Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi guys,

After reading the thread on brokerage fees, I decided to add my 2 cents on the + side of shipping with these companies.

If you haven't done so, go to each of the big 3,(Fed Ex,
UPS, and USPS), online.
There, you can set up an account, which entitles you to some perks.(Just remember not to sign up for daily pick up, which results in a monthly fee, unless you'll use it.)

All three offer free shipping supplies, from various size boxes to self adhesive shipping labels, forms, etc.
(You may be out of luck on a guitar sized shipping box though!) Your customers will appreciate the little extra of receiving a package that doesn't have 16 old labels and a pound of old packing tape on it!

You can schedule a pick up from your home or shop with minimal fee,(see each ones instructions). Most allow you to pay for the shipment online with a credit card, and add insurance, signature,etc.


You will also be able to save every address in a directory for future use.

It's a nice tool for me, especially since most of my shipping is no larger than a neck blank. It sure beats taking an hour to go to the nearest shipping center and stand in line.

I hope this helps.
Paul

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Paul Bordeaux
http://www.bordeauxinlay.com

How ironic, Paul. I sent a shipment to you in just that manner only yesterday!   

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John Watkins
CNC Guitar Parts

I recently signed up for a daily-pickup service with UPS. Why? Because the ground rates are cheaper with this service. If you do enough volume, it makes up for the weekly charges. Besides, you get charged a hefty price if you call for a pickup anyway, so you may as well get the advantage of not having to pay as you go, which can be more expensive. And you never have to drive somewhere to take the package to them or to the post office.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Thanks, John.

Did you receive my new order?

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Paul Bordeaux
http://www.bordeauxinlay.com

Don, all USPS Priority packages come with free pickup now, and if you buy online label, you get free delivery confirmation. And if you order online much of their supplies are free. I use the small vhs mailers to mail gold bullion. They send you free priority mail stickers and free rolls of Priority mail packing tape. You don't need the stickers if you use the tape.

Plus, they pick up anywhere within 1/2 mile of the mailbox, no joke. I just place mine outside the front door so it's not down by the road. I mainly use UPS and DHL for heavy packaging, say three or four sets of back and sides.

I do envy the daily pickup though, but don't ship enough for that. Good on you, maybe these comments will assist someone who hasn't gone Online with the USPS.

Bruce, I discovered very quickly where I work that UPS delivers almost as fast as US Priority mail, and for quite a bit less. I shipped two packages to North Carolina in the last few weeks, and one was through US Priority, which took 3 days, and one was UPS ground, which took 2 days. Guess which was cheaper? Yup...UPS. You still have to weigh the weekly costs in there though, but if you mail even 3 packages a week, you'll save some shipping costs for your customers. In the case of international shipping though, some customers prefer US Mail. I don't know why, but some do.
After an experience this week with DHL, I'll stay way clear of them, thank you much!

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Forgot to mention...

Check out these sites for comparison shipping rates:

www.redroller.com
Iship
Pakmail

These are some cool references to rates.

Paul

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Paul Bordeaux
http://www.bordeauxinlay.com

[QUOTE=Don Williams] After an experience this week with DHL, I'll stay way clear of them, thank you much!
[/QUOTE]

Don, you know what DHL stands for?....Dewey, Hewey, and Lewey.....the comical bumbling nephews of Donald Duck!

I'd steer clear of them too

Here is a funny one. I became a DHL shipper with an account. I shipped rosewood to all the fellow OLFers on that deal. One went DHL Ground to Hawaii, oops, my bad, yeah I'll come pick it up.

I took the package to USPS and shipped it Priority.

Later I get my monthly billing, you guessed it, they had billed my account $75.00 for the Air Express Package they didn't deliver DHL to Hawaii. I quit using them except at the drop off center. I never quite knew what they were charging. Almost always they'd tack on a buck seventy-five for residential delivery to their fare. Oh well. I'm quite happy billing from home and having a free pickup. All you have to have is a set of antique scales from the antique mall for 12.95, gets me within ounces everytime, yeehaw.

International customers prefer US mail because UPS (those &*@#$@s) charge a $25 fee on top of other costs to the recipient if there are any customs fees. It's no fun slapping $25 on top of the cost of everything for no reason.

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Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services