PSA for UPS shipping

[trekrok]

This may be known by everyone but me, but I'm passing it along JIC.

I sold something on Ebay and needed to ship it UPS. Ebay sucks, and for some reason the only shipping option I had there was to send my 2' x 2' - 15 lb box via flat rate USPS envelope. Since I didn't think it would quite fit, I go through and get a UPS Ground quote from UPS. It's $84, which seemed stupid to me. So, I googled around for a code or something and came across a site called PirateShip.com. Set up a free account and the quote for UPS Ground was $40. Printed a label and it's gone.

I know nothing about them other than the price for the same shipping service was less than half what UPS direct was. So, if anyone ships UPS as a retail type customer, I'd check them out.

 

[rickm]

I have heard of many people using PirateShip but i havent yet most everything i ship has been thru USPS but havent shipped anything in some time now.

 

[Pstmstr]

They combine shipments to get a discounted rate. I would just caution about when the expectation for arrival is. Sometimes it may take a few days for them to get a pallet ready for drop with UPS.

 

[Rez Exelon]

When you setup the listing it probably has USPS as the default option. But when you get to the shipping label page you can make sure to fill in the package details and that UPS is checked. I've never had an issue changing carrier in that manner.

 

[trekrok]

They combine shipments to get a discounted rate. I would just caution about when the expectation for arrival is. Sometimes it may take a few days for them to get a pallet ready for drop with UPS.

I don't know what they do after it's dropped off, but the label looked the same and I dropped it at CVS just like I've always done. Said Thursday for expected delivery on both UPS and Pirate. I'll watch it and see how it goes.

 

[trekrok]

When you setup the listing it probably has USPS as the default option. But when you get to the shipping label page you can make sure to fill in the package details and that UPS is checked. I've never had an issue changing carrier in that manner.

Yeah, everything but USPS was grayed out and said I had insufficient funds available for those options. I was trying to use Paypal for the payment, but according to Ebay's super helpful chat rep, I needed to have the funds at Ebay for UPS and Fedex. True or not, dunno.

Interestingly, buyer purchased and paid for it on Saturday. Then early this morning I got a notice that the money was being sent to my bank from Ebay. So, maybe it would have given me the UPS option if I had created the label before they swept my money to the bank. Who knows. I very rarely use it nowadays, and I got a reminder of why. Plus it's expensive. The fee from Ebay was about 16%.

 

[Rez Exelon]

Yeah, everything but USPS was grayed out and said I had insufficient funds available for those options. I was trying to use Paypal for the payment, but according to Ebay's super helpful chat rep, I needed to have the funds at Ebay for UPS and Fedex. True or not, dunno.

Interestingly, buyer purchased and paid for it on Saturday. Then early this morning I got a notice that the money was being sent to my bank from Ebay. So, maybe it would have given me the UPS option if I had created the label before they swept my money to the bank. Who knows. I very rarely use it nowadays, and I got a reminder of why. Plus it's expensive. The fee from Ebay was about 16%.

I sell lots of stuff on the Bay and rarely have issues. The funds thing shouldn't have been a deal --- at least on my account I just select and it'll draw from funds or bill my card, whichever. Not sure if that is a feature of my seller rating or not.

They did start doing the quicker transfers to bank account recently. Honestly I have mixed feelings. I like of liked it as an aggregate. But I don't use the account it goes to anyways. As far as fees go, yeah, I don't like the 15%, but a lot of stuff I sell moves quick and wouldn't have the same audience anywhere else, so it's acceptable to me.