Taillights/ shipping questions

by The Dude Mon Oct 11, 2010 12:13 pm

This is kind of off topic, but maybe the shipping info could come in handy for others in the future.

I have a set of taillights/extensions for a 69 Chevelle. I see them on sleezebay going anywhere from $50 each to $300 for the set in similar condition. Mine are in decent condition other than a small hole on one extension. Surely they aren't really worth as much as people are listing them for, right? That's crazy! BTW, spread the word if you know someone wanting a set. I don't need them.

My second question, possibly a dumb one, but non-the-less important if I plan to start shipping stuff. How do I go about shipping these if they sell? Can I seriously just pack them in a box & send off by USPS? I've received several parts like this, just didn't know what's the standard routine/hassle I need to be prepared for.

by 74MonteCarlo Mon Oct 11, 2010 12:19 pm

I shipped that big A$$ gauge cluster and bezel to Travis through USPS. The box was huge. They took it no problem.

by Limey SE Mon Oct 11, 2010 12:53 pm

UPS is the worst shipper out there price wise / handling wise almost everything I have sent UPS has had to have a damage claim filed against them and they are my last resort for shipping, and anything over 130" total the price doubles no matter how much it weighs.

Fed Ex is a little better in the price and handling department and use them for the bigger price department doesn't have the rule of thumb as UPS for size restrictions there's is weight I have always had good results with them and they also deliver on Saturday where UPS does not.

USPS is good for item's smaller in size like tail lights and panels like in this subject. There flat rate just cant be beat by anyone / anywhere and use them quite a bit to ship / receive stuff..

And finally Greyhound Express I use for the large heavy item's like fender's, door's, and such thing's up to 100 pounds per item a little slower on delivery but I have never filed a claim with them for damage ever and price wise they cant be beat bar none they are the cheapest route to ship.

hope this help's make your decision for shipping easier for you Rago and for members in the future

by The Dude Mon Oct 11, 2010 1:16 pm

So I can just take some random box up there & ship it off as long as I have the shipping address & return address? Like I said, I've received stuff like this many times, but didn't know if there was any rhyme or reason to the shipping methods. Thanks bud.

Since you seem to be the parts king, are the tails really worth as much as I'm seeing? Seems a little high to me.

by Limey SE Mon Oct 11, 2010 1:23 pm

I am not sure on the 69 chevelle light I have never priced them ??

@ Shipping yes you can take a random box there but they only accept flat rate in the FREE flat rate box's and also you can go priority rate in the normal box get's there about the same time as flat rate.

by Roadcaptain S3 Mon Oct 11, 2010 1:40 pm

I shipped those wheels USPS two weeks ago, and they didn't even blink.
I compared the rates with UPS and FEDEX and USPSwas $10 per wheel cheaper with less restrictions

4 Vette wheels from KY to AZ in 5-7 days for $105

As long as the labels are visible, I think they would ship a corpse to Outer Mongolia without a problem.

by bigredlaguna Mon Oct 11, 2010 9:40 pm

I know UPS isn't the cheapest out there, and there are many reasons for that that would be for another forum altogether. Since I am a delivery driver for ***, I'll give my observations on how to avoid damage no matter who you use.

Heavy or dense objects should be packaged in a manner that does not allow the item to move or it will behave like a slide hammer and find its own way out of the box. On that note, don't use a box that has too much space around the object, and use filler for the voids and side clearance that resists compression. Styrofoam peanuts won't cut it.

Lightweight items should be in packaging that resists compression from outside the package. We use belts and conveyers that have packages that weigh up to 150 lbs. on them. If there is a jam on one of these belts the package will have some serious forces pushing on it.

I'm a believer in using as thick of cardboard as you can get. Overkill on packaging never damaged anything.

by HDHugger Mon Oct 11, 2010 10:35 pm

I hate USPS. Their "tracking" is virtually non-existent... either they have it in their hands or they don't, that's all they can tell you. Unless you pay more, you have no idea if they delivered or not. I ordered a metal "Elvis" plate for my mom for her birthday one year. It was shipped in a 2x2x12" box. They dropped it off and it looked like they wedged it in between 2 bumpers and ramped the vehicles together. Looked like an accordian. You didnt' pay extra for insurance? Too bad!

