As sellers, let's discuss and debate the major shipping services we use, why do you use who you use?

[chipper01work]

Ok, USPS is my go to service hands down. The prices are competitive for the items I sell and they are often prices that can't be beat by the other larger carriers. They are rock solid dependable when I schedule a pickup and the free pickup is a fantastic feature to begin with. I've had great luck with the pair of insurance claims I've filed and the range of services offered is tremendous. Tracking can be sketchy at times but with the sheer volume of items they handle it is still very impressive. No one offers USPS any serious competition when it comes to international shipping.

FedEx is my go to service for large domestic packages going a great distance in the lower 48 States. They always seem to offer the best price and have very good point to point tracking. I can drop off prepaid packages at my local Walgreens until 10pm ( a huge plus). I do have a couple reservations though, one being the threads that show up here with the author complaining of crazy upcharges and the other being FedEx handles the most harzardous materials of the major players by FAR. I'm not talking about alcohol or acetone. FedEx handles some wickedly powerful industrial chemicals in small quantities. The inside of the FedEx trucks I deal with are always neat and orderly though.

I never use UPS anymore. It is way too big of a hassle for me to get a package to them and I've seen inside thousands of UPS trucks in my career and they are way overloaded. It is routine for a driver to have to climb on top of dozens of packages thrown on the floor to get to the package he needs to deliver near the beginning of his route and I always envision my package on the bottom of the mountain he is climbing. This may not be the case everywhere but it is absolutely the case where I live. 

[duggmills]

USPS for me.

I try to keep to smaller items that can go USPS  and yet I'm sometimes amazed what doesn't quite fit a flat rate box. I still ship Priority.  If the item isn't  fragile I'll use the Priority Padded Envelope. 

I pack things very well and buy their very expensive insurance for  anything over $50. If it's a $60 item in a flat rate box I may throw caution to the wind and leave myself wide open for the ten bucks for four days.

I price my stuff to cover all the boxes, bubble wrap and tape I buy . Well I think I do. I don't bother myself with detailing all costs. Even if I lose money on every sale, the volume makes up for the the individual losses.......

[southern*sweet*tea]

USPS for the majority of my items. Cheap, dependable, reasonable speed, free carrier pickup, never had a problem with them at all.

If I have larger or heavier items, hands down Fedex. Normally much cheaper than either UPS or USPS, dependable, reasonable speed and they only charge $3 for a residential pickup. I can't drive to the Fedex depot and back for $3 lol

UPS...let's not even go there

[faithandbutterflies]

I use USPS. I ship small items that can easily fit in my mailbox and often go First Class or Media Mail. I don't drive because of medication that I take plus I get migraines without warning which can mess up my vision without warning. I love being able to print out my shipping labels at home too. It's quick and easily. 

[duchess-at-speakeasy]

USPS, since most of my packages are First Class Mail or Priority Mail, with the occasional exception of Media Mail for books.  Comparable FedEx and UPS air service is far too expensive.  If a customer specifically asks for overnight service, however, I would oblige with FedEx and charge accordingly.  Another advantage is that I can affix stamps and a Label 400 to small packages (13 oz. or less) and simply drop them in a street collection box across the street or wherever I happen to be.

Many customers use PO boxes (by choice or necessity); asking for a street address simply delays the order process.  Private couriers do not serve APO/FPO/DPO addresses.

UPS waives insurance coverage for breakables (I sell glassware and pottery); not sure if FedEx also excludes damage claims for "fragile" items.  UPS and FedEx ground service does not pick up or deliver on weekends.  In-transit time is longer than even USPS 3rd class and 4th class surface mail.  The hybrid services are slowest of all.  For international orders, private couriers charge a brokerage fee.

Physical convenience is not a major factor for me.  My neighborhood UPS Store and FedEx Office locations are actually a couple of blocks closer than the PO and keep longer hours; dispatch time is an hour earlier but limited to weekdays. Downtown and other neighborhoods in which I travel offer similar access.   The downtown PMB where I receive deliveries even provides free internet access, where I can print a prepaid label for 20 cents.  (The library charges only 15 cents.)

Bottom line:  I like to keep it simple.  Generally, I handwrite mailing labels and pay retail postage -- although recently I have experimented with printing prepaid labels at the library.  Either way, USPS wins!

~~C~~

[dtexley3]

Under 2lbs USPS.  Above 2 lb FedEx SmartPost unless the customer is nearby and the difference between priority and SP are low.   Above 9 lbs it just depends where the buyer lives.  It's a split between FedEx Home and SmartPost.

I include the average cost of boxes, packing materials and supplies in the shipping.

The PO and FexEx offices are less than 3 mi, so dropoff is not a problem.

[swenson8781]

Another vote for USPS here.  I used to use FedEx for large, really large items, but a FedEx or UPS stand/store has become harder & harder to find.  And I've found that USPS, even for large items, using Parcel Post (or whatever the new name is) is comparable to FedEx rates, at least last I checked.

I would guess most sellers use USPS, unless they are really large and have an account with a different carrier.  

[partial*eclipse]

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@dtexley3 wrote:

Under 2lbs USPS.  Above 2 lb FedEx SmartPost ....

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Have you looked into the Priority Mail Regional A boxes?

[byrd69er]

USPS 101%....and then some

There's no need to go to any other.

I challanged their ability to send my insane cartooned (many very non-PC) envelopes back in the 80s and 90s...and now, depend on them almost daily to get my eBay items to their destination....on time and without hassle.

[yuzuha]

I use USPS exclusively.  99% of what I sell is light enough to go First Class, and they're inexpensive and convenient for me as there's a post office two blocks away from where I work, making it easy for me to drop packages off either before/after work or on my break.

[sockmonkeydave]

@chipper01work

Well... only one delivery service for me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYNoQZ5djUA

[luckythewinner]

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@chipper01work wrote:

As sellers, let's discuss and debate the major shipping services we use, why do you use who you

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99% of my domestic items ship for under $4 by either Media Mail or First Class package.

99% of my inernational items ship by First Class International package.

This is not a coincidence - shipping weight is one of the criteria I use when selecting my inventory. 

[cinjamanbooks]

USPS is our go to. Rarely an issue.

However, sometimes that is cost prohibitive so we were using UPS.

However, UPS seems to break anything above a small box. Even when the item is packaged in secure original manufacturer shipping packaging. Then they promptly deny our claims often without even checking the package out. Appeals are always denied even with clear proof.

So, we switch to FedEx Smartpost or FedEx Ground mostly for larger items. Has worked well so far, with only one claim. They immediately issued a check to cover the item and shipping with virtually no questions asked.

[dtexley3]

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@partial*eclipse wrote:

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@dtexley3 wrote:

Under 2lbs USPS.  Above 2 lb FedEx SmartPost ....

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Have you looked into the Priority Mail Regional A boxes?

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Very, very few of my items would fit.   And the boxes are very flimsy. I ship breakables, I want 30lb or better weight.

[chipper01work]

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@sockmonkeydave wrote:

@chipper01work

Well... only one delivery service for me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYNoQZ5djUA

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That was really funny. Thanks for the chuckle