UPS Tracking

Give it 24 hours. But also, always get a receipt when you drop off.

 

Yeah. I assume the majority of shipping costs is associated with space, and then some goes toward weight. 20 bucks is about right. As you add weight cost doesn't go up as much as compared to the size of the box growing. Therefore its always ideal to ship as much beer as you can fit in the box (locals, etc) to make it worthwhile. 6 pounds seems like a pretty light box in my opinion. I think UPS auto insures every box at 100 bucks, unless a higher value is noted.

 

And of course distance is a huge factor.

 

Haha, yeah man - those shipping charges add up quick! Just a heads-up...if you have a FedEx location near you, they are noticeably cheaper than UPS.

 

Make an account, you will get a discount. $20 for 6 lbs is ridiculous.

 

It's all about the dimensions of the box with UPS. Try not to use a box larger than 14x14x14.

 

I don't know about UPS, but when shipping FedEX, I've found that when I drop off a prepaid box and ask for a receipt, I'm much more likely to be asked questions about the box (are all items secure, etc). It seems like if I trust them with doing their job, they'll trust me with my packing.

 

Exactly. That's horribly expensive, OP. I can ship a 6 lb box from here (Philly area) to California for $10.44 with FedEx. You're getting absolutely screwed.

 

I worked for a large carrier and dimesional weight applies for ground boxes when the cubic inches exceed 5,184 inches.

The formula for dimesional weight is L x W x H / 166. See the two scenarios below:

12 x 9 x 6 = 648, so the actual weight of the box will be used and not dimesional weight.

18 x 18 x 16 = 5,184, so dimensional weight applies. Take 5,184 / 166 = 31.23 lbs. if your box weighs less than 32 lbs then you will charge "billable weight" of 32 lbs. Of course if the actual weight exceeds the dim weight you'll be charged the actual weight.

So you want to keep all boxes below 18 x 18 x 16. Also remember carriers measure the outside of the box. The pre-printed dimensions on box are the measurements of the inside of the box, which are usually about half to 1 inch less.

 

You always want your own account. If you go to a UPS Store or FedEx store you will pay retail rates.

 

The UPS store can't process shipments on account numbers and pass along any discounts. FedEx stores can. The reason being UPS Stores are franchised and they have their own discount system. If they use your account number they don't make any money.

Why do you need a fake address? You can just make the ups Store your address if you're concerned with something.

If you have an online account just guess the weight, underestimate, and if you're wrong UPS will adjust the cost on your bill.

 

Thanks for that info, I always wondered where that cost effectiveness cutoff was.

 

I'd switch to FedEx (as much as they drive me crazy sometimes). I shipped 35# to Chicago, and it was less than $20. The most I ever paid was using a odd-sized box. Boy, they really don't like it when you do that!

Ps. If you were sending the 750 in a trade, don't forget about extras

 

Maybe this isn't the right thread for this, but I'll ask anyway. For the first time after about 10 trades, FedEx rejected one of my boxes. Called me about an hour after I dropped it off and said "You can't ship wine." Apparently they heard sloshing. I'm a terrible liar, so I just apologized and said I didn't know.

Anyway, box is now on its way via UPS, but can I use FedEx again in the future? Or will my account be flagged or something for a period of time? Just curious if anyone knows. Thanks.

 

I've often wondered what wsucoug96 just asked. I know I quit going to one store once I got the feeling the guy at the counter knew what was in the box.