Tracy Bradford on tue 9 oct 07
After 12 years of shipping with UPS I've decided to give the US mail a
shot. I went online to their website and was happy to sign up for
click and ship. However, you can only ship priority or overnight with
that service. I wouldn't mind that except it seems very expensive and
I suspect my customers will balk at the high charges, particularly
once I add in the cost of box and bubble wrap.
So, my question is are their any other programs out there that you are
aware of that allow me to print my own postage and parcel post labels
online? I don't have the patience to stand in line at the post office
so I may be going back to UPS....
Tracy
James and Sherron Bowen on tue 9 oct 07
In most cases Priority Mail and Parcel Post are very close in price.
JB
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tracy Bradford"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2007 10:02 AM
Subject: shipping via us mail
> After 12 years of shipping with UPS I've decided to give the US mail a
> shot. I went online to their website and was happy to sign up for
> click and ship. However, you can only ship priority or overnight with
> that service. I wouldn't mind that except it seems very expensive and
> I suspect my customers will balk at the high charges, particularly
> once I add in the cost of box and bubble wrap.
>
> So, my question is are their any other programs out there that you are
> aware of that allow me to print my own postage and parcel post labels
> online? I don't have the patience to stand in line at the post office
> so I may be going back to UPS....
>
> Tracy
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Clayart members may send postings to: clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list, post messages, or change your
> subscription settings here: http://www.acers.org/cic/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots2@visi.com
>
>
pdp1@EARTHLINK.NET on tue 9 oct 07
Hi Tracey,
Fed-Ex "Ground" or Fed-Ex "Home Delivery" or whatever they call their
residential delivery Class.
Less expensive than UPS, and much less expensive than USPS for anything in
the two to five or ten pound range...
And, you make your Shipping Labels on-line, and from there, you either have
the Fed-Ex Truck pick them up from you, or, you merely set your medly of
Parcels on the counter at 'Kinkos' and walk out, with out regard to any
line.
I hate standing lines to Ship things too...
I do it..! But it is a painful waste of precious time I need for getting
other things done.
Special "Hand Carry Only" Parcels, when fragile and or bulky and heavy...can
be Shipped 'Station to Station' via 'Greyhound Bus' and this can be a very
good way for odd, fragile, awkward items, so long as they are still very
very well packaged...but at least they are subjected to no conveyor belts or
spills, and merely get handled just to load once, then be unloaded at the
destination...unlike all the others.
Phil
l v
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tracy Bradford"
> After 12 years of shipping with UPS I've decided to give the US mail a
> shot. I went online to their website and was happy to sign up for
> click and ship. However, you can only ship priority or overnight with
> that service. I wouldn't mind that except it seems very expensive and
> I suspect my customers will balk at the high charges, particularly
> once I add in the cost of box and bubble wrap.
>
> So, my question is are their any other programs out there that you are
> aware of that allow me to print my own postage and parcel post labels
> online? I don't have the patience to stand in line at the post office
> so I may be going back to UPS....
>
> Tracy
L. P. Skeen on tue 9 oct 07
www.stamps.com=20
If you sign up for their service, there is a monthly access charge of =
$15 (that's the advertised price, but if you contact them directly, they =
do have a cheaper alternative), and you can print stamps in any amount =
you want. =20
If you can get your customers to pay with Paypal, you can ship directly =
from that site as well. It will calculate the postage for you and you =
can print on self-adhesive labels, or on plain paper and tape it on.
USPS will provide Priority mail boxes for free.
L
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Tracy Bradford=20
I suspect my customers will balk at the high charges, particularly =
once I add in the cost of box and bubble wrap.
John Rodgers on tue 9 oct 07
Tracy,
When I had my shop in Alaska, I found shipping via UPS and FEDEX to be
very problematic. Breakage was very high. I finally gave USPS Priority
Air a try. That was the ticket. Deliveries were made within three days.
Damage dropped to effectively zero. I did not pack with bubble wrap
except on some specialty items, but most times with newsprint paper -
unprinted. In practice, I found that buying the minimum insurance with a
receipt was sufficient to show delivery was made. And I assumed most of
the risk for damage. But then there wasn't any. That system worked for
me. After so many claims with UPS, I was really sick of them. The
Priority Air thing was really the ticket for my operation. It is going
to be different for everyone.
My $0.02.
John Rodgers
Chelsea, AL
Tracy Bradford wrote:
> After 12 years of shipping with UPS I've decided to give the US mail a
> shot. I went online to their website and was happy to sign up for
> click and ship. However, you can only ship priority or overnight with
> that service. I wouldn't mind that except it seems very expensive and
> I suspect my customers will balk at the high charges, particularly
> once I add in the cost of box and bubble wrap.
>
> So, my question is are their any other programs out there that you are
> aware of that allow me to print my own postage and parcel post labels
> online? I don't have the patience to stand in line at the post office
> so I may be going back to UPS....
>
> Tracy
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Clayart members may send postings to: clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list, post messages, or change your
> subscription settings here: http://www.acers.org/cic/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots2@visi.com
>
>
>
Grace Sheese on wed 10 oct 07
Tracy,
I've gone back and forth between shipping options myself and tried several
options. In the end, I always go back to the post office because:
1. I can print and pay and get everything done on-line.
2. When I compare prices for priority vs. ground ups, both methods end up
being about the same with priority mail taking 2-3 days and ground taking
a week. I haven't had any issues with customers complaining about the
price. In certain cases, I've given them the option and they usually
choose priority because it's faster and usually less than a dollar more
expensive.
