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[Rasta Monsta]

Public Service Announcement from Flyin Lion Racing:

My neighborhood UPS Store just charged me a $75 "surcharge" on $100 worth of postage.

I had no idea this was legal, and I may be the only dumbass that wasn't aware of this SCAM, but if I can save someone else, I will.




rasta
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Toofah King Bad

• WeiBe (1987 924S 2.5t) - 931 S3

[CorsePerVita]

How does that work?
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- 1977 Porsche 924 2.0 N/A (Trackday Project)
- 1979 Porsche 924 2.0 N/A (The other daily)
- 1980 Porsche 931 (Daily)
- 1987 Lamborghini Jalpa
- 1999 Ducati 900SS

[Smoothie]

I used a local storefront "package handler" like "Mailboxes Etc," once to ship something by UPS. They charge you what you'd have paid if you'd brought the package directly to a large UPS facility, plus a bunch more for themselves. Makes sense that the store should get something, but $75 to take something at the counter and move it a few yards later to the UPS truck when it arrives, is excessive. In my case, it was about a $7 shipping charge plus another $5 for the store - did it once, and never again. Wonder if, for larger items you can use UPS pickup that comes to your door and pay less.. As I recall their pickup for a small parcel is roughly $3?

Here's the UPS Stores' online calculator - http://www.theupsstore.com/qcc/qcc.asp
See if comes close in any way to what they charged.

[Rasta Monsta]

Interesting calculator, but the package was shipped from the UPS Store via USPS.

I used to go to PostNet, but they closed. . .
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Toofah King Bad

• WeiBe (1987 924S 2.5t) - 931 S3

[fiat22turbo]

I could have told you that, I used to work for UPS and my ex worked at a UPS store. Huge scam on both sides.

I use FedEx and USPS and simply print the postage online and drop it off at a local store front. You can even drop the prepped packages at a UPS Store if you wanna mess with them

BTW, my girlfriend's aunt owns the Mail n More at Lloyd Center. She doesn't give discounts but she won't overcharge you either.

Stefan
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Stefan
1979 924 Carrera GTS (clone-ish)
1988 944 Turbo S (Silver Rose)

[v8carreragts]

Strange. I use a UPS store near me all the time and the charges are ususlly about what it costs to go to the UPS facility. Maybe each store can charge what they want?

[gohim]

I have shipped thousands of packages by UPS, USPS, and FedEx in the past 30 years. Here is the some knowledge I have accumulated the hard way.

UPS bought Mail Boxes Etc.. some years ago. If you drop a package there, or at chain office supply store like Office Depot, then you will pay the same amount as if you went to a UPS Customer Counter.

FedEx bought Kinko's, and the same applies if you take a package to be shipped by FedEx to Kinko's.

Both UPS and FedEx have a laundry list of extra charges that can be added to the basic shipping charge. There's the fuel surcharge, residential delivery charge, rural delivery charge, oversize charge, under weight for physical size charge, and insurance for packages worth over $100.

Independent Businesses, also offer packaging, and UPS and FedEx Shipping Services. These indepentent companies will package, and accept your items for shipping by UPS and FedEx, and other delivery companies. If you go to one of these places, you will pay the posted UPS, or FedEx Rates, plus the UPS and FedEx Surcharges for services, plus sometimes you pay fees that are not valid UPS or FedEx charges because the store's personnel do not know how to properly charge you for FedEx and UPS charges. These companies charge whatever they want as a service charge to handle your package for you, and are not related to UPS or FedEx.

The problem with these independent companies is that there service charge for handling your package can sometimes reach outrageous amunts and while you may think that they have people trained to properly package your items for safe delivery, the people behind the counter are usually no better educated in properly packaging then the guy (or girl) behind the counter at McDonald's who works a cash register without any numbers on it, who can't make change without help.

Worse yet, when you drop a package at an independent shipping business, the business takes no responsibility for the packaging they did, or for the safe delivery of your package. If it should disappear, and not arrive on the other end, the business is going to refer you to UPS, and UPS is going to refer you back to the business. Why? Because the business is going to say that you were the shipper, and you problem is with UPS. UPS is going to say, that you are not the Shipper. The business you took the package to is the Shipper, and you have to make your claim with the Shipper.

The best way to ship a package is to take your package directly to a UPS or FedEx Customer Counter. Next best will be an Office Depot, or The UPS Store, or Kink's (I have noticed that the fees can be slightly higher at those places, but that may be because the FedEx and UPS Customer Counters that I regularly go to may give me breaks that the Office Depot, Kinko's, and The UPS Store may not. The cost of shipping will be lower, and there will be less BS if something goes wrong.

Be aware that the USPS has Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes. The boxes are free, and you can ship stuff anywhere in the US that will fit in a Flat Rate Box for a fix amount, regardless of the weight. Many times it is less expensive to disassemble an item, and ship it in multiple flat rate boxes then to send it regular Priority Mail or UPS or FedEx. Keep in mind that UPS and FedEx charge extra, or Air Mail Rates much higher than Priority Mail for deliveries to HI and AK. USPS does not have a surcharge for rural deliveries (unlike FedEX and UPS). However, the USPS Insurance charge is much higher than UPS or FedEx.

[Vince Ponz]

What is wrong with the US Post Office?

I was never ripped off by anyone of the above. Shipping to Europe I did get charged duty and the receiver paid the same amount and the shipper return to get more from the reciever. They threw him out.
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"Never let them see you sweat"
77.5 924 modified track car
79 931 Euro stock
88 924S SE
87 911 Targa stock

[Rasta Monsta]

[!tom]

Ask anyone in Candad that has been shipped anything from the US about what a royal scam UPS is.

Many up here refuse to deal with the crooks.

USPS is the best, but FedEx isn't all that bad -- anything is better than UPS.
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78 924 NA
5-lug

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