Shipping charges are HOW MUCH?!?!?! - NEVERMIND, MY MISTAKE

dave64o · #1 09-05-2007, 09:22 AM

EDIT - Nevermind. I'm an idiot for not noticing the mistake on the shipping receipt. I called the store owner, he saw the mistake right away, and he already credited my account for the difference.
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I just sold a bass here and took it to the UPS store this morning. I was expecting the $40 or so I think I remember paying to ship the last few basses I sold, but my jaw hit the floor when he told me the total - $142.46!!!!!

I know the owner of that store so I seriously doubt he'd intentionally rip me off, but that sounds like $100 over what I've paid before. For one thing, I got hit with a $45 large Package Fee which I'm positive I didn't pay the last time I used the exact same box (a Uline guitar box, 21" x 52" x 21"). He measured it again and verified that it does get classified as a large package. The bottom line, I had to pay for 119 pounds of billed weight rather than the 27 pounds it actually weighed.

I paid a Fuel Surchage of $5.61. That sucks, but I'm guessing it's nothing I can do anything about. it's probably added to all packages, at least those over a given size (?).

The service options were $18.50, which I'm guessing is the insurance (I declared the value to be $1000, which means they pay the first $100 of insurance and I pay for $900 worth). That sounds higher than I remember, but only by maybe $5, so that's in the noise.

Then the shipping charges themselves from the Philadelphia area to Durham, NC, were $73.05, which I swear are double what they were the last time I shipped a bass (around April '07). I'm guessing that's because it "weighs" a whopping 119 pounds?

Has anyone paid that amount recently? I can't help but feel like I just got violated big time.

Tony G · #2 09-05-2007, 09:35 AM

Wow, I wouldn't have shipped it if they told me it would cost that much. This was for ground shipping I assume? I would have just walked out and taken it to FedEx of DHL...

Nino Valenti · #3 09-05-2007, 09:38 AM

What service did you use? Ground, 2 day, etc?

Also. you can check the shipping charge:
http://wwwapps.ups.com/calTimeCost?loc=en_US

Passinwind · #4 09-05-2007, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dave64o

Has anyone paid that amount recently? I can't help but feel like I just got violated big time.

Did you go directly to the UPS website and run the numbers? At least then you'll know how much markup the store is adding.

Nino Valenti · #5 09-05-2007, 09:42 AM

Looking at the size of the box, It is HUGE!!!!! I'm not surprised at the high price. The boxes I usually use are 52 x 17 x 7.
If the box gets too big, you pay dimensional weight, no matter how much the actual weight is.

BadMonk · #6 09-05-2007, 09:42 AM

A few months ago I sent a bass from New Jersey to California, expecting $40 - $50. The buyer paid me on a Saturday evening. I wanted to get it sent Ground before the busy week started. So, I found a UPS store open on Sunday. Total was $100, maybe a few bucks more. My jaw dropped too. I figured it was a rip cuz of it being a Sunday.

UPS stores set their own rates but $100 and over is ridiculous.

Maybe it's a NJ thing...

Embryodead · #7 09-05-2007, 09:43 AM

uh yeah, i shipped a cab tuesday for 18 dollars.

God of Rapture · #8 09-05-2007, 10:04 AM

UPS really sucks. Especially when having items shipped from a different country. FedEx I can deal with.

Duties charges i've had to pay in the past with FedEx:
Spector Bass (Value $1,200): $80
Bass Cab (Value $700): $75

Duties charges i've had to pay in the past with UPS:
5 Sets of Bass Strings (Value $100): $55
2 CDs in one small box (Value $20): $20

**Marcus Willett** · #9 09-05-2007, 10:08 AM

Had an experience like that not too long ago and I switched to DHL. I had to ship an Eden 4X10XLT...a big heavy cab, as most of you know. UPS was going to be around $150. DHL was not even half that, AND that included them picking it up at my house (only an extra $5 charge). I have since sent several items with DHL and they were MUCH cheaper than the quotes I was getting from UPS; FWIW.

