Shipping kits - how?

[Dennis Toth]

Guys,
What is a the easiest and most cost effective way to ship a medium size kit (twister)? I went to the UPS store and they wanted $58 (FL to NY) which seems way high. Any other options - do you need to put it into another box or can you just wrap it in brown paper?

Best,             DennisT

[Avaiojet]

Dennis,

I use the USPO.

Charles

[Dick Pacini]

Try the post office.  

[Ty Marcucci]

I use either the USPS or Kinkos Ground (Fedex), both resonable, and fast.  UPS had a bad run with delivery to me. Nine out of eleven kits were stomped in the middle. One so bad I had to replace most of the wood in it. They DO NOT pay for damages and will swear you did it or it was your fault. Of course this varies from town to town. Never had any problems with UPS in St. Louis, just here in Rocket City.

[Tim Wescott]

For UPS ground?!?  Did they say why?

I just checked, and the cost to send a two pound package from Oregon City, Oregon to Sudbury, Massachusetts (Sudbury, 'cause 01776 is easy to remember) is less than $15.  So unless the package is oversized they were trying to stick you into next day air or something like that.

Look at this page, enter the pertinent details (note that they don't ask about the package size -- I think that 108 inches combined length and girth is the magic number, but I don't know for sure).  Then look at the price for ground shipping your package, go back to the UPS store, and ask why in h*ll they want so much to ship the cruddy thing.

https://wwwapps.ups.com/ctc/request?loc=en_US&WT.svl=PNRO_L1

Or try FedEx.

[Tom Niebuhr]

USPO Priority Mail.

[Bill Little]

USPO Priority Mail.

Yep.


BIG Bear
RNMM/AMM

[Gene O'Keefe]

Most reasonable : USPS
Next                 : Fedex Ground
Next                 : Fedex Express

   "NEVER"   UPS

 JMHO,  Geno   

[Wayne J. Buran]

USPS, Fedex Ground, forget UPS.
Thanks
Wayne

[Bruce Perry]

to most Canadians UPS pronounced "OOPS" and is an acronym for "Unbelievably Poor Service".... 

Across borders they are awful...

B

[Dick Pacini]

One thing to remember about the Post Office is that UPS delivers a great deal of their cartons between service centers and area post offices.  I see the UPS truck backed up to the PO almost every day.

[Joe Just]

I just shipped a kit box to Ty in FL today for under $11.  Box size 9x9x24.  USPS is the only way to ship kit boxes.  I have shipped over 1000 kits since 1990 without any problems.
Joe

[billbyles]

to most Canadians UPS pronounced "OOPS" and is an acronym for "Unbelievably Poor Service".... 

Across borders they are awful...

B

Also known as United Package Smashers.

[Mike Keville]

Also known as United Package Smashers.

Agreed!  UPS nearly destroyed a model sent here 6 years ago.  Wouldn't use them again on a bet!  Post Office is the only way to go.  FedX Ground second choice. 

[minnesotamodeler]

I have always mailed my kits thru USPS, never had any issues with them at all. 

[dennis lipsett]

One thing to remember about the Post Office is that UPS delivers a great deal of their cartons between service centers and area post offices.  I see the UPS truck backed up to the PO almost every day.

Dick,

Your correct but that is only 1/2 of the story. UPS also delivers a lot of packages to the post office to deliver. Mainly rural deliveries. As I have a few friends that work in the postal services some rural drivers actually have more UPS packages in their truck then USPS.
UPS seems to want to keep it's delivery in metropolitan centers and passs the time consuming deliveries in the boondocks to the USPS. By the same token it frees the town postal delivery people from having to deliver large packages. It is reciprocal and i guess that there must be some benefit for both in time and money savings.

dennis

[Wayne Collier]

While no expert, I have worked in product distribution for many years.  Over ten years at my current employer. 

The company I work for recently expanded its internet sales program.  The facility at which I work almost always uses FedEx for outbound internet orders.  If a customer requests shipment via USPS, it usually ships from us to their local post office or its sortation hub via FedEx (SmartPost), and then to the customer via their local US mail carrier.  If the customer did not request USPS, it usally goes all the way to their house via FedEx.  Other companies do the same thing with UPS.

So-  If you are the receiver and request USPS the carton may come part way on UPS or FedEx.

If you go down to the local post office and ship something, it may go the whole way by US post office.

[W.D. Roland]

Use the USPO
Your tax dollars have already paid for part of the cost.

[Ed Prohaska]

Check out the Twister kit I currently have listed on eBay (item number 290666257097). The postage calculator will show shipping cost to your USA address. You can click on "see all details" and type in any zip. From approx. Omaha NE to Buffalo NY, Parcel Post adds $8.54, to Miami it adds $9.36.

Just out of curiosity I Googled up a Miami and Buffalo zip and entered them on the USPS (Postal Service) web site. My kit weights 2 pounds, 14 ounces packed and ready to go. From Miami to Buffalo adds $9.36 for Parcel and $10.95 for Priority Mail.

I've had great luck with the Postal Service. Their rates are the lowest (sometimes by far the lowest) and service is on a  par with any private carrier. Regards, EWP

PS: You are all welcome to bid on the Twister kit!

[dankar]

UPS stores are flat out rip-off.  Hate to say but USPS is expensive but best bet.  I stoped selling kits as its way to expensive. Some homies think it 1965. When the want free shipping, deal is dead.
Dan

[Gerald Schamp]

Okay, I got this from a previous kit maker  , and he told me to wrap my kits in white shelf paper, double wrap. Do a neat job, tape the ends down securely and run at leat one strip of tape the full length where the paper seam is. For extra protection I tape full length on all four corners. Haven't had one bad one yet and the cost to ship in CONUS is between $15.00 to $20.00 depending on the weight. USPS  Priority Mail, includes delivery notifacation and $200.00 Insurance.  Gerald Schamp

[larry richards]

Right you are Gerald.  All of my kits were shipped USPS Priority Mail and out of the many many kits sent this way only 3 had any problems and nothing inside the kit was damaged. 

[Mike Griffin]

I can only add to what the majority has already said.  USPS Priority Mail.  I send kits to Australia, Norway, England and other countries and have NEVER had a problem. (KNOCK ON WOOD).  I use the standard kit box I buy from U Line and wrap it in the shipping paper I buy in big rolls also from U Line.  I do not scrimp on the tape either. 

Gerald, were you talking about the adhesive backed shelf paper?

Mike

[Gerald Schamp]

Mike,

No, just the plane white shelf paper, some call it poster paper, various other names, banner paper. I get mine at Staples, I even use it to draw some wing outlines on that I don't intend on saving. Its inexpensive, but works great. 24 inches wide and many feet long.

Gerald

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