mailing/shipping...It would be interesting if...

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Tubaryan12
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Re: mailing/shipping...It would be interesting if...

Post by Tubaryan12 »

I've always looked at shipping as the cost of doing business. Most transactions go perfectly. A few do not. That's why I generally don't use the lowest cost shipping and charge what I have to in order to satisfy me financially. So far, I'm still at 100%. The only issue I've had was a package lost on its way to Korea. This issue was caused by me (I used the wrong shipping method). Once my package was recovered and re-shipped, it arrived quickly and in perfect condition.

In the end, I'll only ship what I can afford to lose. With that said, I'd need to have a lot more coin in the bank (or mattress or mason jars in th back yard) to be in your business. ....I'd be a nervous wreck waiting for things I shipped to be delivered safely.

In the end, when I sell something (just like in the store), the seller's is responsible for the item not just until the money is exchanged, but all the way until the item is handed to the customer safely.
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Re: mailing/shipping...It would be interesting if...

Post by Tubaryan12 »

I see. I generally use the middle of the road option (priority mail). I rarely ship large items, so I know I've been lucky. I can't take the risk on a large, expensive item. For me, that has to be face to face.
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Re: mailing/shipping...It would be interesting if...

Post by Tubaryan12 »

When my package was returned, USPS refunded my original shipping cost even though the same thing happened to me as to you (their system let me ship the wrong way). I got lucky on that one.
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Re: mailing/shipping...It would be interesting if...

Post by Tom »

I actually am actually doing this in my own little tiny corner of the world...

The company I work for (orchestra) owns some equipment that is very rare and very expensive but is necessary/required for some very famous and very popular orchestral and opera scores. Others come to us seeking that equipment, which we offer on a rental basis that must be sent via freight (truck). I wear many hats in my position, including managing the equipment rental operation:

When I started with this company the system was a mess. My company would rent the equipment and arrange and pay for the freight charges initially, then bill the renter for those costs. Equipment would arrive too early or too late on a regular basis (despite being shipped on the dates the renter requested) and I often received complaints about the cost of shipping - I had a preferred vendor, not the cheapest, that I used because they tended not to destroy my company's stuff.

But dealing with the issues and complaints got out of hand - the renters were calling me every time anything happened (early/late/damaged/missing) because I had initiated all of the arrangements. The amount of time I spent running down those items on behalf of renters was unbelievable - and they didn't care if it was because they accidentally provided the wrong address, dates, recipient name, etc., etc.

So, I changed that.

Now the renter sets up and pre-pays their own round trip freight. They are then in control of when the shipping happens, how much it costs, and they are the ones to deal with the shipper if the freight is early, late, missing or damaged. Now the rental fee gets pre-paid and we are requiring a certificate of liability insurance that also names us as a loss payee with respect to the rented equipment (real commercial insurance, NOT shipping insurance from the shipper). Shipping insurance, by the way, is worthless and we do not accept it here as evidence of insurance, but if a renter wants to do it anyway, then that's on them.

Now they just notify me of who the carrier is and when the pick up is, and I have the equipment ready on the loading dock provided the renter has paid and lined up their (real) insurance.

It is SO much better to have the recipient in control of the shipping. I know this is a little different since it's a freight situation and since it is a rental situation (and I really do want the stuff back in one piece!), but the concept remains the same - recipient controls the shipping.

These days I get zero calls regarding rental equipment shipping other than "XYZ Freight will be there between 9am-12pm on ABC date for pick up, thanks." I strongly prefer it that way!
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