I purchased an item and already paid for the price. The description says that the shipping cost will be determined later. I did not ask for the shipping before I made the payment. (Doh!) The item weighs 55lb, and it is about 17x17x10 size. The shipping box will be about 20x20x15, and the total weight would be close to 60 lb. For UPS shipping from Arizona to Michigan, the seller wants $150 for the shipping. When I calculated UPS shipping, it is less than $60. Obviously, the seller is trying to make a huge profit from shipping. Any suggestion to how to deal with this situation?
You need to enter the insured value of your item. Then you will have an accurate shipping price. BYW, using the shipping calculator on the website does not provide an exact price, but it's close. UPS will calculate the price when the package enters their system.
You should contact the seller and inform him/her that you are being overcharged for the shipping cost. If it is not remedied then you do not want the item.
Is UPS or a UPS store doing the packing? If so, the item needs to be double boxed or maybe even crated, plus all the packing materials. All that costs money. Insurance also adds to the cost.
The item is $150. So, the insurance will be just a few more dollars. I already contacted the seller that the shipping charge is much more than I expected. Waiting for a response. Thanks for your responses.
Why aren't you discussing this with the seller instead of posting here? Maybe he has to drive a long distance to get it to the shipper, or he's paying extra to have it picked up, or he's paying to have it professionally packed. Maybe it's the insurance. Maybe it's something else. Maybe you're getting ripped off. It's all guessing.
Some UPS stores charge a huge premium over UPS rates. Most just mark up a little, but I've seen some ridiculous charges. They also charge a ton for packing.
As posted above, please discuss the shipping costs with the shipper.
Is it possible the $150 includes the packing, the materials, insurance and the UPS shipping cost?
Since the item weighs 55lb, and it is about 17x17x10 size, The shipping box will be about 20x20x15, and the total weight would be close to 60 lbs., I recommend you have the shipper double box the package.
I always double box my audio equipment to ensure it arrives in one piece. This is the best insurance there is to ensure safe arrival. And, sometimes I even triple box depending on the size, weigh and value.
OK. It sounds like the shipping can be as much as that (even though it is ridiculous to pay $150 for $150 worth item), and it’s up to me to accept it or not. Anyway, probably I should have asked for the exact shipping based on my location. Hope those who read this would not make the same mistake I made. Thanks for your response.
UPS Stores are notorious for hefty shipping costs, even without their packaging. I once shipped a amp for service from Az. to Pa. from a Ups store. The shipping cost was about $103. The insurance brought the price up to $187. I think some people just forgo the insurance, for whatever reason, and take their chances. Which most of us know is pretty foolish, especially with very expensive equipment. And remember, even if insured and you have made a claim, you will not get your shipping costs back no matter how expensive.
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$150 shipping charge on a $150 item is ridiculous."
That statement is ridiculous. What one pays for an item has no relation to what it costs to pack, ship and insure. Weight, size, packing material, labor (if not done by the seller) and insurance decides the shipping price.
This is an easy one. Open up a FedEx or UPS account and let the seller use your account. In fact, have the seller bring the item to a UPS store and have them package the item up and use your account to ship it. If it comes damaged, you are responsible.
How much insurance was placed on the unit? Did the seller use a new box, double box or anything special? I ship items all the time, probably weekly. A 60 pound item for $60 seems very cheap. I recently shipped a SA-100 Counterpoint amp with $1500 to $2K insurance. Cost was just under $75, 85 pound amp insured for $2500 was close to $150. But again, depends on the insurance. Have the seller send you a copy of the receipt.
I don't understand all the grief the OP is getting here. $150 is too much to ship anything under a grand and smaller than laundry basket (size is more expensive than weight until well over 100#. I did a quick estimate on UPS.com and it was $49. Seller is taking advantage of you, big time.
I see this going on even with large corporate accounts. The item is on sale, but after the shipping costs it's the actual retail of the unit. I see it on Ebay as well, so unless the shipper gives me a quote, that's a no go. Having said that, on larger items, it's worth the money to take the risk. Hell, even speakers I'd have trucked in so I can go to the depot to check the packaging & if there's a problem, they won't get out of the depot. No confusion, no problems. Speakers weigh 350lbs? Won't even get off the truck without a thorough inspection & pictures if there are any problems. Without mentioning any names, I swear a fragile sticker means that there is going to be a punt, pass & kick contest in the items future
All you have to do is call ups for a quote with zip codes ,dimensions and weight you will be with $15 of accuracy . then tell him that you called them and tell him that. He s a crook.
It has become obvious that the shipping charge complainers have not actually done much heavy shipping recently.
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The item weighs 55lb, and it is about 17x17x10 size. The shipping box will be about 20x20x15, and the total weight would be close to 60 lb. "
If I was shipping a 55 lb, item with those dimensions I would not use a 20 x 20 x 10 box, too small. The item needs to be double boxed with plenty of room between one box and the other. Remember, the selling price has nothing to do with safely getting a 55 lb. piece of audio gear from point A to point B without damage. If you want your item to arrive safely, it is simple, you have to pay for it. Shipping heavy items via UPS, FedEx and USPS is expensive. If you want cheap, ship Greyhound, terminal to terminal.
I tend to agree with those who feel you are being taken advantage of. I sold a Jeff Rowland model 110, fifty-five pounds for $63 through my FedEx business account.double boxed no problems. New owner loves it.
