UPS shipping guitars - Beware of dimensional weight!

DarnWeight

Not happened before, and I usually go with UPS for the sake of peace of mind, but I've just been hit with an extra charge based on "dimensional weight".  Basically, they take whichever is the heaviest of the actual weight vs the "dimensional weight", and bill you based on that.  So my 10kg parcel (a Ric in a hard case) comes out at 26kg via their "dimensional weight" calulation (using cm, it's LxDxH/5000).  They do this after the fact, so you book your delivery at price X, they accept it, deliver it, let it work through their system for a week or two, and then demand an increased payment Y from you. 

It's there in the T&Cs, so just myself to blame, but what a complete and utter con.  That'll be an extra £20, thank you very much.

This was booking UPS directly, not via interparcel/parcel2go/etc, because the last time I used interparcel, they completely screwed the collection, and I had to deal with UPS directly anyway to ensure I got it picked up.

Anyway, that's UPS on "the list", so I'll be sure to use someone else next time.  I'd advise you all do the same.

Not happy.

Whitecat

Interesting. I had issues with dimensional weight through Parcel2Go at one point in the past... the actually box was ridiculously light, it had a couple aluminium stands in it, but no carrier except Hermes would touch it (and Hermes only barely!) - would never use Hermes otherwise but that time had no choice. 

Never an issue with UPS and guitars done through Parcel2Go though...

merlin

FedEx and UPS are joining forces. They will call the new company FedUPS. 

DarnWeight

Here's the page outlining it all...

https://www.ups.com/gb/en/help-center/packaging-and-supplies/determine-billable-weight.page#contentBlock-13

...Reading that, it looks like I narrowly missed out on it being classed as a large package, which would have meant being  automatically billed as 40kg.  God knows how much that would have come out at.

EDIT: Actually scratch that..."girth" is 2xW + 2xH, so they don't consider the longest side as contributing to "girth".  Sure I read that in Marie Claire once, too.

Brize

I always use UPS via www.transglobalexpress.co.uk  where you input the dimensions of the parcel along with the weight, so you're charged on dimensional weight from the outset. I've never had a problem.

guitars4you

I use UPS + Interparcel all the time - never had an issue - Book most PRS/Fender Guitars and oblong style cases in at 12 or 14Kg so plenty spare and parcel size at 116 - 46 - 17 so quote is based on that info - Most UK/Mainland is £12-14 + vat - never ever had a problem inc overseas

martinw

I use UPS via Interparcel all the time, no problems at all.

Their software automatically calculates the correct rate based on actual or volumetric weight.

DarnWeight

guitars4you said:

I use UPS + Interparcel all the time - never had an issue - Book most PRS/Fender Guitars and oblong style cases in at 12 or 14Kg so plenty spare and parcel size at 116 - 46 - 17 so quote is based on that info - Most UK/Mainland is £12-14 + vat - never ever had a problem inc overseas

I would have gone with Interparcel/UPS where it not for the way they handled my previous item.  Waited all day, no pickup, chased them up mid-afternoon and was basically told "tough titty, you'll have to rebook it for tomorrow".  Called UPS directly and they were able to divert a driver on his way back to the depot to pick it up last thing.  For this reason, and because this is by far the priciest guitar I've ever sent out, I went with UPS directly, on a 24 hour service.  Not cheap, and now, even more not cheap.

FreddieVanHalen

Same problem here except via ParcelHero.

i input all the weights and dimensions on the website then ParcelHero claim a UPS extra charge and scam me for an extra fifty quid.

Not happy !

guitars4you

DarnWeight said:

guitars4you said:

I use UPS + Interparcel all the time - never had an issue - Book most PRS/Fender Guitars and oblong style cases in at 12 or 14Kg so plenty spare and parcel size at 116 - 46 - 17 so quote is based on that info - Most UK/Mainland is £12-14 + vat - never ever had a problem inc overseas

I would have gone with Interparcel/UPS where it not for the way they handled my previous item.  Waited all day, no pickup, chased them up mid-afternoon and was basically told "tough titty, you'll have to rebook it for tomorrow".  Called UPS directly and they were able to divert a driver on his way back to the depot to pick it up last thing.  For this reason, and because this is by far the priciest guitar I've ever sent out, I went with UPS directly, on a 24 hour service.  Not cheap, and now, even more not cheap.

