Racquet Shipping via USPS

soulfree914

Rookie
Not sure if anyone has posted this already, but USPS now charges an extra $15 for shipping a box that is longer than 30 inches.

Spent close to $30 to ship a single racquet in a saved up TW racquet box.

I wonder if it'll be cheaper to ship via UPS. Does anyone know?

Next time, I may need to strink the box down to less than 30" which will lower the extra fee down to $4.

 

blai212

Hall of Fame
racquet is only 27” so why would the box need to be over 30”? That’s absurd if they charge $15 additional to regular charges…it should only cost about $10-12 per stick…
 

soulfree914

Rookie
The TW racquet box measures longer than 30". I should have brought scissors to cut it shorter. Oh well, lesson learned and just posting this in case there are others like me who aren't aware of this and are used to re-using those boxes.

May need to factor in the extra $4 or the $15 (depending on how lazy you are) when you are including the shipping cost in a used racquet sale.
 
The TW racquet box measures longer than 30". I should have brought scissors to cut it shorter. Oh well, lesson learned and just posting this in case there are others like me who aren't aware of this and are used to re-using those boxes.
When I don't have a TW box on hand and need to ship, I used to hack a box by cutting two priority mail boxes and smooshing them together over a racket. That might actually come in under 30"
 

FoldingChair

Semi-Pro
When I don't have a TW box on hand and need to ship, I used to hack a box by cutting two priority mail boxes and smooshing them together over a racket. That might actually come in under 30"
This is exactly the move to make. Last I checked, it was somewhere around the realm of 28-29” if you get the boxes to fit snug
 

blai212

Hall of Fame
I myself have shipped out quite a few racquets during my bout with ongoing racquetholic disease. I suspect there are many other racquetholics out there shipping out just as many if not more; USPS needs to tax that obv. Keys to remember: pack it tight, keep it light.
 

mrravioli

Semi-Pro
I received a couple of rackets once just wrapped in bubble wrap and tape. Wonder if this would fly.

It's not unusual out of the US, to just wrap and tape the racquet and it ends up like an uncut iberico ham. Takes more skill and time to package for sure. Box is overpackaging in most cases, but saves time and probably even more environment friendly if reused.
 

bruno hau

Professional
I remembered when USPS first started the priority mail service (early 2000s), it was “2 days 2 lbs for $2.90 anywhere in Contiguous USA” to mail a racket with no real surcharge unless extreme. Now it’s $10.70-$16.10 range with the guaranteed $4 surcharge (over 22” inches) with much longer delivery time.
 

thisiscrazy

Semi-Pro
Not sure if anyone has posted this already, but USPS now charges an extra $15 for shipping a box that is longer than 30 inches.

Spent close to $30 to ship a single racquet in a saved up TW racquet box.


From $10-$12 to $30? That's crazy.
 

mimo

Rookie
When I don't have a TW box on hand and need to ship, I used to hack a box by cutting two priority mail boxes and smooshing them together over a racket. That might actually come in under 30"
I tried this recently and the post office would not accept the two priority boxes taped together. Ended up having to buy a box and shipped it FedEx ground instead.
 
I tried this recently and the post office would not accept the two priority boxes taped together. Ended up having to buy a box and shipped it FedEx ground instead.
Yeah, that's frustrating, I've found really wide differences in post offices. So far the city ones are busy and not helpful, when I've used a rural post office they don't mind and they even do the packaging and taping all for me, even the 2 box thing, they build it while I watch. I don't drive out of my way to go to a rural one, but sometimes I am just near one and that's been the case.
 

Purestriker

Legend
Not sure if anyone has posted this already, but USPS now charges an extra $15 for shipping a box that is longer than 30 inches.

Spent close to $30 to ship a single racquet in a saved up TW racquet box.

I wonder if it'll be cheaper to ship via UPS. Does anyone know?

Next time, I may need to strink the box down to less than 30" which will lower the extra fee down to $4.

UPS and Fedex won't be cheaper for an individual. We are their cash cows. No volume and only other options is USPS.
 

dak95_00

Hall of Fame
First: Use pirateship.com to buy your postage. You don’t have to be precise to the ounce in weight so stand on a scale with and without the package to get an idea of the weight.

Second: UPS might be cheaper if you go through pirateship.com so check it out.

Third: Use these boxes regardless of UPS or USPS.
 

mimo

Rookie
First: Use pirateship.com to buy your postage. You don’t have to be precise to the ounce in weight so stand on a scale with and without the package to get an idea of the weight.

Second: UPS might be cheaper if you go through pirateship.com so check it out.

Third: Use these boxes regardless of UPS or USPS.
I tried using the usps boxes when I shipped through fedex but they would not accept usps packaging and I had to purchase a box.
 

dak95_00

Hall of Fame
I tried using the usps boxes when I shipped through fedex but they would not accept usps packaging and I had to purchase a box.
I didn’t mention FedEx. UPS said nothing to me. Could be because I’d already purchased the postage and affixed it to the box. I just dropped it off.
 

