To send really heavy books, Postal Service or UPS?

[home4school]

I wonder which is better for shipping really heavy books, media mail or UPS. I want something cheap, but I also want it to get there in one piece.

 

Thanks,

Kim

[Guest Cindie2dds]

Do not send a heavy box of books media mail. You have no guarantee at all if something goes wrong. BTDT. Not worth it. One or two books going media mail is fine; but if it's a box, it's tossed around, last on the container, stuff thrown on top, etc. There are flat rate boxes at the post office that you can get tracking numbers on cheaper than UPS.

[home4school]

That's what I'm afraid of!

 

I'll check on the boxes you mentioned.

 

Thanks,

Kim

[Guest Cindie2dds]

I just had a damaged, empty box returned with not one clue where the $400 worth of books were.:glare:

 

 

They weren't my books, just doing a favor dropping them off for a friend. I felt so sorry for her. No recourse, nothing.

[Guest]

I would not do a large box via media mail, either. I was even afraid to send a small package, but they told me it would be fine, and that it's just the big boxes full of heavy things that have the problems.

[Narrow Gate Academy]

Depending on the weight of the box, I've generally found it is cheaper to send UPS or FedEx is the box is over 8 pounds. HTH

[Miss Sherry]

Do not send a heavy box of books media mail. You have no guarantee at all if something goes wrong. BTDT. Not worth it. One or two books going media mail is fine; but if it's a box, it's tossed around, last on the container, stuff thrown on top, etc. There are flat rate boxes at the post office that you can get tracking numbers on cheaper than UPS.

"You have no guarantee at all if something goes wrong" You can purchase insurance and delivery confirmation.

Also, instead of sending a box that is extremely heavy you could break it down into a couple of boxes instead.

Be sure to put good quality postal tape on all of the seams of the box and do not use a box that has any damage whatsoever. Also, do not leave empty space in the box. Fill all of the empty space with some packing material. If you leave empty space in the box it could end of getting crushed.

I have mailed dozens of boxes of books over the years and all of the books have been received by the recipient.

[Miss Sherry]

Depending on the weight of the box, I've generally found it is cheaper to send UPS or FedEx is the box is over 8 pounds. HTH

Is that compared to using Media Mail through USPS ?

[Guest Cindie2dds]

I've never had trouble sending it with media mail through the post office. Shipping has gotten so expensive and UPS shipping is REALLY expensive.

 

I still think you can purchase insurance (and it is very inexpensive). And it works! I bought an antique clock on e-bay. The clock arrived with the glass on the door smashed. Not only did they pay me back almost the entire amount I paid for it, they let me keep it. All I had to do was buy new glass.

 

Delivery confirmation/insurance is the way to go. However, you can't send anything other than books or DVD/CDs media mail, which is what the OP asked. Media mail is the lowest class (similar to bulk). The clock you purchase on eBay had to be sent via a much higher class of mail than media. Everything I have sent via media mail has always gotten to its destination, except the one heavy box, so I'm not knocking it as a whole. I was just warning the OP about sending a heavy box of books via media mail. Not a good idea without insurance/delivery confirmation, which adds a lot to the cost and kind of defeats the media mail/UPS argument. :)