Best Shipping Procedures - Page 2

Travis · 01/10/2008, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jdmcivicek9
how do you guys get your shipping rates so low??i just did a fedex quote and it came out to like 65.00...where im seeing on here most people being able to ship for like 35-40$ overnight...

What makes it even worse is that the actual rate is ALWAYS more expensive than the quote the website gives you. I don't know how certain people get such cheap rates. I know a lot of people use USPS because they are cheaper but I don't trust them. There have been many times where I have not sold frag packs because people complained that the shipping was too high. I gave up on shipping quotes because it always ended up being more so I always lost money. I now go with a flat rate. Sometimes it is a little cheaper but most times I ended up having to cover part of the shipping.

I too would love to know how people are getting those prices thorugh FedEx. I can see how businesses probably get discounts due to the large volume of stuff they ship but I doubt any hobbiests are getting prices like that.

H@rry · 01/11/2008, 11:29 AM

Some people don't realize that one big factor with FedEx is the size of the box. They use a formula of (Length x Width x Height) / 194 rounded up to the next pound *OR* actual weight rounded up to the next pound, whichever is more. So, if I ship a box 12 x 9 x10 I'm going to pay for 6 pounds even if it only weighs 4 pounds. Always use the smallest box you can get by with. Although right now while it's cold, the larger box with more water has more "mass" to keep the temp from fluctuating so much. If you're going to pay for 6 pounds anyway, you might as well put more water in the bags, the frags will arrive in better shape. Any way you want to look at it, it is not cheap. I guess it boils down to whether your objective it to make a lot of money or share frags with fellow hobbyists. I guarantee that FedEx makes more money on a shipment of frags than I do. But, as far as I'm concerned, they're the only one I will use for shipping.

On a completely different subject: What are the restrictions (if any) on shipping frags to Puerto Rico? A guy contacted me yesterday wanting frags shipped to him in Puerto Rico. I ran it through FedEx and it looks like they could handle it without a problem.

Shock130 · 02/05/2008, 10:52 AM

I would have to say many people either know someone at fed-ex or do it for work. i know when i used to work at a plumbing supply warehouse, we would ship personal packages for dirt cheap because we would just say every packaged weighted 1lbs. made a 30$ shipping at the store costs 4-5$ across the country. i would say if your going to ship something out check out if your company has a fed-ex/ups account and just accidently (lie) put in the wrong demensions and box weight..... or try to find someone who can do it for you.

Hasnt anyone ordered corals online!? how do the "professionals" do it? when i ordered fish online they just put it in a styro box that fit perfectly inside of a thick cardboard box, and doublebaged the fish with metal clamps to hold the bags shut, then put a heatpack in the box, and put newspaper and put those big packing bubbles in so the fish wouldnt move around in the box.

ben&bobbi · 02/05/2008, 11:39 AM

if someone doesn't want to post how they are getting great rates, pm me and i will post them as; unknown user says .....

H@rry · 02/05/2008, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Shock130
just accidently (lie) put in the wrong demensions and box weight..... or try to find someone who can do it for you.

You know, I "accidentally" put the wrong dimensions and weight several times but FedEx corrected it!

Travis · 02/05/2008, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by H@rry
You know, I "accidentally" put the wrong dimensions and weight several times but FedEx corrected it!

Harry is right. It doesn't matter if you say the package weighs 1 oz. or 100 lbs. Also doesn't matter what dimensions you enter. When the box passes through the main FedEx hub in Tennesse it goes down a conveyer belt and for a split second it is weighed and the dimensions are scanned. That is when your actual shipping cost is calculated and your account is charged.

Shock130 · 02/05/2008, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by H@rry
You know, I "accidentally" put the wrong dimensions and weight several times but FedEx corrected it!

REALLLY!? them bastards!!!!! well maybe UPS is stupid, because thats who we used to pull it on.... maybe they charged us more at the end of the month.... but i took over one month on "verifying" every shipment that was shipped on the work account was "work related"... and therer were MANY packages costing $4-5 The customers loved us doing that for them also. haha

Shock130 · 02/05/2008, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Travis
Harry is right. It doesn't matter if you say the package weighs 1 oz. or 100 lbs. Also doesn't matter what dimensions you enter. When the box passes through the main FedEx hub in Tennesse it goes down a conveyer belt and for a split second it is weighed and the dimensions are scanned. That is when your actual shipping cost is calculated and your account is charged.

