We have great news folks. UPS has graciously renegotiated our shipping rates. Woo hoo!
The changes were nothing to write home about but heck we’ll take anything we can get. In our 23 years of doing business, we have endured constant rate hikes and some horrendous disappointments at the hands of UPS but they truly are the best out there. We need to give them praise when all is going well. Day in and day out they deliver millions of our packages.
How UPS handles claims for damaged and late shipments…well? Let’s just say that we wanted to share with you a recent outcome to humor and lighten up our day. Keep in mind that all we do is ship long packages all day. Here is UPS’s response to a 2nd Day Air package that did not arrive on time: “A Guaranteed Service Refund was not able to be processed as this package qualified for Additional Handling due to the size of the box, 95x5x5. Any package with the longest side exceeding 48 inches or its second-longest side exceeding 30 inches qualifies for Additional Handling and is not part of our Service Guarantee.” Essentially they are telling us all that they only have to deliver smaller boxes on time. Oy Vey!
Now onto why our UPS rates are practically irrelevant to you. Almost all of our customers take advantage of our free shipping offer. We have no plans on getting rid of it because frankly, it would be like taking candy away from a child. To qualify, prepay for your orders over $150 and have it shipped UPS ground to any of the 48 contiguous United States. Free shipping applies to orders with poles 94” or less. It’s that simple.
While on the topic of freight charges we wanted to discuss our recent experiences with shipping over-length (greater than 96”) boxes with LTL freight companies. We were told that freight companies claim that the scale of supply and demand has shifted. They claim that a shortage of drivers has driven up the rates to the highest we have ever experienced. Our desire is for you to avoid paying any freight charges. for center opening treatments we always recommend cutting poles in half that are longer than 94”. We used to book freight shipments directly with the freight companies but now we only work with logistics companies. They side with us by helping you obtain the best possible rates. We truly care about your money and your customer’s budget so Vicki works hard over here to fight for the best rate for you!