Pirate Ship

[Mike Griffin]

I have been shipping some items lately and someone told me about Pirate Ship and I have been using it to ship these items.  What I do not understand is how they can ship so cheaply compared to rates by the Post office and UPS.  Their rates are very reasonable.  Just do not know how they do it when they are using USPS and UPS for carriers.

Mike

[Wayne Collier]

I used to wonder that about long distance resalers who were utilizing lines owned by AT&T. In our neighborhood electric power is deregulated. Several companies say they can sell us power cheaper than the company that owns the infrastructure and meters. I don’t understand it.

[Steve Helmick]

Seems like Pirate Ship (or the power company) negotiated a contract for whichever service (shipping or electrons) and sell the service to you at a lower rate, cutting into their potential profits, but also not paying for advertising like UPS and USPS, etc. I'd be happy with that, unless they used FedUp, which sucks. Commonly done with discount cell phone companies, leasing the service of other's cell towers. Business 101 stuff.  Steve

[Dennis Toth]

There are several videos on using this service if you google "Pirate Ship". I've watched a few and its seems straight forward will try this for my next low value package as a test and report back.

Best,   DennisT

[John Rist]

Looks like it works similar to buying shipping from eBay when selling on eBay.  You print the label and drop it off at the local shipping point (USPS or UPS etc).  You pay Pirate Ship through an account that you have set up.   

[Dan McEntee]

   I have been using Pirateship for a couple of years now, ever since I saw Dennis Leonhardi mention it here on Stunthanger. It's quick and easy, and for the last year or so they have been offering UPS options along with USPS. My take on it is that you are replacing the clerk and doing their job, kind of like the self check out lanes at the grocery store, but you get a discount at the end of the line! This takes a lot of load off the individual USPS facilities. All the packages are loaded onto the same truck or airplane so it is pretty efficient. The USPS or UPS still gets their piece of the pie, and they don't have to pay you or me the same wage and benefits that they pay the clerks. Pirateship gets their cut and makes money on the volume because their only overhead is software and computers. When I get a package ready to go, I still take it to the USPS or UPS facility and wait in line to hand it off to the clerk, who I have scan it and get a receipt from to start the tracking process and prove that it is in their possession. Thanks a lot to Dennis Leonhardi for the suggestion!!
   Type at you later,
  Dan McEntee

  PS to add: As an illustration of the service, I just bought a kit from Mike Griffin recently, and the best rate he could get at the USPS was their Ground option at over $17. I did a quote request at Pirate ship and got 4 UPS quotes that were almost half of that, and the best USPS quote was a little over $14 and all of the quotes showed more or less the same delivery time. I chose the lowest UPS rate that was $9 and some change. This isn't the same for all points of shipping and destinations. The rate depends on the zone that the shipper is in and the zone the receiving end is in, and then the options vary. That is why you use the quote option first to determine the rates. I have never failed to save some signioficant money using Pirateship and have never had any problems.

[Paul Wescott]

I wonder what happens when somebody guesses at the dimensions and/or weight, or simply shaves the numbers to get a lower rate?  Cuz you know people are doing it.  If the business model of PS is to cut out the clerk, I don’t think anybody at P.S./USPS/UPS is measuring & weighing the individual packages.  Maybe they have a conveyor-belt machine with a scale and lasers that does it, but I doubt that it’s also reading the ship-to address and double-checking the postage that was charged to the customer.  Am I missing something here?

In my area a USPS medium flat rate box (11” x 8.5” x 5.5”) is $17.10 via USPS Retail, $14.75 via USPS Commercial.
Pirate Ship, who advertises “Save up to 89% off USPS & UPS”, has these prices for the same item:
USPS 5-day (ground?) at $7.03, and
USPS 4-day Priority Mail at $7.09, only 4¢ more.

$17.10 Retail down to $7.03 is quite a large savings!

[Mike Griffin]

   I have been using Pirateship for a couple of years now, ever since I saw Dennis Leonhardi mention it here on Stunthanger. It's quick and easy, and for the last year or so they have been offering UPS options along with USPS. My take on it is that you are replacing the clerk and doing their job, kind of like the self check out lanes at the grocery store, but you get a discount at the end of the line! This takes a lot of load off the individual USPS facilities. All the packages are loaded onto the same truck or airplane so it is pretty efficient. The USPS or UPS still gets their piece of the pie, and they don't have to pay you or me the same wage and benefits that they pay the clerks. Pirateship gets their cut and makes money on the volume because their only overhead is software and computers. When I get a package ready to go, I still take it to the USPS or UPS facility and wait in line to hand it off to the clerk, who I have scan it and get a receipt from to start the tracking process and prove that it is in their possession. Thanks a lot to Dennis Leonhardi for the suggestion!!
   Type at you later,
  Dan McEntee

  PS to add: As an illustration of the service, I just bought a kit from Mike Griffin recently, and the best rate he could get at the USPS was their Ground option at over $17. I did a quote request at Pirate ship and got 4 UPS quotes that were almost half of that, and the best USPS quote was a little over $14 and all of the quotes showed more or less the same delivery time. I chose the lowest UPS rate that was $9 and some change. This isn't the same for all points of shipping and destinations. The rate depends on the zone that the shipper is in and the zone the receiving end is in, and then the options vary. That is why you use the quote option first to determine the rates. I have never failed to save some signioficant money using Pirateship and have never had any problems.

And I owe Dan a great big thank you for telling me about this service.  Since then, I have shipped several packages through Pirate SHip and it has saved a good amount of money for the recepients of the goods.  Thanks Dan.

Mike

[Mike Griffin]

Also, if you use Pirate Ship and decide to pick a rate through USPS, you can also choose to have them pick it up at your doorstep and there is no charge for that.  You can also have UPS pick it up but there is charge for that with them. 

Mike

[Brent Williams]

I've used pirateship to ship several guitars via UPS.  Saved a good amount of money using their services.

[Dave Harmon]

I shipped my first package today through pirate ship, and there was nothing to it at all. Very very easy and while I did not compare the rates, I’m sure it’s much less.
Thanks to Dennis and Dan for pointing this out to everyone here.

[Dennis Toth]

I've use Pirate Ship for three shipments and all were accepted by the shipper drop off location and arrived on time with no issues. Thing I like is they give you options for which shipper you want to use, I have used the USPS and UPS options and got the same service as if I went with them direct but saved 40%. You can arrange for pickup but there is a extra charge for that so I drop off at the local locations.

Best,    DennisT

[Mike Griffin]

Just a heads up on something I learned the hard way.  If you have any of the free priority mail boxes that you can get from the post office and use them through pirate ship, they will come back and charge you the USPS rate instead of what Pirate Ship charges.  In other words, you have to use your own boxes and not theirs. 

Mike

[Dan McEntee]

Just a heads up on something I learned the hard way.  If you have any of the free priority mail boxes that you can get from the post office and use them through pirate ship, they will come back and charge you the USPS rate instead of what Pirate Ship charges.  In other words, you have to use your own boxes and not theirs. 

Mike

     I never tried that but suspected as much. The inside of the USPS boxes are printed also so you can't turn them inside out!! The only way around it is to use the box but wrap the box with opaque paper.
  Type at you later,
  Dan McEntee