipping
« Reply #15 on: May 05, 2013, 09:11:20 PM »
Anyways, here goes my question: I shipped out a valuable phone with USPS, and paid for signature confirmation and for insurance. After a couple days the USPS tracking says that a note was left on the door. I figured it would be re-delivered or picked up and waited a little more. When there was no change in status, I called up the buyer and was told that the mailman (yes CV, I know already) stupidly left the package on the porch. What would be a fair amount to claim from the USPS for mishandling my package? Keep in mind, that as far as their systems shows, they lost my package.
Making a fraudlent claim is a Federal Crime.

You have a point that they mishandled your package, but if the recipient got it and isn't complaining I wouldn't make any claims

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Re: Fedex, UPS, and USPS Shipping
« Reply #16 on: May 05, 2013, 09:25:38 PM »
Making a fraudlent claim is a Federal Crime.

You have a point that they mishandled your package, but if the recipient got it and isn't complaining I wouldn't make any claims

I paid for signature confirmation, and never received it.
I believe I also deserve compensation for their mishandling of my package.
Just never heard of them paying anyone for aggravation, don't know if it's worth my time.
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Re: Fedex, UPS, and USPS Shipping
« Reply #17 on: May 05, 2013, 10:51:44 PM »
I paid for signature confirmation, and never received it.
I believe I also deserve compensation for their mishandling of my package.
Just never heard of them paying anyone for aggravation, don't know if it's worth my time.
If you paid for SC and did not receive it you can get your money back for that part. They don't pay for aggravation.
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Re: Fedex, UPS, and USPS Shipping
« Reply #18 on: May 05, 2013, 11:38:19 PM »
The only refund USPS gives is for Guaranteed delivery that misses the deadline.

Offline A European

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Re: Fedex, UPS, and USPS Shipping
« Reply #19 on: May 05, 2013, 11:41:52 PM »
The only refund USPS gives is for Guaranteed delivery that misses the deadline.
-1
IME
I got once some package after noon ( 4-5 PM )
was Guaranteed to be delivered by noon , when i went back to track my package it said i got it by 9 AM .
(Brooklyn chuzpe ) 
« Last Edit: May 05, 2013, 11:44:55 PM by A European »