Shipping recommendations & insurance cost for heavy pack

[VEFF]

Hi,

I need to ship a heavy (38lb) item and insure it for a good amount of money:

I would prefer to use FedEx Ground or UPS Ground, since those two shpping companies are close to my home,

Any pitfalls with insurance?
Does either of these two have an advantage with respect to insurance costs and insurance coverage limits etc.?


Thanks for any tips or recommendations!

[aviationwiz]

I'd for sure recomend UPS Ground. Just insure it for as much as it needs to be insured. It will cost a lot of money, so would FedEx, but the transit time is guaranteed with UPS Ground, it is NOT with FedEx Ground. Just insure it for as much as you want, and as always, just make sure you package it well. UPS has never let me down once, they always deliver in a timely manner, both in respect to transit time and delivery time that day.

[Ian]

Transit time guaranteed with UPS ground? I've never heard of that.. if anything, it seems like they deliver it when ever they damn please.

[aviationwiz]

UPS Ground is indeed guaranteed. Delivery times to/fro Minneapolis are 1-5 business days. But the transit time from one place to the other is guaranteed, it is not guaranteed with Fed Ex Ground. I know from first hand expirience with both services.

As per the holiday season coming up, with many many shipments:

The UPS Guarantee does not apply to UPS Ground shipments that are picked up or scheduled to be delivered between December 12 and December 25.

[Dartman]

Also UPS will almost always claim your item was improperly packed if it gets damaged and deny your insurance claim, and for what they pay the guys that load it gets damaged a lot.
My 21 inch monitor got here with a BIG hole in the side of the box and the driver refused to let us inspect the contents without signing off first, said he'd take it back. Luckily it was fine inside and the shipper verified the box was perfect when he shipped it.
I haven't heard that sort of thing with Fedex but you might want to do some feedback searches to see. I always use the post office but I don't send out huge things, everything has gotten there OK so far, for a good price.

[CDRecorder]

I've also found that FedEx is much faster than UPS. I really prefer to ship FedEx when I can.

[Action Jackson]

Why not try USPS?

Also check to see if the insurance insures damaged items, not lost ones like they do up here with Canada Post.

[aviationwiz]

I've also found that FedEx is much faster than UPS. I really prefer to ship FedEx when I can.

When? I've never had a package come Fed Ex Ground that would not have come earlier with UPS Ground. Fed Ex Express isn't bad. Then again, all next day services are good.

[CDRecorder]

Really? For me, FedEx Ground or "Express Saver" from NewEgg comes faster than UPS. A heatsink I ordered was shipped UPS Ground last Monday, and it hasn't even arrived yet! I've never had FedEx take that long.

[aviationwiz]

Really? For me, FedEx Ground or "Express Saver" from NewEgg comes faster than UPS. A heatsink I ordered was shipped UPS Ground last Monday, and it hasn't even arrived yet! I've never had FedEx take that long.

Fed Ex Ground and Express Saver are 2 entirely different services. Express Saver is 3 business days. Fed Ex Ground is, well, however long it takes, since it isn't guaranteed.

[CDRecorder]

That's true. However, for me, FedEx ground is also faster than UPS ground. I'm not saying this will be true for all locations, but it has been true for me.

[VEFF]

Thanks for all the feedback.

In my experience, which seems to mirror that of others, FedEx Ground is usually about 20% cheaper than UPS Ground, and faster too!

In addition, there is a FedEx right by my train station.
UPS (via Staples) is also under 10 minutes drive away.
Therefore I could go with either one.


My main question relates to insurance, since I didn't know if UPS or FedEx had vastly different charges for insurance.
I need to insure the package for $700, and noticed that FedEx had some LOOSELY worded disclaimers that could easily let off the hook if damage does occur.
One was that insurance didn't apply to items that are hard to value, but they didn't cite specific examples.


Anyway, if I mark the "DECLARED Value" as $700 on the FedEx shipping form (called 'Customer Shipping Record'), does that mean it is INSURED for $700?
Or do I need to fill out something else for insurance above a certain amount?


Thanks!


For my package, FedEx is $32 vs. $44 for UPS, quite a big difference percentagewise.

[aviationwiz]

I know that UPS when you have a direct customer account is 0.35 per $100 insurance. If you are going to ship it at a Staples, then you are going to be greatly ripped off. I would recomend billing it to your CC online and giving it to your UPS driver whenever you see them.

[TheWizard]

As you can see, the opinion of FedEx vs. UPS is as heated as the opinion of Lite-On vs. Plextor. Bottom line, you can have a pleasurable experience with both carries, just like you can have a pleasurable experience with both CD-RW drives. I like UPS and I like FedEx, especially FedEx Home Delivery since they deliver on Saturdays. I've heard horror stories in regards to both companies, and I've heard praises for both companies. You have to take the plunge and choose one. Personally, I'd choose FedEx in this instance simply because it costs $12 less to ship the package. I assume this is for your auction. If so, I see you charged a flat rate of $39; therefore, if you ship via UPS, you will lose $5. If you ship via FedEx, you will profit $7. I like profit. In the event that you charge the buyer the exact shipping rate after the auction, then I guarantee most buyers will praise you for choosing the cheaper option without losing quality. UPS Ground, FedEx Ground, they're all the same basic quality.

