Shipping Woes

SDA1C

I recently ran into a "Wow I didn't think shipping would be that much" type of situation so I figured I would break it down and take a look at an example of properly shipped equipment vs. tossing it in a box.

We will start with the list of packing materials for a properly packaged amplifier and preamp. Combined weight of 39 lbs for components alone.

2 Cans Great Stuff big gap filler $4 per can...Total $8.
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=great+stuff&hl=en&prmd=imvns&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1024&bih=649&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=15130000916839372174&sa=X&ei=UMgqT-fPKeLo2AXpvLWNCA&ved=0CGsQ8wIwAg

1 Roll Scotch tape $4
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=packing+tape&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=545009955034495342&sa=X&ei=6skqT-DyHeLy2QXinNn5Dg&ved=0CJwBEPMCMAI

2 inner boxes and 2 outer boxes $17 I went to the following link and did the math as if I were to buy 100. I'll save you some time and just say it was $4.23 per box.
http://www.packnboxnow.com/Default.aspx?ISC_SiteName=CustomBoxesNow&gclid=CJbaht_q_60CFYIUKgodiCALvQ

1 roll of bubble wrap 13.95 and you wait for your toys an extra week till the bubble wrap arrives or I could buy it at the post office for 3 times that price.
http://www.amazon.com/175ft-BUBBLE-WRAP-SMALL-BUBBLES/dp/B000GHJM9C

As some of you know I also wrap the entire package or packages with industrial saranwrap. Lets just put $1.50 on that cause if I put the whole roll on your package you would need a blowtorch to get in.
http://www.amazon.com/175ft-BUBBLE-WRAP-SMALL-BUBBLES/dp/B000GHJM9C

So far we are at $44.45 to properly box up and protect your equipment.... Lets go to the Post Office and see how much they want for their part in this whole thing.

2 boxes shipped to the middle of PA somewhere...I threw a dart :biggrin: (61483 to 19131)

(1) @ 27#'s Priority W/ Delivery confirmation and insurance $43.43 Parcel Post $26.26


(1) @ 13.5#'s Priority W/ delivery confirmation and insurance $31.67 Parcel Post $18.36


I will not ship without insurance and delivery so I didn't even go there but the insurance was $5 give or take so not more than a $10 swing either way.

Let's see...where are we now for shipping costs? $44.45+$43.43+$26.26 is a total of $114.14 for Priority so it doesn't get bounced around for another 3 or 4 days or...

$44.45+$31.67+$18.36 for a total of $94.48 to have it float around in the back of a truck somewhere for a week or so.


I have said before this is my hobby and I do not include the time I take to enjoy it. Buying used and moving it on is part of the enjoyment for me and so with that so is the shipping rat race. Either way I feel it necessary to set gear prices low enough that total cost is fair and probably real close with in a buck or two of actual sales price of yu were to buy it on Ebay or the like. I haven't mentioned Paypal charges, listing fees or any of the rest of that stuff just the shipping because that's what seems to get most folks attention. For the obvious reason it is a direct charge and can be seen in the item total.

Can I wrap the stuff in a towel and throw it in a box then call the UPS driver to come pick it up and drop kick it into the back of his truck? Sure! Will it cost about $45? Yup! Is that what you want? IDK. But if it is my responsibility stops the instant the driver picks it up.

To me the whole cheap shipping is akin to buying a Maserati when you don't even have a garage.

1C

heiney9

So you used every single bit of packing material you purchased for just one shipment? If so, then yes that's the cost of shipping. If not, then you need to divid the cost by how many packages you ship. I save and recycle all kinds of materials like bubble wrap, foam, peanuts, boxes, etc.

It appears as you say "2 boxes" shipped so divide your total by 2 and that's around $45-48. Since we have no idea what you are shipping I have no idea if that's expensive or not for that item.

H9

SDA1C

Read it again lol

To put a 3 inch layer of bubble wrap around both components is around 100 ft. The rolls at the PO are 20 ft at 2.95 a roll I saved a $1.80 by buying the one on amazon and got to keep 75 ft of it.

Very clearly stated, and that s exactly what I said 2 boxes shipped. costs for each are as follows...Do you really not understand this or are you just being an H9?

(2) boxes---one (1) at (@) 13.5 pounds(#'s), one (1) at (@) 27 pounds(#'s) what part of that could you not comprehend Brock? (where is the "I can't believe it's not butter" emoticon?)

Congrats on your hoarding of the packing peanuts...Not really my style.

And lastly. It doesn't surprise me that you have no idea.

P.S. How's those caps coming? Did they do all you were looking for? It is a good price to be sure. DIY has some really good deals from time to time.

heiney9

Ah, gotcha.

If you want overkill, then yes it's expensive. I've shipped similar stuff with just as much bomb proofing for a helluva lot less. But I do see your point, shipping costs can get out of hand fairly quickly. I have been shipping a lot of tubes lately and I won't ship in a small box, but rather a medium box to ensure proper cushioning and on average it's been $2-5 more per box than I quoted to ship the item going from a smaller box to a medium box. Do that 10 times and it adds up. Sometimes I loose a little bit on shipping sometimes I make a few bucks, in the end it seems to even out.

If I made a habit of shipping larger, heavier items I'd probably charge the "true" cost of shipping.

