SHIPPING BOWS BAD,BAD,BAD

[BowHunterGA]

Originally posted by Alexander Traditional:
I know what you mean Steve I've had then lose stuff and then they acted like I did something wrong. I shipped my riser with UPS.

You should have seen the package they had the gall to leave at my door last week. I swear a decent human being would have a hard time doing that much damage to a package if someone PAID them to do so. Simply unexcusable!

[RUTANDSTRUT]

i have found that some usps offices charge an extra fee on top of shipping because its "oversized" or "tubular" package.  the post offices by me seem to be very inconsistent in the shipping fees.  i now found a post office by me that is consistent with its fees.  it costs me between $18 to $25 to send a bow now with delivery confirmation and insurance.

[Gator1]

I think what happened is your local post office, mis measured/calclulated the shipping costs.

I have to drive to the next town over from my work, as the local Post Office wants the 35.00 range, I go to the next town down, and its in the 20.00 range insured...

[tracker1]

It depends on the day of the week, who is working, the weather forcast.  No seriously.  I have had the same size shipping tubes go to the same area of the country and get $10 dollar different in price to ship???

[elkken]

Let's see ... I shipped a bow today and it will get across the country in two days and cost about $35. A tank of gas for my truck costs about $85 and I can only drive 350 miles ... I think some of you guys are expecting a little too much for nothing . Just take the time to think of how many hands touch that package, the logistics involved, the planes,trains and automobiles involved to make it arrive on time. Sure a package gets lost occasionally, but they ship MILLIONS of them. Do all your arrows hit the bulls eye ...

Put the price of shipping into your bow price, the bowyers do. They don't get their shipping free any more than any of us.

[don_h]

Elk ken, I agree with you, but the real crime here is you go 350 on $85, cost me about $125 for that distance. Ups is far worse for pricing if you are shipping to or from Alaska.

[trad_in_cali]

Just shipped a Korean Hwarang within the US, very wide because of the unstrung shape. $46.50!!!

[Ben Maher]

try having a 1 pce longbow shipped to Australia ... up to $290.00 ...

Yep a $500 brand new longbow costs me nearly 1/2 as much again just in postage . I am a dealer for Howard Hill and a few other archery companies and try ... make that beg my customers to get t/d's !!!

[slivrslingr]

The USPS is a bargain, shipping here in Aus is way more.  I had  a t/d recurve shipped across the country and it cost $60.  The USPS actually looses money every year and the tax payers end up footing the bill.  In reality, the PO needs to raise prices and start supporting itself.

[ishoot4thrills]

Originally posted by elkken:
Let's see ... I shipped a bow today and it will get across the country in two days and cost about $35. A tank of gas for my truck costs about $85 and I can only drive 350 miles ... I think some of you guys are expecting a little too much for nothing . Just take the time to think of how many hands touch that package, the logistics involved, the planes,trains and automobiles involved to make it arrive on time. Sure a package gets lost occasionally, but they ship MILLIONS of them. Do all your arrows hit the bulls eye ...
 

Yeah, BUT.......You're right about the millions of things they ship out, so multiply those millions by the price that they are charging and it adds up to a lot of money! It ain't just one bow gettin' shipped across the country, it's a bow plus tons of other stuff that they're charging an arm and a leg for.

Plus, look at what some are saying about the inconsistencies that they are getting charged for shipping the same package to the same place and it's costing 10 or 15 dollars difference each time. NO excuse for that.

[Keith Langford]

My last bow shipped was $ 58.00 UPS, I also will not include shipping in the price anymore, I lost over 225 on a like new bow. Shipping is crazy

[Collaco-RJ]

Don´t mention it. It´s because of that crazyness that is very difficult to find someone on auction market to send 60´´+ bows to Brazil. Only courier, and expensive.
Not to mention the 60% (yeah, sixty) tax we probably will pay.

[BowHunterGA]

Originally posted by ishoot4thrills:
 

Originally posted by elkken:
Let's see ... I shipped a bow today and it will get across the country in two days and cost about $35. A tank of gas for my truck costs about $85 and I can only drive 350 miles ... I think some of you guys are expecting a little too much for nothing . Just take the time to think of how many hands touch that package, the logistics involved, the planes,trains and automobiles involved to make it arrive on time. Sure a package gets lost occasionally, but they ship MILLIONS of them. Do all your arrows hit the bulls eye ...
 