Well then.... in that case, just pay work for the shipment when it is shipped. and hope the company picks up the rest of the money that they charge for the "incorrect" package, we shipped out atleast 5 packages a day via UPS. and I usually did the UPS shipments, and i NEVER put in the correct demensions, nor the weight i would just guess. and i never heard from ups or my boss for that matter. only time UPS called is when i got lazy for not including customs papers for international shipment.

I email LiveAquaria on their shipping meathods. See what they have to say. i will let everyone know when i get a reply.

cdcq12 · 02/10/2008, 07:29 PM

What about shipping in those Ziploc containers with the screw on lids? I mean, you would still ship in styro and all that, but wouldn't that provide better protection for the corals?

flyyyguy · 02/21/2008, 01:13 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by cdcq12
What about shipping in those Ziploc containers with the screw on lids? I mean, you would still ship in styro and all that, but wouldn't that provide better protection for the corals?

I dont think so. it is a hard surface vs the softer surface of a bag resting on another bag or styrofoam or peanuts.

As well, of the handful of shipments Ive received that came in little individual plastic containers the majority leaked.

I dont like them. I do however like having extra little plastic containers around the tanks to put gross stuff in and then discard instead of sneaking the wifes dishes though......

cutnup · 02/27/2008, 11:18 PM

ok, im going to change the subject a little... what kind of oxygen do you guys use... i was thinking in investing in a small tank so me and my friends could all use it but its impossible to get medical grade oxygen. so im stuck with either a divers tank or a welding tank.

flyyyguy · 02/27/2008, 11:56 PM

oxygen isnt necessary. Put all the bags in a thick black bag inside the cooler and everything will go to sleep and not try to respirate much in the first place.

I hardly use any air in the bags as it is and have very few issues and it isnt oxygen related on the infrequent occasion that a frag does ship poorly.

PJsStuff · 02/28/2008, 02:59 PM

how do you guys recomend shipping anemones?

renogaw · 03/12/2008, 10:35 AM

If you ship the corals, in insulated boxes with shredded paper, in a leakproof container (those plastic medical urine sample containers), with heatpacks, and they do not make the next day (less than 24 hour actually) shipping, would you refund the whole cost of the corals/shipping, half the cost, none?

i'm sorta curious as to what to do

PJsStuff · 03/12/2008, 10:50 AM

NO. Not if it was the post offices fault i wont give a refund. If they do make it on time and the package is signed for and the corals are dead i refund the coarl price but not the shipping price.

renogaw · 03/12/2008, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by PJsStuff
how do you guys recomend shipping anemones?

i've shipped anenomes no problem in water twice. some places say not to ship them in water because they may spit out their food and polute the water, so just don't feed them for a few days.

first one i shipped was in a plastic bag, second was in a plastic container in a cooler.

renogaw · 03/12/2008, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by PJsStuff
NO. Not if it was the post offices fault i wont give a refund. If they do make it on time and the package is signed for and the corals are dead i refund the coarl price but not the shipping price.

nope, corals were signed for, just water was too cold, and it was less than 24 hours since i packaged them.

H@rry · 03/12/2008, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by renogaw
If you ship the corals, in insulated boxes with shredded paper, in a leakproof container (those plastic medical urine sample containers), with heatpacks, and they do not make the next day (less than 24 hour actually) shipping, would you refund the whole cost of the corals/shipping, half the cost, none?

i'm sorta curious as to what to do

If the person I'm shipping to expects next day delivery (as they should) and FedEx misses the delivery date and the corals are DOA, I ship a replacement and file a claim with FedEx. That happened to me this past weekend. I had a frag pack that the recipient paid extra for Saturday delivery. I shipped it Friday evening and it got held up in the snow storm and didn't get delivered until Monday. Needless to say, there was nothing left but bare skeletons in cloudy water by then.

