Shipping 55" antenna mast
So yeah I sold a antenna mast a small pipe 2 inches in Diameter but it's 55 inches long I cannot find anything to ship it in... Could it be shipped without a box?
32 comments
So yeah I sold a antenna mast a small pipe 2 inches in Diameter but it's 55 inches long I cannot find anything to ship it in... Could it be shipped without a box?
redlinear
·1 year ago@wastingtime101
Watch the boards. I got several adjustments on two different accounts this morning. Looking like an Audit of all packages (at one hub) (or company wide).
It's gonna be a hotter than normal topic for the next couple of weeks.
UGH
Also: One of my employees ships almost as much of his own stuff as the business. He uses some generic packaging tape. We use eBay branded tape.
I weight and measure ALL packages though (his also).
I got adjustments.
He hasn't (yet).
wastingtime101
·1 year agoUPS and FedEx will apply that ridiculous surcharge for "too much tape" @redlinear and using clear tape is less noticeable than using colorful eBay tape.
I'll use eBay tape on boxes shipped USPS, but not on boxes shipped UPS.
redlinear
·1 year ago@wastingtime101 I've got about 2,500 of these reports.
I can't remember if this was a good day or a slow day
But, it was ONE day.
If there's something about UPS you'd like to know. What you should do? What you can do? What you can or can't get away with? What you should or shouldn't insure? Just ask.
wastingtime101
·1 year agoAre you using eBay labels @redlinear ? Or an account with UPS or elsewhere?
redlinear
·1 year agoeBay now.
Had my own account for-ever.
Ever since the beginning we would get an "adjustment" every few months. (shrinkwrap on the outside, too big of package, wood instead of cardboard, no packaging at all, etc). Some we knew when we shipped it. Sometimes a surprise.
BUT, every couple of years, we would see "adjustments" to the tune of 20 or 30 in a couple of weeks. Most of which could be traced back to a particular hub/terminal. As if they were on a mission to make more money and make upset all shippers. Got a new manager trying to impress somebody? Just an ordinary package audit?
Really never knew why.
But it's not just UPS. It's all of them, including LTL Freight.
Oh...no packaging: That turned out to the safest way to ship an auto door glass. Just slap a label on it and hand it to UPS. Never had one broken that way. (they knew what it was and knew they would have to clean up the mess...LOL)
Sadly, can't do that anymore...ugh
redlinear
·1 year agoDue to it's length, I think you'll find UPS to be the cheapest.
I would "try" to find a round cardboard tube about three inches longer. Seal up one end and stuff a couple pieces of wadded up paper in it. Insert the mast and push the paper to the bottom. Then a couple more pieces of stuffing on top, then seal up that end.
UPS generally doesn't getcha on round tube packages if they strong and look good.
If I couldn't find a tube? I'd use two of the long USPS triangle boxes taped together.
And I'd also ship it whatever method I thought I could get away with.
OR, stop at florist. They get some of the best boxes for things like you're shipping.
wastingtime101
·1 year agoYes they do.
If the original poster ships in a round tube and selects UPS through eBay labels, they will see a cost adjustment after the fact with a surcharge for "additional handling" for the nonstandard packaging.
Page 126 of the UPS Guide:
https://www.ups.com/assets/resources/webcontent/en_US/retail_rates.pdf
redlinear
·1 year agoPossible, but probably not.
wastingtime101
·1 year agoWhy do you say "probably not" @redlinear ? There are hundreds of posts here and on socials about sellers hit by cost adjustments for tubes with UPS.
Every week or two when cost adjustments come through the reports here are endless.
deserdog
·1 year agoI looked up a box, 57X5X5, 5 lbs. on Pirate Ship: $81.71 UPS Ground Saver
redlinear
·1 year agoOuch, been seeing a lot of UPS really dirt cheap on long skinny packages like that.
BUT, not in this case. I just tried the same (AR to MI)
I got $18.57 USPS Ground Advantage (UPS and FedEx were silly high$)
redlinear
·1 year agoOP may just get burned on that one.
I got one last week. When listed, about a year ago, we ran the dimensions of a fender and cost was $160.
Priced it at $250.
It sold last week and ended up costing $240 to ship it UPS. (I guess that was better than $450 FedEx).
LOL, but not...ugh
I've been deleting the big stuff for the last few days. It's just not worth the risk
mooncat_watches
·1 year agoA sturdy gift wrapping tube or two spliced would work. Wrapping paper is on sale right now. You just have to find the right tube(s).
tobaccocardyahoo
·1 year agoYazoo Mills makes 4" x 60" mailing tubes with end caps. They do not sell them in qty 1.
