As some of you know I raise and ship whole frozen trophy size gamefish to fellow taxidermists as far away as Hawaii. I get the second highest price per pound for my fish behind high end koi producers. But I still have to fork over up 30 percent of my profits to UPS for shipping and extra charges. I don't get the business rate because my business is in a residence, and I'm still getting charged fuel surcharges although fuel costs are much lower than they were in the past.
And yes I've bitched about how much it costs to ship those fish here before. But you have to see this:
A small 3.5 pound box shipped 2 hours a way, in the same state I am in, that was only 14 inches by 9 inches by 6 inches.
Shipping $15.08 Not to bad in itself but..
Schedule pick up fee $5.65
Residential Surcharge $3.25
Remote Pick up $4.00
Fuel Surcharge $.55
Total extra charges $ 13.45
That's 89 percent of the shipping charge.
Total charge to pick up the box when the drivers go by here at least twice a day : $28.53 The sale was $80.00 including tax. That's about 36 percent of my sale price.
Needless to say it will go to the post office tomorrow.
I used to use UPS because they were more dependable than USPS, but I'm not sure that's the case anymore either. Last Christmas season they came up with a disclaimer as they couldn't deliver everything on time. They took 7 days to ship a box of trout that was only supposed to take 4. Luckily it was in the winter and although the fish were a bloody mess they were salvageable.
Seems to me they need more competition.
Cecil, if you don't want the "schedule pick up fee", and the "remote pick up fee" you can always drive to a UPS store, or sorting facility...or you could move closer to town, or you could drive around and give the package to a driver in brown....wait, that would cost you a helluva a lot more than $9.65 in fuel!!!
I drive a lot! I don't understand your boner for UPS and FedEx...you want to make money, but begrudge them doing the same. It cost more to deliver to a residence, pure and simple...driving out into the country for one $15 charge is probably done at an actual LOSS to UPS. If a truck can stop at a strip mall, and deliver 50, $15 packages, it covers the loss delivering to you. It is the simple economics that business exist to make money, not lose it!
my business is my home, I get charged a home delivery on FedEx, or a residential fee by UPS, but I pay business rate to ship anything. If you live there, it is a residence!
I pay $8.65, including fuel surcharge to ship up to 10 pounds and/or 1 cubic foot volume. I can either pay $11 a week, every week for a UPS driver to stop at my home every day, whether I ship or not, or I could do as you did, Pay for that convenience...I chose to drive to my sorting facility 3 miles away. Thing is, if YOU want the service, they post the fee...you do not have to opt for a special service.
Volume shipping gets the best rates...not simply being a business.
