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Lind Samba Member
Joined: November 06, 2000 Posts: 9915 Location: idaho
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Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2003 9:17 am Post subject: Shipping Tricks and General Shipping Questions / Discussion |
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Hi all,
I thought that I would give you all some hints on ways to ship stuff for good prices.
1) fedex ground is cheaper than ups. a complete bus steering box with column from idaho to california recently cost me $8.
2) greyhound bus is great for things that are too big for fedex. I sent a full length middle seat from idaho to arizona for $50, and I sent a walk through clip with seats to florida for $50. (the package was 30"X30"X32" and weighed 90#)
3) if you live in a big city and are shipping to a big city and the item is too big for greyhound, try forward air. I had an engine shipped from new york to salt lake city for under $100 a few years ago.
4) if you are sending literature/books/videos/audio try the usps media rate mail. slow but really cheap.
all of the above shippers have websites that will detail size and weight restrictions and give you most of the other information that you need.
if anybody else knows any good tricks, please post them.
Other threads:
How to pack and ship a Bus middle seat |
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Yustrn JHC Controla
Joined: August 01, 2000 Posts: 5478 Location: Ovaland, CA
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Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2003 9:34 am Post subject: Shipping Tricks. |
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I have found Amtrak train to be a great source of shipping large items cheap. I have used it for things such as Ragtop clips, roofracks, and bus cargo doors. I have sent and received items this way. It is great! |
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VW Addict Samba Salesman
Joined: January 09, 2003 Posts: 3920
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Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2003 9:46 am Post subject: Shipping Tricks. |
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it sucks, I live in a small town, and there is two ways to ship things...USPS, and UPS! $$ |
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[email protected] Samba Member
Joined: May 13, 2002 Posts: 51
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Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2003 3:15 pm Post subject: Shipping Tricks. |
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If you don't mind lying or streching the truth, then send stuff though the U.S. Postal servises media mail. Its for books and the like, but i think I paid something like $8 to ship a set of one piece type 1 windows (as well as a copy of the idiot guide). Not to bad a deal. |
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VW Addict Samba Salesman
Joined: January 09, 2003 Posts: 3920
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Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2003 3:53 pm Post subject: Shipping Tricks. |
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funky,
I have done this before, tell them it is books, and they will ship it, you have to make sure everything is packed well, and does not move, everything is secure, and nothing is showing...if you get caught, its a mess, and you'd have a fine. Another issue is it take Media mail longer to arrive at a desrtination then regualar mail.
I guess i dont see how they would accpet windows!!! Those boxes for media mail are handled differenly, becuase they are books...they are somewhat thrown around on the car.... |
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Lind Samba Member
Joined: November 06, 2000 Posts: 9915 Location: idaho
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Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2003 5:06 pm Post subject: Shipping Tricks. |
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be sure to get media rate and not book rate. the difference being if a book rate item is undeliverable, they throw it away. if a media rate item is undeliverable, they return it to you. |
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UZI Platinum FUBU
Joined: February 08, 2002 Posts: 13335 Location: phila-DELFT-ia
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Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2003 6:18 pm Post subject: Shipping Tricks. |
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i've both shipped and received middle seats via forward air and i think they're great. the downside with them is that the item needs to be on a pallet and have a crate built around it. that can be time consuming to build and cost 20 bucks or so im luan and firring strips. i'm all about greyhound these days. old refrigerator box. some reinforced tape and a half hour of my time and i'm done. rates are a little better too.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/73719.jpg |
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UZI Platinum FUBU
Joined: February 08, 2002 Posts: 13335 Location: phila-DELFT-ia
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Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2003 6:19 pm Post subject: Shipping Tricks. |
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BTW lind great thread. for once none of this " i got ripped off for $4.32 in shipping..." |
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[email protected] Samba Member
Joined: February 01, 2003 Posts: 25
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Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2003 7:16 pm Post subject: Shipping Tricks. |
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Forward Air is great. I had a friend get a Pinto engine shipped from Florida to California for $100 or so.
I don't trust FedEx myself though. I've had them lose too many items. I had 5 poly bucket seats shipped from Summit Racing. There were 3 packed together and another 2 packed together. They managed to lose one set of 2 seats. How do you lose one of two packages that are tagged together? Especially when it's the size of a car seat. |
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Gary Person of Interest
Joined: November 01, 2002 Posts: 17069 Location: 127.0.0.1
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Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2003 7:54 pm Post subject: Shipping Tricks. |
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I can vouch for FedEx. You have to remember that *everything* FedEx ships is assigned a tracking number. You can litterally tell when the driver stopped to take a leak because everything is scanned.
