Is it just me or does "The UPS Store" suck?

[KurtNYC]

I don't use UPS because their rates are higher than what I pay through FedEx or the USPS (their new flat rate boxes rock!) but...

A customer in Canada ordered from me and gave me his UPS account number. So we pack his order, take it to a "The UPS Store" location and they won't accept it because they "only accept packages that are being paid for by the person bringing them in." Okay so ?? "Go to the UPS hub" Do you have the forms I will need? "No."

I called UPS's 800#. Told them I need the forms and a pick up. A driver came 90 minutes later with no forms.

The hub for UPS is 45 mins each way so I am NOT doing that. I go to a Mailboxes Etc. location. Same story. It says you ship UPS outside what gives? "Have a nice day sir." You have a nice day, mine is screwed because I have to deal with UPS's archaic BS. Why do you say you accept UPS shipments if you don't?? "HAVE a nice day sir."

to Staples. Same thing. They won't take any package you aren't going to pay cash for right there. if you have your own UPS account you cannot drop off at any of the locations which have UPS or the UPS logo or lying ass signs in front that say UPS and good luck figuring out what you have to do because none of them really know.

I heard The UPS Store sells 42-cent stamps for 60-cents. Is that even legal?

Has anyone had better luck with UPS than me? Am I just doing something wrong or does UPS suck?

[Warpy]

1. I've seen the same policy elsewhere

and what companies will do when they're paying the postage is give you a printable label online. Check to see if the Canadian company has done that.

If they haven't, you're stuck

[Captain Hilts]

2. UPS has a better union and treats its employees better than FedEx.

I ship to Canada a LOT and it's a real hassle that's out of the hands of these companies and Greyhound.

Just like I can't get a cellular account to work in the US and Ontario without selling a kidney.

Now, MY beef is the US Postal Service will NO LONGER permit you to mail books at a book rate to Canada. So, now it's too expensive to mail books. The old rate was seen as a 'freedom of the press/speech' issue. Now, that aspect of free speech is gone.

[Initech]

3. I've been using UPS for years and never had a problem.

Even when we ship to clients using their accounts, I can drop off packages at the store without any problems.

Now I've had problems with the competition - DHL (sucks!!!!) and FedEx is pretty decent.

[county worker]

4. Has it got anything to do with the patriot act?

Seems to me they want to tag the package to the one doing the sending. Seems to me if the package is terror related they would want to come after the sender or the one who paid for it.

[KurtNYC]

9. pretty sure it is a franchise issue

that grand fathered into the whole WBE/The UPS Store deal. Probably MBE/TUS don't get paid by UPS to for handling shipments that are paid for through UPS's system.

[The empressof all]

5. The store doesn't get paid for these kinds of transactions

UPS stores are actually franchised and privately owned.

They assume a liability for accepting your package without compensation. Unless they are a very large franchise site-UPS doesn't reimburse them for these drop offs. Some individual stores do it as a community service but It sucks for them too. Yes it's also legal for them to sell stamps above face value. They buy them for the same cost as you do from the post office and provide a convenience service for which they expect compensation.

[CBGLuthier]

6. I have printed the label online

Walked into the store and dropped off with no problems. If I had to go to the facility itself I would not even offer UPS shipping.

I think you have met some misinformed employees.

[Venceremos]

7. I've had bad experiences with UPS.

They broke over 50% of my shipments, so i stopped using them years ago. I shipped a CAST IRON item to a customer and UPS even somehow managed to break it. The customer said the box looked like they threw it off a roof.

I'm a big fan of the postal service flat rate boxes - especially the newer large box. The new small flat rate box is useless though. You can fit more in the FR envelope.

I think it's legal to sell the 42 cent stamp for more than face value. You're paying them extra for not going to the post office. Our local grocery store has been doing it for years.

[Posteritatis]

12. There's a reason their nickname is United Parcel Smashers

For awhile (I'm not sure if it's still the case) their employees weren't considered responsible for even deliberate damage to parcels. I've heard some pretty ridiculous things from people who've worked with UPS for awhile, like deliberately mishandling items labelled "fragile" and the like.

I got a shipment of several books delivered by UPS once; they'd managed to put a forklift tine through the package (and the books).

[MineralMan]

8. You've discovered the reason lots of businesses won't ship

at all outside the USA.

However, if you have an account at UPS, I believe you can do the forms online. These days, though, it seems there are several additional forms that need to be printed for shipments to NAFTA countries.

I sell on ebay, occasionally, and I simply refuse to accept bids except from customers in the USA. When I used to accept orders from customers in other countries, I had no end of troubles, ranging from stolen parcels to customers who insisted that I lie on the customs declaration. My solution was to stop doing such shipments altogether. It's just not worth the additional time and hassle. Often, my profit was gone just in the waste of time and energy. When parcels went undelivered, it caused even more problems. Shipments to Italy, for example, almost always disappeared. Uff da!

Good luck to you.

[KurtNYC]

11. thanks

I sell on ebay and as long as the item is under $20 value it isn't a problem to just use USPS. But above that value it is a nightmare, mostly on the Canadian side. And I have also had customers ask me to lie (gift, lower value, etc.) which I won't do.

[FLyellowdog]

10. Local store is very friendly and helpful. Sorry...

you've had bad experiences.

[Ernesto]

13. When I ship auto parts.........

I always use Parcel Post with the US Post Service. They are by far the cheapest and they have never let me down.

[Blue Dog Dominion]

14. Screw all of em. USPS package rate is cheap as hell

[JFN1]

15. UPS is the worst

I won't use them anymore - I stick with FedEx or USPS, as they don't damage my packages. My mom sent me cookies for Christmas last year, via UPS - literally, the box was so beaten and damaged the cookies inside were nothing but crumbs. I told my mom on them!!!!