Shipping Differences Fedex vs UPS

Bill McCloskey · Posted 25 Aug 2023 7:50 pm

I couldn't figure out a place to put this, so feel free to move.

I recently sold D12 Superslide, in a well made road case. Shipped it from New York to Texas.

I shipped it monday. It arrived in perfect shape on Thursday.

On monday, I went to the place I have traditionally gone to ship guitars because I never had a problem and they pack them well. UPS wanted $450.

I said, nope, off to fedex. Fedex shipped it, same destination: $89.

What happened to UPS? When I asked the guy why so expensive he said: Texas is one of the most expensive places for UPS to ship. Does that make sense to anyone?

Damir Besic · From: Nashville,TN.

FedEx works with USPS I believe, and they have the area you were shipping to covered , UPS probably doesn’t , so they have to pay someone else to go there … that would be my guess …
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www.steelguitarsonline.com

Will Brown · From: Oklahoma, USA

,that's right I been telling people for years to ship usps it's cheaper. Then ups or fedx but you have to pack it your self I been shiping that way for years

Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

My preference is for FedEx.

I KNOW that, once your item is in-the-system, there's little to choose between any of them but our local FedEx counter is manned by really pleasant and helpful staff. The local UPS? Not so much!

There's one irritating glitch with FedEx. I don't know if each carrier uses an independent GPS system but, almost every FedEx delivery goes, not to my address but to an adjacent parallel street (same condo number). I will receive a notification that my shipment has been 'delivered' - with a photo enclosed - and I know I'd better jump in the car and drive around the block and retrieve it before it disappears.

That condo is an empty rental and last week I received a Dobro - same thing happened, except this time the driver forged my signature!!! 'Rotfer', it said.

It's next to impossible to get a lucid person on the phone and, when my new Williams arrives (very soon now), I will have to be very vigilant and be ready for the half-mile dash!

PS: It's galling to think that the shipper will have paid for a signature, and all for nothing.
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Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles and Martins - and, at last, a Gibson Super 400!
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Bill Hatcher · From: Atlanta Ga. USA

Bill McCloskey · Posted 26 Aug 2023 6:46 am

It was a store Bill, but one I've been using for years. Never had this problem with overcharging before, although they were always a bit more expense than Fedex. But from now on, I'll be shipping Fedex.

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Scary stuff there Roger. Another example of AI reliance.
Hope you can get in touch with FedEx and get that address thing straightened out.

Will, US Postal used to be the best value, but in the last few years, they're more expensive.

I use them for small or lightweight stuff because they're more convenient, but for items, say the size and weight of a multi-fx processor and on up it's FedEx. Best value, fastest service overall but it's a 10-12 mile round trip to the actual FedEx depot for me.

There are drop off places for both UPS and FedEx just around the corner from me, but I just feel better dropping things off at the actual company's depot.

Steve Goodson · From: South Carolina, USA

Here is my story about UPS. I shipped a Carter SD-10 about a month ago and low and behold it got lost. They don't want to reimburse the the cost but they did send me $100. I call them at least once a week and they someone from claims will call me in a few days. Guess their phone is out of order. No more will I use UPS. How can you loose a package that's almost 3' long. I think it's been stolen.

Rick Campbell · From: Sneedville, TN, USA

A lot of it depends on the origin and destination combination. It's very easy to go online and get quotes from FedEx, UPS, and USPS.

RC

Willis Vanderberg · From: Petoskey Mi

I ship FedEx from an office max store.
Never have a problem.
Now they limit the length of the parcel to 48 inches and fifty pounds.
The next choice is the FedEx depot at the airport..
The are off the charts.
They quoted me over three hundred dollars to ship aD-18 Martin from Michigan to Wisconsin.

Stephen Silver · From: Asheville, NC

Steve Goodson. i f you don't buy additional insurance the $100 is the maximum UPS will be responsible for. It's been that way for years.
_________________
Life is mostly Attitude and Timing

Carlin Mueller · From: Cypress, Texas, USA

I have received 3 pedal steels in Houston, shipped from Colorado, Maine, and Florida, all about $200 with UPS Store, all about $200 packaged and insured.
I have shipped 3 from Houston, to Oregon, Michigan, and I forget where....... all about $200 UPS Store, packaged by them and insured for $1000 to $2500.
Never tried FedEx.

Carlin

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Like many here, I have shipped numerous Steels, but I have packed and weighed them here at home and checked destination prices ahead of dropping it off at the UPS Store, which ONLY ships UPS. Mailboxes etc.. the stores that ship multiple services , are not UPS Stores. They are 3rd party.

Each of the Steels came in close to what the UPS on line shipping destination prices were . If we print a label at home and drop it off, the UPS store gets a contracted amount of that cost. IF we bring it to the counter, they make their money from packing and an up-charged shipping cost whatever that may be. "LABOR driven".

Typically if a UPS charge is real high, it's due to the destination which is OUTSIDE of the local delivery area. They may very well pass it on to FED EX or another carrier that covers that destination area. Its good business to not drive 50 miles out of the area to drop off ONE item.

When my wife ran her business we had a UPS Business account, I spent a good bit of phone time with customer service learning how it all works to get the best delivery prices. Now and then if we had a dozen or more packages I would bring them directly to the UPS HUB , packaged of course, they would plug in our ACCT # and bill our acct. This was the HUB, not the UPS Store. IF there is a HUB in your area, thats where you will get the best drop price. Fortunately for me the HUB is about 30 min from the house. The Fed EX Hub is further away but I used it now and then too. I never used MAILBOXES or other general shipping stores.

