eBay selling: UPS vs USPS?

[ablang]

As an eBay seller, are there pros & cons to using one mailing service vs the other? Which do you prefer and why?

Is UPS cheaper overall for sending packages domestically & internationally?

Do buyers not like UPS because they drop the item on the doorstep if no one is home? What happens if the buyer is never home to receive?

Do you prefer UPS for int'l shipping? Why?

[elroy]

In the US we use USPS for small packages, rate is good, nothing ever gets lost and no damage if you pack it good [in my experience]. For large stuff, 10lbs and up we use UPS. UPS is cheaper on large domestic shipments and the rate includes $100 of insurance coverage and tracking. We might use UPS more for domestic shipments but the nearest facility is about 15 miles from me.
Internationally we always use USPS as UPS is very expensive. BUT USPS can only provide insurance coverage to certain countries and usually no tracking is available.
We ship around 100-150 packages per year over the last 4 years or so.

[zepper]

I pretty much agree with elroy. I just sent a package to Canada via USPS (airmail letter rate -actually also includes packages up to 24" long and 36" or less total H+W+D - at this particular rate, each ounce counts, so pare your packaging to the minimum). I sent it a week ago last Friday and it's still not there. The customer says it was probably held up in customs as they often check to be sure what's in there is what it says on the customs label. It would have cost a bit over $11. by UPS, but it would have had insurance and tracking - cost $9.65 by the USPS Airmail Letter method. But the way the customer wanted it to save on duty and taxes, I couldn't have made a replacement value claim anyway. She seems to be satisfied it will get to her in its own good time and isn't worried. Note: It finally got there in good shape today, 10/20.
. I have had one package lost by USPS and it's like pullling teeth to get them to honor their insurance. But it is the cheapest for small packages. Be creative - remember the Priority Unlimited Envelope is less than $3.00 for whatever you can fit in it without using extra tape to hold it closed - that can save you about $1. on many small Priority shipments. And you can get free packaging (envelopes/boxes) for just about all Priority packages at your local post office.
. One package I received from UPS had some damage and (except for foot dragging by a 3rd party) their insurance response is quite fast.
. Also look into registering for the SA (Shipping Assistant) software at the USPS web site. Once you register, the software is a free download. If you use it to print your labels, you get DC (Delivery Confirmation) for FREE on Priority packages and only 13 cents on First Class packages (12 oz. or less and at least 3/4" thick) or Parcel Post (DC is normally 55 cents). The bar code is printed right on the label. And if you set up a postage account too, SA can print the postage right on the label. DC isn't true tracking, but it's better than nothing and limits the ability of customers to claim they didn't receive the package- I don't ship anything by USPS w/o DC any more. SA can print on plain paper or special sticky-back labels that you can get from them or at most of the big office supply stores (Note: Sticky labels are by far the cheapest on eBay!). SA is not for flat mail. They claim that using a laser printer for the labels is best (and it probably is), but I've had no trouble using my inkjet printers - I just cover the recipient and return address with clear packing tape - the postage block (if printed by you) and the bar code are supposed to be left uncovered.
. You should try right now to get the free "Stack & Weigh" shipping scales that the USPS is giving away. You can approximate the weight of packages up to six pounds with them. I don't know the URL offhand, but if you go to the Anandtech fourms ( http://forums.anandtech.com ) in the Hot Deals section, search on- Free Stack -and the thread should be there. I don't know if the deal is still on, but worth a shot - if they aren't useful for weighing packages, at least they would make colorful doorstops... . I got my set the other day and they are pretty cool, but I haven't tried them yet.
.bh.

[volunteer]

I don't use either one. USPS is not that trustworthy; UPS too expensive. Luckily I have a FedEx office/counter in my locale. I shipped a package last week across the country (14 lbs) for
$9.73. UPS wanted 15.00; USPS wanted 17.24. It arrived within five days.

