Home | Registration | Become a Seller | Appraisals | Sell an Item | Help & Info
Search | Forum | Find a FFL | My Auctions | My Bids | Contact Us | Log In
| (Forum Home)--->(Buyer Forum)--->(Using UPS is just plain stupid business.) |
|
| (Start a Thread) (Forum Rules) |
| Seller: Elitist(126-0-0) | Post#1 - Posted: 10/06/2009 at 13:16:54 |
|
Well, now, I don't know as how UPS is any worse than the Postal Service. They do make money, which is more than can be said for the USPS (which has never broken even, let alone turned a profit); and to compare the two tracking systems is ludicrous. The USPS "tracking" is a very bad joke. They tell you "Your package was picked up," and "Your package was delivered," and that's it. UPS (and FEDEX) tell you, "Your package is in the right hand lane of westbound I-40 moving at 57.3 MPH," and provide more or less continuously updated status reports. And tracking is built into the UPS charges, as is delivery confirmation: with the Postal Service you have to pay extra if you want either.
The Postal Service is good for some things: their Flat Rate is a very good deal, especially for small heavy things. I just shipped several hundred .30-06 cases to Colorado for much less than Parcel Post, let alone FEDEX Ground would have cost me. But I also just shipped a rifle via FEDEX at about 2/3 what the Postal Service would have charged me, and I know it's going to get there on time. The Postal Service has an unofficial policy that they would prefer NOT to handle packages, and would be delighted if UPS and FEDEX would do all of them. They get phenomenally honked off if they think someone is circumventing letter delivery and actually sued to stop to courier services from handling overnight letters. But they've surrendered on packages: there's a FEDEX pickup box outside every Post Office where I live! You pays yer money and takes yer choice: I'm much more comfortable shipping stuff by courier and the costs are about the same. |
| Thread Admin: gitano(25-1-0) | Post#2 - Posted: 10/06/2009 at 14:42:30 |
| (no avatar) | You are wrong regarding the tracking. You wanna believe otherwise, go ahead. You're wrong about the rest too. I just received three rifles from TX via USPS. Shipping cost me, with insurance, $40 each. They each got here in 3 days. I just sent three boxes (two to Colorado and one to Missouri), whose TOTAL weight was about the weight of ONE the rifles. The cost was $164. AND IT TOOK 10 DAYS for them to be delivered! Now, I don't really care if you believe this or not. I've been dealing with the mythology that UPS is "better" than the USPS for years. As I said, you wanna believe it, go ahead. However, Larry Potter, President of Midway USA and I have had a couple of long conversations on the matter, and Midway has consequently changed their shipping policy. I'm NOT saying they did it because of me; they were already in the process when I brought it up. NONETHELESS, Potter agreed that it was stupid business for a customer to pay more for a product, and the business selling the product not get that extra money, AND THE SERVICE BE WORSE. Some probably think I work for the USPS or have close relatives that do. Wrong again. Neither is true. In fact, as a general rule, I dislike government agencies and their employees. However, not using the USPS for shipping is just plain stupid business practice. As for Fed Ex, they're worse than UPS, and I DO have a good friend that works for them. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention why the business stupidity. Because the sellers couldn't care less. They ALWAYS pass all shipping charges on to the buyer, so what do they care. This is where Potter and my conversation started. I told him, and I repeat it here to sellers: The cost of an item is "I". The cost of shipping is "S". My budget is "B". Therefore, if I + S is greater than B, I'm not buying I. So being too lazy to go to the Post Office (especially when that's not actually necessary), costs BUSINESS even if the seller thinks that shipping "Isn't their problem." |
| Thread Admin: gitano(25-1-0) | Post#3 - Posted: 10/06/2009 at 14:48:42 |
| (no avatar) | How do you get the paragraph formatting? |
| Former Seller: Yone(557-0-2) | Post#4 - Posted: 10/06/2009 at 15:04:55 |
| (no avatar) | Gitano-- We are a UPS shipper station and I can honestly say I have never heard such a load of crap. As amatter of fact I can easily say you are outright lying. We ship long guns all over the country UPS at an average cost of 20.00 which includes insurance. 3 to 4 day delivery is the norm. The only item that ships cheaper USPS are handguns. Those of us that ship every day have the facts----------YOU DON'T |
| Former Seller: Little Storping(34-0-0) | Post#5 - Posted: 10/06/2009 at 16:18:20 |
