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Shipping Costs!!

I’d be ok subsidizing big companies shipping if they actually gave me cheap shipping. You southerners get it, we don’t. As soon as you’re north of about 55 degrees there is no free or flat rate shipping.
 
I just discovered yesterday that USPS will be increasing rates effective January 26th. Just looking at the increases for flat rate boxes and services, it appears to average out to be approximately 5.2% increase in the actual shipping cost.

For both the consumer and the seller, shipping cost can be a huge factor for most of us. Whatever the case, we charge our customers actual shipping rates on what it cost us to ship the package. We do get a slight discount from UPS based on our shipping volume that we are able to pass onto the buyer. I know that larger accounts have much deeper cuts.

For those sellers advertising "Free Shipping", they are having to make it up somewhere or take a direct hit to their bottom line. Some sellers have resorted to offering free shipping to lure customers into possibly purchasing more items so that they can hopefully offset the shipping cost with the movement of more volume which they hope to offset with better price margins.

For the show deliveries, we continue to see strong sells of product deliveries to the different vendors. Some of the larger vendors are now taking into consideration what they can profit or save by being able to pickup up product at the show.

I would love to see attendance increase at the shows, but I cannot see shipping cost drastically offsetting that aspect of the shows. Factoring in traveling expenses, lodging and food plus the time factor; most people will bite the bullet and pay the shipping cost.

As a whole, the mentality of the customer in this day and age is to have the product within the next day with minimum cost. Thirty years ago when we were searching out and ordering parts for our hobby, if the part was to our door within two to three weeks, we were happy. Things have changed for both the good and bad over the years.
 
Amazon Prime is huge and getting more so. My wife is buying more stuff through them that otherwise would be trip to the store. More are getting their groceries delivered and others call the store to order their groceries for drive-thru pick up. Buying and selling on Ebay as I've done for years is a bigger hassle to do with shipping costs. I'm giving more nice stuff to Goodwill as by the time you factor shipping costs, finding boxes/packages, and packing material, (or buying these materials) packing it all up for safe travel, and driving it to the PO sometimes waiting in line (12 mile round trip for me)...get to wondering for the 10 or 20 friggin bucks I'm selling it for...is all this worth it? Probably works out to 20 cents an hour. As some posted shipping companies and the PO are confronting monopolistic competition...like Walmart who killed off countless competitors...
 
I just paid $50 to ship 2 used intakes to me and one went USPS in a flat rate game box which is the best deal around. I was a MAC dealer for 28 years. Towards the end of my tenure we were able to use MAC's UPS discount to return broken tools, repairs, etc. I could send a 40# box to Columbus for $12 where it would cost $35-40 without the discount. JUst a cost of doing business cost me a ton over 3 decades. :BangHead::BangHead::BangHead:
 
I've also gotten the giant boxes with the small item at the bottom, chalked it up to a disgruntled employee.
Chatting with a few bud's on this we thought it could be related to time and money considering the rampage production schedules employees are under to get stuff boxed and out. Nope, don't spend an extra minute to grab the best sized box. Makes no sense as a larger box 'should' cost more and take up more space in the trucks...anyway we get boxes like this often.
 
There is a member here that lives in Australia that purchased a steering box from Summit a few years ago.The shipping to AU was horrendous direct from Summit,both with FedEx and UPS,USPS was quite a bit less but Summit only shipped UPS.He had Summit shipped to me,came no charge,I shipped it to him USPS,guess what,FedEx was the final carrier.
 
Thanks for all the replies and experiences everyone has contributed to this post on shipping costs. It seems that the three shippers (UPS/FedEX/USPS) is user friendly & convenient, is that why we all use them on a low volume parts shipper? I was suggested in trying Fastnel as a option, I have never used them but did check into them a bit, shipping with a pallet or crate items are insured, without the pallet or crate NO insurance, has anyone tried them, if so are they less expensive? Any other options in getting parts shipped outside the three major shippers, let use know. Swap meets are good if you have to time to travel & enjoy hanging out with other vendors, it's not for everyone.
 
Here at work we get a discount from UPS. Next day is about 50%. 2nd day is less and ground still gets a discount but probably 10%
Next Day Early AM gets NO discount and Saturday delivery is $10 more.
Now, they have a formula for shipping. They take the dimensions of the box, then factor the weight and come up with what they call dimensional weight.
I can ship a 21x20x8 box that weighs 9 lbs and it will cost the same if it weighed 20 lbs.
A 34x36x24 box costs the same to ship if its 1 lb or 99. Then you get boxes where if the dimensions add up to over a certain number there is a surcharge.
 
High shipping costs coupled with BS "brokerage fees" has me having items shipped to the nearest US border town where I pick up from there. Plus it gives me the chance to pick up dirt cheap gas.
 
