...Just to confirm an earlier post on shipping rods.
Today I shipped 2 7' rods from CA to FL, packaged in a 7-1/2' x 4" round ABS tube, weighing 6 lbs.
UPS wanted $72 to ship ground(7-10 days), un-insured over $100. FedEx was ballpark close to that. U.S. Post Office shipped 2nd day air, insured to $200, for....get this....29 bux and some change!
I think FedEx and UPS should merge. They can call it: Fed-UP. LOL!

I shipped two rods during December, one to San Diego and one to Chicago, insured for about $29 and cents. Both packages arrived on time for Xmas via the post office. Some call it slow mail but I refuse to pay the high rates of Fed-Up.

I always use USPS. Keep total lenght and girth under 108 inches and it will be no more than 28 dollas in the lower 48. I always send priorty mail. Not that much difference and it gets to the customer a lot faster.


Big John
Rio Hondo, Texas
Blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without forgetting

This is very interesting.....a few years ago, America was in love with brown.... and had nothing at all nice to say about the posties.....I watched a CBS news special on this deal, and the USPS has gone back into packages, because stamps for letters are down, because of all the e-mails. Prior, they were into letters as number one money generator.
(Tongue in cheek, eyes rolled upward....) How long will it be before brown, and the rest whine and snivel about....... "subsidies" ? :-)

Ive always had UPS,and FedEx accounts, was a little cheaper with an account, but with the new buisness I didnt open new accounts...decided to to give USPS a go after reading the thread earlier this week...Glad I did.

I thought this thread might be how one of Scott's pretty, new creations was destroyed by mad handlers... can't tell you how anxious I was to receive the Kustom for Kids and then the Global Rod in the mail in back-to-back days without any problems! Whew!

Putter
Williston, ND

Randy, believe me...Ive had my share of folded over rod tubes courtesy of the primates in brown! lol ! Had one PVC tube with 6 graphite tournament prize rods litterally cut clean in half...looked like some kinda conveyor mishap.

I received a PVC tube from DHL yesterday with one end completely broken off which left the contents exposed. Fortunately, the tube was 6" longer than the rod blanks inside and no damage was done to the merchandise. For me, it was the first time for such poor handling. /s/Bob

Scott, go back to UPS's shipping calculator and check the cost on "3 day select". believe it or not, it's probably HALF of the cost of Ground. We use it for anything over 84" as it's usually even cheaper than USPS! We ship 8' blanks Coast to Coast and have NEVER paid over $25 WITH insurance! Longer than 8' and we go to DHL ground. Recently shipped a 10' ULULA from CA. to Ohio for $25 insured.



Mark Griffin
[]
C&M Custom Tackle
San Dimas, California

I use USPS most of the time and I use Priority Mail. Another thing, I Always insure for enough to build another one + one for me. Massive insurance seems to cause them to make sure 'it gets there intact. Ralph

If at first you don't succeed, go fishing, then try, try again.

I agree with you Mark.......It seems when I have a problem with USPS it is on a non insured Item.

Big John
Rio Hondo, Texas
Blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without forgetting

Thanks fo the tip Mark!

Good Luck with DHL......their service is complete joke. I have shipped numerous 10' surf blanks with them and they always...always end up broken. Getting a claim processed is a whole different story also.
In addition they'll only take items of that length either next day or second day air...here's the rub; even though you pay for 2nd day air, they won't guarantee that it will be delivered on the 2nd day because of the size. I had one 10' PVC tube take 3 weeks to arrive, an it was shipped 2nd day air. I went round and round with the regional rep and even she admitted it was a bogus policy and not fair to the shipper and receiver.

USPS insurance is only good domestically. If you insure an international shipment and it gets lost, you'll never get your money. I waited a year on one claim and just now received a notice saying the investigation was over.....no refund. Here's why; USPS will tell you that once your package reaches the destinations border they are no longer responsable for the delivery...it's up to the receivers country to deliver it. And since USPS has no international tracking, well.....


Andy Dear
www.lamarfishing.com

Mark is correct on the expedited shipping on larger items being cheaper.....it doesn't have to touch nearly as many "human hands" on a 3 day versus ground.


Andy Dear
www.lamarfishing.com