[Christian-Comp]

I personally feel that as far as:
Reliability (on time), I would rate it as follows:
FedEx=9, USPS (priority)=7, USPS (ground)= 4 and UPS=4
For security (making sure it doesn't get lost or misdirected)
FedEx=7, UPS=6, and USPS=4 (both)
For saftey (keeping it in one piece)
FedEx=8, USPS (priority)=6, USPS (ground)=3, UPS=1
For Price (sending it out)
USPS (priority/1st) = 8, FedEx=7, USPS (ground)=4, UPS=2

This is how I feel based on experience with them. I used to work for the USPS and have some horror stories too.

Honestly, for the sake of the question, UPS is not cheaper, IMO, unless you are sending domestic (ground), then it is cheaper that the USPS, but FedEx is cheaper overall (ground) - try sending a 17" monitor (sealed in the box) via each of them and you'll see what I'm talking about.
As a purchaser on ebay, many, many sellers send UPS mainly because the amount paid does not show on the package - they can charge whatever they like and the recipient will not know. The seller can suggest $15 ground and it will only cost $5, which this practice is against ebay standards. Can anyone justify selling Windows XP OEM and charging $19.95 for shipping (UPS ground?), or on a stick of memory? NO!
However, I've noticed a practice lately of sellers putting on there $10 standard shipping (and it doesn't specify how it is being shipped - sometimes it says USPS) and then it is sent media mail for $1.42.

If I had FedEx, I would use them here, but for me, the USPS is the lesser of two evils. Sometimes my wife will drive to another city to ship it out FedEx if the package weighs a lot.

[embj]

My opinion is don't ship UPS if you want somebody to get something on time and in one piece. Every shipment...I mean EVERY shipment, whether it be 2nd Day, Ground, or whatever is ALWAYS late.

These are just a few of my experiences (posted on RR):

I ordered a 300gb hard drive for my computer and had it shipped 2nd Day Air because I really needed it but, with UPS did I get it? Hell no....are you kidding me? I looked at the tracking online and it said it had left their terminal at 9:00 in the morning to go out for delivery. At 8 o'clock at night I still didn't have it so I called 1-800-PICK-UPS. The guy said he didn't know what the delay was and if I called up in the morning they would ship it out for me...note...this is Saturday we are talking about shipping out on. So I checked the status of it around 11:30 PM and it said the package was not delivered due to adverse weather conditions. They said this was at 7:43 PM. Gee...it wasn't listed at 8:00 so they don't provide up to the minute tracking like they say. We had a bit of a snow storm that morning....the roads were very clear to where anybody could drive through it. Even the NCDOT said that the roads were very passable. So I called up UPS this morning and the woman that I talked to said that she wouldn't send it out because it was Saturday and the people that I bought the hard drive from would have had to specify Saturday delivery for me to be able to get it today. They told me the package would be delivered Monday. So I asked them if I could drive out to the terminal and pick it up but, no I can't, the terminal is closed on Saturday. And would you even believe that I saw a UPS truck not even a mile away from my house?!?!?!?! So they delivered stuff on the day that it snowed. So I think the UPS driver was just being a lazy ass and didn't feel like delivering it because he could make up an excuse because of the snow. So I have to wait to get my package on Monday. The UPS guy that delivers here is too lazy to ring the doorbell even! They just leave it at the side door and go hop back in the truck. There are also a few other complaints that I have about them. I won a dual PIII computer for a great price on eBay. The computer was wrapped up in tons of bubble wrap to the point of where it would take really bad handling like dropping it 20 times. I open the box to find out that one of the processors has come out of the slot and because the processor hit the graphics card it came out of its slot, too. I thought that the thing wouldn't even work after me putting the CPU back in the slot and fixing the graphics card but, amazingly it did. UPS has the slowest shipping (Ground) and the highest prices to ship (taking into consideration the service you get). It takes like 12 days for Ground to get across the country and costs like twice as much as what I can ship something via USPS and it gets here in 3-4 days.

Next time I will pay $10 extra to get it shipped FedEx 2nd Day because I know I will get it on time and I can pick it up at the terminal even before they make a delivery attempt. Another great thing about FedEx is that if I am not home to sign for a package, the courier will drop it off at my office. Can you imagine UPS doing something like this?

They say, "What can brown do for you?" They can stay in the toilet where they belong!!!

