Stop Ripping Off Buyers and Yourselves with USPS Ground Advantage

[erzengelb]

USPS Ground Advantage is a scam. It does NOT cost $50 to $75 to ship an 8 pound box from California to New York. You can ship up to 70 pounds in a Priority Flat Rate box (multiple sizes) to anywhere in the continental U.S. for $20 max. UPS Simple Rate offers similar pricing.

You're killing your own sales and bottom line by using Ground Advantage, and you're ripping off buyers who aren't aware that you could be shipping far cheaper.

[gator08041971]

Let's assume for the moment you're right.

If that's the case, then why are most of us not seeing these insanely high prices?  Why aren't there more threads about it?

You would think that there would be more people raging about this, if it were the case.

But I think its not as bad as you claim.  Sure there are some exceptions, but often its due to the package dimensions being outside of a typical package, whereas you claim they are charging a lot more for simple shipments, something I happen to disagree with.

I ship stuff to California all the time (zone 8 for me) and most of it is 6-10 bucks.  GA.  One of my most recent was a 4lb package. They went with Cubic, at .20 and it was 8.02.

So.....

?

Just checked the largest one I had shipped recently.  2 lb package that was 14x5x3 and they shipped it by weight not cubic.  It cost $13.17.   So in some ways, that cost more than the 4lb package.  Granted the 4 lb package was a bit smaller, but not by much.

[carlmarxx]

From what I have delt  with Ground Advantage  it is a garbage service  with  delay issue's at the sorting centers  that the packages  loaded in the containers  ,and that the containers siting in hub for 2 to 3  days waiting for the truck .  The other problem is  USPS  can't handle relying  on automation sorting machines  do to the problems  of missed  sent  parcels to wrong cart to container going to wrong  hub's & PO's that delay them or get the parcels  lost.  USPS need's employees  to double check  that the parcels aren't going to wrong carts  and containers .     I have read and heard from others that are  having their problems with  ground advantage  . I ask sellers about  shipping priority mail, FedEx  and  UPS   shipping .

[mixedbagmosaic]

It would be interesting if OP gave an example of a shipment for us to lookup.

[anjofak]

I think there has definitely been some pricing errors being seen around here last few weeks..

I was doing some fixes on listings when I went to check the set shipping these were the only options. 

 

[nobody*s_perfect]

Yikes!  The Priority Mail price range is the normal retail prices for 2 pounds.  What on earth could have bumped up those UPS and FedEx rates??

[anjofak]

No clue, I was wondering if its calculated shipping is that what it costs to ship to myself?..lol

[nobody*s_perfect]

No, it shows the range of prices from Zone 1 to Zone 8.  When you look at the actual listing, you'll see the specific price to your own location.

[az93]

Just because the item will fit in a flat rate box does not make mailing it a bargain. When I buy on ebay, I only want the much more fair calculated shipping. As a seller, finding plain non-priority boxes is the hard part.

[gator08041971]

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@az93 wrote:

 As a seller, finding plain non-priority boxes is the hard part.

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I will admit, I recycle a lot of packaging.  I get boxes from places when I order stuff, and packaging.  I reuse as much as I can when possible to cut down costs, and I purchase different sized bubble mailers in bulk, and in some cases foldable boxes for smaller items I sell, along with roll of smaller bubble wrap, shrink wrap, etc.

I do have on hand various Priority Mail boxes and bubble mailers, and use them occasionally when needed for those shipments.

I even custom make boxes if needed to keep the packaging as small as I can while still providing protection to the item.

I go to dealerships/auto shops, and pickup cardboard and foam wraps that are being discarded.  Ford especially has this nice blue sided foam 1/4" thick padding for their parts.  And most large auto part boxes are typically made with some really stiff cardboard, which is great for shipping things like books.  I will ziplock the book, foam around it, then wrap the stiff cardboard around it, shrink wrap that, then insert into a bubble mailer.  You will have a hard time bending that.

Lots of options like that cut down on costs.

[carlmarxx]

Lot of sellers for get about  that both FedEx and UPS  has low delivery area  surcharge  fee's and  Rual gas surcharge  fee  based on location's.   

[nobody*s_perfect]

But surely those surcharges can't add up to $2000!

[carlmarxx]

No  they  should not add up to $2000 ?     How many packages did you ship out per month? 

[yuzuha]

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@erzengelb wrote:

USPS Ground Advantage is charging $50 to $150 for simple shipments (nothing fancy, nothing oversized, nothing out of the ordinary) from the Pacific coast to the Eastern seaboard, and vice-versa. Sellers are just as surprised as buyers when contacted about it, because sellers can't see the shipping charges themselves until they look it up or make the sale. 

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Please cite an actual example with screencaps because I use GA exclusively (and I live on the East Coast) and I have not had anything cost more than $20 for "simple shipments."

[twizzelbird]

I took a break from eBay and things changed! What happened to the USPS flat rate padded envelope shipping option? No first class either. I'm bummed. What are other sellers doing? Do you buy your postage at the post office now or their online service or?

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@twizzelbird wrote: ...  What happened to the USPS flat rate padded envelope shipping option? No first class either....

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The padded FRE will probably show up if you list your package dimensions as 12x9x1.