| (no avatar) | I'll weigh in, but I’m not a business, just a gun geek/collector/hobbyist. I receive more than I ship, but I do ship at least three times a month. And I have to admit I like USPS Priority Mail. For me delivery on either end has always been spot-on. But calling their "Delivery Confirmation" a “tracking system” is like calling old, fermented orange juice a Screwdriver. UPS does a good job, and they allow me to ship handguns legally. I receive A LOT of handguns I buy shipped Priority Mail, and wish I could do it too, but I do not have an 01-FFL, I haven't grown the balls to use US Mail for pistols (yet). The little thing called "jail" starts to concern me every time I consider it. But I can remember that up until 2005 or 2006, UPS only charged non-licensee citizens (aka regular Joe’s, not dealers) a flat-rate of $15 for shipping a handgun. I sent (returned for repair) a few to Beretta (Accokeek MD) and Walther (Houlton ME) during that time, had-delivered to the UPS main depot in Baltimore, and each sailed for $15. Then sometime when I wasn’t looking, BAM! -- it finally dawned on UPS they were the only game in town that would ship handguns, and the rules and prices changed overnight – more than doubled. Same thing as being the only cable or broadband service in town (i.e. Comcast) . . . . . Last, in my opinion, FedEx really sucks - especially FedEx Ground. Maybe its only in my area, maybe its only in MD, but I have used them for personal shipping (AA, GB, eBay, Xmas or b'day gifts, etc.) and for my day-job (IT parts and related equipment) and they are the worst. The destination can be my house., a business, or a Federal agency, it doesn't matter. And the few FedEx drivers I have met and had the chance to observe in a business setting, they have no work ethic or integrity. At least USPS and UPS act and behave professionally. Yes, FedEx can be a few buck's cheaper, but every time I've been expecting something and it was sent FedEx, they screw it up. My last two orders I placed to an outfit in Ohio –- two f’n states away -- and each took 10 days to arrive. Heck, I could have driven there and back in less time. Now I ask sellers or vendors using FedEx if they will ship my stuff via another carrier. Just my 2 cents. Sorry to vent that last paragraph folks. I just took my pill and my nurse is walking me back to my padded room – I’ll be ok . . . . . |
| Seller: kag1834(410-3-0) | Post#6 - Posted: 10/06/2009 at 16:44:13 |
| (no avatar) | I used UPS for 35 years without ever filing a claim - A few years ago I shipped a Browning in a hard case with a firm box around it and packed the rifle in foam in the hard case to boot - They lost it for 3 weeks and refused to help me track or locate it -I had to call from station to station to try to get it in the right direction - When they finally got it to the destination, and I am sure it was purely accidental it was broken - They refused to honor the insurance and left me with a broken gun - This is true in most cases - I will never use them again - Just for kicks lets have some others chime in on their insurance experiences with UPS - |
| Former Seller: slumlord44(12-0-0) | Post#7 - Posted: 10/06/2009 at 18:43:10 |
| (no avatar) | They broke the stock on a rifle shipped to me. Took a while but paid me in full and I got to keep the gun. They have a bad habbit of leaving guns at my back door when no one is home. I have a problem with this. USPS seems to be better in my opinion. |
| Seller: Bubba J(83-0-0) | Post#8 - Posted: 10/06/2009 at 19:44:00 |
|
gitano: When you want to start a new paragraph just put <*P> MINUS THE * at the end of the last sentence of the finished paragraph. Or you can put a <*BR> MINUS THE * instead to end a sentence. I had to insert the * in order for you to see them. FR&G (PS) I have used the USPS exclusively for all of my firearm shipments without a problem for several years. I personally have found them cheaper overall than UPS or FedEx. |
| Seller: Sportsmanssupply(6395-0-4) | Post#9 - Posted: 10/07/2009 at 03:26:19 |
| (no avatar) | Like Yone we are a UPS shipping station. We use UPS for the bulk of our shipments. This year we have shipped in excess of 10,000 packages. We use USPS for all handguns,small heavy stuff(bullets)and shipments to AK,HI,Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands. We use them exclusively for international shipments too. I like UPS for their ability to email my customers with a tracking#,lower insurance costs,adult signature option,re-routing in mid-shipment options and overall convenience. Their tracking is more incremental. I have a local UPS person at my disposal 9-5 as well as one in CA in case I have questions on Saturday or 4PM PST. I like USPS too. There are times that we use them because of speed at a bargain price. I'm in PA and if we are shipping a scope to AZ it is cheaper to use UPS ground but if I use USPS it will get there a day or two earlier for about 75 cents more. Confidence is a big reason why we have our shipping preferences. When you ship a lot you find mistakes in all shippers. If you ship a $75 item and its delivered to the wrong address with USPS you are out of luck but with UPS the Insurance up to $100 is free,with USPS its an extra $2. As for insurance claims we are in single digits with our claims but they are part of business. Today when I go to work I'll have to wear my "I'm STUPID" shirt. lol |
| Seller: jessmoon(104-0-0) | Post#10 - Posted: 10/07/2009 at 06:20:34 |
|
Grant, "Today when I go to work I'll have to wear my "I'm STUPID" shirt. lol" WHY? In any event you should wear the one that says " I'm with stupid->" |