Shipping Costs UPS VS USPS

I have been using exact_metals on ebay for all of my raw metal. That being said, I have avoided ordering anything that would not fit in a flat rate envelope, and I usually keep adding items until the shipping calculator jumps the price up. Obviously a person can't always do that, so sometimes you just have to get what you need and pay the price. I have sold several items on ebay over the years and I always try to use use USPS flat rate, unless it is something larger. I sold a bunch of re-claimed solder in 25 and 40 pound lots - it was all shipped in flat rate boxes. One day I was in the shop on a Saturday morning when the mailman came to pick up my mail (rural mail carrier). I can't repeat what he had to say about the 4 boxes full of solder I was shipping that day, but to clean it up, it went something like "you dirty c--- su--er". Needless to say I didn't step out of the shop to wave at him that day!. I was nice enough to mark the boxes "VERY HEAVY" for him.

  • :))
 
There is also the little know Priority Mail Large Flat Rate "Board Game Box" Inside Dimensions: 23-11/16" x 11-3/4" x 3" that ships anywhere Domestic Priority Mail for $16.85 (or less if you purchase postage online). You probably won't find this size box at your PO but you can order them for free online. It sometimes take a week or more to get boxes you order online so plan ahead and keep a good selection around.
 
For any of my Canadian friends...what EVER you do, do NOT ship via UPS/Purolator/DHL, or ANY way other than USPS. For those of you who don't know about their outright RAPING brokerage fees, on top of any taxes, you're in for a VERY nasty surprise. My sister in law sent us a dress for our daughters birthday. She declared the value at $50, which is what she really paid for it. It was also clearly marked as a gift, which isn't supposed to have extra stuff tacked on. By the time I was done with the courier gustapo, it cost me just under $60 to get the $50 dress out of the building. If it wasn't a present for my daughter, I would have left the thing there and told them what they could do with it.

Oh..and just in case you do manage to get out of any of those places without paying anything except the taxes, don't be surprised if you get a bill in the mail months later. That happened to us once as well. I didn't know about it, and as per usual, my wife just ignored it. After a while, I intercepted one of their bills demanding payment. I called them up to ask what it was all about. I told them there was no way I was going pay their brokerage fees months after the fact. They said they would just send it to a collection agency and damage my credit rating. I would up paying the thing, and have not used any of them since then. I would pay almost any amount to never give them another dime out of sheer principal.

I had another run in with DHL about a year ago when a vendor "did me a favor" and shipped something by them rather than the agreed upon postal route. As it turns out, DHL does not deliver to residences in the city of Edmonton and I would have had to drive 40 minutes each way to pick up the package at the airport. As expected, the taxes and brokerage fees were right around the price of the item. I told them that I would self broker the package....just give me the paperwork on it...I'll go to the customs office myself, pay it, and return with the receipt. They still wanted to charge me $10.00 for the privilege of doing the job for them. I told them to return the shipment to the sender (IN CHINA :)) ) as I was refusing to accept it. Fortunately, Aliexpress sided with me over the vendor and issued me a full refund. Thank goodness for their escrow service.

To sum it all up....send it by mail, or don't send it at all. The end.
 
Old Iron said:
Check this guy out on ebay exact_metals the last thing I got from him was 2 pieces 3/4" X 3" X 12" and the postage was $5.70.

He has Steel,Brass,PVC and others Aluminum. Hes is pretty fast getting things out and he keeps the shipping low.

My mail lady hates to see the package from him..:biggrin:

Paul
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Just checked on ebay, looks like exact _metals is now gone, no longer registered user and last feedback a year ago.

bummer
michael
 
i have bought quite a bit of stuff from stoner tool and raw material ,.. his prices are hard to beat and he ships very very quickly
 
When I need some Aluminum it's just as fast and cheaper to order from him than it is to drive to Kansas City for it.
Most times its free shipping to my house and usually it's 2 days from Colorado.
 
all my dro shipments are by USPS Priority mail. not much packaging required, i try to keep the packages tightly packed and secured together, very reasonable costs, i have a full shelf of envelopes, boxes etc and the computer makes it so easy to ship on line, and they pick up the packages every day. some of the packages are up to 44 " long and 4 x 4 inches in size. real heavy stuff that won't fit in a flat rate container does end up UPS, not much tho.
 
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