The Inside Story on Shipping : An Ex-Employee Speaks Out...
Written: Oct 08 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: some great, quick shipping services
Cons: some are really really expensive
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| rootwarrior's Full Review: Postal Services |
Why Independent Mailing Stores Aren't Cool
The first thing you want to do when you are shipping something is stay away from places like Mail Boxes, Etc. and The Shipping Post. The cover that these places charge over the already incredibly high rates of Fed-Ex, UPS, and even the Post Office are through the roof expensive. It is incredibly horendous. Even when I used to work for them I would always wince when I would have to tell some poor unsuspecting senior citizen that it was going to cost him/her 98 bajillion dollars to mail his 0.00003 ounce package to the next town over. People, when you use independent mailing stores, you're paying almost double what you would be paying Fed-Ex, UPS, or the Post Office. People would make faces as if I was growing another head when I would be forced to tell them that stamps were $0.40 at Mail Boxes when they could go to the post office and get them for $0.33. It was the same for all shipping services. Folks, if you could see how much you are getting ripped off you would want to do nasty things to these stores with objects like hammers, rocks, and possibly pranks involving live animals.
And another thing when I'm on the topic of these stores - DO NOT take your items to these stores to be shipped, and DO NOT buy your shipping supplies from these stores. They charge waaaaaaay too much (around $10 JUST for the labor of packing a small box). Lemme lay it down for all y'all out there on how to save some chedda (money). If you're going to buy shipping supplies (tape, bubble wrap, peanuts, boxes, blah, blah, etc...), go to your local hardware store. Go to a local Home Depot, Villagers, or Rickel. The supplies are about 50% cheaper there than if you are going to buy them at individual shipping stores. Whatever your packing has to be in a box with about 4 inches space on either side of the object. If it's a fragile object (electronics, china, etc.) you wanna bubble wrap it - also make that 6 inches for fragile items. If it's china or dishes, wrap each one individually in bubble and then wrap the whole thing in one big bubble unit that whoever your sending it to will have fun popping. Also if you are sending TVs or Monitors, anything with a screen, make sure you tape a piece of cardboard across where the screen is to prevent scratching and breaking. The remaining space in the box should be filled with styrofoam peanuts. READ THIS : newspaper and packing paper do NOTHING to save whatever you're shipping. Always use peanuts. I wish you could see what some of these couriers (drivers) for Fed-Ex and UPS do with your packages. They're tossed around pretty bad. Fragile stickers and "This End Up" stickers are laughed at, but then again your only other option is to drive your package to your destination, which isn't too popular if you live in New Jersey and you're sending something to Kenya. However, if you don't mind paying, and don't feel like calling Fed-Ex or UPS or driving to your local Post Office, then do as you must.
In this review I plan on breaking down three types of shipping services for you : the US Post Office, Fed-Ex, and UPS. I have had plenty of experience with all three of these since I was employed by Mail Boxes, Etc for over a year, and also because my father has worked for the United States Postal Service for 20 some-odd years.
Shipping
OK - well the three different services (USPS, UPS, and Fed-Ex) are great depending on what situation you are in. Here's a couple scenarios to get your motor running (which may or may not be based on actual experiences working in shipping - hehe)...
1) Joe Snotwick, attorney at law, is having a terrible day. Despite the fact that he makes more in an hour than you make in 7 years, he's stressed out. The Finkleman case is tomorrow, and Mr. Finkleman needs the pictures of his wife cheating to prove to the court that he deserves a divorce, the Lexus, and possibly a large cash award. It's 3:02pm, and Snotwick needs to find a way to make sure that these dirty pictures get from Maine to San Diego by 8:00am tomorrow morning California time. With his tie hanging off his neck and the sweat stains on the armpits of his white dress shirt getting noticably larger, he bursts into his local shipping store and explains the situation to some teenager at the counter, who, by the way, makes minimum wage. What service will Snotwick use? What is the best choice for his scenario?
Answer: Fed-Ex Early AM delivery. It's going to cost Snotwick though. If he went directly to Fed-Ex it would have costed him a good $30 or $40, but since he went to an independent shipping store, it's going to cost him about $60. Fed-Ex is however the most reliable of the three. I have experienced hardly any Fed-Ex complaints in my year of working in shipping.
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2) Bill "Tiny" Bobbalowski is at his first year of college, and boy does "Tiny" love to eat. Aside from being the NCAA's heaviest linebacker, weighing in at 387 pounds, Bill's hobbies include writing home asking for food and money. Momma Bubbalowski has just recieved an urgent letter from "Tiny" asking for more homemade brownies to assist in Bill's studies at college. Momma has brought in her box of brownies which is about the size of a 30 inch television, and weighs what feels like the same amount as "Tiny" himself. Since time is not of the essence, and Bill's college is only 3 states over, how is she going to send this puppy?
Answer:UPS ground. Since the college is only 3 states away it's probably only going to take 2 or 3 days (at most) to ship this package ground. Since ground never reaches an airplane, and the package is fairly large weighing around 20 pounds, its going to cost her $20 at UPS, and $30-ish at independent mailing stores to ship this package. (To add a guaranteed ot your money back 2 day or 3 day shipping, it'll cost roughly an extra $20.)
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3) L. Mildred Impatience is sending a letter to her friend Beatrice wishing her a happy 80th birthday. Since Beatrice has met Mildred playing Bingo on Wednesdays, they have become good friends. Beatrice then moved though, and now lives 3 states over while Mildred lives in her own apartment complex in her town. Mildred is fed up with the lines at the local indepent shipping store, and has chosen to show her unhappiness by shreiking at the store owner for 32 straight minutes, hurling shipping tape across the counter like an assault missile, and then leaving the store. Where will she go? Will Beatrice get her 80th birthday card on time if her birthday is in 3 days, and she lives 3 states over??
Answer: Mildred should first, SIMMA DOWN NAH, and then she should go to the local post office. She should send it Priority Mail, which isn't a money back guarantee but 95% of the times gets anywheres in the US by 2 to 3 days. Since it's only a letter it's going to cost Mildred $3.20 at the post office, and $4.80 at your local independent stores.
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Conclusion
So here's a quick show of the advantages of each of these shipping services. UPS is a cheap, somewhat quick way to move letters and packages across the country. Fed-Ex is going to empty your wallet, but they are going to see that your package or letter gets there on time, whether it be next day or second day. Finally, the Post Office is INCREDIBLY cheap, with an 85% success rate of moving packages and letters across the country in usually 2 to 3 days.
If you have any questions about any of this stuff, leave me your comments, and I'll see if I can be of any help.
Recommended:
Yes
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rootwarrior
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Member: Chris Irons
Location: New Jersey
Reviews written: 66
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