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Trying to arrange a move from Los Angeles to Austin. I was contemplating to move my 1br (with bed, desk, etc.) but the worth of all these belongings is less than the move itself (Uhaul or Upack) would cost, so I decided to sell.
However, I do have some things I don't want to sell, such as my desktop PC, monitors, some other tech, books, a few other tid bits.
I haven't measured it yet, but I'm guessing this would all fit into about 3-5 standard boxes. So here's the question:
- What's the cheapest way to have these shipped so they arrive around the time I move there?
- How to ship these safely, so they don't brake during shipping?
Obviously, I will take my own precautions like bubble wraps and peanuts, but wondering if there's a better way to do this. If some things cannot be shipped, like monitors, then I'll just get rid of them.
I shipped things USPS and insured each box. Guess what? When they arrived some glass things were broken (\pyrex). Turned out I needed the original receipt before they would pay for anything.
Trying to arrange a move from Los Angeles to Austin. I was contemplating to move my 1br (with bed, desk, etc.) but the worth of all these belongings is less than the move itself (Uhaul or Upack) would cost, so I decided to sell.
However, I do have some things I don't want to sell, such as my desktop PC, monitors, some other tech, books, a few other tid bits.
I haven't measured it yet, but I'm guessing this would all fit into about 3-5 standard boxes. So here's the question:
- What's the cheapest way to have these shipped so they arrive around the time I move there?
- How to ship these safely, so they don't brake during shipping?
Obviously, I will take my own precautions like bubble wraps and peanuts, but wondering if there's a better way to do this. If some things cannot be shipped, like monitors, then I'll just get rid of them.
Thanks for any advice!
Go to the postal site and locate the zip codes, the size of the boxes and the weight and you'll know the cost.
Pack and pad the items well and insure the boxes. I think you get $50 free insurance. They are tough when it is time for a claim so pad your own items so they arrive safely.
Uship is a possibility if you find someone going from L.A. to Austin.
Depending on what it is, I always like uship.com You could pack it all yourself, and strap it to a pallet. Delivery door to door. Probably the same price as sending several boxes. I would think your stuff would be safer depending on how you pack it and strap it down.
Are you driving or flying? For those sort of valuable electronics I would just take them in the car if driving. Monitors in specific are pretty cheap, especially used, to replace your used ones. I would just sell and replace rather than pay to ship those.
Very risky to ship any kind of breakable via common carrier - Fedex, UPS or USPS, unless you are very good at packinucg. We've even had things carefully bubble wrapped that were broken. These carriers can be very rough with boxes. Used to joke about the UPS test, which was throwing the box about 10 feet against a wall to see what would break. They also throw (literally) boxes from the trucks to the ground handling equipment.
So ship unbreakables knowing the handling, but only breakables you can afford to lose.
Insurance? forget it from the shippers. A renter's policy may give you better coverage, but know if you're getting replacement cost coverage or something less, like actual cash value, which means zero for something a few years old. Also, document (pictures are great) what you ship before shipping. A great way to prove its existence, condition and such.
We shipped two packages both containing picture frames with glass. They were going 35 miles. Despite that short distance they were handled about 7 times. Both were damaged and one of the priority boxes was unbelievably crushed or ripped open. The packing job was just as good as all the previous types of items that were shipped to places 100's of miles away. We had to file a claim though the USPS. They paid it but rumors are they try to avoid paying claims. They required photos be taken of all the damaged and broken pieces. So that if someone wanted to come out to the receiver's house to inspect the items they could.
Insure what you are mailing and consider a third party like Uship where the carrier is an insured business. I think you might have better results getting a refund from the Uship carrier than you would the postal service. The postal services seem color blind to words in RED like "Handle with care."
Consider Uship dot com. If you want tips on how to use it and evaluate bids, send me a message.
The Uship carriers do not get paid until you go online and release the funds. This lets you open and examine the boxes right there in front of the person who just delivered it. Hold back the payment code if there are any damages and take photos.
I know of a company called Moving Treasures. These folks specialize in transporting exceptionally small shipments such as 1 piece antiques, small studios, ect. These folks also offer Replacement Value Protection.
I've referred many people to them, and have not heard any complaints as of yet.
Regarding U-Ship, I don't have anything good to say about this. As a professional mover, I've had to get involved with a few that started as u-ship, but the drivers decided to give up half way.
I shipped two boxes of books using UPS. It cost over $50, but that is less cost than driving there to deliver them, so I figured it was worth it. Of course, books aren't fragile, but these were valuable books, so I bought extra insurance. But they arrived just fine. I think the problem is mostly with fragility.
Books you should ship USPS. There's a special media mail rate for those which is cheaper than everything else.
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