[TAKerry]

Fortunately I am somewhat close to Carlisle, Hershey, etc. If I have big items to order I will have them set up to be delivered at a show. I have got several large packages in the Ames booth at carlisle and most recently picked up my exhaust from firebird central at the camaro nationals in Morgantown. IF there is an event within a 2 hr drive or so I would look into that. The big advantage for me is that none of my restorations are so time sensitive that I cant wait a few months to get a part.

[ta6point6]

I recently sold a t-top through ebay and wanted to ship through the local UPS store and have it insured, packaged by them . The reason is I had a damaged package sold on ebay and shipped through UPS and could not get a hold of someone at UPS to file a claim. The local UPS store said they could not help me file a claim unless I shipped through the store. I had to get a hold of UPS online or call on the phone, it is all automated these days and no help. So basically I had to absorb the cost and profit loss of item. I also wasted money on insuring the package. Anyway I went to local UPS store and yes I know it is a t-top and needs extra padding and a large box. To ship through my local UPS store I was quoted 225( 165 was just shipping charge) . I found a box and tons of air bubbles and packaged myself. I am going to use FedEx and hope filling a claim for any future damage might be an easier endeavor but we will see. So using ebay for shipping again with insurance from FedEx is going to be 44.00 dollars. Even if I decided to use UPS through ebay it would have been about 57.00. That is a huge mark up from the UPS store never use them for shipping packages

[78w72]

I just dealt with UPS for a damage claim- they can absolutely be contacted without any more effort than fedex for a damage claim. Yes you have to call & select the right options to get to a customer service rep or can do it pretty easy on the website.. its not all automated. Same for fedex or USPS.

The UPS store or any place like that such as mailboxes etc does charge higher shipping rates than going directly to a UPS or fedex or having a shipping account, they are basically a 3rd party that handles UPS or other companies packages, they also charge a fair price for professional packing and when shipped & packed through them they handle the damage claims.

Its always better to pack & ship yourself and the prices mentioned above show that, if you know how to pack the item to be protected there is usually no damage... most places require protection for a 36" drop is what I was told dealing with fedex on a damage claim... one of them was for a 2nd gen dash, they are lightweight and it was packed to easily withstand a 3' drop but this looked like a gorilla stomped all over it, no clue what happened but they paid the stated insurance with no hassles.

I've shipped quite a few larger heavy items that I didnt want to deal with but the buyer agreed to pay for the UPS store to pack & ship it, they actually suggested it themselves. If you cant or dont want to pack it yourself, the UPS store is a valid option but obviously costs more.

[Trulyvintage]

If you are selling anything ....

Put in your listing that
whatever you are selling is for
pickup only.

The Buyer chooses the shipping
method and makes the arrangements
including insurance.

As a consideration - for whatever
price you deem reasonable - you
might be agreeable to take the
item(s) to a place that does packing
(like a UPS store) to pack and box
up what you are selling as a courtesy.

Don't take on the responsibility of
shipping & insurance - it isn't
worth it anymore - if your Buyer
doesn't agree - they can buy elsewhere.

Jim

[Shiny]

Originally Posted by 78w72

.... if you know how to pack the item to be protected there is usually no damage... most places require protection for a 36" drop is what I was told dealing with fedex on a damage claim... one of them was for a 2nd gen dash, they are lightweight and it was packed to easily withstand a 3' drop but this looked like a gorilla stomped all over it, no clue what happened but they paid the stated insurance with no hassles.....

You got good advice on the drop risk. There are "industry-accepted" drop event assumptions that spell out probability of drop per height. 36" is probably a 1 in 100 probability for low-weight cartons.

Imagine what a box goes through between you and the destination. I recall the "typical" number of drop and/or impact events for any single box is about 12. So if it gets mildly hammered a few times and the box is weakened, a drop from even a low height can spell the end.

A commercial company will design and test packaging to make sure it survives drops. I don't do that myself, and most of us here probably don't either. So my guess is part of the high cost of packaging is because:

1. people don't package their product well
2. the damage rate is high, which means the claim rate is high
3. we all pay for it

UPS, Fedex, UPS, etc. can't know if a customer's packaging is adequate or not. If a 3rd party packages your item, they are likely to do a better job than most individuals.

I just try to overpackage stuff and it sounds like you do too. Most on here are likely to do the same. And in my own distorted brain, it's ALWAYS the other people causing my problems!

[78w72]

Agreed. Ive been shipping firebird/pontiac parts & home audio of all sizes for over 20 years, mostly selling on ebay but use forums & other online places too. I have shipping accounts with the big carriers that give better rates than just walking in or dropping off. The UPS store places need to make money so the rates are higher for the convenience.