3. I've started having alot more breakage issues with ups and filing a
claim and getting paid is a huge pain in the ass.
4. The post office will pick up my boxes for free as long as I schedule
it a day in advance. I rarely leave the house for shipping anymore
because of this. The other great thing is that there's no limit on how
many boxes.
I have to got to the ups store to drop off my boxes or pay to have a ups
driver come pick it up. In one case, the ups store wouldn't take my boxes
because of how much I insured it for. They said that only a certified ups
person had to pick it up. So I had to lug all my boxes back home and paid
about $20 to schedule a pick up.
The only down side for using the post office is that they don't leave the
box at the front door like ups. So the recipient must go pick it up if
they miss the postman and like you said, you can't ship items the slow
method. For me personally, the advantages I listed above outweigh the
disadvantages.
Best of luck.
Grace
www.gracesheese.com
James and Sherron Bowen on wed 10 oct 07
"The only down side for using the post office is that they don't leave the
box at the front door like ups."
I am not so sure that's is an advantage for the customer. Many bad things
can happen to a parcel left out in the open at the customers house. The last
three packages we got from UPS were left out and by the time we got home a
thunder storm had built up and the packages were soaked through. It's better
to take the package back to the office and have the customer schedule a
re-delivery. The other delivery services won't even deliver this far from
the city.
JB
Former Postal Employee/ Postmaster who has delivered and supervised the
delivery of tens of thousands of parcels.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Grace Sheese"
To:
Sent: Wednesday, October 10, 2007 12:48 PM
Subject: Re: shipping via us mail
scmillers on fri 12 oct 07
The last time UPS brought me a package they left it at my neighbor's house
in her garage instead of to my house where I was home all day. When I saw
the tracking note that it had been left, I called the 800 number to find out
that it had been left at my address in a garage that we do not have. I
tried contacting my neighbor that does have a garage, but she was not home.
My daughter went over to look, but she did not see it on their handicap
ramp.
When I call UPS back to speak with someone, they told me that the business
had to report it, and not me. I was very aggravated with them, I'm their
customer too. Her exact words were that "the business was their customer,
the one that they had an established relationship with. Have them contact
UPS and make a claim." Hmmm, who am I that have sent and receive many
packages?
In Christ,
Ava
<<
From: James and Sherron Bowen
Subject: Re: shipping via us mail
"The only down side for using the post office is that they don't leave the
box at the front door like ups."
I am not so sure that's is an advantage for the customer. Many bad things
can happen to a parcel left out in the open at the customers house. The last
three packages we got from UPS were left out and by the time we got home a
thunder storm had built up and the packages were soaked through. It's better
to take the package back to the office and have the customer schedule a
re-delivery. The other delivery services won't even deliver this far from
the city.
JB
Former Postal Employee/ Postmaster who has delivered and supervised the
delivery of tens of thousands of parcels.>>>
Wendy Kelsey on sun 14 oct 07
USPS -thepost office always will leave parcels on our front
porch if they are too big for the mailbox so maybe it is
just a local thing. I have had great luck with the post
office, lousy luck with UPS>
--- scmillers wrote:
> The last time UPS brought me a package they left it at my
> neighbor's house
> in her garage instead of to my house where I was home all
> day. When I saw
> the tracking note that it had been left, I called the 800
> number to find out
> that it had been left at my address in a garage that we
> do not have. I
> tried contacting my neighbor that does have a garage, but
> she was not home.
> My daughter went over to look, but she did not see it on
> their handicap
> ramp.
>
>
>
> When I call UPS back to speak with someone, they told me
> that the business
> had to report it, and not me. I was very aggravated with
> them, I'm their
> customer too. Her exact words were that "the business
> was their customer,
> the one that they had an established relationship with.
> Have them contact
> UPS and make a claim." Hmmm, who am I that have sent and
> receive many
> packages?
>
>
>
> In Christ,
>
> Ava
>
>
>
> <<>
> From: James and Sherron Bowen
>
>
> Subject: Re: shipping via us mail
>
>
>
> "The only down side for using the post office is that
> they don't leave the
>
> box at the front door like ups."
>
> I am not so sure that's is an advantage for the customer.
> Many bad things
>
> can happen to a parcel left out in the open at the
> customers house. The last
>
> three packages we got from UPS were left out and by the
> time we got home a
>
> thunder storm had built up and the packages were soaked
> through. It's better
>
> to take the package back to the office and have the
> customer schedule a
>
> re-delivery. The other delivery services won't even
> deliver this far from
>
> the city.
>
> JB
>
> Former Postal Employee/ Postmaster who has delivered and
> supervised the
>
> delivery of tens of thousands of parcels.>>>
>
>
______________________________________________________________________________
> Clayart members may send postings to:
> clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list, post messages,
> or change your
> subscription settings here:
> http://www.acers.org/cic/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached
> at melpots2@visi.com
>
Wendy Kelsey, Operations Manager
www.martiniceramics.com
Martini Ceramics
Custom Tile, Gifts and Ceramic Art
1272 Paradise Cove
Ferndale, WA 98248-9469
Telephone: 360-392-8607
Fax: 832-550-4856
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