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Old 02-21-2018, 01:08 PM
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fazool fazool is offline
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Default A current shipping cost comparison

I do not do any commercial work and don't have any shipping arrangements.

I have shipped quite a number of guitars as part of my passion/hobby.

Each of the three main carriers seem to have a "sweet spot" for the best deal.

For example, I learned that very heavy packages are best shipped through FedEx (contrary to my intuition), USPS is best for small packages and close deliveries, UPS is best at mid-sized and longer distance, etcetera.

I was shipping an OM size guitar 1400 miles. The box was not the big guitar box, it was the smaller acoustic box.

I insured it for $800.

USPS: $151 not including insurance
UPS: $130
FedEx:$111


Again, not a judgment on any of them. Just a data point for anyone comparing shipping costs
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Old 02-21-2018, 01:12 PM
Rosewood99 Rosewood99 is offline
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That's why I only use FedEx. I'm sure I'll here horror stories about Fedex now but I have heard it about all the carriers. So far fedex has worked good for me and it's the cheapest.
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Old 02-21-2018, 01:58 PM
lowrider lowrider is offline
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Fazool, do you have a Fedex account? If not, start one and that shipping cost will drop by 1/2 to 2/3. I think anyone can open an account.
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Old 02-21-2018, 03:02 PM
kcnbys kcnbys is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lowrider View Post
Fazool, do you have a Fedex account? If not, start one and that shipping cost will drop by 1/2 to 2/3. I think anyone can open an account.
I was thinking the same thing. I just shipped a dread - in its case - inside a pretty good size guitar shipping box. It cost me $50 to ship it insured for 1k about 1000 miles with my Fedex account.
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Old 02-21-2018, 03:04 PM
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USPS will take boxes only so large, but if they take them they are always cheapest of the three in my experience. I've never paid anywhere near $151 to USPS for the largest box they will take. I shipped a guitar to RI from CA and it was only $80. UPS wanted $150. I just shipped my Eastman to my son-in-law and it was $30 through USPS going 500 miles. I bought a Santa Cruz that came from Tennessee and that box was identical to the one I used for the RI shipment and it cost the seller $110 through FedEx. I had to send a guitar back to Nashville from CA and they wanted me to use FedEx. It was again, $110 through FedEx. I sold a guitar to a guy in Wisconsin some months ago and we negotiated using UPS and the cost was $120. These are all real, recent prices before insurance being added, using acoustic shipping boxes.

USPS cheapest.
FedEx and UPS run neck and neck usually, depending on where you ship to, they vary more that is depending on how far the destination is from one of their hubs I suppose.
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Old 02-21-2018, 03:18 PM
Chedeng88 Chedeng88 is offline
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I've also noticed that FedEx has the best rate when shipping guitars within CONUS. UPS quotes have consistently been more expensive and from my experience, has been less reliable than FedEx.

Going overseas or shipping to Hawaii, USPS will be the cheapest. I'd had back luck with them recently though -- they lost my 2 packages over the holidays and one that got stuck in limbo for over a week. So I'll probably not use them again for shipping guitars and other high value items.
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Old 02-21-2018, 03:32 PM
wxfloyd wxfloyd is offline
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For those of you who have created FedEx accounts, did you do a business or personal account?
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Old 02-21-2018, 03:46 PM
Swamp Yankee Swamp Yankee is offline
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Fedex ...no thanks.. just today I watched a Fedex truck come halfway down our road, turn around in a neighbor's driveway and drive off..within moments my tablet got a message from Amazon about an "attempted delivery"
Too many times fedex has screwed up with deliveries - I would never use them.

I always use USPS. In November I shipped a guitar in a box via USPS from CT to CA for $66 insured.
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Old 02-21-2018, 05:27 PM
lowrider lowrider is offline
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Fedex business account; my wife's and she's now retired but the account is still open.

I've never shipped a guitar but I've shipping bicycles in cases all over the country for almost 20 years. These cases are just under 50lbs and are 40''x 28 x 11. I recently shipped from Long Island to Naples Fl for $56 each round trip, insured

I always drop off and pick up at the Fedex center.
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Old 02-21-2018, 05:33 PM
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KenL KenL is offline
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I figured out several years ago that the USPS is not very interested in shipping guitars. They would grumble when I walked in with the big box, and let it be known that they weren't very happy about dealing with it.

And this was my small-town PO where they were usually quite friendly.
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Old 02-21-2018, 08:43 PM
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There are two different FedEx companies. FedEx and FedEx Home. Most of the complaints against FedEx are really against FedEx Home.
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Old 02-21-2018, 08:49 PM
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Take the 10 minutes and get yourself an account with Fedex. I just sent a 1750 declared value (you aren't buying insurance) from MI to CA in an oversized (46 by 12 by 20) box for 92.00

Another benefit of Fedex is that if you have a claim you are dealing with a Fedex employee as opposed to a third party company that's likely being paid to deny your claim with UPS and USPS.
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Old 02-21-2018, 09:08 PM
mattd mattd is offline
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I have used all of them and USPS priority 2 day has been my preferred method lately. I will be shipping a guitar tomorrow 2500 miles using USPS priority for $95 it will be on plane and delivered to the destination Saturday, which I much prefer to sitting on multiple trucks for 7 days. The quote for fedex to do this was $351 and UPS $334.
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Old 02-21-2018, 09:55 PM
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As soon as you add in the “declared value” charge, you’re no longer paying shipping costs. You’re simply giving away money. As is so often stated and ignored, declared value is not insurance.

Right now it costs me between $35 and $70 to ship UPS Ground anywhere in the continental US. From KY to the west coast takes 4 days. Everywhere else is quicker. It costs me an additional $25 to insure a $5,000 guitar shipment on my Heritage policy.
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Old 02-21-2018, 10:39 PM
tippy5 tippy5 is offline
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For electrics in small boxes USPS is the cheapest. I had one USPS disaster with an acoustic. USPS I only use for strong electrics with their box bullies and rickety old trucks.

I do not use UPS but maybe after learning about Mr. Yates formula I might try it?

But I really am happy that Todd(Fitness- Looks like I owe you 8$? : ) and others said to get a Fed Ex account. I thought you had to be either a commercial or a large seller to qualify?
I will see. I am planning on saying goodbye to 5 guitars soon because there's only so many you can maintain and have an intimate feel for.
Fed Ex account sounds good.
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