Vicious49

Legend
I tried using the usps boxes when I shipped through fedex but they would not accept usps packaging and I had to purchase a box.

UPS and FedEx don't care about the packaging. I've used USPS Priority flat rate boxes to ship with both of those carriers before. The person at the counter just wanted to make some extra money off you.
 

ryushen21

Legend
When I don't have a TW box on hand and need to ship, I used to hack a box by cutting two priority mail boxes and smooshing them together over a racket. That might actually come in under 30"
This is a long trusted and reliable method for the holic community. You can definitely make two of those together and get under the 30" issue. You can also fit up to 3 racquets in those boxes. I used this trick earlier this month and shipped 3 racquets to Florida in one box for $16.

There are ways.

better cure for racquetholism than anything
The only cure for holicing is more holicing. And we will always find a way to justify and acquire more racquets.

It is known.

This is the way.

I have spoken.
 

atatu

Legend
Ugh, this sucks, I experienced this for the first time today, cost me over $30 to ship two rackets.
 
When I don't have a TW box on hand and need to ship, I used to hack a box by cutting two priority mail boxes and smooshing them together over a racket. That might actually come in under 30"

If you smash two USPS Priority boxes together, it should be around 28", depending on packaging, have done this a number of times since I got charged the $15 for a regular box a few weeks ago.
 
D

Deleted member 775108

Guest
Use Pirateship.com. I haven't paid more than $12 to ship racquets across country. Its usually $9.88 total for me to ship 1-2 frames.

Been using it for years.

It works awesome. I wish they had named the company differently - the "pirate" in the name makes some people (especially new ppl who don't know me) think it is a scam site.

I'm sure they would be a bigger company if they had called it cheapship.com or something.
 

babar

Professional
Hi! I'm a racquet-holic.
I've been using 2 USPS Priority Mail boxes to send racquets for years.

This Summer, I had a postal worker measure my box and say I had to pay an extra fee since the box was longer than some number (don't remember what it was).
I politely told her no thank you and went home grumpy.
Typed up an email to my buyer stating that I was sorry but couldn't send the racquet out that day.
Went to the same post office the next day, thinking that I will just bite the bullet and send it since this guy paid for it and expects the frame.
Walked up to the counter, box was weighed, keyboard was typed on, postage was affixed and paid under $15 to send a frame to to Vermont.

Haven't had a box measured since, but figured out a way to trim the boxes so they stay under 30".
 

TennisHound

Legend
Yep, affixing two Priority mail boxes together, you can make it 27.5 -28”. You can print the label off and put it on the package, take it to the PO and say “I’m just dropping one off.” They will usually say “Okay, just set it over there. Do you need a receipt?” If you don’t need a receipt, then set it down and leave. If you do, they will scan it and give you a receipt. I’ve only had one time where the lady measured it. And it wasn’t anything extra.
 

etxranch

New User
Just dropped off a racket and I have been using the 1095 priority boxes for the past 20 rackets I sold. Lady at the counter tried to charge me $105 because it's over size and it's going to new jersey. So I pulled out my phone and found another pic where it was also going there. It was $11.95. She backed off rambling about destination charges. I really need to talk to her boss that was disrespectful.
 

sharif

Rookie
Just dropped off a racket and I have been using the 1095 priority boxes for the past 20 rackets I sold. Lady at the counter tried to charge me $105 because it's over size and it's going to new jersey. So I pulled out my phone and found another pic where it was also going there. It was $11.95. She backed off rambling about destination charges. I really need to talk to her boss that was disrespectful.
that's insane!
 

2ndServe

Hall of Fame
Just dropped off a racket and I have been using the 1095 priority boxes for the past 20 rackets I sold. Lady at the counter tried to charge me $105 because it's over size and it's going to new jersey. So I pulled out my phone and found another pic where it was also going there. It was $11.95. She backed off rambling about destination charges. I really need to talk to her boss that was disrespectful.
How much does it cost within the same state now?
 
I live in Texas and if you ship west it costs more than if you ship east. Any box over 27" costs an extra $4. If its 30" its an extra $15. The price seems to go up every week.
 

ichaseballs

Hall of Fame
Just dropped off a racket and I have been using the 1095 priority boxes for the past 20 rackets I sold. Lady at the counter tried to charge me $105 because it's over size and it's going to new jersey. So I pulled out my phone and found another pic where it was also going there. It was $11.95. She backed off rambling about destination charges. I really need to talk to her boss that was disrespectful.

USPS worker rude? shocking! :p
 

Westerwick

Rookie
The USPS rate increase for long packages was big news in the pool and billiards world also, since they tend to ship long items. I figure that tennis and pool are small potatoes compared to the guns, fishing, golf and skiing world, all of whom ship long thin items. The solution from everyone seems to be to move these to UPS and Fedex. I use pirateship.com, which gets about the best rates available from both USPS and UPS. Last time I shipped a racquet across the country it cost me $11.20.
 
Top