FedEx left 1 textbook on the front porch of an apartment I lived at, in the rain. Never even knocked ont he door, just left it there. Another package of my husband's they delivered to a different address and didn't care that he never got it. And do you want to see pics of the console that came up from Florida? The shipper went to a FedEx store where they packed it for him. About 5 sheets of newspaper and PLENTY of bounce room. Needless top say, the console was ruined. Seller had to give me a full refund, and he could only file a claim with FedEx for $100, which was way less than the item was worth had they not of broken it into 10 pieces. Also, Fedex can't find their own a$$es with both hands and a flashlight. Jackson, WI may just be a bedroom community, but there was no reason for them to tell me my address doesn't exist, at 2 different places I lived at. The apartment was built probably 40 years ago, and this house has been here for about 19 years.

UPS: I love their tracking, and I don't care if it is more expensive. At least I know exactly where the package is at.

Any way you ship it, if you pack it right, there won't be any damage. The packaging is all your own responsibility, so do it right.

by Mcarlo77 Mon Oct 11, 2010 11:02 pm

For what it's worth, I have shipped hundreds of items and the majority of them have been with FedEx. I have found them to be the most reasonable from a cost standpoint on anything larger than 4 lbs...or, on large, light-weight items. I have never had a problem with them. To be fair, I have never had a problem with USPS, either. Almost never ship UPS as they are always the most expensive. Not sure of the complaint about tracking, as I am always given a tracking number from FedEx and it's easy to follow on a computer. The key to a successful shipment, regardless of carrier, is to properly pack the item. It goes without saying that anything that can shift around inside a box is a damage claim waiting to happen.

by HDHugger Tue Oct 12, 2010 5:59 am

Mcarlo, you pack items like they are made of gold. The driver would literally have to run the box over with his truck to damage anything. By the way, I have a new list. I'll be talking to you soon. Wink

by JB2wheeler Tue Oct 12, 2010 11:45 am

Back in the early 1990s UPS was the carrier to go to for small delicate items. USPS was where you went if you wanted it broken. USPS found out that people were willing to pay just a little bit more for service and they did a crash program about the turn of the century for improvement. In the meantime UPS kept letting dollar signs get in their eyes and block their vision and now things are just the oppisite is true of what it was back in the early 1990s. I have relatives who work at UPS and they say the local U of L fans like to play basketball with the packages to keep from getting bored, especially after a big game. JB

by bigredlaguna Tue Oct 12, 2010 11:21 pm

JB2wheeler wrote:Back in the early 1990s UPS was the carrier to go to for small delicate items. USPS was where you went if you wanted it broken. USPS found out that people were willing to pay just a little bit more for service and they did a crash program about the turn of the century for improvement. In the meantime UPS kept letting dollar signs get in their eyes and block their vision and now things are just the oppisite is true of what it was back in the early 1990s. I have relatives who work at UPS and they say the local U of L fans like to play basketball with the packages to keep from getting bored, especially after a big game. JB

The change you speak of happens to be when UPS decided to raise the max weight of a package from 70 lbs. to 150 lbs.-- not good for delicate items. I was in the Navy at the time, but I do remember the teamsters were about a day or two away from going on strike over this single issue.

by BlackChevelleSS Wed Oct 13, 2010 12:17 am

I think its all a matter of opinion

by lars Sat Oct 16, 2010 10:28 am

Ill share my experiance with mailing. I shipped a special grill (it was from a 1975 malibu but it said "CHEVELLE" on the top) and boxed it myself thinking nothing of it. Since it was my first time shipping, and the fact that I am frugal, I didn't get insurance. The grill (having a sloping bend in it from the factory mold) and it "dissapeared" from the USPS knowing for like a 2-3 weeks, and he ended up getting it. It was broken down the middle completly in half. I had to return the money, like 75 bucks, and now i very much dislike USPS.

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