Anyone have experience with these?  I'm looking for something that will do small mouthpiece packages.  Domestic with delivery confirmation and international with customs forms.  I think this puts me in the camp of PC-based systems as opposed to small stand-alone weigh and print meters. I have done some on-line research but would like to hear it from you guys!

We use USPS flat rate for all our our small accessory items, both  
domestically and internationally. We get delivery confirmation and a  
tracking number. Honestly, the USPS tracking numbers are pretty much  
useless, but do keep PayPal happy. We have had very few problems.  
Insurance is a waste of money, since they simply will not pay claims  
and have an unbelievably cumbersome claims system. When we do lose one  
(which rarely happens), we eat it and send another. It's far cheaper  
than paying the insurance premium.


On Jul 9, 2010, at 9:16 AM, MojoBari wrote:

> Anyone have experience with these? I'm looking for something that  
> will do small mouthpiece packages. Domestic with delivery  
> confirmation and international with customs forms. I think this puts  
> me in the camp of PC-based systems as opposed to small stand-alone  
> weigh and print meters. I have done some on-line research but would  
> like to hear it from you guys!
>
>
> 

I have used USPS flat rate priority mail.  The free boxes are a bonus and there 
is no monthly fee.  


I forgot to mention that I'm looking for a system that does first class mail 
with delivery confirmation (in the US). 





________________________________
From: STEVE GOODSON <saxgourmet@...>
To: MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Fri, July 9, 2010 10:23:07 AM
Subject: Re: [MouthpieceWork] small business postal systems

  
We use USPS flat rate for all our our small accessory items, both domestically 
and internationally. We get delivery confirmation and a tracking number. 
Honestly, the USPS tracking numbers are pretty much useless, but do keep PayPal 
happy. We have had very few problems. Insurance is a waste of money, since they 
simply will not pay claims and have an unbelievably cumbersome claims system. 
When we do lose one (which rarely happens), we eat it and send another. It's far 
cheaper than paying the insurance premium. 




On Jul 9, 2010, at 9:16 AM, MojoBari wrote:

Anyone have experience with these? I'm looking for something that will do small 
mouthpiece packages. Domestic with delivery confirmation and international with 
customs forms. I think this puts me in the camp of PC-based systems as opposed 
to small stand-alone weigh and print meters. I have done some on-line research 
but would like to hear it from you guys!
>
>




      

If you get to the point where you are doing a significant volume, I  
think you will find that weighing each package etc. for first class is  
a hassle.....flat rate resolves a lot of that.....we bill the customer  
for shipping anyway, and they seem quite content with the small cost  
and quick delivery.....overseas buyers sometimes bitch about the cost,  
and maybe we have lost a few sales. However, having a system which  
enables us to do the volume we ship daily in a convenient format is,  
in our opinion, worth a very small number of lost sales.



On Jul 9, 2010, at 10:18 AM, Keith Bradbury wrote:

>
> I have used USPS flat rate priority mail.  The free boxes are a  
> bonus and there is no monthly fee.
>
> I forgot to mention that I'm looking for a system that does first  
> class mail with delivery confirmation (in the US).
>
>
> From: STEVE GOODSON <saxgourmet@...>
> To: MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Fri, July 9, 2010 10:23:07 AM
> Subject: Re: [MouthpieceWork] small business postal systems
>
>
> We use USPS flat rate for all our our small accessory items, both  
> domestically and internationally. We get delivery confirmation and a  
> tracking number. Honestly, the USPS tracking numbers are pretty much  
> useless, but do keep PayPal happy. We have had very few problems.  
> Insurance is a waste of money, since they simply will not pay claims  
> and have an unbelievably cumbersome claims system. When we do lose  
> one (which rarely happens), we eat it and send another. It's far  
> cheaper than paying the insurance premium.
>
>
>
> On Jul 9, 2010, at 9:16 AM, MojoBari wrote:
>
>> Anyone have experience with these? I'm looking for something that  
>> will do small mouthpiece packages. Domestic with delivery  
>> confirmation and international with customs forms. I think this  
>> puts me in the camp of PC-based systems as opposed to small stand- 
>> alone weigh and print meters. I have done some on-line research but  
>> would like to hear it from you guys!
>>
>>
>
>
>
> 

--- In MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com, "MojoBari" <kwbradbury@...> wrote:
>
> Anyone have experience with these?  I'm looking for something that will do small mouthpiece packages.  Domestic with delivery confirmation and international with customs forms.  I think this puts me in the camp of PC-based systems as opposed to small stand-alone weigh and print meters. I have done some on-line research but would like to hear it from you guys!
>

Nothing could be easier than going to www.fedex.com/us and opening an account.