Hey vwman_2004 - if you don't live far from a major city, items can be delivered from dock to dock at a depot. I shipped a tranny to Indianna and had the buyer pick it up at the dock. Of course, he was one of those pisser and moaners who thought shipping should have cost $5.
Overall, Lind has some great advice. I never had any luck with Greyhound here in OKC. Those people always mumble and act like you're wasting their time when called. |
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ricobuggy Samba Member
Joined: September 18, 2002 Posts: 53 Location: St. Charles, IL
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Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2003 11:02 am Post subject: Shipping Tricks. |
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Guys, this is a great thread as I am looking to ship some Westy interior parts... One other question, any thoughts on how to send a 21"x21"x36" 25lb westy ice box to the UK??
Thanks.
Rich |
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Yustrn JHC Controla
Joined: August 01, 2000 Posts: 5478 Location: Ovaland, CA
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Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2003 11:41 am Post subject: Shipping Tricks. |
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Rich,
Oversea's is a totally different beast. I don't know of anyway cheap to get items oversea's. Normally UPS, but they RAPE you on prices.
I have to send a 12V generator to england and it's 44 bucks for ground!! that was through USPS. I get lucky with my oversea's parts and normally get them put in a car coming this ways (earlyman can vouch for that)
but then it's all about trust if the person on the other end will forward the item. |
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UZI Platinum FUBU
Joined: February 08, 2002 Posts: 13335 Location: phila-DELFT-ia
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Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2003 3:50 pm Post subject: Shipping Tricks. |
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6 months eric |
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crofty Judas of the North
Joined: August 09, 2000 Posts: 19672 Location: Land of Whine and Phonies
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Posted: Tue May 11, 2004 12:21 pm Post subject: |
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I've used forward air before and they are great. I had a trailer shipped out from kansas, and it turned out great.
I'll have to give an ebay seller a ring, shipping a table FedEx from socal to norcal couldn't have cost $19.10!! _________________ Your Vanagon sucks, Stop waving at me.
HamburgerBrad wrote: |
I slept on crofty's tent once. I passed out drunk from two bottles of Everett's brother's wine. |
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Bart Samba Member
Joined: March 18, 2002 Posts: 2516 Location: Chapel Hill, TN
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Posted: Wed May 12, 2004 2:31 pm Post subject: |
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Here is my new shipping trick,
The company I work for has a corporate account w/ UPS and allows us to use them to ship personal items. As long as we pay their cost. Also if we ship items to a business it is much cheaper. I can ship ups ground for usually around 6.00 - 8.00. I recently shipped a 911 Alternator to CA 2nd Day air for 24.00. So ask your employer if you could do the same. _________________ http://www.sundial-camper.com |
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EverettB Administrator
Joined: April 11, 2000 Posts: 69827 Location: Phoenix Metro
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rterfert Samba Member
Joined: October 08, 2003 Posts: 1419 Location: Yuma Arizona
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Posted: Sun May 16, 2004 11:02 pm Post subject: |
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I bought a disasembled 2110 long block from a kid in Atlanta Georgia for $43 and he shipped it for $30 UPS.
I think he shipped it from his work for next to nothing??
3 boxes and 1 1/2 month later I had the whole motor.
Such a SWEET deal I cant complain about the time it took to get it. |
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VW Addict Samba Salesman
Joined: January 09, 2003 Posts: 3920
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Posted: Sun May 16, 2004 11:04 pm Post subject: |
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EverettB wrote: |
I would be interested in knowing how to ship an engine when the seller is not located near a ForwardAir depot. It's too heavy for Greyhound as they have a 150lb. limit. |
That would be very helpful, nearest foward air from here : 312 miles |
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Teeroy Samba Member
Joined: April 20, 2003 Posts: 3685 Location: Eastern WA
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Posted: Mon May 17, 2004 7:50 pm Post subject: shipping tricks |
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Hey Lind does Forward Air have a 800 # ?TROY _________________ Pres. Rivercity VW Club www.rcvwclub.org
Founder Derr Wheat Panzers (DWP)
ARR #3
www.autosportsnorthwest.org |
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EverettB Administrator
Joined: April 11, 2000 Posts: 69827 Location: Phoenix Metro
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