I was shipping a few parts today at the UPS store and had online quotes that I figured out yesterday and this morning.

I was shipping a muffler to San Jose, quoted yesterday:

UPS Ground $121.06
Fedex Ground $138.55

Then This morning I re-quoted and it came out as half price:

UPS Ground $63.xx
Fedex Ground $60.xx

I went into the UPS store today and then they said it was $88.xx I asked why it would be different with an online quote vs. coming into the store and they said there should be no difference in price. Then they went on to say that the later in the day you ship something the price goes up.

A 2nd package I was shipping to southern AZ doubled in price than the quote from yesterday. It went from $18 to $38

A 3rd package I was shipping to Seattle, price was the same as the quote done this morning



Have any of you seen this surge pricing type of thing? I guess I learned something new.

Hmm I just checked again online, the quote is $63.xx with me dropping at a UPS store. Perhaps it is because when I quote it is stating that the price is what it is, if I pay right now.

This is why I've stopped shipping with UPS or FedEx unless I have to, I never get a straight shipping quote. I love flat rate envelopes and boxes.

USPS is pretty consistent online to actual costs. FedEx? It can very. Having a FREE FedEx account that just idles for the most part of the year is a handy tool. The savings are drastic. Small, USPS even with your own box and not to much weight is cheap. Relatively.

2 tail light lenses, in hella boxes, in another box, insured, was $20.05 priority to Kentucky. 2 days. That's pretty cheap.

I have not noticed to much fluctuation.. I use ups and spend about 6 grand a year with them(which is not allot).

Here is a crazy example of price gouging.

Ship a set of -6 sheet metal to Utah=$35 ground. Ship 3 day $100 ship 2 day $170.. Wow.. That was this morning..ps we picked ground..

I had a UPS or Fedex overnight quote at $1,012.xx. That is insane!

An account can save a bunch of money.
I shipped some Audi wheels to Long Beach from Sacramento.
Online rate quoted via Fed EX website was $30 per box, 2 wheels per box.
Shipped through our Fed Ex account at work, actual cost $7 a box.

Jim

We order well over $100k a year from SSF and get everything overnight for free. The big companies work out deals with the shipping companies.

I just started using shipping brokers to send stuff overseas. Much cheaper than the normal route.

I have found that going direct through the shipping company is less than going through one of their retail storefronts...

--DD

For USPS, any package over 2lbs it is best to use their Regional Rate Boxes. There are Regional rate A & B boxes. The "A" boxes come in two sizes: A1 = 10x7x4 3/4,
A2 = 10 15/16 x 2 3/8 x 12 13/16. The "B" boxes sizes: B1 = 12 x 10 1/4 x 5
B2= 14 3/8 x 2 7/8 x 15 7/8

You can only get these boxes on the USPS website. They are free!

This concludes our friendly public service announcements

Now you can understand why we have an "overcharge" issue. We have to use a rate that is not the actual we get as there is some fluctuation and somethings things can be combined and sometimes not. Like adding the outer door fuzzies to something that can go into an envelope changes things quite a bit. For the most part we have been able to be within a buck and it evens out, but sometimes the website will assign a box alone for an item that can actually fit. This is why you will see refunds every so often, Even worse with international.

Just my personal purgatory

I've used companies like Parcel2go on several occasions and frequently the prices I've paid have been cheaper that the seller can get even with an account. I've bought several large items from the US this way and saved a lot of money.

This is also why I quit quoting shipping. You want to buy that XYZ? I'll get it ready and give you the total with actual shipping costs. I don't mark up shipping, and I'm not going to spend time quoting for tire kickers.

I think getting the tires kicked is part of the excersize. Frustrating, but it goes with the territory.

It’s just another tactic some buyers use to get out of making a commitment to buy.
“Oh, $20 shipping, I was hoping for $3. Nevermind.”

Another option is you providing the box dementions, weight, a shipping from zip and let them figure it out. If the sale goes forward you confirm the shipping quote. Theirs will prob be full fare. 'I can get you a better shipping price with my FedEx account'.

The big problem with shipping is unless you ship a lot, you don't get the deep discounts with the normal shippers, even if you do have an account. When I was in the magazine business the discounts were huge, but selling 3-4 boxes a day of Porsche parts not so much.
Couple of tricks for the average dude.
1. Use USPS flat rate for anything heavy.
2. Always try and get a business address from the buyer, it's way way cheaper for UPS and FEDEX to shop to business address than somebody's house. Also, in many way's it is safer since someone will probably actually sign for it, rather than it being left on on porch begging to be stolen.
3. Use at least three shipping sources, UPS, FEDEX, USPS, etc, they are all better at different stuff, and you can work the system.

---Adam

Remember this FedEx slogan?: "When it Absolutely, Positively has to be there overnight" (1978–1983)


Apparently the higher cost quote is what what happened when I checked FedEx for a quote on your banana muffler, Travis ... I did it in the evening. Another problem, sometimes their site is down, preventing folks from even obtaing quotes

I've also got quotes from FedEx, then found the invoice to be for more $ when they actually charge my account


, Adam, and that's how I normally do it too, especially if I'm paying for the shipping in the sale price.

Yes. If you have an account, fedex can adjust the price, even after they ring you out at the counter.

That's what I do, when possible

On larger items especially, my experience with UPS is they tend to overestimate the shipping charges online. When I go to the UPS counter, the price is usually a little lower than the online estimate. If there’s a difference, I’ll send a refund to the buyer.