shipping costs your experience

rubykey

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 3, 2013
Messages
199
Reaction score
3
Location
Oakland, CA
I have tried to locate a thread on this topic of money $pecific$ on the cost to ship an average ukulele. What has been your experience? The average cost give or take adding the case, size, double boxing. I realize its variable but should come close.
I want to post a ukulele for sale in the marketplace. I'm confused about cost to ship.

I received a uke from a member and he paid about $23 for 2 day priority mail via the USPS. I went to my P.O. inquiring about a price, using his box and I was quoted $24, presumably because my box included a heavier case. So ..... Just to be sure, yesterday I went in with same box and 4 lbs of ukulele (with HSC) and was quoted $61. This was a different clerk. How are these prices fluctuating to 3X the amount?

What is the most reasonable, cost effective way to ship? I see most people include shipping in their list price. I was planning to do that til I realized it's a crap shoot. Please share with me your experience.

Who is your preferred shipper? CONUS
$$ how much do you expect to pay?$$
Do you ever post the price of the ukulele and leave the buyer the shipping fees?
 
I have used USPS, FedEx and UPS. In my experience, USPS is usually the least expensive unless you can use ground for either of the other two and have it arrive in 2-3 days (so basically, in my region). I usually check prices on line as each have their own estimators.

Where USPS fails miserably is its tracking. While they've never permanently lost or damaged anything, I have had two packages go missing for several weeks. Quite unnerving.

I sometimes include ground shipping CONUS and add something for international. I figure in most cases for soprano or concert it will cost about $50 to ship. For tenor and baritone, it's tends to be $80, give or take.

For international, I only use USPS and I've typically paid about $100-$125 for 5-10 day delivery.
 
I once shipped a Flea from Arizona back to Magic Fluke Co. in Massachusetts at the local UPS Store near me. I think it was outrageously pricey - something like $50/$60 to get it there. So I won't be doing that again.
This was to get a hardwood fretboard upgrade, which itself is almost $100. In retrospect, I should've just bought a new one!
 
USPS Priority was $30 for me this morning shipping a soprano inside a gigbag within a box with plenty of padding from the southeast USA up to Michigan. Before that, my last soprano uke shipment cost around $17 to ship to the west coast, with no case and low value so I didn't buy any insurance above the $50 included. Slightly smaller box too....There is some sort of roughly $10 fragile fee that the USPS is slapping on now too sometimes. Honestly, I'm a bit confused over when that is actually in play.
My advice would be, don't go by the online calculator and guessing....It sometimes gets it right, but sometimes really misses it.. I never know for sure until paying the clerk.
Speed is usually 2 or 3 days Priority wherever I ship.. Also, on most packages big enough to hold a uke, Priority is the lowest priced option offered when I've been there...
 
USPS Priority was $30 for me this morning shipping a soprano inside a gigbag within a box with plenty of padding from the southeast USA up to Michigan. Before that, my last soprano uke shipment cost around $17 to ship to the west coast, with no case and low value so I didn't buy any insurance above the $50 included. Slightly smaller box too....There is some sort of roughly $10 fragile fee that the USPS is slapping on now too sometimes. Honestly, I'm a bit confused over when that is actually in play.
My advice would be, don't go by the online calculator and guessing....It sometimes gets it right, but sometimes really misses it.. I never know for sure until paying the clerk.
Speed is usually 2 or 3 days Priority wherever I ship.. Also, on most packages big enough to hold a uke, Priority is the lowest priced option offered when I've been there...

I shipped a uke package from NJ to the Sacramento CA area. USPS ground was I think, 26.99. Delivery took about 7-8 days, actually not bad for the price. But you really have to carefully account for shipping prices when selling anything. It can kick you in the butt!
 
Similar experiences to the previous posts. International Post starts @ $100. Domestic FedEx/UPS ranges about $25-$50 depending on distance, box size and weight. Then add insurance $1 per $100 insurance. Online shipping tools are very helpful and accurate.
 
I buy ukes from Vietnam to Los Angeles and the shipping ranges between $60-$80 for USPS with tracking. I shipped one back to Vietnam USPS with tracking for $63. Takes about 7-10 days.
 
Top Bottom