The way I look at it, if I tell someone that the box will come overnight and it does not it certainly is not the recipient's fault. I make it right with them first and then deal with the carrier who didn't deliver.

Just my way of doing business and my .02.

renogaw · 03/12/2008, 12:04 PM

the shipping time is NOT the issue, everything showed up within 24 hours (next day). the problem is the water supposedly was so cold everything melted. now the person wants me to reship or refund (i'll be reshipping when it gets warmer), i was just curious since i did everything i humanly could do, and since the corals did show up the next day.

PJsStuff · 03/12/2008, 12:14 PM

I wouild request Pictures and that they send the items back before i would give them a refund just to make sure the coral really was dead.

renogaw · 03/12/2008, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by PJsStuff
I wouild request Pictures and that they send the items back before i would give them a refund just to make sure the coral really was dead.

i guess if the other two people i sent the same corals to say the same thing, i'll have to believe it. if the other two say not dead, maybe a red flag will go up. she offered to send pics, but in all honesty it would be easy enough to just take fake pics.

flyyyguy · 03/12/2008, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by renogaw
nope, corals were signed for, just water was too cold, and it was less than 24 hours since i packaged them.

If it made it in less than 24 hours......and everything died becasue the water was too cold is it not your fault from not knowing how to get it there while maintaining temp??

Unless you really think thye buyer would have reason to make it up and try to rip you off,

I would say you owe the buyer a new box of corals, and either cover shipping in full or split it with them.

If it was the post offices fault, use fed ex next time, and in that instance I would still ship more corals for free, but would request that the shipper paid for the shipping in full. that way you arent out any real money and you have a happy buyer

jmo

flyyyguy · 03/12/2008, 01:22 PM

oops

renogaw · 03/12/2008, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by flyyyguy
If it made it in less than 24 hours......and everything died becasue the water was too cold is it not your fault from not knowing how to get it there while maintaining temp??

jmo

other than styrofoam insulation, heatpacks, and packaging material, how else are you supposed to get it there while maintaining temp?

btw, the same corals made it to tennessee with no problems, but from mass to new york they died?

Travis · 03/12/2008, 09:37 PM

You have to know which heat/cold packs and how many of them to use based on overnight low temps in your area and at the destination. Unfortunately, this knowledge can only be gained from experience and trial and error. And if you used a delivery service that doesn't guarantee delivery by at least 11am then you are setting yourself up for even more of a risk because you also need to factor in high temps at the destination during the day. If the package made it on time, then it is your fault that the water temp was too low, IMO. In that case I would ship another pack of replacement frags and cover the shipping. If it is something that is the shipping company's fault then I ship a free pack of corals and the buyer covers the shipping.

02/05/2008, 10:52 AM	#28
Shock130 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: NoVA Posts: 628	I would have to say many people either know someone at fed-ex or do it for work. i know when i used to work at a plumbing supply warehouse, we would ship personal packages for dirt cheap because we would just say every packaged weighted 1lbs. made a 30$ shipping at the store costs 4-5$ across the country. i would say if your going to ship something out check out if your company has a fed-ex/ups account and just accidently (lie) put in the wrong demensions and box weight..... or try to find someone who can do it for you. Hasnt anyone ordered corals online!? how do the "professionals" do it? when i ordered fish online they just put it in a styro box that fit perfectly inside of a thick cardboard box, and doublebaged the fish with metal clamps to hold the bags shut, then put a heatpack in the box, and put newspaper and put those big packing bubbles in so the fish wouldnt move around in the box. __________________ Jason

02/27/2008, 11:56 PM	#37
flyyyguy King of the white corals Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,239	oxygen isnt necessary. Put all the bags in a thick black bag inside the cooler and everything will go to sleep and not try to respirate much in the first place. I hardly use any air in the bags as it is and have very few issues and it isnt oxygen related on the infrequent occasion that a frag does ship poorly. __________________ I like holding hands, snuggling, and long walks on the beach

03/12/2008, 01:22 PM	#48
flyyyguy King of the white corals Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,239	oops Last edited by flyyyguy; 03/12/2008 at 01:42 PM.

