| Author |
Message |
Chuck MC8 (68.155.236.90)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 19, 2003 - 5:57 am: | |
I recently bought an item that was quite bulky,
(Not all that heavy, but big) The UPS shipping was $120.00. Ouch.
Greyhound to the rescue. Shipped for $54.00.
A couple of things to keep in mind. On the Greyhound web site,
http://www.Greyhound.com
I located the bus station closest to my home. However, There turned out to be a station right next to where my wife works.
She went to pick the items up,( 30 or so miles from her work) and encouraged me next time to have shipping to the locaation closest to her work. Lesson #1.
Lesson 2 is they will not release the package except to the person who is on the shipping label.
They finally did, but I had to go home, where the clerk could call my listed home number on the shipping label to get permission while my wife waited at the bus station. She didn't care much for that.
Moral of the story, Greyhound (in this case) is
much less expensive than the other carriers we checked on. Great for big items. Not as fast as UPS. Will take about a week most times. If you have someone who is working near a local bus station who will pick up your package, make sure their name is on the shipping label.
Keeping bus companies in busiess equals busses for conversion down the road. And saves money on shipping big items! Win-Win! |
don (Bottomacher) (216.130.152.51)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 19, 2003 - 8:22 am: | |
After my last experience, let me caution you to open the package AT THE TERMINAL and report immediately any damage or loss. You won't believe what they will put you through for a loss claim. |
two dogs (67.30.23.66)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 19, 2003 - 8:47 am: | |
I'm VERY disapointed in U.P.S. they have really gone downhill in the last 5 years,ready to try anything |
Don KS/TX (66.82.9.16)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 19, 2003 - 10:55 am: | |
My two cents worth: I do a lot of shipping, and have totally given up on UPS also. In addition, if someone ships you something by UPS, did you know you have NO RIGHTS to money from the damage? (The shipper is the only one that gets the money, so if you paid for something, now the seller gets your check AND the check from UPS, you only get the busted box.) If you get a free fed ex account, you can prepay and email the shipping label to the shipper, then YOU have the claim process in your hands and get the check. Also, it is MUCH cheaper than anything else I have found. I have NOT checked out the greyhound stuff though. |
two dogs (67.30.23.37)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 19, 2003 - 11:46 am: | |
FED EX is great,I used them when I was driveing big trucks,they would even pull up to my truck & pick up a package,all I had to do is call them & tell them where I was...last 3 packages U.P.S. delivered,were BADLY DAMAGED,converter from south Texas to north Texas was square when it left & round when it got here... |
Scott Whitney (199.182.48.7)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 19, 2003 - 3:02 pm: | |
I was the shipper in the case described above by Chuck. From my perspective, Greyhound was very easy to use and saved a heap of cash on this bulky item. I ended up parking in the regular lot and carrying the freight to the cargo office by hand. But the clerk told me next time I could back my van right up to their cargo doors as long as there were no busses in the way. The Greyhound stations are kind of crowded at certain times, so might be worth calling ahead to find out when they are not so busy. Anyway, I will definitely use Greyhound again as a shipper or receiver when I need to freight something big and bulky. What better way for bus parts to travel than on a bus!
BTW, they also have very reasonable same-day and next day delivery in a 300 mile radius.
Scott |
Don KS/TX (66.82.9.43)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 19, 2003 - 4:55 pm: | |
Scott, would I be correct in guessing that you have to deliver to and pickup at the Greyhound depots only? I used to use them but somewhere in the last 50 years or so I had understood they had stopped doing that. |
Scott Whitney (199.182.48.7)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 19, 2003 - 5:57 pm: | |
In this case, I dropped off at the depot. But the brochure I grabbed off the counter said something about pick-ups and deliveries too. Maybe they sub out to local delivery companies for an extra fee.
I live in the friggen boondocks, so unless a regular driver is familiar with my area (like UPS, FEDEX, Airborne Exp. and USPS are) it is sometimes easier for me to go pick up and drop off than to wait around all day for someone to learn the joys of Oklahoma backwood navigation. Might give Greyhound a call to inquire, though.
Scott |
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