I have relatives & friends that have worked for fedex as package handlers and UPS as drivers, Ive been inside the main hubs for my city quite a few times & seen the huge multi level conveyor systems. Have also watched drivers mistreat packages so can imagine what happens during its journey.

I have learned how to pack small & big items safely, very rarely have a damage issue & when there is its almost always out of my control, I have an unlimited source for bubble wrap & boxes so try to over pack things when possible. But just like with cars or houses, chit happens so thats what insurance is for & yes we all pay for it one way or the other.

I agree UPS store doing the packing is expensive, but it is professional packing, they usually use the injected foam in oversize boxes or double boxed. I watched a guy recently pack one of the very expensive commercial HD laser projectors I sold, weighed almost 60lbs and was about 30"x30"x12", very delicate & expensive, new they are $20k, reman'd $10k & used from $2-5k. I listed as local pickup only on ebay but said I would help with shipping if buyer paid, 2 different buyers suggested the UPS store to pack & ship, they paid via their credit card & it was about $150 to ship to east/west coast area & about $75 to pack.

Another tip is to use the right shipper based on size & weight, up to about 5lbs & not too large USPS is usually cheaper & includes up to $100 insurance for free.. they will pick up from your house for free too. USPS also has a lower cost option than priority that can be insured. I found fedex is usually cheaper than UPS by a few bucks but it can vary, fedex is definitely easier to work with on damage claims, 90% of the time fedex doesnt even ask questions & just approves the claim if the packing was good, UPS will fight as much as they can & even wants to come get the item sometimes to investigate it. Also take pics of the box with the label on it just in case.

[ta6point6]

Okay I should have clarified that trying to submit a claim with UPS when using Ebay was the problem. If you dont have a shipping ID then you cant get very far on automated system. As far as I know Ebay does not assign a shipper ID when shipping using UPS. In the past I would just go to shipping labels and under more actions there was a place to file a claim. That is no longer an option and so tried reaching out to UPS with no luck since I do not a have my Ebay shipping ID#. 78w72 if you have had any recent experience with this I would be interested in hearing about it.

[78w72]

ta6.6- Yes I have actually dealt with UPS on something I bought recently via ebay that was damaged in shipping, (thats when they fought me & tried to come get the item I owned to inspect it, i was able to send pics to show the damage)... i didnt use ebay for the claim or have a shipping ID, I called UPS directly to ask how to file a claim, only thing they needed was the tracking info, it had all the info including insurance amount, they didnt or shouldnt care where the label was printed or where the item was purchased from, I did have to show my proof of amount paid using the paypal receipt, but besides that they handled the claim by the tracking number & refunded me directly as the recipient, they said they could refund the seller too but I didnt want that since I owned the item.

It sucks trying to call & deal with most these places, especially if you get someone in another country that you can barely understand, ebay is terrible with that these days, but if you are in the right & escalate it to a supervisor/manager if needed, they usually rule in your favor for shipping damage or other ebay disputes... YMMV.

[SRR]

Originally Posted by Shiny

You got good advice on the drop risk. There are "industry-accepted" drop event assumptions that spell out probability of drop per height. 36" is probably a 1 in 100 probability for low-weight cartons.

Imagine what a box goes through between you and the destination. I recall the "typical" number of drop and/or impact events for any single box is about 12. So if it gets mildly hammered a few times and the box is weakened, a drop from even a low height can spell the end.

A commercial company will design and test packaging to make sure it survives drops. I don't do that myself, and most of us here probably don't either. So my guess is part of the high cost of packaging is because:

1. people don't package their product well
2. the damage rate is high, which means the claim rate is high
3. we all pay for it

UPS, Fedex, UPS, etc. can't know if a customer's packaging is adequate or not. If a 3rd party packages your item, they are likely to do a better job than most individuals.

I just try to overpackage stuff and it sounds like you do too. Most on here are likely to do the same. And in my own distorted brain, it's ALWAYS the other people causing my problems!

I have also started doing unboxing videos so if there is a problem they can clearly see it was damaged during shipment. When I was selling on ebay I over packaged as well and only had one thing damaged in shipment on a cylinder head rocker stud so I gave the guy a partial refund to cover the repair and he was happy.

[thepontiacman]

I package stuff like I would want it packaged if I was buying it.

A little extra padding helps protect it and get it there in good shape.

I sent a guy a rare radiator and he said 3 had been damaged from others. Mine showed up in good shape. Takes more time but worth it.

I bought a carb and was put in a box with air cleaner stud still in it and nothing in box to protect or keep it from moving around.
It got here with box in bad shape with stud sticking through box. Impact had jammed the top and choke plate was stuck.

Good luck with shipping or receiving.

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