Screw UPS, I'm done with brown.

dave64o · #10 09-05-2007, 11:15 AM

OK, I'm an idiot. I never paid attention to the size of the box that appears on the slip and I just copied it into my original post without even thinking. The box was NOWHERE near those dimensions. The 52" long makes sense, but the footprint was NOT 21" x 21". 21" wide maybe, but it can't be more than about 7" thick.

I'm going to call him and see if the box is still in the store so he can verify the size.

dave64o · #11 09-05-2007, 11:37 AM

***** slapping forehead repeatedly *****

As my edit of the original post says, it was already taken care of when I called. Because I questioned it before I left he went back to verify it and saw that he made a typo on the dimensions. Instead of typing 52" x 21" x 9" he accidentally entered 21" twice so it was 52" x 21" x 21".

He corrected his mistake then and left me a voice mail at home saying he found the problem and credited my credit card account with the overcharge. The actual cost was around $44, which is right around what I remember paying before.

Other than me being an idiot, all is once again right with the world.

Tony G · #12 09-05-2007, 11:41 AM

Well, there ya go. I'm glad it worked out in the end.

dave64o · #13 09-05-2007, 12:10 PM

Yeah, me too. $100 glad!

So there's your lesson for today, kids. ALWAYS check your receipt before you leave the store!

Munjibunga · #14 09-06-2007, 12:47 AM

So what kind of gear are you going to buy with your hundred bucks?

morf · #15 09-06-2007, 03:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

So what kind of gear are you going to buy with your hundred bucks?

Thank you Munji.

dave64o · #16 09-06-2007, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

So what kind of gear are you going to buy with your hundred bucks?

There's a very good chance I'm going to apply it to THIS in the very near future.

Sorry it's not bass related. I suffer from several different types of GAS pains these days but at least for now my bass GAS has been eliminated.

.... well, at least that's the lie I'm telling myself right now.

ElBajista · #17 09-06-2007, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus Willett

Had an experience like that not too long ago and I switched to DHL. I had to ship an Eden 4X10XLT...a big heavy cab, as most of you know. UPS was going to be around $150. DHL was not even half that, AND that included them picking it up at my house (only an extra $5 charge). I have since sent several items with DHL and they were MUCH cheaper than the quotes I was getting from UPS; FWIW.

Screw UPS, I'm done with brown.

Exactly. A while back I was quoted $55 to ship a bass w/ hardcase to the West Coast with UPS. Took it to DHL, paid $25.

From what my shipped explained to me, DHL doesn't charge for "oversized" items. Anything shipped with UPS/Fedex/USPS over a certain weight is shipped at "dimensional weight" rather than "actual weight," therefore you have a bill that's way more expensive than DHL, which ships at actual weight/size.

**Marcus Willett** · #18 09-06-2007, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElBajista

From what my shipped explained to me, DHL doesn't charge for "oversized" items. Anything shipped with UPS/Fedex/USPS over a certain weight is shipped at "dimensional weight" rather than "actual weight," therefore you have a bill that's way more expensive than DHL, which ships at actual weight/size.

I like that idea. I'm going to start charging for "dimensional basslines" versus "'actual basslines". Anything more harmonically complex than root/fifth (weight, if you will) or busier than 4 quarter notes per measure (size) will be billed as a "dimensional bassline" and thus the maximum rate. It's doesn't matter what I actually play, once we get into dimensional billing.

I like it...

Unrepresented · #19 09-06-2007, 08:27 PM

UPS Stores are there to gouge you. They have markups on everything: packing materials, packaging, shipping, etc.

UPS Stores are middlemen. Anytime you deal with them you're going to end up paying extra for the "convenience."

Pack it yourself if the bottom line is really your concern and take it directly to your local UPS hub. If you took it to a "DHL Store" you'd find you'd get upcharged just as quickly.

**Marcus Willett** · #20 09-06-2007, 08:34 PM

Unrepresented, I don't necessarily disagree with you but

1) the quotes I got were not from a store, but from the UPS website (I agree the stores have a ridiculous markup) and

2) at least where I live, UPS pickup is not offered

In my case, shipping big and heavy stuff, DHL was much cheaper and FAR more convenient. In the case of shipping the Eden cab, it would have been a major hassle to take it to the shipper with my little Honda. It could be done, but I'd much rather pay DHL $5 to come get it, especially when they are still cheaper after pickup.