Is there an affordable shipping option for regular people who don't have million dollar commericial shipping contracts?

I shipped a package at USPS yesterday. For a medium size box weighing 2 lbs 5 oz, it cost me $13.50 to ship from TX to MI. The only options offered were Next-day air and Priority Mail, so there were no other less expensive options than Priority. If I used a flat-rate box, it would have been $15.50.

Last time I shipped a similar package a couple months ago, it was about $8.50, and even then I felt it was pricey. Last time I checked, FedEx & UPS were more expensive than USPS for any given size & weight.

How do all the sellers on eBay sell stuff w/o get raped on shipping charges? If I were to sell a pair of shoes or pants... a set of pint glasses or some tools, is it just a given that it'll cost me $15-20 to ship them? Not very enticing to buy something if the shipping costs more than the item itself.

Am I missing something?

Just wait until Sunday the 9th. There's another USPS rate increase.

You might try pirateship.com which gets you USPS commercial rates.

Also available with eBay's and PayPal's shipping service. Only trouble with those two is with the new 1099K rules, you're out unless you give them a SSN.

Get used to it. Increased fuel prices, increased wages to attract and retain employees, increased maintenance costs on trucks, aircraft and material handling equipment. Commercial property tax increases on warehouses, etc. Shipping costs will probably double again over the next 3 years.

UPS Commercial Acct
Discounted rate & i can pay with my own card instead of charging to the corp acct.

What are the requirements for a UPS Commercial Account? Do you have to spend a certain amount per month to get commercial rates?

quote:

Originally posted by iron chef:
What are the requirements for a UPS Commercial Account? Do you have to spend a certain amount per month to get commercial rates?

I'm actually not sure. Was given a login after it was setup by another dept.

Lots of tricks. Look up PayPal secret shipping link. In extreme cases you could list an item on eBay or some other site for $1 and call it xyxyxhhs (so only you could locate it), buy it and then use their discounted shipping label.

I have quit going to the USPS office altogether. Pay for poor parking and I have to take my pistol off (Federal Property) to go inside. Once in there I get to stand in line. I now just drive to the FedEx hub. And just walk right in and get it done. Free parking. No line. No Feds around. I find that FedEx is about $3 more than USPS to ship the same package. So worth it!

https://www.pirateship.com/

Discounted USPS and UPS rates.

quote:

https://www.pirateship.com/

Discounted USPS and UPS rates.

YES!!!!. Pirateship UPS cost is less that my commercial UPS account. Also you can compare prices with USPS & pick the carrier.

quote:

Originally posted by Graniteguy:
Get used to it. Increased fuel prices, increased wages to attract and retain employees, increased maintenance costs on trucks, aircraft and material handling equipment.

That, plus increased demand for shipping service due to consumers having stuff shipped to the home vs. shopping at retail.

The answer is, sadly, to redefine 'affordably' and move on.

i just use UPS 'Ground' for most things

the convenience of the UPS locations and reliable tracking makes it worth it to me

USPS is horrible IMO

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How do you think Amazon can afford to ship a bottle of shampoo to the middle of nowhere for free? Because you and I subsidize their shipping costs by being over charged for our Christmas packages to the grandkids! Thats how. And USPS gets in on the action by way of their sweet deals for retail delivery of Amazon packages.

I buy, sell and ship big farm machinery (tractors, combines, etc) all over the country. In the 12 years I have been doing this, trucking prices have gone up and down and are probably a little bit higher than 12 years ago. But nothing like the increases in UPS/FedEx/USPS prices. No, that is mostly caused by Amazon and their free shipping.

I think Amazon is what's keeping USPS alive right now. All the carriers have deals with each other where they deliver to places that are not cost-effective for the others to deliver to. I regularly get UPS packages delivered to my locked USPS mailbox cluster down the street from my house. If USPS has to manage a post office Shoshone, CA (Death Valley), it's a lot easier and cheaper for them to handle a local delivery for one of the other guys.

I had mailed a karma item to a member not too long ago by UPS because I thought it would be cheaper (after researching online). Nope. Cost more than if I had shipped it USPS.

A few days ago I shipped a belt buckle from Seattle to Phoenix by USPS ... cost $5. Checked with UPS and it would be double the cost.

I am not a fan of USPS, but shipping for me is cheaper. Don't get me started with Fedex ... they have phuked up our last three packages and again with another that has been sitting on a truck waiting the last three days for delivery.

Okay, am done whining ... I feel better.