Who is generally cheaper, UPS or FEDEX? (versus, workers, cost)

[gsm113]

For ground shipments and express.

[user_id]

Neither is "generally" cheaper, if one was generally cheaper the other would be out of business.

[WannaliveinGreenville]

I find Fed Ex is cheaper.

[ncguy444]

I send probably 100 packages each week . I have a fed-ex and ups account. I use the post office due to their prices typically being half of what the others charge. Every time I use fed-ex overnight I am reminded to why I don't use them (PRICE). I think the reason both UPS and Fed-Ex are popular is because they give awesome discounts to corporate accounts and high volume shippers. If you are neither use the USPS. Trust me... I want to have a reason to not use the USPS but in my opinion they are awesome if you overlook the fat ass union workers in certain offices.

[Vanskills]

My woman owns a Mailboxes Etc franchise..

Fedex is almost always cheaper and better service.

[WannaliveinGreenville]

Originally Posted by Vanskills

My woman owns a Mailboxes Etc franchise..

Fedex is almost always cheaper and better service.

And you get to track your package on-line in real time .

I am sure other shippers do this but Fed Ex is fast , cool and cheap of all three shippers : USPS , UPS or Fed Ex....

[jtur88]

When I track incoming parcels, I find that very often FedEx has just taken them to the post office and mailed them to a closer FedEx office, who the brings it to my house.

When I track UPS ground, I always find that at 9 am Monday, the parcel is in exactly the same place it was at 5 pm Friday. Nothing moves on weekends.

I recently ordered something that weighed less than an ounce. (memory card for camera.) It cost 4.95 to ship. It could have been put in an envelope with a 44-cent stamp, and got here faster than UPS could sort it out from their trombones and car bumpers.

[aaauger]

We haven't compared in awhile so it's interesting to hear that Fedex is cheaper and better. We have had one problem after another with our UPS account this year: failed pickups, packages damaged, destroyed and lost. It's nearly impossible to get a refund for service failure, to get paid on a claim or to speak with someone with authority. We get the impression that UPS is out of control.

Bottom line: We can't depend on UPS and we waste a lot of time trying to fix the problems that UPS causes, so it's not a good value to us.

[user_id]

Originally Posted by jtur88

I recently ordered something that weighed less than an ounce. (memory card for camera.) It cost 4.95 to ship. It could have been put in an envelope with a 44-cent stamp, and got here faster than UPS could sort it out from their trombones and car bumpers.

The shipping cost to the retailer was less than $4.95, regardless the memory card would likely break in a stamped envelope and there would be no tracking information. They could have sent it first-class in a small package with delivery confirmation for around $2 bucks, but the delivery times of first-class mail are not reliable and they are probably paying around the same for UPS.

Anyhow, Fedex and UPS take the same amount of time, the fact that Fedex updates their tracking more often means little, they both will give you an expected delivery date. Regardless, UPS is more originated around business to business packages where as Fedex is more originated towards home delivery.

If Fedex was generally cheaper why would any business use UPS? They wouldn't, both Fedex and UPS negotiate their rates with large shippers, if Fedex is offering $XXX then UPS will likely match it and vice versus.

[user_id]

Originally Posted by ncguy444

I use the post office due to their prices typically being half of what the others charge.

There prices on what exactly? Sending a 10 pound package across the country is going to be much cheaper with Fedex or UPS in comparison to USPS whether you look at priority or parcel post. Now, USPS priority is a "2-3 day" service and is cheaper than UPS 2-3 service, but its not guaranteed and often takes lower than 3 days.

For international packages USPS is often the cheapest.