posted on July 19, 2001 07:14:47 PM
I sell a variety of things including large cardboard stand up of athletes etc. You know the type you see in grocery and gen. merchandise stores, nascar, pop stars, footballers etc.........These are usually quite large when being shipped because most fold in half no smaller. I double box them flat. I usually try and leave 2 inches or so around each side for cushion. the items are usually too large for usps but will make ups.....They generally run 105" to 110" inches, ups's max size. Shipping is $15 to $20 depending which zone it is shipped to, i charge a flat $17. They are classified as oversized and that gives them a 30# weight min charge. It seems that in feb. of this yr. usp added a class called oversized 2 (os2), this class has a 70# min charge. They took part of the oversized, up to 110", and made it os2. so now most of my standup items will be os2. THE RATES TRIPLED!!!! They wanted to charge me $49.62 for a normal $17 item....THE kicker is this is the first time this year i have been charged/gouged with os2, even though since feb. i have mailed more than 6 via ups. They could not supply me with a new rate chart, got one faxed to them and the the supv. said i could not have it because it was internal inbfo, A RATE CHART!?!?!...the terminalmgr knew nothing of an increase until he got the pleasure of talking to me. I did not ship, came home and ran the figures thru the9ir online rate, guess what 3 day select was 22 bucks, but they never bothered to offer it to me, i neveer even thought to ask if faster would be cheaper. They could not explain why.........I could babble on with more details of the fiasco but i wont.......I guess the question is who else knew of this outrageous increase. Notice was never posted at the drop counter and it took em 5 months for them to start charging me for it.........the incompetence blows me away.....plus the rate of course...it will make it tought to hang in there with these tyoe items unless i can get the 3rd day select rate.....
UPS has had OS1(84-108 inches) and OS2(108-130 inches) for longer than a few months. I've had the 2 limits taped on my monitor for over a year and the little note came off my OLD monitor.
You've been lucking out for a while, your counter guys were either uninformed, lazy (didn't want to look for the chain), or like you and were letting it slide.
Mine do that for me on "residential address" all the time. Never on size though- they keep their chain handy.
posted on July 19, 2001 07:50:20 PM
yes i meant 130" not 110..anyway yes i have been skating, they always use the chain , hell i have a chain here so i know not to go over......these guys are a joke, i complained via the 800#, was promised a return call in hour, 6 days later no return call.....man could i rant about that little trip....i complained about the incompetence and the manager who was uninformed
posted on July 19, 2001 08:15:59 PM
Check with Fed-Ex Ground. They have better rates than UPS. Sometimes they have a little trouble with rural deliveries, but that can be solved by sending it to your customers place of work -- also saving the residential charge.
himmelske
[ edited by himmelske on Jul 19, 2001 08:16 PM ]
