Not all the way to the east coast but I could get something that far for 40$ or so , just be very aware of box size .
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Shipping Fees!!!!!!!
- Thread starter LowBSix
- Start date
I can do that with Fedex to anywhere in the nation...
Pray tell - share the "secret"
I'm shipping a bass later. 20" x 8" x 60" inch box weighing 25lbs with $900 insurance going from NYC to Chicago.
I normally just pick one out of laziness, but this time I'm gonna go to UPS, fedex, and the post office to get quotes before I ship. Anyone wanna guess which will be the cheapest? I'll have the results later today.
I normally just pick one out of laziness, but this time I'm gonna go to UPS, fedex, and the post office to get quotes before I ship. Anyone wanna guess which will be the cheapest? I'll have the results later today.
Instead of going to Fedex and getting a quote, go online and open an account for free. You'll get a cheaper price online if you print the label yourself.
I'm going to guess Fedex over UPS...actually that's not a guess. I KNOW they're cheapest, always. I don't know about USPS.
I had the bass at work and didn't have a scale. It probably only woulda been a few bucks cheaper anyway.
I went with FedEx for $53. The post office wanted 60 something, and UPS wanted $90, which wasn't surprising.
Using FedEx, I shipped a ten pound bass from California to Florida a couple months back for $32. The biggest factor is the size of the box.
Good link on how to get the cost down -
http://www.talkbass.com/threads/how-fedex-pricing-works-how-to-ship-your-bass-cheaper.1088406/
Good link on how to get the cost down -
http://www.talkbass.com/threads/how-fedex-pricing-works-how-to-ship-your-bass-cheaper.1088406/
That is a ridiculously oversized box, and you're basically paying a premium for all that added filler. They charge based om weight or by the volume, whichever is greater.
A domestically shipped bass doesn't need a box any larger than 48" × 18" × 4", as long as the carton has a decent wall thickness. If you want to give it an extra INCH of foam or wrap or bubbles for cushioning, you can round that to 50" × 20" × 6" at the absolute largest.
Also, for you guys who take the bass to a UPS store and pay them to both pack and ship it, you too are paying about 40% of the cost for the packing time+materials, which often results in a double whammy with extra volume because they don't have exact cartons for every possible item you bring in.
1) Figure out the most efficient packaging
2) Sign up online, print your own labels
Both of these will result in far better shipping costs.
It's the only box I happened to have at the time and there was a very small amount of space btw the ends of the case and the ends of the box. It would not have fit in a smaller box.
I agree about UPS packing services. It's a ripoff.
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If you want to gamble on a complete loss of a instrument, then go for it. That method will cut down on shipping cost, but will leave you losing out on any damage claim.
UPS requires at least two inches of proper cushioning around the entire item and FedEx requires 3 inches.
You determine how much cushioning is required, not the shipper who makes more money as the cushioning is increased. They do that so in the event of a claim, they've made more money off all the stuff they've packed up this inflated way to generate funds to use in refunds.
I have shipped about 30 basses - most in fairly snug boxes, and never had an issue. Almost everyone who buys from me comments about how well I pack things. It's more about the wall thickness of the carton and a dense cushioning/packing, than total volume/airspace.
I've been in the sign and lighting businesses for going on 15 years now, and the number of packages I have shipped is probably in the thousands by now. A lot of the stuff would be considered on the more fragile side, where cracks or finish damage would occur with poor packing. My experience is that if the carton is going to be run over, crushed or something else extreme, then neither packaging type is going to protect it fully and makes no difference to your claim.
I've only ever had to make 2 claims, and in one case it was when a multi-carton shipment had missing cartons, and another where the carton was so badly damaged, that they decided to hold it together with pallet wrap. The photo evidence of the carton damage was indisputable, but even then, only 6 of the 24 light fixtures we had packed inside were damaged beyond use.
The carton thickness or crush resistance is the #1 thing. If you have an 8" box with lots of chips in there, but the carton wall is thin, those bubbles aren't going to protect it any better than a 5" box with a thick wall and more dense padding. In fact, the bigger box is more likely to be punctured or crush since there is little structure or resistance from within, giving support to the carton wall.
I know that it's not reasonable to expect casual sellers to have professional packaging materials available, but it's not hard to find some 1" foam insulation at just about any hardware store, and there are plenty of places that sell flatscreen TV moving cartons that you can easily cut down to the width of a bass.
IMO, if you're not going to make the time or effort to do the packaging yourself and protect it in the way that you think is needed, then there is nothing wrong with the fees that they charge you to package it up and there's no point complaining about it. Doing things yourself is always the path to A) saving money and B) making sure it's done to your satisfaction.
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If you do not follow the shippers rules to the letter, which you have agreed to prior to shipping, then they do not have to honor any damage claim.
If you want the insurance of doing it their way in the 0.01% chance that something goes wrong, then just pay what they ask - there's no right or wrong here - it's whatever you choose.
I'm simply offering some advice on how to better package things, how to save on costs, and prevent the claims from being required in the first place. They're usually because of bad packaging.
It's a gamble as soon as it leaves your home/studio. If you don't like gambles, there's always craigslist.
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I'm simply offering some advice on how to better package things, how to save on costs, and prevent the claims from being required in the first place. They're usually because of bad packaging.
It's a gamble as soon as it leaves your home/studio. If you don't like gambles, there's always craigslist.
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There is no sure coverage for full value, even if you pack their way. They try to find ways to get out of it, and resort to such nonsense such as claiming the strings weren't loosened, etc... There are ample stories about this sort of thing online - so yes - it's very much a gamble.
(I wouldn't normally use the word in this context, but you chose the word gamble, so there it is)
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(I wouldn't normally use the word in this context, but you chose the word gamble, so there it is)
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While I fully agree that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I think you should cut down on the conspiracy juice.
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