I'm a bit lucky in that 10 yards down from me is the UPS drop off point for many customers, with a fixed 3pm drop off/pick-up so I always no where he is at that time

mart

That’s a bit of a bummer. But it means you can change your name to DarnDimnsionalWeight now.

interstellar

same happened to me a couple of months ago...VERY annoying but i have to say apart from that I have zero complaints about the service they provide

John_P

That’s a bit rubbish.       Most confusing as well - I always assumed the dimensions you enter when booking are part of the price calculation - weight and size = cost.    
 If they are now using a different calculator it’s down to luck whether you get an extra charge afterwards.  
I’ve never had any issues using Interparcel so hopefully it’ll stay that way. 

bbill335

martinw said:

I use UPS via Interparcel all the time, no problems at all.

Their software automatically calculates the correct rate based on actual or volumetric weight.

Have you ever had problems with things going through their Tamworth warehouse? I've had two amps arrived damaged, one looked like it had been hit by a train.

DarnWeight

mart said:

That’s a bit of a bummer. But it means you can change your name to DarnDimnsionalWeight now.

I've clearly been tempting fate, and the universe has finally caught up with me.

JDE

I use most major couriers for work, multiple consignments a day, and UPS by far has the most complex method of volumetric valuation. They are also eye-wateringly expensive if you use them direct. I have personal and business UPS accounts and it’s *still* cheaper for me to go through some form of broker. That said, their actual service is the best of all small-medium goods couriers, even if their system is a bit off a faff. Although you may have spent, say, £30 more than shipping with TNT or DPD, at least they didn’t smash your guitar to fucking pieces.

Also, fwiw, if the collection date booked with UPS is stated, even if going through a broker, assuming they have a local vehicle they should always come and pick it up. From your previous scenario it just sounds like Interparcel dropped the ball and couldn’t be arsed to phone UPS.

BloodEagle

UPS via Transglobal - the best customer service of the online parcel companies, everything fully transparent and no hidden charges, and the only one I know of which insures up to £2k

Jimbro66

JDE said: 

Also, fwiw, if the collection date booked with UPS is stated, even if going through a broker, assuming they have a local vehicle they should always come and pick it up. From your previous scenario it just sounds like Interparcel dropped the ball and couldn’t be arsed to phone UPS.

I dropped off a package to a UPS collection point for picking up by 7.00pm for next day delivery to Norfolk. Five days later the package hadn’t moved. Only after asking them WTF? they finally picked it up. No apology. It arrived nearly a week late

RiftAmps

I book same-day UPS collection through Interparcel for all of my outgoings and sometimes the driver turns up just 10 minutes later. He says he just gets an extra job added on his scanner by dispatch and he drops in when he’s coming past.

JDE

Jimbro66 said:

I dropped off a package to a UPS collection point for picking up by 7.00pm for next day delivery to Norfolk. Five days later the package hadn’t moved. Only after asking them WTF? they finally picked it up. No apology. It arrived nearly a week late

Did you book the consignment prior to dropping it off or do they book it once it’s at the collection point? I have to say that is extremely unusual - ordinarily if the parcel is labelled they’ll collect it whether it’s been booked on correctly or not, tbh. Not sure how UPS work as they seem to do everything *slightly* differently, but most small goods courier drivers are paid by the pickup/dropoff, hence why they normally just take everything!

Re - the apology thing, you’ll get sweet fanny adams from all couriers in my experience. You’re more likely to get an apology out of a potato. 

StormshadowGuitars

They once sent me an email about the same thing with a charge, i ignored the email as the dimensions entered in their system were in excess of the actual dimensions of the parcel, i never paid the charge and never heard another peep.
Still use them now several years later and quite a few guitars later with no issues.