Moral to the story, pack and weigh at home if you can and drop off at either the direct UPS or FED EX locations. Do not allow a 20 year old to pack your 75 pound $5000 Steel ! Shocked

_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years

CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website

James Quackenbush · From: Pomona, New York, USA

Bill,
Have you ever used the main UPS customer care center off of pascack rd in spring valley ?…..I use to ship from there on a regular basis…I haven’t been there in years, but it was always very competitive with prices….Jim

Jim Rossen · From: Iowa, USA

I have seen terrible packing from UPS stores! A heavy irregular item in an oversize box filled with peanuts with no stabilization of the item in the box. Amp in a box filled with peanuts with peanuts that worked into the speaker spyder. Large amp in a cobbled together mess of cardboard fragments with no padding that were falling apart by delivery.

Must be the business model is- indifferent packing quality, high cost to customer, accept need to pay for damage claims.

I would not use a UPS store to pack any item I care about.

I have no problem with UPS shipping with an item I pack, process on line and drop off at a UPS site that is not a UPS store.

I prefer Fedex.

Jim

Dirk Edwards · From: Homedale ,Idaho USA

Here is the real reason Very Happy

"UPS, Teamsters reach agreement after threats of a strike: Here's what workers are getting "

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-08-22/ups-workers-approve-30-billion-labor-contract-boosting-wages#xj4y7vzkg

Mike DiAlesandro · From: Kent, Ohio

I ship a few steels now and then and I found Fedex has a better price, but will only sell $1000 declared value insurance on musical instruments 20 years and older. Though at this point they may have changed it to all musical instruments.

UPS will offer a declared value of what ever you like as long as you pay for it...

Bottom line is I pack the guitar myself using all the typical methods many of us use.

The service is about the same, though I would say UPS is more accurate with their tracking and estimated delivery times.

Thanks to Lynn Stafford who taught me these tricks of the trade many moons ago when he purchased an Emmons D-10 from me.

Here is what my final packing job looks like -

scott murray · From: Asheville, NC

prices are comparable in my neighborhood but I prefer FedEx. I've always been able to insure my instruments for as much as I need, maybe that's changed? but I would NEVER let them do the packing.

I think some shippers will refuse damage claims if they didn't do the packing themselves but I've yet to find anyone I consider qualified to pack a pedal steel, or anything fragile for that matter
_________________
1965 Emmons S-10, 3x5 • Emmons LLIII D-10, 10x12 • JCH D-10, 10x12 • Beard MA-8 • Oahu Tonemaster

Eric Dahlhoff · From: Point Arena, California

The UPS guy always gives my dog treats.
FedEx does not. So the choice is clear Cool

_________________
"To live outside the law you must be honest." (Bob Dylan)

Larry Welter · From: Wisconsin, USA

just a rumor but i heard if UPS and Fed ex merge,, it

would be called, "Fed-Up"
_________________
a few guitars,(Rickenbacker /610/ 40,s lap steel, 2007 emmons legrande,student Gs emmons,,,nashville 112
....,peavey classic 30 ,Nashville 400,,a few effect pedals,,everything except talent,(everyone wants to go to heaven,but no one wants to die to get there,) "steven jobs"?

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

we may need to clarify something here, UPS store employees are not UPS employees, they are store employees. The store owner carries the UPS contract and he or she pays the employees, NOT UPS.

I got that 1st hand from the UPS store employee ! Smile

So don't blame UPS directly for poor packing !
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years

CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website

Steve Goodson · From: South Carolina, USA

I did buy the insurance of $2500. Now they sent me a check for $900. So I get $1000 for a guitar I shipped that I paid for extra coverage of $2500. Now my buyer wants his $2500 back.

Michael Hartz · From: Decorah, Iowa, USA

Fedex lost my Mullen in it’s flightcase for over 2 weeks after Micky Adams shipped it back to me from Texas. And they did a good number on the flightcase as well. I had to replace aluminum valances and re-rivet most of the corners as they were loose or barely on. I will never use Fedex from now on. I shipped it down there via UPS with no issues whatsoever. Luckily I ship anything heavy UPS through the post office at our local college. They are run by Ricoh-USA, the copier company I used to work for and have increadibly low UPS rates due the millions Ricoh spends with UPS per year. It only cost me $60 to ship my Mullen D10 in it’s Red Dirt flightcase from Iowa to Texas.

Justin Shaw · From: Ontario, Canada

FedEx "lost" my 150 W tube Steel String Singer clone I had made. It went into the Memphis shipping hub and never came out... officially. They looked for it but never found it. Someone got a great amp I expect.

I've also had plenty of problems with UPS and DHL over the years, but the packages have always arrived at least.

David Ball · From: North Carolina High Country

Up where I live, the local UPS service to the house is the best, though they're all good. Post office doesn't deliver to the house here. Like someone said earlier, UPS guy always has dog treats and knows his constituents on a first name basis. USPS is really the same way, though it's pick up at the post office with them.

On the bigger picture, I've had more stuff disappear via UPS than the other two carriers, and I've tended to ship FedEx over the years. Lost an early Madison Permanent for months before it finally reappeared with UPS.

Our local USPS guy, by the way, is a great musician who played on the road and on the Opry with Doyle Lawson, Lorrie Morgan, Herby Wallace and many others...

Dave

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