SFRB now approaching $7.00 shipping

AJ Drew

AJ Drew

For folk who sell pods by SFRB, have you ever had them weighed and figure out how much shipping would be if it were not flat rate?  Have no pods this time of year to test, but kind of wondering if maybe a commercial box of the same size would ship for less than their new rates.  I forget what the new rate is, but I think it was moving up on the $7.00 point.

I imagine it depends on where it goes and what it weighs, just looking for round about and wondering if anyone else is reconsidering SFRB as a standard.
 
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I'd guess,weight for me is the deciding factor.
Sometimes size though...
I have stuff that weighs little that would be cheaper via regular mail than using a large flat rate one.
BUT when I send out 20 Lbs. + of LED panels,you can't beat flat weight.
I think,they let you send up to 50 or 70 lbs. in a flat rate box.
If I sold fishing weights,I'd for sure go for flat rate.
If I sold feathers,I'd go regular mail. LOL
 
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SFRB will still be your cheapest bet 99% of the time. The only circumstance that you will get a cheaper rate without Flat Rate is when shipping to Zones 1 & 2 (meaning local to where you are - you can calculate zones based on zip code here: https://postcalc.usps.com/zonecharts/),in which case a package weighing up to a pound will cost $6.45 instead of the $6.80 price that SMFBs now cost. 
 
They also raised the weight limit of First Class to 1 lb, and those rates are in the $3-4 dollar range, but that's a no-go for shipping fresh peppers because it can take up to 5 days compared to Priority (flat rate or not) which is 1-3 days.
 
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6.
 
ajdrew said:
For folk who sell pods by SFRB, have you ever had them weighed and figure out how much shipping would be if it were not flat rate?  Have no pods this time of year to test, but kind of wondering if maybe a commercial box of the same size would ship for less than their new rates.  I forget what the new rate is, but I think it was moving up on the $7.00 point.

I imagine it depends on where it goes and what it weighs, just looking for round about and wondering if anyone else is reconsidering SFRB as a standard.
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$ 6.80 is the new SFRB price here    .    :onfire:
 
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Lucky Dog, was reading something Pex sent out that said there is one bright side to the rate hike.  I think it was that the weight changes wound up making a single bottle ship for less, maybe it was three.
 
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ajdrew said:
Lucky Dog, was reading something Pex sent out that said there is one bright side to the rate hike.  I think it was that the weight changes wound up making a single bottle ship for less, maybe it was three.
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Which apparently did not happen. 13 oz is the cutoff. So if you ship a single bottle wrapped in gossamer thread and silk padding, maybe you'll get a better rate. Sadly USPS isn't that gentle with packages, especially aerodynamic ones. If it can be flung, it's gotta be packed well.
 
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Lucky Dog Hot Sauce said:
Which apparently did not happen. 13 oz is the cutoff. So if you ship a single bottle wrapped in gossamer thread and silk padding, maybe you'll get a better rate. Sadly USPS isn't that gentle with packages, especially aerodynamic ones. If it can be flung, it's gotta be packed well.
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You've got that right! I used to cram 5oz woozy bottles into SFRBs to ship out tester sauces to my brother and brother-in-law. The width of the bottle plus one layer of bubble wrap makes the box bulge just enough that I think the USPS employees do my a favor and use boot heels to straighten out the edges. I've since switched to the smaller 1.7oz woozy and just toss 4-5 in the box for them. 
 
TW
 
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ajdrew said:
I am now wondering how UPS Express compares.  I have always had great service from them, but I think they are more expensive.

https://www.ups.com/content/us/en/resources/ship/packaging/supplies/boxes.html#UPS+Express+Box
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We ship with all three major carriers here at the shop.
For general ground shipping UPS is great, not bad on costs and fairly quick for ground.
For express I believe the lowest cost is like $15.
Fed Ex small express pack is almost $18
Both do get your shipment to their destination in 2 days or less and normally in good condition.
 
Both are not cost efficient  for something like pods as the final price would be more them most would pay. I know I would not pay that for pods unless I was desperate.
For live plants however that would be reasonable and I would use them as my preferred method for plants if I were ordering from in CA or something.
For pods the USPS is still the most cost efficient. The cost is not good, but better then the alternatives at this time
 
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ajdrew said:
Cheri, you just saved me a stop at the UPS store.  Oh and damn.
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Yeh, Shipping is not the most low cost thing.  If you are sending seeds, or other non-time sensitive items then UPS ground is very reliable and not very expensive. It is just the express service that hurts.
 
For me in the shop here( dealing with jewelry) I prefer Fed Ex because it is very fast and reliable. Their insurance is good also for the kind of items we deal with.
 
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ajdrew said:
Literally "kicking" sometimes. 
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I supervise two Shipping/Receiving  departments for my company. The "Stuff" I have seen, unbelievable. Sometimes we get in packages from these parcel carriers and we call them "wheel chocks" because it looks like they have been stuck under a tire. We see foot prints on them, and the drivers really don't care. So for everyone that ships out their bottles, PLEASE use extra care. The SFRB might save you a buck or two, but I recommend using plenty of bubble wrap and go up a size.
We have used USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL (when they shipped domestically). The drivers constantly throw boxes around the truck, step on them to use as a stool, so pack with extra care. We actually had a customer send us a video from a security camera of a diver, throw a box over the fence, because they were closed. The box contained sensitive measuring equipment and obviously sustained damage. The carrier tried to fight the insurance claim until I told them about the video.    
 
Bubble wrap is your friend!
 
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