But for mouthpieces, USPS Priorty Mail is the way to go.  You can go to www.usps.com and open an account.  Then you may order supplies... Priorty boxes sent to your door FREE OF CHARGE.  You only pay at the post office when you mail them.  I use 5 sizes for mouthpieces and other accessories that I sell, and these boxes are ideal.

Paul C.

Using the "click and ship" system through the USPS web site, you can set up with a credit card and print postage on your home laser printer - no standing in line at the post office - works great with the priority flate rate boxes - just tape the label to the box and drop it in a mailbox, arrange pickup, or drop it at the post office.  
I've found that especially for longer distance within the US and overseas that the USPS is the best way to go - especially for the small flate rate boxes - much faster and cheaper for the $$.

Glen Sargent
Second Wind Music
Camden, ME

--- In MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com, "Glen Sargent" <gsargent@...> wrote:
>
> Using the "click and ship" system through the USPS web site, you can set up with a credit card and print postage on your home laser printer - no standing in line at the post office - works great with the priority flate rate boxes - just tape the label to the box and drop it in a mailbox, arrange pickup, or drop it at the post office.  
> I've found that especially for longer distance within the US and overseas that the USPS is the best way to go - especially for the small flate rate boxes - much faster and cheaper for the $$.
> 
> Glen Sargent
> Second Wind Music
> Camden, ME


Also, the Priority Mail boxes the USPS supplies you may be used for International as well as US domestic shipping.

Paul C.

Word of caution when using flat rate shipping...only about relative costs.  well, not to worry; but when shipping internationally flat rate boxes are a great deal;  however it may be three times the cost  if shipped by weight domestically.  Check weight and distance.  For a small business with little margin, every dollar comes out of my pocket.


Bill Daleiden
A NEW Tune, LLC
(920) 264-5827

--- On Tue, 7/13/10, tenorman1952 <tenorman1952@...> wrote:


From: tenorman1952 <tenorman1952@...>
Subject: [MouthpieceWork] Re: small business postal systems
To: MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, July 13, 2010, 10:51 AM


  





--- In MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com, "Glen Sargent" <gsargent@...> wrote:
>
> Using the "click and ship" system through the USPS web site, you can set up with a credit card and print postage on your home laser printer - no standing in line at the post office - works great with the priority flate rate boxes - just tape the label to the box and drop it in a mailbox, arrange pickup, or drop it at the post office. 
> I've found that especially for longer distance within the US and overseas that the USPS is the best way to go - especially for the small flate rate boxes - much faster and cheaper for the $$.
> 
> Glen Sargent
> Second Wind Music
> Camden, ME

Also, the Priority Mail boxes the USPS supplies you may be used for International as well as US domestic shipping.

Paul C.









      

We ship using Dazzle through Endicia. The problem with the post office 
shipping is in their IT department. That is, they don't seem to have 
one. In the late 90's we integrated the postal service's label printing 
program with our custom software and they called me at the shop. They 
wanted to know how we did it. After a long discussion, I found out that 
in the 5 years they had the program up no company had (except 
MusicMedic) had successfully integrated.

I'm not the programmer here so I don't know much about it. I will say, 
however, that even though I have a smok'in programmer (my wife) working 
with the USPS is not easy.

Using click and ship, which we do when in a pinch, is pretty easy and 
may be a viable option for a small volume shipper where integration with 
software is not necessary.




-- 
Curt Altarac

www.MusicMedic.com

Curt Altarac wrote:
"The problem with the post office shipping is in their IT department. That
is, they don't seem to have
one."

This is very, very enlightening, Curt. In the course of my work, have had to
work very closely with the particular organization that you've described.

However, that's probably all I should say about it in (semi-)public....