dweenk

Begin rant:

I have determined that shipping stuff through the US Postal Service is just about the best way to get it there. I have no bones with UPS, but they cost more than USPS. I have completely given up on Fedex - they seem to revel in destroying packages, and their tracking leaves something to be desired. No wonder Tom Hanks was "Cast Away", and had to deliver a package by himself.

End rant:

lostarchitect 

I like and use USPS a lot. (Disclaimer: My grandfather, mom and aunt all worked for USPS).

However, I will say that it depends a lot on your local post office and more specifically on your actual carrier. I always get things delivered to my office, because my carrier there is pleasant and reliable. My carrier at my home address is the exact opposite. Things get misdelivered all the time, and she doesn't seem to give a crap. So it's really all about your carrier.

noglider 

I think the USPS has gotten really really good in recent years. Their web site is pretty darned good. I use flat rate shipping a lot. For me, it's fun to pay for and generate the mailing label on my computer and to track an item as it crosses the continent.

Shipping things of the shape and size of frames and bikes seems to lead us to FedEx. I don't know why their rates are lowest for that kind of shipment, but it is.

A few times in recent years, I have shipped bikes in boxes by Greyhound. It's a lot less convenient, but it's also a lot cheaper. In one case, I put the crate on my trailer and towed it through midtown Manhattan traffic. As if that wasn't bad enough, I had to bring the whole kit into the elevator. Their shipping department in NYC is not the the ground floor!

dweenk

I hear you. I have never shipped a whole bike. I am speaking about small items. My Fedex package arrived two days ago at the terminal according to their tracking, and I am 4 miles away. I suppose it all depends upon the competency of your local facility, and I have lost all faith in mine.

francophile 

I think it all depends on where you are when it comes to FedEx and UPS. I agree USPS is the best out there right now, they've been my go-to for a couple of years now because everything always makes it there, quickly, undamaged, and cheap.

On the other hand, here in Atlanta in-town area, if you ship to me via UPS it's basically a death wish regardless how well you pack it. They're notorious for destroying everything. FedEx is better (a little) and typically gets things here undamaged. DHL was better than all of them combined, but price was higher than USPS. In my prior place south of GA, it was the inverse: FedEx was a beast on packages, UPS was great.

I guess it all really depends on the attitude and control at the processing facilities along the way, because most of the damage (so I was told) happens at the processing facilities and/or when the truck was loaded at the warehouse. The excuse I was given was, "if your package can't survive a fall from the top shelf in the truck, we're not liable because you didn't pack it well enough". Both times I've had major damage/loss, the claim was denied, and in both instances, the exact same packing was used initially to send it, it was re-boxed the same and shipped out, only to have damage - both were RMA returns.

miamijim

Smaller packages USPS
Bigger packages FedEx

Falcon3

DO NOT USE THE USPS AUTO-KIOSK

Seriously, do not use the USPS automated kiosk for shipping packages. I had two bike packages in a row that I shipped via that infernal machine due to the counter being a stupid long wait. BOTH of them got lost. The first one just never showed up in the tracking system, like it got walked out the back door by an employee or something after i put it through the drop box. The second one got assigned a tracking number for another package that was going to the opposite side of the country, and showed Delivered to the wrong address. Eventually, my shipee actually did get my package, but they could have easily been dishonest about it and said it never showed up, and I would have been left holding the bag.

Now, I ALWAYS take photos of all boxes to document that the correct address is on them, and they are properly packaged.

lostarchitect 

Not sure what those issues have to do with the auto-kiosk. Sounds like either could have happened if you'd gone to the clerk. In both cases you would have had no idea until later.

Pemetic2006

I use Fed Ex for shipping beer. Haven't shipped anything bike related.

nesteel 

^^^This.

RobbieTunes

I like US Postal Service, but they have just lost a Priority Mail envelope of mine.
I paid for 2-day mail and it got there on the 3rd day and they've lost it since.
Tomorrow makes it a week and they still have no idea where it is.

Shipping services are only as good as the people they employ, despite refinements in any system they use.
You can only dumb it down so much.