H9

George Grand

There's a reason I quote lower prices for local pick-up. Lots of people ask if I'll ship. Sure, but the price of the item just went up. Probably a lot too. There's a big difference between opening my front door in my boxers, swapping equipment for cash, saying bye-bye, and making cardboard/foam love to an item for a couple hours in the garage before hauling it up to ship. Somebody doesn't want to pay for my time and effort doesn't want the item that bad.

BeefJerky

George Grand wrote: »

There's a reason I quote lower prices for local pick-up. Lots of people ask if I'll ship. Sure, but the price of the item just went up. Probably a lot too. There's a big difference between opening my front door in my boxers, swapping equipment for cash, saying bye-bye, and making cardboard/foam love to an item for a couple hours in the garage before hauling it up to ship. Somebody doesn't want to pay for my time and effort doesn't want the item that bad.

This is also a good point. Too often, the buyers are either unaware or simply don't care about the labor that is put into properly shipping an item. As you said, this includes the actual time for packing, as well as having to haul it to the shipping depot.

SDA1C

I definitely don't aim to make anything on shipping. I do however have to balance the cost of time it will take to rectify a problem if it should arise vs. wrapping it extra well to begin with. Having some larger packages under my belt (larger value that is) I tend to discuss shipping at first but send a second invoice for actual cost that is generally a fair amount lower than the original number discussed.

Rather be safe than sorry that's for sure. When it all comes down I can only really go on how I would like something packed and what I am willing to do to protect my new toy. I pack it like I would want it done and worry bout the coin later.

WilliamM2

Other than tape, I usually can get all the shipping supplies needed from things I've ordered in the past, or things we've ordered at work. I always keep original shipping cartons as well, so boxes are never an issue. I can see where it would really add up if starting from scratch.

SDA1C

Here's the crummy part...I charge $86 bucks and $66 of that was the post office. That was "Too much" . LOL

heiney9

I have a personal FEDEX and UPS account and I can get a bit of a discount, so that helps. Anything larger than a medium box I usually ship FED EX, they tend to be cheaper than the post office. If you are going to a pack-n-ship place, even if they don't pack it for you, you are are paying about a 40-50% premium for shipping. I know, because I was a general manager for one here in town for awhile. We worked on about a 50% mark-up for shipping on average.

SDA1C

That was the quote form the local USPS office. My hunting buddy owns a Pack-n-Ship in Bartonville. I stay away...far far away lol

Tony M

Shipping used to be affordable. Light and small items is still affordable...say 7.00 to 15.00, box included. Padding by newspaper or similar found around the house leftover.

But get to 45 lbs. and fragil electronics or speakers, be prepared to dish some 20's out.

If your on the East coast and ship to the East coast, you're in luck. The charges won't be shock. But from NC. to Seattle WA. OUCH...

Fuel is not cheap anymore!! Shipping Co.'s know that.
Space on the trucks and airplanes are a premium and the bigger your box is for protecting that fragile Amp will increase x2 compared to the smaller sizes with little space for bubble wrap and foam and peanuts. I've been shocked getting quotes from UPS and USPS and some sales were lost.

But I've received Polk Monitor 10's mailed to me in ONE GIANT BOX where in the sale, I paid 40.00 for shipping from Fla. to southern NC. There was no packing and 4" to 6" of space all around the 2 loose speakers in this giant box. NO DAMAGE was done to them....... UNBELIEVABLE...the grills were floating around in there too!!!!

I used to store packing materials but when you don't even get a well packed responce from a buyer, you question why bother. Let the future buyers pay for their own packing and free up space at your own home for a change. If you work where packing stuff in laying around, then good. You can take what's needed home when you plan on shipping something and there fore save the buyer some coin with little inconvienience to your own surroundings at home. If you have space at home and want to save for future packings, great. Karma is good.

But shipping has gone up and the shippers aren't doing their trade like the USPS did for 200 years and are continually going broke. Pay the price or pay the seller a tip for avoiding extra charges if that's what you expect. I quote a price now what it will cost me to ship it. If they don't want it, I'm sorry but I will not dig into my pocket and use my space to save another money they should gladly pay to keep from driving or flying to get their things.

That's all for now.

Drenis

If I may add my $.02 here...

I find that as shipping costs rise, more pressure will be put on the consumer to buy new locally again because with used, factor in the price to ship some things and it's almost the cost of a new one.

Not that this happens all the time but I've seen instances where this could be the case.

Polkersince85

You can't trust the shippers to treat the box with kid gloves. This one went from Florida to Georgia thru USPS Jacksonville sorting. I would hate to see what it would have looked like going to the west coast. The seller's Ebay shipping insurance paid a full $300 refund in less than 24 hrs. The seller sent the funds back to me as soon as he got them. I even took a picture of the box at the P.O. counter. He's got my money, I got a full refund plus the repairable tube amp. Everybody's happy.

Pack it right, buy insurance and take convincing photos if damaged. YMMV.

SDA1C

Sorry man I don't mean to laugh but that box is Ace Ventura beat up. Wouldn't it be interesting to watch one of these and how it actually happens...

pitdogg2

George root reported

mrbigbluelight

I see that Commando Ivan is on patrol, all is safe with the world ! 😇

Seriously , that was quick. 😳

pitdogg2

If Mr. Grand answers I'll relinquish my post to him...