I've been selling stuff here and at FABO lately. Sometimes the packing and trips to the Post Office are not worth the effort. I've sold some $25 items that are small and easy to package but this week I sold a Duster taillight panel for $100. It took over a half hour to wrap it in a huge box, then I had to take it in to get a shipping price. Lucky for me it was only $66 to ship but with everything that does NOT fit in a flat rate box, I have to make 2 trips to the Post Office.
I have only had one buyer over the years back out due to shipping costs. I do try to price my stuff to sell, not to get rich. I've noticed that some of my stuff seems to be way UNDER market value unbeknownst to me. I just don't want to be the guy that alienates future buyers by being greedy.
 
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Yeah - I spend a lot of time trying to pack it safe figuring that most people handling it after it's out my my hands won't give a ****. One time I sold an ancient radio Bakelite - by the time it got to the buyer it was in several pieces. Packed the daylights out of it; but my guess is something or a number of things heavy rode on top of it looking at the photo's buyer sent to me. The sides of the box had that dreaded accordion look. That was one sad case though out of the multiple dozens of stuff I've shipped with no problems. Either that or the buyer had an identical radio busted up and used it to get his money back. lol
 
I have shied all over it is ridiculous. Just sent a 5 oz cap to a guy in all places Kuwait. 23.78 Could not believe he was good with the cost. I use Fastenal for the big stuff, not cheap but affordable.
 
I just sent a single piece of convertible interior windshield trim to Az. from Pa. Post office wanted $29 sent it UPS for $23. Just sold a Cuda rally dash gauge cluster to Ca. from Pa USPS $38.00 UPS wanted $44. It's a crap shoot on shipping prices. I need to estimate better for larger stuff for sure as I lose on shipping when I guesstimate due to the increases... Most times now I am happy to get rid of stuff and make space...
 
Thanks for all the replies and experiences everyone has contributed to this post on shipping costs. It seems that the three shippers (UPS/FedEX/USPS) is user friendly & convenient, is that why we all use them on a low volume parts shipper? I was suggested in trying Fastnel as a option, I have never used them but did check into them a bit, shipping with a pallet or crate items are insured, without the pallet or crate NO insurance, has anyone tried them, if so are they less expensive? Any other options in getting parts shipped outside the three major shippers, let use know. Swap meets are good if you have to time to travel & enjoy hanging out with other vendors, it's not for everyone.

I've used Fastenal a few times and it worked out well, I sent a full set of seats to a guy and it was $175 to ship a 42x42x40 skid that weighed 250lbs to NY from IL. I don't remember what the others quoted but I'm pretty sure it was WAY more.
 
I had a '70 Challenger rear bumper assembly for sale on the For E Bodies Only site (I'm a member of the For E, B, and A Bodies sites) for $200. One person who really wanted it lived in Oregon, I live in Pennsylvania. The shipping quote from USPS was $196! I and the potential buyer agreed that this was crazy so I lost the sale. Luckily I ended up selling it to a person who lived 20 minutes from my house who came and picked it up. Shipping now cuts deeply into one's profit (or loss).
 
I had a '70 Challenger rear bumper assembly for sale on the For E Bodies Only site (I'm a member of the For E, B, and A Bodies sites) for $200. One person who really wanted it lived in Oregon, I live in Pennsylvania. The shipping quote from USPS was $196! I and the potential buyer agreed that this was crazy so I lost the sale. Luckily I ended up selling it to a person who lived 20 minutes from my house who came and picked it up. Shipping now cuts deeply into one's profit (or loss).
Hey welcome 70sunfun. I recognize the name, I think I sold you some Nos convertible manual top clips for your car...
 
I look more on this bullshit with shipping as just asshole raping the little guys. More stuff I'm trying to or would like to sell for cheap to help others with a nice deal can't be had without risking taking a loss shipping it. And just sold something on Ebay (well this might turn sour as the buyer hasn't replied in days) with the Ebay invoice saying an 8 ******* percent tax on it!!! I sell maybe 300 bucks worth of stuff a year and I need to be worried about the *******-******* ******* taxes on this?? Meanwhile huge ******* corporations dodge paying taxes on multiple billions in sales! Is there something WRONG here folks? Just think about ALL of the taxes we all pay, aside from income tax, on every ******* thing we buy from gas to groceries and purchases on **** we need to get for home projects and such! No wonder how the government can ******* piss away a few billion here and there and well no big deal. Accordingly what am I doing? The ******* garbage can for stuff I could try to sell so now it can go to a landfill. I've taken loads to Goodwill and get to thinking WTF, the gas and time taking it there isn't worth it for the 25 mile round trip. A good buddy of mine, now departed, said it very well: "I'll bend over backwards for anybody but when I feel penetration that's it".
 
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