UPDATE: I'm expecting a package (computer case) that is 65lbs through just plain, old Ground and it says that it's out for delivery at 7:21am. So I'm coming home around 3:15pm and I see the UPS truck on another street in my neighborhood. So I'm thinking, good...they actually will get something to me the day that they said they would and not actually screw it up. So I wait and wait at my house....and still nothing....So I go to their crappy tracking thing and it says UPS INTERNAL ACTIVITY CODE @ 6:29PM. I'm thinking WTF does that mean??? So I check back a bit later and it shows that it was returned to the hub at 10:13pm. So what was it? Were they lying about the thing actually being on the truck or was the guy just being so lazy that he didn't feel like getting out of the truck to deliver my package and do his job (sounds familiar, huh?).
Now watch...once they finally deliver the package the box will be all beat up and the thing will be broken.
Update again: They delivered the package 2 days late and the box was all beat up as usual and both of the windows had "somehow" fallen out of the side panel.

Everytime that I get a package from UPS it is always late and the box is always beat to hell. I don't know what's wrong with these people. 2nd Day Air is always 4th or 5th Day Air and Ground always takes about 2 three days longer than what it should bringing the total time to get a package about 15 days. Another thing that really makes me mad about UPS is that almost everytime I'm expecting something important from them, they deliver it past 8:00PM. That's right...8 at night...it's totally ridiculous.

I just had something else delivered last week that was late, too.

I reccomend FedEx or USPS....both are good. I have only had one late delivery ever with FedEx and I use them quite frequently. At the office, we send out documents everday through FedEx and none have ever been late or not delivered.

USPS is just as good unless you are shipping internationally. I have a couple of CDs coming in from Canada that were shipped out on the 12th and I still haven't gotten them yet....

I have a Stamps.com account so I don't have to go to the post office to get stamps or any type of postage. It's great to have the ability to print out postage anytime you wan and not have to wait in line. I think it's a great deal for only $4.95 a month...you also get discounts on extra services such as free D/C with Priority Mail. It's not much different from the USPS Shipping Assistant that zepper mentioned, but the interface is nicer looking and easier to use. You also get a few more features with it.

I've never had any problems with USPS and everything that I ship out gets there ontime without any problems.


My final advice is to stay away from UPS at ALL costs and use either FedEx or USPS. Oh, and have a look at their awesome rating :

http://www.resellerratings.com/seller1736.html

[zepper]

Remember that dissatisfied people are far more likely to bother to post than satisfied ones - still, that rating IS pathetic!
. I didn't even think that UPS would be listed as I have tried a number of times to get RR to list eBay (so I could complain about their lousy customer/user support) with no luck - said they don't list services. Well UPS is a service...
. I guess I'll keep hammering on 'em to list eBay. Lend a hand y'all...

.bh.

[Christian-Comp]

Originally posted by embj
you also get discounts on extra services such as free D/C with Priority Mail.

You might like this then... all delivery confirmation on priority mail is free if postage is purchased electronically, whether you use USPS.com for postage or paypal, or wherever. All other delivery confirmation is 13 cents for electronic usage (first class, parcel post, etc). What is finally here is that you can add insurance up to $200 when you ship, which used to not be available.

I agree zepper, ebay should be on there. Is there something that would stop it from being listed?

[embj]

Yes, I know dissatisfied people are more likely to post, but that still is no excuse for the way they treat their customers.

Another great thing about using Stamps.com from the USPS is that you can use the Stamps.com insurance and you don't have to fill out any additional forms and attach anything different....You can also select USPS insurance for the same price, but you would still have to fill out the form. You can insure anything up to $2500 with both....one more great thing about Stamps.com is that your insurance claims are processed within 10 days instead of waiting 30 days for USPS to process them. I know it sounds like I'm trying to get you to sign up, but I'm just trying to let you know about the good things that are offered through the USPS.

I also agree that eBay should be listed, as well as PayPal. I have some pretty bad stories to tell about both. It is kind of dumb that they don't list them...after all, UPS is a service, as zepper said. I mean, it's even in their name!

[Christian-Comp]

Ok, where do I sign up???

<salivate> Stamps.com </salivate>

Do they have any free gifts? One time they were giving away a free scale for people to sign up.