UPS Extortion

[Mal Paso]

I placed an order yesterday through Brownells for some small parts. They have always shipped USPS. Costs less than UPS and arrives faster. You have to watch every order detail now or you are screwed.

I got an email from UPS last night. They want $3.50 to deliver it themselves or they will give it to USPS and it will take another day or 2.

Unless I pay $3.50 it's going to take twice as long as it would if Brownells had sent through the post office like it says in the shipping policy. If I pay the money it still will take longer than the Post Office alone.

Heads Up

[HATCH]

Every shipping company is doing that same thing.
it gets shipped via UPS or DHL then when it arrives to the USPS hub nearest to you they swtich it over to US MAIL.
The thought proccess the bean counters look at is that a US MAIL truck goes to almost everyone's house every day (during the week) even if they don't get mail.
The mailman stops at my mailbox, opens the door, looks for incoming mail and when he doesn't have any he closes the door and moves on.

What gets me is that it cost a extra $3 or so to send to someone's house vs a business.

[462]

My last Midway order was shipped that way. It took only two days for UPS to get the package 3/4 of the way across the country, then it took USPS three days to move it the remaining 110 miles, including stops at two post offices less than 5 miles apart.

[Smoke4320]

You paid a quoted price for delivery.. I would call Brownells and tell them you are displeased with UPS trying to charge you more for something THEY accepted delivery and payment for

[9w1911]

I would tell UPS you were quoted, paid and the product shipped, I would ask UPS if they had ever heard of the BBB

[imashooter2]

I would tell UPS you were quoted, paid and the product shipped, I would ask UPS if they had ever heard of the BBB

Yeah, ask them that... If you want to hear someone laugh at you. UPS does not care one little bit about any individual customer's unhappiness

[dragon813gt]

Yeah, ask them that... If you want to hear someone laugh at you. UPS does not care one little bit about any individual customer's unhappiness

I bet they will if people start bringing them up for bait and switch. Which this seems to fall under IMO. You paid a set price for a particular delivery. They now want to switch the delivery manner for more money. This is an illegal business practice.

I feel for you guys in rural areas. Because that's where this is happening. I see delivery trucks all day long everywhere I go so this type of delivery makes no sense by me.

[paul h]

Unless you live in Alaska or Hawaii, you don't get to complain about shipping costs.

You don't know how good you have it.

[Kull]

You have to make sure you specify UPS ground or else they will hand it off to the post office.

[montana_charlie]

Yeah, ask them that... If you want to hear someone laugh at you. UPS does not care one little bit about any individual customer's unhappiness
Send the complaint to Brownell's. When UPS starts getting heat from their primary customers, they will listen or die.

CM

[Harter66]

My UPS hub is 72 miles away when they USPS a parcel it goes another 60 miles away then backtracks that 60 mito come the last 72. All of which is even more foolish since the truck tha took it to the sub hub was 23 blocks from the PO hub in the Reno UPS major hub. So my UPS stuff that gets posted covers 250 extra miles to get the last 70. FedEx isnt any better last April I had a package come from AR ''red lable'' which used to mean no more than 72hr from pick up to delivery plus or minus for close of bussiness weekends and holidays. That package went to Miss.,Tenn,Wy,Ut and 2 scans in Nv over 9 days then didn't get delivered until the 11th day a week after the USPS delivered its companion SMFRB. Sacrifice service for the bottom line till profits sag then roll out a new service feature that used to be part of standard service for a buck or 3.50 more while the competitor you've been working adds a cheaper feature for better service w/your money. Sounds like capitolism coupled w/bad strategy and a privatized gobermental agency involved.

[blackthorn]

UPS to Canada is an absolute rip off!!! Fricken bandits! If I order from the US now I ask if my order can be shipped USPS, if the answer is no then sorry its no sale!

[Thundermaker]

The brown truck has always delivered straight to my house.

[Riverpigusmc]

My last Midway order was shipped that way. It took only two days for UPS to get the package 3/4 of the way across the country, then it took USPS three days to move it the remaining 110 miles, including stops at two post offices less than 5 miles apart.

They drove it past my house on I-75 twice...from Georgia to Orlando, then back up to my house near Gainesville.

[Reverend Al]

UPS to Canada is an absolute rip off!!! Fricken bandits! If I order from the US now I ask if my order can be shipped USPS, if the answer is no then sorry its no sale!

