UPS vs FedEx vs USPS

[daveymark]

Just wondering who I should go with when shipping.
My good freind Google told me this:

USPS - cheapest
UPS - middle of the road
FedEx - most expensive, also most reliable


Is this basically it?

[RicheemxX]

Thats pretty much correct. Though the difference in price isn't that great. And I'm not sure fed-ex is really more reliable as with anything its open to personal experiences and for me I use USPS most of the time and never had any issues

[Urban_Squrill]

I like fedex then usps. Ups takes forever and they do not get to me house until 4 when usps and fedex usualy get hear around 12 the time I wake up.

[twiztidtruckie]

My opinion is that fed ex is cheap and VERY reliable... I buy from www.newegg.com very often and use their Fed-Ex free shipping saver, and its a good deal. I have never had a damaged parcel, and have always recieved a good price on the shipments. As for USPS they stink...bought a mb over ebay and it ended up being here a week late, and smashed to bits...so in my opinion:

Fed-Ex #1
UPS #2
USPS #100

Get the idea?

Truckie, Juggalo King!!!

[Christian-Comp]

Originally posted by Urban_Squrill
I like fedex then usps. Ups takes forever and they do not get to me house until 4 when usps and fedex usualy get hear around 12 the time I wake up.

I have to agree here. I am no way partial to USPS, but of all the parts I've gotten, I like them 10 - 1 over UPS. UPS is the only place that has shipped and damaged something for me.

I will say this about the USPS, the trick is how it is sent. If it is sent Priority, it gets handled totally different than if it is sent Parcel Post/Third Class/Special Standard etc. Priority gets handled 10 times better (and with fewer hands) and it is mostly shipped by airplane. Whereas the other gets handled by machines and people, stopping at each major city to be handled again, like Memphis, Tulsa, Dallas, etc. just to get where it is going. Not to mention, care is NOT given to standard parcels as they are handled by quantity, not size/shape/etc, whereas Priority (because of limited space) is placed by shape/size.

How do I know - Unfortunately, I work for this place.

PM me for more details.

I will say this about the above response. FedEx is not necissarily cheaper but more and more companies have "accounts" with FedEx which lowers their total cost of shipment. It doesn't necissarily mean it's a cheaper way to send things. If you want to try it for yourself, go to a FedEx drop off and mail out a 5lb package from California to New York, then look at Neweggs rates... see the difference?

Most eBay sellers shy away from USPS because USPS (except through Stamps.com) shows exactly how much the shipper PAID to mail whatever. If you spend 22 dollars on shipping, and it shows that they used USPS - and paid $6.85, you're gonna feel ripped off. So, they use UPS and FedEx to HIDE the cost. I know from having so many contacts.

[DPA]

fedex is nice to use, i just can't find a store around here [Kansas City]

UPS is too far a drive to get to, and as mentioned above, they get to your house late in the day.

USPS is really handy for me, i pay like 5 bucks to insure, track and ship a box with 2 day express to whoever i need to, so unfortunately, USPS is my only hat for now.

[Kuasimodem]

I just shipped a hard drive back to Maxtor for RMA (cross shipped). The new drive came in sooner than I expected, so I used their package to return the bad drive.

FedEx 2nd Day Air = $8.90 from Wisconsin to west coast

I'll take FedEx any day

BTW - 2nd day was only $1.20 more than saver, so I opted for the quicker ship method, figuring it would go through fewer hands

[volunteer]

How about it depends! ? I like FedEx and it has always been cheaper IF I am going by their terminal and I am shipping within my zone. UPS is the most expensive my zone and outside. Both give me tracking numbers which I like. USPS is my last resort and I won't send anything without delivery confirmation; if the item is expensive; signature confirmation. On expensive rebates, I have even packaged them in the smallest acceptable package so I could get delivery confirmation. Signature confirmation on first class is ridiculous. I almost lost it when the local postmaster told me there is no guarantee that an item (first class) will reach it's destination; they can only try! And items aren't insured even if you paid for it unless you can prove it reached it's destination and was damaged. If USPS was abolished, it wouldn't be much of a loss, except to these junk mailers who get huge discounts.

[Christian-Comp]

I don't know if anyone uses this but you can get free delivery confirmation and signature confirmation for 1.30 vs 1.80 at the post office. The kicker is that you print your own label. I use the print thing for most everything I do since it saves me .45 cents a pop. https://sss-web.usps.com/ds/jsps/index.jsp (or http://www.usps.com/ and click Print shipping labels) It's the second option. If you don't use delivery confirmation, don't worry about the link.

Edit - I'm not trying to endorse this place, I hate it, but when you work for a company, you tend to find out about things that other don't know.

If FedEx was available in my area, I would use it (at least for heavy items)

[mpclark31]

I have had problems with all three. FedEx has left packages on my doorstep with no one home as has UPS. For most people, this is no problem, but I live in a sketchy neighborhood and it's entirely possible that the packages can "grow legs and walk away". Even with a signature REQUIRED, FedEx has left packages at the door. They've left packages when someone was home WITHOUT knocking or ringing the doorbell! UPS is mainly slow and unreliable with delivery times. One time it may be before noon, and the next time after 6pm. USPS is about middle of the road for me, so I usually just deal with them.

Mike