Re: [CR] Sending a bike in a standard cardboard box

(Example: History)

Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2005 17:57:44 -0500
From: <joebz@optonline.net>
Subject: Re: [CR] Sending a bike in a standard cardboard box
In-reply-to: <122220051738.5093.43AAE49E000D8613000013E52206424613CE0D909F09@comcast.net>
To: gpvb1@comcast.net
References: <122220051738.5093.43AAE49E000D8613000013E52206424613CE0D909F09@comcast.net>
cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org

A couple of additions.

There is now a size above 130" and up to 160" that allows the shipments of tandems at reasonable rates. DHL does this and I think Fedex ground. My one example: $63 from IL to NJ.

My experience with and opinion of Fedex is much higher than Greg's.

I totally agree about collecting on insurance. It is a royal PITA. With Fedex at least, they won't even talk to the recipient, yet they want the recipient to ship the item back to them right off the bat. I did manage to collect on a damaged bike this year but it took hours of work and diligence. The shippers self insure, then serve as the customer interface and sole decision maker. They make it a pain at every step. The only thing worse is Paypal or Ebay. Trying to run a misrepresented item claim through Ebay is an experience not to be missed. I doubt they have ever paid out anything.

Joe Bender-Zanoni
Great Notch, NJ


----- Original Message -----
From: gpvb1@comcast.net
Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2005 12:38:00 -0000
Subject: Re: [CR] Sending a bike in a standard cardboard box


> We've discussed this many, many times, but there are a few things

\r?\n> that you can do (in summary) to avoid getting hosed. In general,

\r?\n> complete bikes should currently cost about $20-60 to ship via

\r?\n> Ground methods inside the USA, depending on the weight, size, and

\r?\n> distance the package is shipped. (Postage costs only, not

\r?\n> including packaging, packing labor, or Insurance).

\r?\n> 1) Keep boxes under 108" length plus girth (not likely for a

\r?\n> complete bike, but do-able for most framesets). The three

\r?\n> important cut-off points, size-wise, are at 84 inches, 108 inches,

\r?\n> and 130 inches, BTW. You definitely don't want to ever exceed 130

\r?\n> inches. Your options are severely limited (and expensive) for a

\r?\n> parcel that large.

\r?\n> 2) Pack things to resist a low-level nuclear blast, and being

\r?\n> dumped in a river.

\r?\n> 3) Make sure you know what size your box is before you head to the

\r?\n> UPS or Fed-X or USPS office. Fed-X, in particular, will measure

\r?\n> each of the three dimensions separately, and then round UP

\r?\n> generously to the nearest inch in each case. I have frame boxes

\r?\n> that are an honest 105" but Fed-X will sometimes try to call them

\r?\n> 109" which can double or triple the shipping charge!

\r?\n> 3) For large items such as framesets or complete bikes, Fed-X

\r?\n> Ground (which used to be Roadway Package Service) is generally the

\r?\n> cheapest method these days - if you can stop them from cheating

\r?\n> you. UPS Ground is an option as well, but those folks can

\r?\n> sometimes be pretty rough on packages. I use USPS almost

\r?\n> exclusively, with excellent results, although I almost never ship

\r?\n> a complete bike....

\r?\n> 4) Hope to God* that you never have to try and collect on

\r?\n> "Insurance." Personally, I insure almost nothing. This "saves" me

\r?\n> about $2000 per year. If a package gets lost or totaled (which has

\r?\n> thus far never happened), at least I have a "fund" to cover it,

\r?\n> and will still be far ahead overall, the way I see it.

\r?\n> 5) Stay the hell away from Fed-X; they're too erratic. (YAMMV).

\r?\n> ;-)

\r?\n> Greg Parker

\r?\n> Ann Arbor, Michigan

\r?\n> *or whatever thing or being or entity you do or do not choose to

\r?\n> hope to....

\r?\n> Date: Wed, 21 Dec 2005 18:10:32 -0800

\r?\n> From: "dddd" <dddd@pacbell.net>

\r?\n> To: "Classic Rendezvous" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>

\r?\n> Subject: Re: [CR] Sending a bike in a standard cardboard box

\r?\n>

\r?\n> I doubt that the location of your UPS matters, but how about

\r?\n> distance, exact

\r?\n> size and weight of box (packing materials, tires, etc can add

\r?\n> substantial

\r?\n> weight), tipping the clerk, seasonal demand, etc.

\r?\n>

\r?\n> Don't they have a printed rate chart? FWIW, the shipping

\r?\n> calculators online

\r?\n> for USPS has never given me rates close to what the P.O. actually

\r?\n> charged,

\r?\n> but I didn't make much of a study of it as the available shipping

\r?\n> options

\r?\n> were also different. I've also had to take stuff out of small

\r?\n> boxes to fit

\r?\n> into their overseas envelopes, but I'm gradually smartening up and

\r?\n> fabbing

\r?\n> up my own suitable packagings, especially to Japan.

\r?\n>

\r?\n> David Snyder

\r?\n> Auburn, CA usa

\r?\n>

\r?\n>

\r?\n> ----- Original Message -----

\r?\n> From: "Bianca Pratorius" <biankita@earthlink.net>

\r?\n> To: <>

\r?\n> Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2005 5:48 PM

\r?\n> Subject: [CR]Sending a bike in a standard cardboard box

\r?\n>

\r?\n>

\r?\n> >I sold the Rigi this last week, and when I put in the dimensions

\r?\n> and

\r?\n> >weight, the Ebay Calculator gave me around $40. When I called UPS

\r?\n> for a

\r?\n> >pickup the price seems to have morphed into $66 to Utah. How is

\r?\n> this

\r?\n> >possible? Do I have to know some secret. In the last 12 months I

\r?\n> have

\r?\n> >purchased 4 bikes and no one has charged anything like $66. Last

\r?\n> week there

\r?\n> >was a thread on the list that stated that Fed Express charges

\r?\n> different

\r?\n> >rates depending on how the wind blows. Any ideas about the

\r?\n> discrepancy?>

\r?\n> > Garth Liberman in Miami Fl.