need guidance on shipping rate ?

[kkmm]

I am trying to ship a guitar from CA to NH, the box size is 45" x 18" x 12".
The post office charge around 32$ + 100$ (oversize charge !!!).
That's way too much compare to the shipping rate that eBay sellers normally post for a standard acoustic guitar.
UPS charges a bit more than 100$, FexEx charges 79$.
These are the lowest shipping rates I got using online shipping calculator !!!
Do I miss something ? How comes other eBay sellers only ask for 18$ to 40$ shipping expense ?

[Ted Eschliman]

I have a FedEx account I used to use regularly for shipping, but recently they implement HUGE increases for packages of the size you are using. I've since moved to US Post Office for anything that size. When you can do it online, there are even more savings. It's well worth to set up your own online account. Ebay and Paypal also get reduced shipping rates through the USPS.

[MojoMando]

Your box dimensions come to 105" which is under the magic number of 108", so that is not the problem. I always purchase USPS postage online because the discounts can be considerable. Also, I find that next day USPS Priority Express is actually less expensive than regular Priority when shipping cross country. Good luck.

[kkmm]

Thank you for the information. How much would you pay to ship a box with the size I described, weighting 14 lbs ?
I will try to go thru Paypal and see if USPS gives me a lower rate.

[kkmm]

Your box dimensions come to 105" which is under the magic number of 108"

How did you add up to get 105" ? The USPS clerk told me it's an oversized package (greater than 108").
I just go thru PayPal and choose USPS, still get the high rate (nearly 140$) !!!

[Ted Eschliman]

They use length plus girth to calculate.

Girth is width plus height plus width plus height (or wrap a tape measure around the small side) and add lenght. Should be 105, unless you have an non-rectangular box. It will also be cheaper if you print the label online before dropping it off at the Post Office.

It may be more to add insurance for expensive instruments.



http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm100/tips-...e-packages.htm

[Jeff Mando]

Seems to me that your box is unusually large for a guitar. I buy two different size boxes from a local box warehouse that I use for shipping guitars. For electrics I use a 48 x 17 x 5 and for acoustics I use a 48 x 20 x 8. And pack with peanuts, etc. I used to use crumpled newspaper to be "green" but newspaper is really heavy and adds a lot to the cost, buying a 20 cubic foot bag of peanuts for $20 will probably ship 20 guitars and not only save you on shipping, but will make packing a lot faster. I sent an acoustic today with a hardshell case FedEx Ground from MS to Chicago for $44.50, insured for $1000. USPS would be about the same, although they are more of a stickler for going by the tape--balloon surcharge for dimensional weight, which all guitars will have, but sometimes it is only $5 or 6 bucks extra. Insurance is also extra. With USPS with Standard Service, which used to be called Parcel Post--it is usually cheaper than Priority Mail, unless you are sending a guitar to a neighboring state or within your own state, in which case Priority and Standard are almost the same price. Another trick is to cut the box length down if you are sending something smaller, like a mandolin. Distance also affects the price, but there is not much you can do about that.

[kkmm]

Thanks for explaning how to get the magic 105. 105 is the sum of the length (45) plus the size of the waist which is uniform (18+12+18+12 = 60). I did not understand the word "girth" until now. Searching the Web , most info are related to the male part !!!

I will use this new knowledge to discuss with USPS clerk. She just told me this is an oversize box and did not explain why.

[kkmm]

One more question: when printing the label online, do I have to pay at that moment, or only pay when bringing the box to ups, usps, fedex location?

[Bill Snyder]

You pay before you can print it.

[kkmm]

You pay before you can print it.

Thanks for this info, I tried yesterday evening but there is no printing option. Still need to play around to know this process better. I have ship boxes before but they are small (mandolins, ukuleles, autoharps) so never run into this extra 100$ oversize charge.
Now, I understand why USPS treats my box as an oversize box, I measured it and it comes out to be 107.5" (almost 108").
I will reduce the height by 2" and bring it back to USPS again.

[kkmm]

After height reduction, USPS shipping rate is now as I expected
Thanks for all the helps, and I learn something new about shipping.
Next time, I will print the shipping label online to get more savings.