shipping large and light package via USPS

[baojc1111]

I have an item in large (50" x 18" x 12") but light (7 lb) box. It seems the cheapest I can get is USPS Parcel Select, which costs about $185 from east coast to west coast. But the rate calculator also shows USPS Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Box ~$18. I assume I cannot use Priority Mail Large Flat Box since it has dimension 15-7/8" x 14-3/8" x 2-7/8" or 12" x 10-1/4" x 5". Not sure why would the rate calculator still lists all the Pirority Mail Box options even after I entered dimension and weight.

But I also see other seller selling the item at ~$50 with free shipping. I cannot understand how that can be possbile.

Can anybody help explain what are the cheapest option to ship this item?

Thanks

[partial*eclipse]

The other sellers might be large-volume shippers who have special deals with UPS or FedEx. Or perhaps they just miscalculated.

Or maybe they are using a smaller box.  The length-plus-girth of your box is 110 inches; that's just 2 inches over the threshold for USPS "Oversize" rates.  Shipping your box coast-to-coast via Parcel Select would cost just $59 if the length-plus-girth was 108 inches or less.

[fuzzface50]

Oh, pool noodles.

They are drop shipping from a store that offers free shipping would be my guess

[fuzzface50]

 just looked them up at the store i work for and yes we offer free shipping  on them. 

[fuzzface50]

ok, i should clarify something with my guess. Yes, if you buy it online from us we give you free shipping to any address you provide but if you would come to the store and buy them directly we sell them for a lot less than our online price so technically you are not getting them shipped free but we hide the shipping charge in the product price just like ebay sellers do.

I think Partial is on to something with what he suggested.

[baojc1111]

Thanks for helping out, fuzzaface50 and partial*eclipse.

Even with $59 parcel select it is more espensive than the volume purchase price I got. Even considering volume discount on the shipping for large volume seller, still the discounted shipping cost + volume purchase price seems to be higher than the price they are offering with free shipping. The seller can only recover part of the purchasing cost, leaves no room for profit at all.

[partial*eclipse]

$59 is the Zone 8 price; did you check whether the other seller offers free shipping to all locations? To do that, you have to go to the "Shipping and payments" section of the listing itself, and plug in a ZIP Code which would be Zone 8 based on that seller's location.  Sellers can set up their shipping so that they offer free shipping to closer buyers, but charge for shipping to farther buyers.

Frankly I'm baffled by how this item could be sold online at all; I can get them at the dollar store.

[penguins_dont_fly]

@partial*eclipse wrote:

[[Frankly I'm baffled by how this item could be sold online at all; I can get them at the dollar store.]]

For some folks in rural areas the Dollar Store can be a trek 🙂 But besides that ...' I have ordered pool noodles online in bulk when the per piece price ended up being less than $0.25.

I will grab any I see at yard sales, etc ... I use them as "stem protectors" when shipping glassware 🙂