shipped my set of used kumhos from san francisco to richmond. Tires were packaged in cellophane and then taped in pairs about 20lbs each tire. went to UPS first since its closer, and they asked about $49 per pair. so I went to FedEx instead and they charged $56 for BOTH pairs. FedEx clearly wins when shipping heavy items.

 

FedEx is Much cheaper.
I now have a commercial account with them, to ship 140lbs was $24 via ground!
Clearly the win!

 

I've been saying this for years. FedEx ground is far cheaper than UPS, doesn't destroy the package, pays their employees better, and doesn't embrace unions. They win on all accounts.

 

I dont think I will say things always arrive better. I have about 9% of packages go missing with Fedex.. So I learned to capitalize and overstate the insured value!

But for the most part their prices are cheaper. AS far as service. fedEx is terrible! Their Infrastructure of Ground and Express being COMPLETELY seperate is VERY irritating!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Want2race &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">So I learned to capitalize and overstate the insured value! </TD></TR></TABLE>

If you're shipping to canada, this screws the buyer (duties)

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by .RJ &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

If you're shipping to canada, this screws the buyer (duties)

</TD></TR></TABLE>
The funny thing is I have sent 4 things to Canada.. all have been lost by Fedex.. So far the buyers are all getting screwed anyways!

 

I've never once had any problems with FedEx. Now with UPS, I'd say that over 50% of my packages are mauled, and about 15% of the time, the product inside is damaged.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Tyson &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">shipped my set of used kumhos from san francisco to richmond. Tires were packaged in cellophane and then taped in pairs about 20lbs each tire. went to UPS first since its closer, and they asked about $49 per pair. so I went to FedEx instead and they charged $56 for BOTH pairs. FedEx clearly wins when shipping heavy items.</TD></TR></TABLE>

You need to specify whether you're talking about a UPS Customer Counter, or a UPS Store (formerly Mail Boxes USA). The rates at a UPS Store are significantly higher than at a UPS Customer Counter.

However, the rates for FedEx Ground are still consistently less than those of the UPS Customer Counter. And there are FedEx offices all over the place, while there are very few UPS Customer Counters.

I have never had FedEx lose anything. I have had UPS lose a wheel/tire when shipping a set of four (and yes, that really sucks).

So yes, FedEx wins. Definitely. I never ship anything UPS any more.

 

I was shipped a set of steel wheels in two individual boxes via UPS. One pair was COMPLETELY dented, the other, lost for two weeks. Then they claimed there wasn't enough packaging material, even though they were in the original manufacturers boxes.

Also, I have had EXCELLENT service from fedex, and they are WAY cheaper. I amd comparing this to UPS's customer counter.

 

I love working for FedEx Express, and I love hearing stories about our shipping practices. We get paid better than UPS because our handling practices are better.
We have more strict time requirements, and packing procedures.
This is also has to do with fact that we ship more dangerous goods than any other shipper. I've handled packages that contain explosives, corosive, radioactive, flammible, spontaniously combustible, dry ice, liquid nitrogen, biohazardous, and even several of these during the war in iraq an mk-19


I always take care to make sure I pack my container well, so that nothing gets smashed or broken. It's very rare in our station to mis-sort or loose a package.

But think about this.. FedEx ships about 3 million packages a DAY!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Want2race &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">AS far as service. fedEx is terrible! Their Infrastructure of Ground and Express being COMPLETELY seperate is VERY irritating!</TD></TR></TABLE>

I couldn't agree more. FedEx screwed up an overnight delivery from Canada when by distributor died during a hpde weekend. I did my best to keep track of the package's progress through repeated telephone calls, but the delivery attempt was made to the wrong address, and the package was shelved in the warehouse before the computer system updated the delivery status, so I was SOL. When I raised my concerns with "customer service" after the debacle, they pretty much told me to go fly a kite.

FedEx may be cheaper, but as with everything else in life, you get what you pay for.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Crazydave &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">But think about this.. FedEx ships about 3 million packages a DAY!</TD></TR></TABLE>

I'd expect that UPS Ships a number similar to that

I work for a UPS Shipping counter (very similar concept to the non-UPS owned UPS Stores) owned my United Parcel Mailing Service (UPMC). The rates are higher at the counter than a real UPS location, thanks to the intermediaries and location convenience. I have always, however, had much better luck with FedEx than I have UPS. Granted, about 80% of my packages go/come by default since it's what most people have access to (and what I see everyday at work) but of that 80% more get abused and mis-shipped than any of FedEx's 20%.

I also get the distinct impression that FedEx 'cares' more about service. I don't like having several hundred dollars worth of tires left sitting on my front doorstep - I've seen FedEx do things like put them in my backyard (or in my back stairwell) when I didn't answer the door. UPS, however, never even knocks around here.

I remember one experience when I woke up expecting an exhaust system to have arrived. No dice, so I went back to what I was doing (yeah, yeah, I can sleep until the middle of the day - I'm a student). Just for ***** and giggles I walked back to the door half an hour later and all my packages were just sitting there. Nobody ever knocked, nobody even made an attempt t obscure the huge attention-grabbing 'steal-me' boxes that showed up. One thing to say is that sure, UPS never promises to do any of that kind of stuff (unless you pay extra for it) - so they're delivering 100% of what they promise. I think that excuse is pretty lame when your main competitor does all of it for less money than you.

When I've got something important to ship I go FedEx.