Try shipping large speakers with insurance!! Wow and I've passed on many a nice pair of used speakers as the seller wouldn't deal with the hassle of shipping on their end. And it seems everyone in my zip code loves Bose speakers. Not that there isn't anything wrong with Bose speakers : )
@ ihcho I just deleted my cayin MT35 listing on Ebay,,Had $150 ship fee for the 25 lb amp, Now wait one minute,,I had the amp priced at $375,,BRAND NEW,,sells for $700 + $150 ship from china,,, I paid him $650 + $150... So yers and no, Is $150 exxessive? Depends on the price of the unit,,If the unit is price at a Black Friday 50% off price, as was my Cayin MT35, $150 ship is a GREAT DEAL. After 3 weeks on ebay,,I knew no one was going to buy duev to ~~$150 ship!!!!!, who is he trying to rip off, NOT ME!!!~~~,,so i had to delete ad, and will start alllll overrr once agin ina few weeks/months at the CORRECT listing price. $400/$50 ship, It will sell in a few days at that price. FEDEX i noticed has gone wayyyyy up on ship fees, UPS is a bit more reasonable. I think it depends on which FEDEX store, one uses, a FEDEX store on Veterans here in New Orleans wanted $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ fora small rug I was shipping. I should have gone to the main FEDEX station, where i shipped a huge rug 2 yrs ago for under $100. I hate shipping US PS, as they mishandle items. anyway, hope that helps clear up your Q. I listed my Cayin super low and ship super high, to make a few bucks off ship fees,. = Won;'t work, Folks think I was trying to pull one over on them = rip off.
I purchased a pair of Cliffhanger Audio Bulldog speakers from a guy in Pennsylvania 1 month ago. UPS store charged $382 to ship to Ut. They put these 60lb projectiles in an oversized box full of air bags, needless to say I received 2 boxes of speaker debris. After filing a claim and 36 pics later UPS closed my claims as denied and told me it wasn't their responsibility. What can "brown" do for me? I have a long list!! Beware of UPS.
I suppose the cost/value issue must consider what the seller is recouping in the shipping charge. If the seller boxed the item himself, the cost might include his labor (boxing audio equipment is quite time consuming if done correctly). If the item is taken to a UPS or FedEx store, the charge for doing the boxing is extremely high.
A local dealer got a very big shipment of specialty drivers from Japan. Including insurance, the cost of shipping exceeded $10,000. Now THAT is a shipping charge.
I recently shipped a 50 lb tube amp from the east coast to the west coast. I used Fed Ex and the cost was less than $50.
I have used Fed Ex for heavy items, and have found their shipping charges to be less than USPS and UPS.
I take extreme care to package well to ensure the item arrives in the condition in which it was shipped.
Whoever quoted $150 to ship a 55lb item is either 1) trying to markup the actual shipping cost to make more money from the deal -or- 2) quoting overnight or 2 day shipping; in which case $150 is about correct.
Selling stuff and then shipping it is a pain in the ass. I have sold some guitars/amps and bought some guitars and amps. Things that are packaged poorly have a greater chance of being damaged. I find the time to properly box and ship these items makes me not want to even sell things. Having the UPS store package items is expensive but also makes an insurance claims easier.
Why should anyone pay for the person selling the item for his time in packing up the item and driving to the FedEx or UPS store? That is one of the dumbest things I have ever heard. That person must be a corporate executive whose time is very valuable, LOL. If you are selling something, you should be charging exactly what it costs you to ship and not a penny more. When I ship at the UPS store, I get a 10% AAA discount which I ALWAYS pass on to the customer.
Not everyone knows how to ship or pack for that matter. There is part of our society that would pay someone else to do that for them, never think of doing it themselves and see no reason the buyer would have problem dealing that way. I have had dealings with similar people and they are not going to change their minds as it is the course of their everyday lives.
Just for fun, I took the OP's 20" x 20" x 15" - 60lb. box, shipped from Portland, OR to Northern Florida and ran it thru (3) shipping rate calculators: FedEx Home Delivery _retail - $107.44.
FedEx Home Delivery _ using my account - $75.79.
FedEx Home Delivery _ sold via eBay - $55.95 or 47% off of retail.
Ok, let's add $15.00 for (2) new boxes and $10.00 for packing material + any sales tax for your state. So retail $107.44 + $25.00 = $132.44 + tax if charged. While there are always cheaper ways to do things, not everyone would want to spend time doing so.
Ok, let’s add $15.00 for (2) new boxes and $10.00 for packing material + any sales tax for your state. So retail $107.44 + $25.00 = $132.44 + tax if charged. While there are always cheaper ways to do things, not everyone would want to spend time doing so.
You are right on. That’s how I get quoted for $150. ;-) Well, now it’s all over. I don’t get charged, and I am not buying it. If possible, I’ll try to avoid buying something that will cost me extra for boxes, packing material, gas to the UPS/Fedex store, the service fee for staffs to pack, ...
I know it cost around $95.00 to ship an item that weighs about 50lbs from West coast to East coast however if the shipper opens an account with Fedex which now you have to do if you use Fedex ground, will save you about thirty dollars on the forementioned. But I can tell you that UPS will charge even more than Fedex.
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