FedEx vs. UPS vs. USPS

wildownes · 12-14-2006, 12:27 PM

What is everyones experience . . .

Cost to Pack
Cost to Ship
Delivery problems
Insurance claims on the problems

I went to a FedEx Kinkos and we greeted by an absolute moron.
First off, I went there to get a price to PACK & SHIP 5 touchscreen computers to the same address and he wanted to send them in 5 boxes! Then, he told me he needed the City and State to give me a price . . . When I said why can't you just use the zip he said "well I could go online to find out what the city/state are but it's more trouble" After he was done "computing" the cost . .. he still gave it to me on a per/unit price (breaking it down to pack/per unit and ship/per unit. . .. I told him to add them up for me and tell me what the cheapest to send these 5 units to that zip and he sort of added it in his head and told me "around" how much it would cost! I left dumber than i already am. And I'm pretty dumb!

Wiredwrx · 12-14-2006, 01:04 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by wildownes

What is everyones experience . . .

Cost to Pack
Cost to Ship
Delivery problems
Insurance claims on the problems

I went to a FedEx Kinkos and we greeted by an absolute moron.
First off, I went there to get a price to PACK & SHIP 5 touchscreen computers to the same address and he wanted to send them in 5 boxes! Then, he told me he needed the City and State to give me a price . . . When I said why can't you just use the zip he said "well I could go online to find out what the city/state are but it's more trouble" After he was done "computing" the cost . .. he still gave it to me on a per/unit price (breaking it down to pack/per unit and ship/per unit. . .. I told him to add them up for me and tell me what the cheapest to send these 5 units to that zip and he sort of added it in his head and told me "around" how much it would cost! I left dumber than i already am. And I'm pretty dumb!

There are dumb people all over, in every job, in every company, EVERYWHERE. I would try again, or do it yourself. It is not that hard to measure a box that will fit your items, and weigh it on a scale, and go the respective websites, and get a total.

I have found that the USPS is the best of all worlds. Cost is generally cheaper, though they will not pack for you. They are the biggest shipper around, and that has it's benefits.

Michael

Quattro · 12-14-2006, 01:17 PM

I found USPS is usually a little more expensive then UPS and FedEx.
Also USPS tracking SUCKS!!!

I use FedEx and then UPS

durwood · 12-14-2006, 01:22 PM

I just pack at home/work and drop off and pay online.

1) I like Fedex because they have a ton of locations in Chicago and their ground service is cheap.

2) I hate having to stand in line at USPS but they are cheap too. I agree their tracking sucks.

3) UPS has less locations and seems to be the most expensive from my experience.

0-0-7 · 12-14-2006, 01:27 PM

USPS, FedEx and then UPS.
I don't like ups but have to use it since FedEX is far away and never ship to CANADA with UPS they charge $40 extra even there is no duty fees applied.

Redian · 12-14-2006, 01:43 PM

UPS FTW!!!!

i can usually get anything within 1 - 2 days (using 3 day shipping), its pretty nice... fedex lost my video card and 2 HDDs when i used it (making my desktop), and usps is just slow, 5 days for some random thing i dont remember...

michaelrj9 · 12-14-2006, 01:48 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Quattro

I found USPS is usually a little more expensive then UPS and FedEx.
Also USPS tracking SUCKS!!!

I use FedEx and then UPS

Usually I found FedEx, USPS then Ups is the way to go but it all depends on the weight and destination.

USPS tracking sucks because they do not have any kind of tracking all they have is "delivery confirmation" which most people assume it is a tracking service but is not.

The most reliable I found is Ups, USPS then FedEx. Ups will deliver 8-9pm if running late.Fedex reschedules sometimes 2-3 days in a row.
USPS is reliable but very slow on parcel post sometimes it can take up to 10-14 days.

MatrixPC · 12-14-2006, 01:51 PM

Small stuff, no one can beat USPS Priority and Overnight (cost and speed).
Bigger stuff, Fedex.
Insurance. I heard that USPS pay to the amount you insured. Other only pay 100 even you insure for a mil.

digimotojoel · 12-14-2006, 02:03 PM

We also use USPS, the price is really good and the locations they ship to are much broader. I am not sure how UPS and FedEx deliver internationally (if they handle it themselves or they hand it off to a local carrier). With USPS they usually hand the shipment off to a local carrier and they complete the shipment. It is extremely rare we will lose a shipment, domestically I do not think we have ever lost one. As everyone has already stated, the tracking blows for USPS, but it is a fairly quick delivery option as well. On a few occassions we have had issues with customs, but again I am not sure that is specific to USPS or that would be a problem with any carrier. Both domestically and internationally I would vote for USPS. If I could get DHL or UPS to deliver to the same locations for the same price in the same amount of time with their hot tracking systems, I might change my mind.

Perhaps the size of your company might make a difference as well, depending on the discounts and special service you might get from various shippers.

digimotojoel · 12-14-2006, 02:08 PM

On a side note a vendor of mine uses DHL from Turkey and it takes little to no time to receive the package, we had one small issue the other day where DHL misrouted a package going to our WI office to MN, and it took a little bit of calling around to fix it, but the price is pretty reasonable.

ukchris · 12-14-2006, 04:27 PM

I vote for USPS, I think they're cheap, convenient, fast and they supply lot sof nice Priority Mail boxes, plus you can pay right out of PayPal with no fuss.

For the right items the flat rate boxes are an amazing deal, same with media mail if you're shipping books. I think the biggest plus (for me) is paying from PayPal.

Their tracking sucks but it seems it may be improving, I love FedEx and USP tracking but you pay for it of course.

Zip-Lock · 12-14-2006, 04:41 PM

USPS is underrated for small packages. No surcharges for residential delivery, quick shipping (Priority and 1st class both travel by airplane.)

RedGTiVR6 · 12-14-2006, 05:08 PM

USPS is cheap, like Zip said. However, I really dislike their tracking...or should I say I dislike their lack of tracking...lol

FedEx has always delivered late where ever I have lived for some reason.

And I might add that I despise DHL. After running over my husbands motorcycle because he didn't check behind him as he pulled into the parking spot, then running, then coming back after the guilt got to him, then the way the manager of the local location treated the situation...I'll never ship anything through them and if I can help it, I'll never have anything shiped to me through them.

Yeah, they paid the bill, $4500 worth.

xBrady · 12-14-2006, 07:59 PM

I think we can all agree that DHL sucks

dsignguy_35 · 12-14-2006, 09:19 PM

I worked for UPS for 4 years......and after the things I personally saw/did(or was told to do), I will NEVER, NEVER, NEVER use ups again. wouldn't advise it to anyone else either........Especially if your shipment will travel westbound through the chicago hub. I work in LA, and every night we would get at least one trailer from the chicago hub that had been totally ransacked. management never did anything noticible to stop it, cause it never stopped.

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