I'm surprised nobody mentioned Airborne Express. They advertise cheaper rates than both UPS and FedEx. I never had a problem with ABX either; they're Ground service is pretty quick, perhaps even quicker than UPS and FedEx! Case in point, ABX Ground package from Texas to New Jersey arrived in 3 business days...that is phenomenal! Not sure where your nearest ABX retail center is? Visit any OfficeMax, they use ABX.

[VEFF]

I checked ABX yesterday afternoon, but their website said the price, for Ground, was barely cheaper than FedEx and UPS, which it said were identical.

Given the fact that the price for AB Ground was almost the same, and that ABX is relatively far away * (25 minutes or more) and I wanted to ship it last night, I went with FedEx Ground.

FedEx cost me $36.55 cross country (the winner of my auction is all the way on the other coast) including insurance of $700.
UPS would have probably been about $45-$48 (can't tell, because the weight was more than I anticipated, based on the fact that FedEx.com said $32.xx as opposed to the $36.55 it ended up costing...


When I set up my auction, I had stated $39 for shipping, without even checking first; I knew it would be about that, and I would cover any minor difference.
I also undercut the other auction for the same amplifier (without dts) slightly (they stated $40).
It ended up being a bit cheaper ($36.55), but I used a ton of packing tape, and also paid $10.60 for bubble wrap, so the buyer got a
more-than-fair deal...

* UPS and FedEx are both within 10 minutes of my residence

[aviationwiz]

I like UPS and I like FedEx, especially FedEx Home Delivery since they deliver on Saturdays.

Umm, I had FedEd Home Delivery Ground for something (didn't have a choice), and when I checked the tracking info and it was in St. Paul (Fed Ex Ground distro. hub for my city, also captial) on that Saturday morning, so if they do Saturday Delivery for every package, then that's just one more reason for me to hate FedEx. I assume you paid extra for Saturday Delivery, which you can do with UPS, FedEx, USPS (of course), and Airborne (I think) The other FedEx Home Delivery package a day late because they put it on the wrong truck (oh well, that's what happens when you use FedEx)

[TheWizard]

Saturday delivery is not extra with FedEx Home Delivery, and it is never extra with USPS. The Postal Service always delivers on Saturdays for no extra charge. One reason why I love USPS, another reason is because for light packages, their Priority Mail service is cheaper than UPS/FedEx/Airborne Ground. Plus, Priority Mail is 2-3 day delivery, even across the country! UPS/FedEx/Airborne ground take how long for cross country delivery? Minimum 5 days from what I have seen, and that is only when it's super speedy! Usually, it's more like a week.

[aviationwiz]

Saturday delivery is not extra with FedEx Home Delivery.

That's it! No more FedEx for me. If a company uses FedEx, I will go to another company, or upgrade to express service (real express (1/2 day air) not this express saver crap). FedEx has given me bad service for the last time, No More I say.

[TheWizard]

Well, I have a small gripe about FedEx. I ordered a hard drive, the dealer sent it last Tuesday and FedEx's estimated delivery date was a week later (which would be tomorrow). Now, the package actually arrived in my home state ahead of schedule (kudos for that!), but it has been sitting in my regional sort facility since Saturday. According to the tracking information, it has actually been sitting on the delivery truck since Saturday. So, when I saw this, I was expecting delivery today (Monday). Well, no such luck. I guess FedEx is sticking to their planned delivery date of tomorrow. I can't say I'm entirely ticked off about this since I originally planned to receive the package tomorrow, but why should my package sit on the delivery truck since Saturday? It should have been in my possession by now! Today isn't a holiday or anything! Again, I'm not entirely p.o.'d, but I'm a bit unnerved.

[CDRecorder]

Interestingly, FedEx just did that to me, too. I ordered a motherboard and some other parts from NewEgg (Express Saver shipping), and the FedEx web site said that the package arrived in my city very early on Sunday morning. Obviously, I expected it to arrive today, but it never came. Then again, today was earlier than the estimated delivery date. Now, I'm assuming that it will come tomorrow.

Overall, though, I have been happier with FedEx than any other shipper, so I don't really have anything to complain about.

[aviationwiz]

Wow, I would be pissed off beyond belief.

[CDRecorder]

Well, I'm certainly disappointed, but it won't matter a whole lot. I was looking forward to building my PC, though. Oh, well, there's always tomorrow!

[TheWizard]

Agreed, I, too, am disappointed that my package didn't arrive today. But, in FedEx's defense, the delivery date they specified is tomorrow. If it doesn't come tomorrow, then I'll raise Cain.

[CDRecorder]

Yeah, again, the specified delivery date for my package was actually Wednesday; that's why I'm not too upset at FedEx. Then again, the package is now on the truck for delivery, so I should be getting it today, which is still 1 day before the delivery date.

[TheWizard]

Did you get your package before the delivery date, CDRecorder?