Yeah, BUT.......You're right about the millions of things they ship out, so multiply those millions by the price that they are charging and it adds up to a lot of money! It ain't just one bow gettin' shipped across the country, it's a bow plus tons of other stuff that they're charging an arm and a leg for.

Plus, look at what some are saying about the inconsistencies that they are getting charged for shipping the same package to the same place and it's costing 10 or 15 dollars difference each time. NO excuse for that. [/b]

EXACTLY Doug!

[Craig]

Do your own shipping on USPS web page. The weight ends up costing you more. When you use tape tape tape tape it all adds up in weight. Remember gas prices keep going up. almost $4.00 gal. For every penny it goes up the USPS gas goes up 700 thousand dollars. Drive it there yourself and see what it is going to cost you. I went to a 3d shoot 56min. away and it cost me $25.00 in gas. I don't here anyone complaining about the cost of smokes or beer. I now know they will delete this post. It happens every time I post about the subject.

[Mac11700]

I shipped a 68" LB to Mobile Ala...from St.Louis last month in a PVC tube..total weight 9 lb. 7oz..they hammered me with a Balloon Priority of $10.95...which I am assuming is because it was in a tube..total cost for Priority mail..which is a 2-3 day wait for the recipient..$36.70...added on a arrow box with a dozen arrows...another $11.15 for a total of $47.85...That is still way cheaper than Fed Ex...or Brown...or for me to get in the car and drive it down there...

Is it a lot...yes it is...the days of shipping for cheap...is long past...

Shipping via the post office can be a pain...but..no more than any other way of shipping..and still cheaper than most of the other places...Next time you go to ship...just ask Fed Ex or Brown what a 2 day delivery rate will be for that same package...Now...when you go to the post office...check on what the regular ground shipping rates are...if your wanting to save a little...the package will arrive in 5-7 days...and be about 1/3-1/2 cheaper..

So...when getting upset at the shipping cost...try being a little realistic...If you don't like 1 particular post office..find another to do your shipping from..and ask for all of the rates and compare them...you will see they still are the cheapest for any CONUS shipping on bows..and be firm on your price when selling something...everyone is looking to buy things dirt cheap these days...and you can tell who understands this when you get a bid on something your selling when they try to low ball you on the price..Just be firm..but polite..Let them choose how fast they want it..and charge them accordingly..if they want it faster..

Mac

[Lamey]

I hate to be Captain Obvious here but just factor the shipping cost when you price your bow for sale.   Even if you "ship for free" simply price the bow so that shipping will be covered...  no brainer.

All shippers screw up,  they all have issues,  none of them are perfect, Ive used them all commercially for 20 years.

[lpcjon2]

       

[Rob DiStefano]

selling anything where you the seller pay for shipping - 1pc bows in particular - without understanding shipping vendor requirements and cost may cost you more than you realize.  

there is much to learn about shipping stuff, 1pc bows in particular.  if you ship a fair amount, you'll learn the ins and outs and how best to box.  if not, particularly about "boxing" and dimensions, you'll usually pay more than you should.

be careful about insurance - this is a good thing to do ONLY if you can back up the dollar amount with a valid manufacturer or vendor receipt - NOT a seller's "receipt".  the shipping vendor will only recognize "authorized" receipts.  if not, the insurance dollars ae wasted as you won't get any of it back for a lost or damaged bow.

[Lost Arra]

I have yet to take a pvc-packaged bow to the post office for two reasons:

1. What Vanilla Gorilla said. I can't get there during their hours.

2. Pricing is consistent when I print the priority mailing label online. I never have to argue with a postal worker.

I take the package to work and our postman takes it with him. No problem. He's used to it. He delivered some osage logs to me one time that I got in a trade.

[Gil Verwey]

If you don't like the prices of USPS try UPS and Fedex. They are out of this world.

I send all of my bows USPS Priority, confirmed and insured. As soon as you go over the standard size it jumps up high. You have to make sure you don't hit that mark.

I sent a bow recently to France through UPS it was $220! USPS wanted $60, but that only gets it to the French Postal Service. The buyer wanted to pay the extra shipping because he didn't trust the French Postal Service. Theirs must be pretty bad.

Customer Service at the Post Office depends which branch office you go to. I have two great branches I deal with, so I couldn't be happier.