UPS Making a Come-Back ?
UPS has been on an obvious decline in my area for the last few years. I rarely see their trucks on the road in my town and FedEx trucks are all over the place. That and their prices have been high, when they used to be very reasonable.
Now... I started offering UPS shipping for a few items and calculated prices per location seem to be reasonable again.
Curious what recent experience buyers and sellers have had with UPS. Have they been on a decline and trying to become a major shipper again ?
FWIW: A few years ago my experiences with UPS have always been positive. But, more recently I haven't been impressed. Hoping future will return to positive.
11 comments
stainlessenginecovers
·9 months ago@rckr43 @shire123 a major problem using UPS and Fedex when buying labels on ebay is that they are known to not give the correct price and come back wanting more (and ebay just 'takes' it from you (pending or bank) and some have been hit with upwards of $900.
Both of these are:
a.) accounts of ebay so much more difficult to fight
b.) accounts of ebay so much more difficult when wanting insurance for lost
c.) amount charged for shipping label is only an 'estimate' and there are hundreds of pages of 'surcharges' that these companies charge AFTER the fact (rural, residential, size increase/penalty, weight increase/penalty etc.
USPS does not have that issue (seldom) as long as you are accurate in size/weight. I've had 3 charge backs by USPS in 15 years and 20,000+ packages and successfully argued all and got money back (was always less than $10)
shire123
·9 months agoIn two years I have never had a claim from either UPS or FedEx. I always over state the dimensions of my boxes by an inch. And always add several ounces to the weight showing on my scale.
While I am a small time seller, I average about 5 -10 packages a week that are sent via UPS or FedEx
stainlessenginecovers
·9 months ago@shire123 still; it happens as is proof of the 1000's of posts made by members stating 'UPS ripped me off' etc. (usually for large boxes) and if you go up 1" but the box get a bit 'smashed', it can add 2" or more. Still not worth the chance for large items.
Here's one that just popped up; and another (below from 2/3 days ago)
Re: FedEx now doing random back charging and not e... - The eBay Community
Solved: UPS Falsifying Dimensions and dinging every box - The eBay Community
shire123
·9 months agoYes. It definitely happens. I'm not saying it doesn't. BUT, bad things happen with ALL services. Given the thousands of packages that these services handle each day the actual percentage of issues is quite small.
As with all business like this there is risk. The level of risk you are willing to accept is up to you.
tools*
·9 months agoUPS handles over 22 million packages a day, the USPS handles over 23 million packages a day, and FedEx handles about 15 million packages a day.
shire123
·9 months agoUPS or FedEx are really my only options for larger, heavier packages. USPS does a good job for things under 4 pounds.
Over the years I have had good luck with both UPS or FedEx. Never had an issue with UPS. Had a few packages destroyed by FedEx.
Overall I have found that at this point FedEx is about 10% cheaper than UPS.
rckr43
OP9 months agoOf late I've been way more happy with USPS rather than FedEx.
One of buyers suggested I use UPS for shipping stereo equipment because they handle packages better than FedEx that has a reputation for mishandling packages.
Some of my items aren't exactly USPS's forte, being larger and heaver items, but they've done alright.
Being that I'll be selling more larger and heavier items... I'll be looking at UPS.
tools*
·9 months agoIf your large, heavy stereo equipment is packaged properly, it shouldn't matter how rough the shipper is when handling it. Dense foam and double-boxing are the best way to ship heavy equipment.
rckr43
OP9 months agoYes @tools* proper packaging is necessary and expecting the worst handling should be considered.
I've had buyers say the shipping box was practically destroyed, but the item was fine and in as pictured condition.
I'm really just looking for feedback about UPS.
shire123
·9 months agoIMO, UPS is definitely better from a package handling standpoint over FedEx. But then a bit more expensive. USPS is just a nonstarter with shipping large/heavy packages. Many of the items I sell tend to be bigger. Just had one that USPS quoted over $100 to ship whereas it was only $35 to ship through FedEx or $42 for UPS. (All my price quotes are using ebay labels).
Yes. Bad things happen with ALL services. But that's part of business. You have to accept some risk otherwise you would never sell or ship anything. (Unless you personally deliver the items).
kibble-net
·9 months agoDepends where you live. Some areas are notorious for leaving attempted delivery notices but not actually, you know, attempting a delivery. USPS seems to be have more accountability across the board than UPS or Fedex. But that's just my 5 cents.
The biggest problem I've heard about UPS is their denial of insurance claims for damage, unless you pay them to do the packing for you. But you can still ship with them and buy your insurance from Shipcover instead.