I need to ship two boards. Earlier today I packaged them up in snowboard boxes and took them to UPS. Asked for UPS Ground in the lower 48 with tracking and they wanted $150 for both. Who can ship this for cheaper?
coloradodirtbag
Cheapest way to ship a snowboard?
Went to USPS and was able to ship both for under $100. Still a fuckin rip off, how do you guys get away shipping these boards for $20-30?
USPS is the lowest price about 99% of the time unless you have a corporate rate. Use the Click-n-Ship on their website, I forget the exact details but they don't always show you the cheapest option, you have to expand all options. Pay for & print your label at home.
Rates among all the big carriers have been increasing, sometimes without warning or reason, for at least a year or more now. And there are a lot of factors -- obviously, if you're shipping from Maine to California, it will be more expensive than if you're shipping from Michigan to New Jersey. But even within geographical regions, there are surcharges sometimes for extra-rural regions.
Generally, I feel like within-region is $30 or less, while cross-country is now approaching $45 or $50.
Package weight and dimensions are also key. When I do my mailing labels, I always say it's 9 lbs or 10 lbs. The price is usually the same, and nobody ever gives me shit about it. Dimensions are really important though, as it's an "oversized" item, so they go by total package dimension. It's important to keep the length < 60" if possible which is usually doable except on the longest snowboards like 165cm+
The important thing is to "burrito wrap" the board. don't put it in a box that's like 10" x 10" x 65", you'll pay through the nose for that. Go to Home Depot or wherever, buy ONE medium size moving box, for like $2.50. Take it home, break it down along the seams, and then wrap the board like a burrito. A thin layer of foam or bubble wrap is recommended also, especially around the nose & tail. The idea is that you end up with a "box" that is maybe 2" in height, barely wider and barely longer than the board. Keep the package dimensions as small as possible.
When I do the USPS Click-n-Ship, I always say "9 lbs, and the dimensions are 60 x 3 x 12". Sometimes they re-measure it or weigh it at the post office but usually, if you're in the ballpark they'll let it slide.
Rates among all the big carriers have been increasing, sometimes without warning or reason, for at least a year or more now. And there are a lot of factors -- obviously, if you're shipping from Maine to California, it will be more expensive than if you're shipping from Michigan to New Jersey. But even within geographical regions, there are surcharges sometimes for extra-rural regions.
Generally, I feel like within-region is $30 or less, while cross-country is now approaching $45 or $50.
Package weight and dimensions are also key. When I do my mailing labels, I always say it's 9 lbs or 10 lbs. The price is usually the same, and nobody ever gives me shit about it. Dimensions are really important though, as it's an "oversized" item, so they go by total package dimension. It's important to keep the length < 60" if possible which is usually doable except on the longest snowboards like 165cm+
The important thing is to "burrito wrap" the board. don't put it in a box that's like 10" x 10" x 65", you'll pay through the nose for that. Go to Home Depot or wherever, buy ONE medium size moving box, for like $2.50. Take it home, break it down along the seams, and then wrap the board like a burrito. A thin layer of foam or bubble wrap is recommended also, especially around the nose & tail. The idea is that you end up with a "box" that is maybe 2" in height, barely wider and barely longer than the board. Keep the package dimensions as small as possible.
When I do the USPS Click-n-Ship, I always say "9 lbs, and the dimensions are 60 x 3 x 12". Sometimes they re-measure it or weigh it at the post office but usually, if you're in the ballpark they'll let it slide.
I've heard people recently using BikeFlights.com to ship snowboards also, but I haven't tried it. It is, as you might've guessed, a reseller that specializes in shipping bicycles.
Also worth noting: If you are sending to Canada or otherwise internationally, ONLY USE USPS. UPS and FedEx require an extra shitload of paperwork and customs declarations, etc. and aside from being a pain in the ass, it feels like you're just setting yourself up for perjury.
Mark value as nominal $50 or $100 to minimize the chance of extra duties being levied at Customs. Problem with this is that if you're sending a $300 board and it gets lost or damaged, they'll only cover the insured amount, so it's a (small) gamble, but I've seen people have to pay $100 in border taxes to receive a $300 snowboard, so, it seems worth it to gamble on the value declaration.
Make sure the buyer knows that he/she is responsible if there are extra fees resulting from valuing the board properly.
Also worth noting: If you are sending to Canada or otherwise internationally, ONLY USE USPS. UPS and FedEx require an extra shitload of paperwork and customs declarations, etc. and aside from being a pain in the ass, it feels like you're just setting yourself up for perjury.
Mark value as nominal $50 or $100 to minimize the chance of extra duties being levied at Customs. Problem with this is that if you're sending a $300 board and it gets lost or damaged, they'll only cover the insured amount, so it's a (small) gamble, but I've seen people have to pay $100 in border taxes to receive a $300 snowboard, so, it seems worth it to gamble on the value declaration.
Make sure the buyer knows that he/she is responsible if there are extra fees resulting from valuing the board properly.
I'm from Canada and had to RMA a board in the states recently. Shipped from WA to Oregon and it cost me $14, it was at those parcel pick up places and they used USPS. I was surprised it only came to $14. thought it was gonna be $30.
I've bought and sold a few boards in Australia and you can post them around for like $Au32-41 ($US21-29). This is with a up to 10kg weight with a packing size of 165x30x10cm (boxed/bubble wrapped inside with no bindings) for over a 1000km send. I also bought a board/bindings and it come bubble wrapped in gig bag for same rate. You can play around with the weights and sizes and see if there is any movement in price. 10kg (20lbs) would be 2 boards without bindings easy. This is Australia where everything is more expensive than the USA. I use my brother's business ABN sometimes and you are able to use cheaper rates though some couriers but the above prices are what you can as the general public use. Shipping a snowboard overseas, that would be too expensive for us in Australia without a business contract. They won't be that strict on checking the weights/size as it's all handled through courier workers who don't really give a shit. I have them all boxed and courier docket applied and they just scan and throw it in the van and off they go. Time is money for these guys as they only get like a $1-$1.50 per parcel.
@david_z did a great job of laying it all out here: http://www.agnarchy.com/burrito-wrap-pack-ship-snowboard/
yep that's the gamble if the buyer doesn't want to pay the extra $5-15 for insurance, if it's lost or stolen or damaged in transit, the buyer is pretty much fucked for any recourse.
I know this is an old thread but a big brain move is to sell it to yourself on ebay and then buy and print a shipping label from ebay for the correct weight and dimensions for a discount. Also just printing the label online like others have said is better than nothing. Ship the board separate from boots and bindings. Package board tight in cardboard with extra cardboard covering the rails and tips. If you can cover the top of the board in foam or carboard to keep tips from flexing that is best.
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