03/12/2008, 09:37 PM	#50
Travis 10 and over club Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Sioux Falls, SD Posts: 5,525	You have to know which heat/cold packs and how many of them to use based on overnight low temps in your area and at the destination. Unfortunately, this knowledge can only be gained from experience and trial and error. And if you used a delivery service that doesn't guarantee delivery by at least 11am then you are setting yourself up for even more of a risk because you also need to factor in high temps at the destination during the day. If the package made it on time, then it is your fault that the water temp was too low, IMO. In that case I would ship another pack of replacement frags and cover the shipping. If it is something that is the shipping company's fault then I ship a free pack of corals and the buyer covers the shipping. __________________ TOTM August 08 An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Current Tank Info: 280 sps w/ 75 LPS, 75 refugium, 120 sump

01/11/2008, 11:29 AM	#27
H@rry Moved On Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Huntsville. AL Posts: 1,559	Some people don't realize that one big factor with FedEx is the size of the box. They use a formula of (Length x Width x Height) / 194 rounded up to the next pound OR actual weight rounded up to the next pound, whichever is more. So, if I ship a box 12 x 9 x10 I'm going to pay for 6 pounds even if it only weighs 4 pounds. Always use the smallest box you can get by with. Although right now while it's cold, the larger box with more water has more "mass" to keep the temp from fluctuating so much. If you're going to pay for 6 pounds anyway, you might as well put more water in the bags, the frags will arrive in better shape. Any way you want to look at it, it is not cheap. I guess it boils down to whether your objective it to make a lot of money or share frags with fellow hobbyists. I guarantee that FedEx makes more money on a shipment of frags than I do. But, as far as I'm concerned, they're the only one I will use for shipping. On a completely different subject: What are the restrictions (if any) on shipping frags to Puerto Rico? A guy contacted me yesterday wanting frags shipped to him in Puerto Rico. I ran it through FedEx and it looks like they could handle it without a problem.

02/05/2008, 11:39 AM	#29
ben&bobbi Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: mims, fl Posts: 1,063	if someone doesn't want to post how they are getting great rates, pm me and i will post them as; unknown user says .....

02/10/2008, 07:29 PM	#34
cdcq12 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Strongsville, OH Posts: 220	What about shipping in those Ziploc containers with the screw on lids? I mean, you would still ship in styro and all that, but wouldn't that provide better protection for the corals?

02/27/2008, 11:18 PM	#36
cutnup Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Vero Beach Florida Posts: 674	ok, im going to change the subject a little... what kind of oxygen do you guys use... i was thinking in investing in a small tank so me and my friends could all use it but its impossible to get medical grade oxygen. so im stuck with either a divers tank or a welding tank.

02/28/2008, 02:59 PM	#38
PJsStuff Moved On Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Reelsville IN Posts: 406	how do you guys recomend shipping anemones?

03/12/2008, 10:35 AM	#39
renogaw Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: North Granby (beyond the boonies and sticks..) Posts: 2,608	If you ship the corals, in insulated boxes with shredded paper, in a leakproof container (those plastic medical urine sample containers), with heatpacks, and they do not make the next day (less than 24 hour actually) shipping, would you refund the whole cost of the corals/shipping, half the cost, none? i'm sorta curious as to what to do

03/12/2008, 10:50 AM	#40
PJsStuff Moved On Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Reelsville IN Posts: 406	NO. Not if it was the post offices fault i wont give a refund. If they do make it on time and the package is signed for and the corals are dead i refund the coarl price but not the shipping price.

03/12/2008, 12:04 PM	#44
renogaw Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: North Granby (beyond the boonies and sticks..) Posts: 2,608	the shipping time is NOT the issue, everything showed up within 24 hours (next day). the problem is the water supposedly was so cold everything melted. now the person wants me to reship or refund (i'll be reshipping when it gets warmer), i was just curious since i did everything i humanly could do, and since the corals did show up the next day.

03/12/2008, 12:14 PM	#45
PJsStuff Moved On Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Reelsville IN Posts: 406	I wouild request Pictures and that they send the items back before i would give them a refund just to make sure the coral really was dead.