Yeah, I hear you! I've been "burned" several times with parcels sent to Canada via UPS rather than USPS as requested. As soon as it arrives at the border UPS hands it off to their own brokerage house who charge you huge fees to "broker" your goods into Canada. USPS comes to Canada Post and then it comes straight to my door without extra fees 99% of the time. UPS has normally wanted about 50% of the value of the goods to deliver a parcel to the door in Canada! I ordered some parts for my '65 Mustang that came UPS by mistake and for about $100 dollars worth of parts UPS wanted another $70 "brokerage fees" out of me! Then they had the gall to send me a bill for another $11.00 and change a few days later since they had accidentally "undercharged" me! They are total BANDITS and you do NOT want to deal with UPS cross border ...
:x

[gspgundog]

That partial UPS, last leg USPS was conceived at the shippers request and started by FedEx for a cheaper way to ship smaller packages. The additional $3.00 is for the extra handling required to get it to your house via a brown driver. Calling the shipper will do no good since they know exactly how your package will be handled and in fact selected to ship that package via I think it is called Smart Post. I can not speak to some of the shipping errors other posters have spoke of but the way it is supposed to work is UPS delivers to your post office and USPS delivers it the next day. If you live near an UPS Customer Center like I do, when you are notified of a package with a UPS tracking number just track it and change the delivery to customer will call. They will hold it for a week or two and when you are in the area you stop by and pick it up. Will Call is free and you get the cheaper shipping price and you can get it one day earlier then if you left it up to USPS to deliver.

[olereb]

Unless you live in Alaska or Hawaii, you don't get to complain about shipping costs.

You don't know how good you have it.

Although the shipping prices nowdays do annoy me I have to agree with you. I shop around for the cheapest deal usually but even if the shipping price is high by my standards I just think about what my friends pay that live in AK,y'all really do get nailed hard.

[Ajax]

If you choose to live in Alaska or Hawaii you should not complain about the associated fees. You chose to live there. I am tired of the complaining about that, it is no different than the guys who complain about sellers not wanting to ship into California. Its's a choice you made live with it.

Andy

[Kull]

If you choose to live in Alaska or Hawaii you should not complain about the associated fees. You chose to live there. I am tired of the complaining about that, it is no different than the guys who complain about sellers not wanting to ship into California. Its's a choice you made live with it.

Andy

Two different things. Sellers shipping fees to Alaska and Hawaii are high because it's a long damn way, not wanting to ship to California is a personal choice made by the seller.

[TreeKiller]

Track the package and when it is delivered to the local PO go and pick it up.

[paul h]

If you choose to live in Alaska or Hawaii you should not complain about the associated fees. You chose to live there. I am tired of the complaining about that, it is no different than the guys who complain about sellers not wanting to ship into California. Its's a choice you made live with it.

Andy

My point wasn't to complain about the high shipping costs to AK, simply to state that those in the lower 48 who are complaining about shipping costs have no idea what high shipping costs are.

Here's my story about getting burned by the brown santa. A couple years back I placed an order to Rock River arms for a complete upper, stripped lower and a scope base. I specified to ship all parts together USPS. Of course they messed that up both ways. They shipped each part seperately, UPS. Total shipping was almost $200. Someone complaining about an extra $3.50 charge makes me laugh.

But, as a buddy has often espoused, "The cost of living in Alaska is high because it's worth it." I'd say he nailed it, been worth every penny.

[dakotashooter2]

What I can't figure out is how I can order some cheap electronic accessories out of china and get it in 3 days for about $3 shipping but somthing in the US takes a week at 4 times the charge.............

[462]

Track the package and when it is delivered to the local PO go and pick it up.

Did that, but the incompetent clerkette couldn't find it, if she actually looked for it. I had to wait another day for it to be shipped the 5 miles from that post office to the one in my town.

[TreeKiller]

Track the package and when it is delivered to the local PO go and pick it up.

Did that, but the incompetent clerkette couldn't find it, if she actually looked for it. I had to wait another day for it to be shipped the 5 miles from that post office to the one in my town.
I have a slight advantage I worked there for 34 years and they still remember me especially the supervisor.:rolleyes:

[jcwit]

I get 3 day delivery from virtually anywhere in the U.S., once in a while it runs 4 days. I think the post office does a fantastic job.

Most shipments from overseas take 7 to 14 days, I do not consider that bad at all either.

[GabbyM]

Is there some way on there order form to specify to ship only by Xx shipper? Or in your customer profile?
Seams you need a solution to this. All I know is if I saw your address I'd have no idea UPS would be challenged to deliver there.
Since I'm two thousand miles away.