Who Uses a Shipping Vendor?

[Rich Riddle]

After the USPS stopped offering 10% off shipping, I went with a shipping vendor who offers folks who ship less than 50 packages a month a free account. It's a bit of effort to learn how to use the system, but well worth the effort. Guess I am glad the USPS dropped their discount because these rates from a large shipping company are much better than the USPS ever gave.

[Bert Kemp]

Thats because USPS hasn't a clue how to run a business, they waste so much money its ridiculous and instead of finding a business manager that knows what their doing they just keep raising their rates trying to make up the difference:eek:
Rich who do you use?



After the USPS stopped offering 10% off shipping, I went with a shipping vendor who offers folks who ship less than 50 packages a month a free account. It's a bit of effort to learn how to use the system, but well worth the effort. Guess I am glad the USPS dropped their discount because these rates from a large shipping company are much better than the USPS ever gave.

[Rich Riddle]

Bert,

I use shippingeasy dot com. If you ship less than 50 packages a month it's free. A postal clerk read me the riot act today for using them saying that companies like shippingeasy are causing post offices to close. I sent a set of planes tonight and the total with $450 of insurance to the midwest from shipping easy was $16xx. The post office wanted $30xx through their site which is the same price as in the post office. Who in the right mind would pay nearly double to use them as a direct vendor? They don't get it. Too bad for the clerk he had to accept the package and enter it in the system.

[Ken Combs]

So, USPS provides the service to the you through the vendor, but at a discounted rate. Which means they are selling the service to the vendor at a steeper discount.

How in the world can USPS justify selling their product cheaper than their old discounts? I ship almost exclusively with USPS, Fedex for heavier/bigger items. Using eBay shipping there is a small discount, but I can see why USPS would discount to them, HUGE volume potential. But, bigger discounts to that service?????

[Mike Henderson]

PayPal gives a pretty good discount on USPS shipping when you use their site.

Mike

[Rich Riddle]

PayPal and eBay are relatively insignificant in the world of shipping. That's why the discount rate to them isn't as high. The box I shipped today weighed in at 18 pounds. USPS site listed it at $20 for shipping only, Paypal would have been $18, but the program shippingeasy uses had the rate at $12..... You do the math. Then there is the outrageous prices they charge for insurance through USPS if you purchase that. Here is the screen shot of the 18 pound package with the weights listed and the insurance prices listed. I always take screen shots for some reason.

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[Matt Day]

Interesting, thanks for the heads up. I've been using Click N Ship for a while because of the convenience of not having to go to the PO. Do you have to drop your packages off somewhere or does the mailman pickup?

[Ken Combs]

PayPal and eBay are relatively insignificant in the world of shipping. That's why the discount rate to them isn't as high. The box I shipped today weighed in at 18 pounds. USPS site listed it at $20 for shipping only, Paypal would have been $18, but the program shippingeasy uses had the rate at $12..... You do the math. Then there is the outrageous prices they charge for insurance through USPS if you purchase that. Here is the screen shot of the 18 pound package with the weights listed and the insurance prices listed. I always take screen shots for some reason.

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As I mentioned earlier, it just makes no sense to me that USPS will wholesale there product at a price that allows the buyer to resell it so far under the counter price. One of the prices is just unsustainable for any business.

[Rich Riddle]

Matt,

I believe one can do either drop off or have the mail man pick them up, but I choose to take them to one of our many local post office locations. There's one a quarter mile from The Home Depot and another a quarter mile off the main turn into town. It's more convenient for me to drop them off than wait for the USPS postal carrier to pick up at an unpredictable time.


Interesting, thanks for the heads up. I've been using Click N Ship for a while because of the convenience of not having to go to the PO. Do you have to drop your packages off somewhere or does the mailman pickup?

[Dimitrios Fradelakis]

I looked at shipping easy and it looks like every account has a base price. Which one is free? Cheapest one is $29.00 a month with a free 1 month trial.

[Rich Riddle]

Dimitrios,

I thought the same thing when someone told me about it. To the left of the hightlighted plans you will see in dull gray something that says, "view limited free starter plan." That's it. I will also e-mail you the link.

[Matt Day]

Great, I'm in! Thanks Rich.

[Rich Riddle]

Matt,

If you review the screenshot below and view to the immediate left of "Basic" where I hi-lighted the area in baby blue, you will see, "view limited free starter plan." Click on that to begin. You have to be low volume to use it, less than 50 packages a month on that plan.

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[Tim Boger]

I agree, Paypal is always cheaper for me than going straight to the USPS.

Tim



PayPal gives a pretty good discount on USPS shipping when you use their site.

Mike