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Shipping reminder

PlantAKiss

Moderator Schmoderator Fluorescent fluorite, Engl
Re: the auction...

If you are donating an item, please don't forget to mention if you will ship internationally or not. I know that is hard for most of us to do, but there are non-plant items that CAN be shipped abroad. I've had a non-US winner before.

So please put "US shipping only" or "I will ship internationally".

Thank you! Great listings so far!
 
Also pay attention to the size of the package because costs go way up for larger or unusual shaped packages, even if they don't weigh much. Here's a link to the post office's website, for those of you who'll be paying for priority mail shipping - http://postcalc.usps.gov/. Several of us learned the hard way last year, with some packages costing an arm and a leg to ship.

Priority Mail shipping for a 1 lb, 12" x 12" x 12" package going halfway across the country costs $4.80. To ship the same weight in a box that's 18" x 12" x 12" costs $26.50. I think either size will cost the same by UPS ($9.85), but I've done much less shipping by UPS I might be missing an important detail. But shipping by something other than Priority Mail will take extra days and now is a bad time of year for plants to be spending many days in a truck.

That brings up the second point; shippers need to make extra effort this time of year when packing plants. Prepare plants for shipping and make sure they aren't going to dry out along the way. Use insulation or double box or whatever to prevent the plant from being roasted along the way or when it sits in the sun outside someone's door. Look at weather forecasts and try to time shipments for when it'll be cooler or less sunny at the end of the journey. I think most of the damage happens the final day.
 
I believe the post office also still offers the flat rate boxes which ship for the same rate no matter the weight. However, that size box might not accommodate your item.

Bruce makes good points. Thank you! :)
 
FedEx has decent rates. A 1lb 12 x 12 x 18 box halfway across the country is a little under $11. I just looked on the UPS website for the same zipcodes/package weight and dimensions, and the 2 day service (the slowest one it gives you a quote for) is $55.
 
To compare with the prices I gave for Priority Mail and UPS, the slow FedEx price would be $8.70 for either size. I used the zip codes for where I live now in CT and where I used to live in MS, so it's a smaller "halfway across the country" than what PK tried. It said delivery would be the end of the third day and my experience with FedEx is that its ground service takes ~ as long as UPS'. While three days is probably OK for a well packed plant, cross country shipping will take much longer and can be brutal this time of year. Be careful; the plant and the wallet will appreciate your consideration.
 
Yeah I tried Lubbock and some random city in Iowa lol.
 
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