First Problem With Pirate Shipping

[7stud]

Respectfully, I am detecting a contradiction in the first 4 sentences highlited in blue, above.

I don't see a contradiction. The poster was saying that FedEx is expensive, for example even with his 30% discount it still cost $130/package.

 

[Benelli]

So I collect Limited Edition Silkscreen movie posters and those are always shipped in tubes, and yes UPS made a change last year that all tubes would incur an additional $22 fee because it's not a box. What I was told is the tubes were rolling around in the truck and getting damaged or stepped on by the driver and they wanted tubes gone from the truck.

I've started placing the tube inside a 6x6x36 box which costs $3.50 but does not impact the total shipping cost.

So shipping the tube in the box was $29 shipping just the tube was $51

This morning I received three emails saying I am being charged an add'l $22 for handling surcharges and peak seasoon surcharge. And oh yeah, something called a "Non Corrugated" surcharge, too. FYI, it waqs shipped in a cardboard tube. WTH Feels like a bait and switch money grab to me.

 

[maha]

almost all businesses have an up charge for doing things differently. fact of life unless you get a firm quote.

 

[Zerksies]

I sell a lot on line and i prefer USPS for most things, It's cheap and somewhat fast. I've really never had them lose a package. UPS is the best but are a little expensive. The rate i get from them with my job is amazing, but the speed is good and if you mark the package corretctly i don't end up in trouble. FedEx is more the F off service. It gets there when it gets there. I don't know how many packages get miss shipped. We are suspossed to receive 15 packages and 12 show up.

 

[chuckpilegis]

So I collect Limited Edition Silkscreen movie posters and those are always shipped in tubes, and yes UPS made a change last year that all tubes would incur an additional $22 fee because it's not a box. What I was told is the tubes were rolling around in the truck and getting damaged or stepped on by the driver and they wanted tubes gone from the truck.

I've started placing the tube inside a 6x6x36 box which costs $3.50 but does not impact the total shipping cost.

So shipping the tube in the box was $29 shipping just the tube was $51

I get the 6x6 triangle boxes free from UPS or USPS and put the tubes inside

 

[Benelli]

I get the 6x6 triangle boxes free from UPS or USPS and put the tubes inside

My UPS store said the triangle boxes are covered by the same fee, is your UPS store letting them slide?

 

[Kickin' Chicken]

I get the 6x6 triangle boxes free from UPS or USPS and put the tubes inside

I don’t think you can get them for free from UPS

 

[Mensabum]

I've had better luck all the way around with Fedex. All shipments went smooth and easy and typically arrived earlier than expected. Made me forget about ever shipping with USPS again. They are real scammers, will sell you a packing carton to use and then tell you it's oversized and charge you extra for using it!

I have lost all faith in that once revered institution, USPS.

 

[Kickin' Chicken]

So I collect Limited Edition Silkscreen movie posters and those are always shipped in tubes, and yes UPS made a change last year that all tubes would incur an additional $22 fee because it's not a box. What I was told is the tubes were rolling around in the truck and getting damaged or stepped on by the driver and they wanted tubes gone from the truck.

I've started placing the tube inside a 6x6x36 box which costs $3.50 but does not impact the total shipping cost.

So shipping the tube in the box was $29 shipping just the tube was $51

This appears to be exactly what happened to me $22 additional charge. They called non-corrugated and peak season, but it was because it was a roundtube apparently and not a square or triangle box.

 

[chuckpilegis]

My UPS store said the triangle boxes are covered by the same fee, is your UPS store letting them slide?

Ordered a box of ten and it was mailed to me. UPS or USPS. This way they are in the garage when needed

 

[Benelli]

I have lost all faith in that once revered institution, USPS.

USPS is a complete and utter shit show. I bought a Mail green label off eBay, and shipped from NJ to KC it spent 10 days at the Regional sorting center in NJ and then spent 15 days sitting at the regional sorting center in KC.

It took 32 days to get the cue....

 

[Kickin' Chicken]

I don't see a contradiction. The poster was saying that FedEx is expensive, for example even with his 30% discount it still cost $130/package.

I was partly having a little fun with him when he said that in his opinionFedEx was superior in •every way• then went on to say they were charging him on average $130 per package. To me, that killed the argument since cost is such a big consideration, at least for me it is.

Compared to Pirate that works out to be about 10 times more expensive

 

[Mr. Joshua]

UPS is the culprit and the "Peak season surcharge" runs for about a month ending Jan 18th. It is a money grab.

The non corrugated cardboard surcharge is a new one on me. My tube was round cardboard and while maybe not corrugated, I've shipped many thru UPS and never such a surcharge. To me, another moneygrab.

Pirate Ship has a drop-down to select a UPS-branded triangular box. Round tubes are considered an irregular package. I think you just missed it:

"Tubes May Incur Surcharges: Tubes may trigger an Additional Handling surcharge that you'll need to pay on top of your original postage. Since UPS needs to sort these unbalanced packages by hand, they impose an adjustment on your account for the extra cost."

 

[Mr. Joshua]

So I collect Limited Edition Silkscreen movie posters and those are always shipped in tubes, and yes UPS made a change last year that all tubes would incur an additional $22 fee because it's not a box. What I was told is the tubes were rolling around in the truck and getting damaged or stepped on by the driver and they wanted tubes gone from the truck.

