Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2005 08:09:23 -0800
Reply-To: Tim Olmstead <tim@CWO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Tim Olmstead <tim@CWO.COM>
Subject: Re: Shipping a Vanagon tow hitch - a saga
In-Reply-To: <00b501c502ec$07c1b580$6400a8c0@t41>
Content-Type: text/plain;charset=iso-8859-1
The persuasion of a friendly smile and kind words. You make her day and
she makes yours.
Next time check with DHL and shipping it as an open item strapped to a
pallet or something like that. I recently shipped a Toyota Tundra grill
guard to a friend in the Seattle area. I strapped it to a pallet and made
arrangements with DHL via telephone, the driver did the pickup when I was
not there, I received email notification of the shipping progress, two
days later it arrived at the destination. The only hitch in the giddyup
was they billed the recipient more than $800. After a coupke of weeks of
phone calls and one final legal threat he received a check for the
difference. The price was almost $80 which is inexpensive for an item of
that size and weight. I discoverd that open freight is much less expensive
than boxed.
Tim
> Volks,
>
> Recently I had to ship a SA Vanagon Tow Hitch.
>
> First step .. haul it down to UPS for an estimate .... $57.82
>
> Ouch and a huge cha-ching, that won't do.
>
> The damn thing was classified as "Over Sized" and of course this is code
> for
> "I really hope you want to ship this, because its gonna cost you big
> bucks".
>
> Back home after boxing and weighing, I went to USPS, FedEx and UPS web
> sites
> and plugged in the numbers.
>
> 49"x28"13" at 42 lbs.
>
> To be honest ... hauling this thing around it felt like 75 lbs.
>
> I gotta get back to the gym.
>
> Anyway ... these were the online shipping estimates:
>
> UPS ground = $57.82 (just like they told me the other day)
> USPS Parcel Post = $92.81
> FedEx = $79.94
>
> Then I started playing around with the dimensions of the package.
>
> I stumbled on the fact that if I reduced the actual dimensions by one
> inch,
> it would greatly change the cost of shipping with FedEx.
>
> But it didn't change the cost with UPS or USPS.
>
> So I figured it was worth a shot to see if I could get a sympathetic
> clerk.
>
> Yesterday I walked into the main FedEx shipping center ..... Surveyed the
> clerks and waited
> for the one who had the most sympathetic face and cheeriest attitude.
>
> As I approached the counter, and after a pleasant "hello and how are you
> today" I announce
> "We have a mission of great importance".
>
> Really the clerk exclaimed!
>
> Yes .... I went on to say "The difference between this package being
> affordable and not affordable to ship
> is a mere inch in the dimensions.
>
> "We are on the cusp of success vs failure" I proclaimed.
>
> What's in the strange looking package she asked ...
>
> "Goal Post for a new infant football league" I spontaneously respond.
>
> Fighting to hold back tears of laughter she began measuring.
>
> As she stretched the tape across the first dimension a "accurate" number
> was
> revealed, she looked at me.
>
> Shaking my head ever so slightly left to right, so as to not attract
> attention of a supervisor, I frown.
>
> She began sliding the tape backwards .. ever so slowly. Once an inch of
> precious dimension had been removed ... I smile clandestinely.
>
> Beaming she writes down that dimension and begins the next measurement.
>
> Repeating our secret ritual ... we end up with three dimensions that when
> plugged into the
> "Mysterious Shipping Calculator Computer Program" spit out a cost of
> $31.15
> vs the previously
> Estimated $79.94.
>
> Both of us, now bonded by mutual mission, jubilantly finish the paper work
> and end the transaction
> with one last exchange.
>
> "is it really a Goal Post for an new infant football league" the friendly
> clerk asks.
>
> I smile, wink and walk out.
>
> Life is good when you can work the system.
>
> Larry Chase
> www.roadhaus.com
>
>
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