Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I don't understand how people can charge $30 or $35 for shipping. I am now charging $40, and my cost is $45 even if I don't count time, labor and mileage. I just shipped one gecko next day air SF to cincinnati and it was over $40 just for UPS, not counting the heat pax, insulated box, cup, etc...

I ship mine for morning delivery (supposed to be there by 10:30)? What does everyone else pay for UPS? I'm shipping mine at the UPS store and they say it's regular UPS rates...
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Sarah Stettler aka Starling
Sarah@stargecko.com
StarGecko.Com COMING SOON! Star Quality Leopard Geckos
Specializing in Hypotangerine Tremper Albinos

If you ship to a major city is it cheaper than a minor city, where they'd fly it in to the nearest major and truck it over. The usual price for what I've shipped have been 30 to 40 but the last time I shipped two lizards it was 48.75. I questioned them on it and it was because Elgin, OK was out in the sticks.

i use a different carrier however it costs us between 25-45 depending on the destination and size of the package... your not alone here... it also seems a gradual rise in prices over the past couple of years... what i do is go to the shipping site i use and do a calculation on the estimated price to ship... the quote i give em is generally correct and if not only off by a buck or two... 9 think alot more people are going to have to go to actual shipping charges rather than a flat rate unless ofcourse something is changed
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-robin struck
Geckoheads And Geeks

i meant to say 35-45
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-robin struck
Geckoheads And Geeks

Be happy your not in Canada. Its about 70 bucks and you have to drive to the airport to get them.
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The universe is vast and we are so small.
There is only one thing we can truly control.
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0.2.0 Normal Leopard Gecko's
1.0.0 Patternless Leopard Gecko
0.1.0 Veiled Chameleon
1.0.0 Bearded Dragon

The UPS store does not charge regular rates.

I do all of my shipping online at UPS.com and drop it off pre-paid at the UPS store or staples. They are greta about accepting pre-paid boxes

I pay about $32-$37 dollars for next day air.
Tamara

You are right about UPS stores charging more. I think they used to be mailboxes etc. they ripped me off a few times also. I have been using the UPS office station but will probaby switch to the online and drop off method (it probably keeps interrogation to a minimum also).
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-Sal

3.8 Total Leopard Geckos (Listed below)
1.0 Hypo Golden Jungle
1.0 Super Hypo Carrot Tail Baldy
0.2 High Yellows
0.1 Normal
0.1 Patternless
1.0 Patternless het Rainwater Albino
0.3 Rainwater Albino het Patternless
0.1 Patternless Albino (Rainwater)
2 Eggs currently incubating!

1.0 Ball Python

WOW! That's a lot for shipping.. I can get away with paying $17.85 at USPS. $25 at the most.. The bad thing about USPS is that next day arrival isn't guaranteed in some areas, but they tell you if next day is guaranteed or not before you ship out.
I charge $25 though for the heat pack, box, etc.
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Everything will be wonderful someday...

AIM: MatchFlameStick
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Sarah, it can cost anywhere from $34-$44 depending on where you are shipping. Since we are both on the west coast, shipping to the east coast will cost much more than shipping to Los Angeles. Shippers in Texas will pay less than we do because their location in more centralized to either coast, and destinations are not as far away. The other posts are correct that it also depends on the location's delivery schedule. In more urban areas, the costs are less than rural areas that have only one UPS delivery per day. Also, residential deliveries cost more than at businesses.

Unless you go to the actual counter at the UPS Distribution Center to ship, there will always be a higher charge at places like the UPS Store, Staples, Mail Boxes Etc. I have a UPS account, and I do all my shipping from my own computer.. including label printing, etc. I can either have the UPS carrier come and pick up my shipments (costs more) or run down to any retail counter that has a UPS pick up to drop off the boxes.

We are ALL getting ripped off on shipping costs. I lose about $5.00 every time I ship a box, which costs me about $500 per year. Keep in mind that NONE of the carriers will guarantee live arrivial, so buying extra insurance in a total waste. Basically, the only shipper that will allow shipping live reptiles and guarantee live arrival is Delta Dash, and those costs are a minimum of $70.00.
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Marcia McGuiness
Golden Gate Geckos
www.goldengategeckos.com

we get ripped of here too 35-45 usually depending on where it is going.......... they are screwing us all whether east coast,west coast or in the south... it's an equal opertunity screw!!!
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-robin struck
Geckoheads And Geeks

Hi all.

I'm a UPS driver. If you ship your package throught the UPS Store, you will generally pay more than if you ship it with your own account or if you go to UPS.com and generate your own label. The UPS Stores indeed used to be Mail Boxes Etc. 'til UPS acquired them 2 years ago. However, the stores are all individually owned by franchise owners, and they do not all necessarily have the same rate. The one on my route is one of the busiest in the nation, and they get a deep discount from UPS, so their rates to the customer after markup is the same as you would get from a UPS Customer Counter. Another UPS store a few miles away doesn't get the same discount from UPS, so their rates are somewhat higher.

If you're going to use UPS to ship but you don't need a daily pickup account, my recommendation would be to go to UPS.com to generate all the shipping labels. Then you can just go and drop off the shipment at any UPS Store, Staples, Office Depot, tons of other places, without standing in line. Be sure to find out what the latest time for Next Day Air pickup is at the location you choose, as sometimes the overnight stuff needs to get picked up earlier than the ground packages.

Hope this helps.

Chris