Fed Ex just damaged a bike my friend sold on eBay. Their adjuster admitted it was one they owed, so my friend paid the buyer back.
Then, Fed Ex said he "didn't declare a value," even though his printout shows he insured it for $1300 at a cost of $12.35.
It gets worse, as he printed the label via eBay's label service. eBay says they see the charge for insurance, Fed Ex says no.
Without insurance, he will get $250 of his $1300. eBay is not helping him, and even though he printed out the shipping, Fed Ex is saying "no declared value."

exmechanic89

My rant would be that I really hate the high cost of shipping these days, which of course isnt really any service's fault. I think high fuel prices and inflation in general are the cause. It often makes shipping so expensive though it isnt worth doing on many items.

francophile 

I've had some crazy cheap prices with FedEx ground through ShipBikes for bike shipments lately, like, several packed bikes (no spectacular packing) shipping from way up north to way down south for less than $30. It's weird, I have a business FedEx account and I can't even get prices anywhere close. Makes me wonder: How is that possible?

exmechanic89

Yeah I have a business acct too and never realize prices like that.

Falcon3

Actually, at the counter, the clerk scans the package, so it is actually in the system, and if it gets lost from there, it's definitely on them. If it never even shows up in the system, they can come back and say you never dropped it in the box. The second item went to the wrong address because they had just updated the kiosk software (which they apparently do regularly) and the tracking numbers weren't matching up with the assignment of the numbers from the kiosk. At the counter, the clerk actually has to manually enter this info and confirm it's correct, so it has a second check to help make sure it's going the right place.

riva

2nd the USPS "depends on your local carrier" thing. Can be perfect, or terrible. UPS is expensiver but their tracking works and stuff doesn't disappear nearly as much. With USPS its hit and miss.

oddjob2

Probably a Fedex employee who's spouse or SO is moonlighting with the friend and family discount.

nlerner

Their website says "one-way shipping rates begin at $40.99," so that makes less than $30 seem like someone's error!

francophile 

Bad content at their site, I guess. I've still got the receipt from my last shipment that went from rural New Hampshire to Atlanta metro for $35. Previous shipments were CHI->ATL and NY->ATL at $29 and $37, respectively, if I can track down the emails I'll post pics if you want



I've never paid more than $40 via ShipBikes that I can remember.

nlerner

Cool! I'll have to try them the next time I need to ship a bike.

loky1179

You've got some patience. When I want some beer, I just go to the liquor store.

Lascauxcaveman 

^ This

You gotta be kidding me. Fuel is as about as cheap as it's ever been, and inflation has been almost zero since halfway through the second Bush administration.

SloButWide 

Those are weirdly low. Shipping to/from a business (vs a residence) might be part of it; the other is that ShipBikes has probably negotiated a volume discount, or gets a commission and applies some of it to the pricing.

francophile 

Like I said, I don't understand how they do it, but that's what I've been getting on pricing. As of this year, I solely hit ShipBikes first, then compare to my FedEx business rate, and whichever is better I use. 3/4 of the time, ShipBikes beats my FedEx business rate, and every single time they're using FedEx Ground service on the delivery.

I thought about it last night and it's totally feasible I'm a corner case because I'm extremely close to 1) a FedEx processing facility which is roughly 3 miles away and 2) roughly 10 miles from the largest airport in the US, which doubles as the biggest international shipping hub for the region (if not national). When I talked to the last shop I bought from, who normally pays $70 just to ship from NH to NY supposedly, he'd never heard of ShipBikes either and was shocked at the rate I received on the bike he sent.

Edit: I'm also shipping B2B rather than residential, I'm in town and shipping anything to a residence is risky business (package theft). But FedEx Ground has a huge stake in the residential delivery market, not necessarily business.

jstar1000

I didn't read all the posts but the only way to ship a bike is through www.bikeflights.com they have a deal with fedex and who ever else they may use and its really cheap. I shipped a bike from Texas to Minnesota and went to fedex they wanted $120 to ship it with insurance. I did some reasearch and found bikeflights and the same exact box/bike throught them was $55 with the same insurance and it also went to the same drop off place that quoted me $120 and also went fedex. I mailed another bike to Phoenix and it was $35. Get you some of that!

They will come pick up the bike for an extra $5 to boot!