Try a site like uline in the hope of buying in small quantity.
momtoabeautifuldaughter
·1 year agoThis will cost more to ship then you even sold it for
deserdog
·1 year agoIf a box is made as stated above, at least the OP will make a little money depending on the zone. How much does it weigh?
deserdog
·1 year agoI punched up the numbers for a box to ship in, 56X4X4, 5 lbs. to zone 8 is $23.31. Zone 1 is $15.34. I played the the dimensions a little and these quotes cover 56X4X4 to 57X5X5. This is for ground advantage. I got the quotes from Pirate Ship.
fab_finds4u
·1 year agoYou should have researched the shipping cost of the item packaged and ready to ship before offering free shipping. You'll end up getting nothing for that mast and going in your pocket for of the rest of the shipping money not covered in the item cost to mail it.
fern*wood
·1 year agoI hope you researched some shipping costs before listing with free shipping.
PS -- I bet you have a bunch of snow in your part of the state. I have a foot right now even where I live.
mountaineer4life3o4
OP1 year agoUnfortunately I didn't
wastingtime101
·1 year agoOuch. Yeah, shipping is going to cost you. You're going to lose $ on this one.
Depending how you pack it, UPS and FedEx will nail you with huge cost adjustments after the fact. Even if USPS is higher upfront, it may be cheaper in the long run.
Come back here and post a photo once you have it packed and I can tell you if there's anything about it that will flag a UPS or FedEx cost adjustment if you want to use one of those services. I'm pretty well versed on the topic @mountaineer4life3o4 . Use the @ to tag me if you decide to come back with a pic.
cyclingjason090
·1 year agoPop out to one of your local carpet shops and ask if they have any of the inner tubes carpets are rolled onto
pcobra93
·1 year agoOver the years, I have shipped items like this. 2 things you can do. 1....just wrap it in cardboard a couple times around. This is easy and works well. Just fold the ends over and tape them. 2...You can find long boxes for this at an autobody shop. They throw tons away every week and don't care if you take them. It may require 2 boxes to get the length but just put on on from each end and splice them. They get a lot of parts in 4x4 boxes 3-4' long or more.
zakstreasuretrove
·1 year agoI would take two standard 48" boxes and cut down two of them to make a box long enough. You can generally slide the end of one box into the other making a 'telescoping' action. Just tape them together and measure the new length. If they are going together with difficulty, cut down the length of one or two of the folds for the box that will be on the inside. This will allow it to collapse a little to fit into the other box a little easier. To to only cut the edge as much as necessary.
I've done this many times with 6x6x48" boxes that I generally use for golf clubs, but I have shipped CB antennas with this method successfully.
mountaineer4life3o4
OP1 year agoThis may just work
zakstreasuretrove
·1 year agoI hope it does work for you. It's the easiest method I have found. I saw someone in the thread mention cardboard tubes from a carpet place or something. Some carriers consider round tubes to be an irregular shaped package and will charge A LOT more compared to a cube shape with the same length and width.
fab_finds4u
·1 year agoTube's aren't extra. What will be extra is there is an $8.40 fee because the length is longer than 30 inches. Then if the volumn is greater than 2 cubic feet (3,456 cubic inches), they charge $18.
I don't believe a carpet tube will work. Not sure if they're different sizes but I'm looking at one rtm and I don't have a tape on me but it looks to be about 4.5 inches across.
fern*wood
·1 year agoI believe it depends on the carrier. UPS/FedEx seem to charge extra for everything.
zakstreasuretrove
·1 year agoAlso, make sure that your dimensions provided account for the biggest portions of the box. You'd be surprised the differences from what is printed on the box AND from one end of the box to the other.
The boxes are measured by machine so don't them them nail you on it being 56" instead of 55" causing a $25 charge or something.
loose_goose_garage
·1 year agoBubble wrap it well, then use 2 pieces of flat cardboard and lay one underneath and and 1 over top and tape together to make a sandwich.
Don't ship it in a Shipping Tube as you will be billed extra for "Non-Standard" piece of mail
klhmdg
·1 year agoYou will need to try to make a box for it.
The shipping is going to cost more than what you sold it for...
44012
·1 year agoWe don't ship big items anymore but in the past we have made a box out of cardboard.
Or we have built a crate out of cheap wood when it was industrial metal items.
Probably not what you want to hear though as it is more work and in some cases more weight = more $$.
I'm not sure if I would attempt to ship without a box. I have seen it done at work with tons of shrink wrap and foam.
Good luck!