I've started placing the tube inside a 6x6x36 box which costs $3.50 but does not impact the total shipping cost.

So shipping the tube in the box was $29 shipping just the tube was $51

I recommend adding the shipping label to the tube. I received an empty USPS triangular box when I bought a cue from hangemhigh. The cue arrived in the shipping tube about 3 months later.

 

[BarenbruggeCues]

Love em or hate em... For 25 years I've shipped cues world wide using USPS with not a single problem other than at times taking a little longer than it said it should. Never 1 surcharge...just pay and we deliver.
UPS
FedEx
DHL
I've had accounts with all 3 and have closed all 3 accounts because of added shipping/surcharges, fuel costs...whatever, whatever.
If I use any of those three now it is done by paying cash and end of story. There is no added charges being made like that.

To the OP with the added surcharge from PS. Contact them and let them know. Anytime that has happened for me they have always reversed it.


Never ever ever ever ever ever ship a cue in a tube only. Just say NO!


Hoping I didn't just jinx myself...........................

 

[chuckg]

FedX....my wife placed an order at a compounding pharmacy in Little Rock ,about 30 miles south of our home . Item was to be delivered the next day but was put on hold do to Ar bad weather . They could not deliver it here in Ar but managed to get it to their hub in Memphis 2 hours to the east . I just don't understand . I am a big fan of PS when I ship .

Chuckg

 

[ChrisSjoblom]

UPS is the culprit and the "Peak season surcharge" runs for about a month ending Jan 18th. It is a money grab.

The non corrugated cardboard surcharge is a new one on me. My tube was round cardboard and while maybe not corrugated, I've shipped many thru UPS and never such a surcharge. To me, another moneygrab.

UPS started jacking their rates, playing with more surcharges and getting overzealous on their size and weight checking since about mid 2024, right after they caved to a labor strike and coughed up some big dough to their rank and file. Guess the money to cover that has to come from somewhere, huh?

I did challenge them on several shipments where they overestimated the dimensions of the package and they immediately credited me, though. After several successful challenges they seemed to stop the practice, at least with me. Makes you wonder how many shippers just accepted it and whether UPS is still doing it to them.

I am a medium volume shipper and up until last August or September UPS got about 30% of my business on my larger packages. Now it is under 5%. I liked them better than FedEx because they were better about covering their lost/damaged shipments without a big hassle. But now FedEx is averaging 25-35% lower cost than UPS so I have migrated almost entirely to them until things even out again. I still ship some large packages and all of my smalls with USPS - no better deal anywhere for packages that are a pound or less.

 

[Kickin' Chicken]

UPS started jacking their rates, playing with more surcharges and getting overzealous on their size and weight checking since about mid 2024, right after they caved to a labor strike and coughed up some big dough to their rank and file. Guess the money to cover that has to come from somewhere, huh?

I did challenge them on several shipments where they overestimated the dimensions of the package and they immediately credited me, though. After several successful challenges they seemed to stop the practice, at least with me. Makes you wonder how many shippers just accepted it and whether UPS is still doing it to them.

I am a medium volume shipper and up until last August or September UPS got about 30% of my business on my larger packages. Now it is under 5%. I liked them better than FedEx because they were better about covering their lost/damaged shipments without a big hassle. But now FedEx is averaging 25-35% lower cost than UPS so I have migrated almost entirely to them until things even out again. I still ship some large packages and all of my smalls with USPS - no better deal anywhere for packages that are a pound or less.

Glad they squared you away and happy to report. I just got word from pirate ship that UPS has approved my requested adjustment so basically I’m back to the original amount. Pirate shipping charge me and the surcharges have all gone away.

They are clearly taking shots at money grabs

 

[BarenbruggeCues]

One of my biggest peeves about USPS is THEY provide the triangle boxes and then after you gotten used to using them, they have now added a surcharge on anything "over" 30 Inch long. SO....as long as the item being shipped will fit in a 29.5 long cut down round tube that slides inside a 29 and 15/16 long cut down triangle box, you can beat the system on that extra charge.
I remember reading on here that one guy's triangle box was 30 inch long and had a "discussion" with the PO where he was dropping off about their rules saying it was anything OVER 30 inches long. Just keep it under 30 and there shouldn't be a need for any discussion OR extra added surcharge.

 

[Kickin' Chicken]

One of my biggest peeves about USPS is THEY provide the triangle boxes and then after you gotten used to using them, they have now added a surcharge on anything "over" 30 Inch long. SO....as long as the item being shipped will fit in a 29.5 long cut down round tube that slides inside a 29 and 15/16 long cut down triangle box, you can beat the system on that extra charge.
I remember reading on here that one guy's triangle box was 30 inch long and had a "discussion" with the PO where he was dropping off about their rules saying it was anything OVER 30 inches long. Just keep it under 30 and there shouldn't be a need for any discussion OR extra added surcharge.

What’s interesting Is that the extra long surcharge whether it’s 30 inches or over 30 inches it disappears on both USPS and UPS done through pirate shipping. I was very impressed when figuring out my very first postage on pirate shipping that this fee wasn't being charged.