*EDIT* A bunch of people seem to have bad 'customer service' experiences with FedEx. Keep in mind when you call them that they're oritented more towards large business customers. I believe that FedEx was initially used as a shipping service only for businesses... hence they're poor organization and treatment of low-buck inidviduals. (Not an excuse, just a thought).

 

UPS processes way more packages then fedex does daily. UPS process over 13.1 million packages and documents daily--top in the package industry. One thing that hurts UPS is that they are a union company, so people that provide poor service, the union backs them up. On the other hand Fedex is non-union so that allows them to get rid of people that hurt the company. UPs also guarentees their service, so if your packages/car parts get lost--you are likely to get your refund

 

I agree. But if your going to use the name. Duplicate ther service!

 

Here is my tribute to FedEx ground.




But I suppose its hard to do damage like that to a wheel or a tire.

 

Damn those DVD players are mint!

I think the conclusion is: They both suck, they both need to get their act together. For how much we pay to ship some of these things, they could take better care of EVERY package they touch, "fragile", high insurance, or whatever...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jorge &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">UPs also guarentees their service, so if your packages/car parts get lost--you are likely to get your refund </TD></TR></TABLE>

The same thing is true of FedEx. Both companies automatically insure any package for $100 and offer insurance at higher values. Both companies guarantee their service to be delivered within the stated time period, and will refund the shipping fees if they are late. There is no difference between the two in that regard.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Want2race &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Here is my tribute to FedEx ground.

But I suppose its hard to do damage like that to a wheel or a tire. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Well, I would be happy to show you my tribute to UPS Ground. Here is a photo of the tire and wheel that they lost:

[img][/img]

Oh wait, they lost it, so I don't have a photo of it. Too bad.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nsxtasy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Both companies guarantee their service to be delivered within the stated time period, and will refund the shipping fees if they are late. There is no difference between the two in that regard.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Try getting a refund! Its easier to get robbed in a bank!

 

i only go to customer drop off locations. going to a 3rd party or satellite office definately costs more. but UPS has taken over all mailbox etc. branches anyway. im not sure if their prices are the same now tho.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Want2race &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Here is my tribute to FedEx ground.




But I suppose its hard to do damage like that to a wheel or a tire. </TD></TR></TABLE>

wow that sucks ***

 

fed ex all the way, tyson's tires from california got here exactly on the day the predicated and their web site verified it me (at work) 5 mins after they were deilvered to my house

ps. thanks Tyson, the tires were in good shape just as you said

 

UPS sucks more than any shipping company, period. I've had about 10 bad experiences with them, one that cost me $600. Fedex has always been great, and they have good tracking information. Ups pretty much only updates when it is in the state it was shipped from, and when it gets to my state. I had a bad experience with airborne/dhl where they lost a hood, 60x60" box for about 2 weeks, only to find out it was laying on the floor in the shipping center. However, we send/recieve shipments from airborne up to 3 times a day and never had a problem before.

I like to use priority mail for everything I ship. I'd rather pay the extra few dollars and know that whatever I send is going to get there in 3 days or less, and unmangled.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by x743x &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I like to use priority mail for everything I ship. I'd rather pay the extra few dollars and know that whatever I send is going to get there in 3 days or less, and unmangled.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Are you talking about USPS Priority Mail? Unless you insure the package you're going to have a hard time getting even so much as an apology out of them. I also believed that the USPS makes absolutely no guarantees about package delivery... even shipping through their 'overnight' service is like buying somebody's attempt to deliver overnight - if it doesn't get there on time they really don't care.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Tyson &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i only go to customer drop off locations. going to a 3rd party or satellite office definately costs more. but UPS has taken over all mailbox etc. branches anyway. im not sure if their prices are the same now tho.</TD></TR></TABLE>

The prices of the formerly Mailbox Etc. locations are higher than the UPS warehouse customer drop off centers. They basically nabbed the Mailbox Etc. store and slapped a UPS label on it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SpeedBoi101 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

wow that sucks *** </TD></TR></TABLE>
They are 2 diffent players shipped on different dates... So you can imagine how much i dislike them

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ASteele2 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I like to use priority mail for everything I ship. I'd rather pay the extra few dollars and know that whatever I send is going to get there in 3 days or less, and unmangled.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Priority mail (through the U. S. Postal Service, also known as the post office) is an excellent option for small items. If it's under a pound, slap on a stamp for $3.85 and stick it in any mailbox. Done. If it's over a pound, you have to wait on line at the post office and hand it to them. Less convenient. Other disadvantages: It's much more expensive for all but the smallest items. Insurance is an extra charge, even for the first $100 of value. Tracking is an extra charge, too.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ASteele2 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I also believed that the USPS makes absolutely no guarantees about package delivery... even shipping through their 'overnight' service is like buying somebody's attempt to deliver overnight - if it doesn't get there on time they really don't care.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Priority mail (2-3 days in most cases) does not offer a money-back guarantee if the package does not arrive in the time promised. Express mail (overnight) DOES offer a money-back guarantee.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ASteele2 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The prices of the formerly Mailbox Etc. locations are higher than the UPS warehouse customer drop off centers. They basically nabbed the Mailbox Etc. store and slapped a UPS label on it.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yes and no. Some months ago, at about the time that they bought all the Mailbox locations, they implemented a system of uniform rates that in most cases were less than those charged previously by those same stores. However, they still charge a premium over the UPS customer counter locations, so you WILL pay a premium for the convenience. There are tons of FedEx office locations and those don't charge a premium at all.