Sold a few rods over the years. Always used 2” PVC. From lowes. It was always 7.99 to 9.99 for 10’ piece. Now it’s $20 a piece. And post office went up. Are you guys using cardboard tubes now and what are y’all charging on shipping?
Sold a few rods over the years. Always used 2” PVC. From lowes. It was always 7.99 to 9.99 for 10’ piece. Now it’s $20 a piece. And post office went up. Are you guys using cardboard tubes now and what are y’all charging on shipping?
Expect shipping, insured, to cost you in the $35 range with FedEx Ground or UPS to a residential location. Commercial will be a little less. If you get someone at the Post Office who calculates it wrong, it will be less. Some USPS clerks base off weight, some base of dimensions.
Keep it 95" or shorter or there will be a $110 additional oversize charge. Once you hit 96" on any one dimension, that fee applies.
You used to be able to get free tubes at the local carpet shop. Lots of carpet shops are returning the core now though for credits - kinda like how coke bottles used to work. A lot of the time they are fairly thick and just as good as PVC.
I haven't priced PVC in a while - but check the grey electrical conduit. Sometimes its less and works the same. If you have a plumbing supply store, see if they have 2" foam core. It may be less and works well also. I've also seen guys use irrigation pipe.
Shipping is the one thing that will most likely cause us to have a price increase. I'm expecting rates to increase again in January and then again in July 2023 with the new UPS union contract. It's crazy.
I use cardboard tubes. Insert the full length of the rod in a pool noodle and stick in the tube. Never had a problem and sold a bunch all over the country. USPS is usually $25-30
^^ better knock on some good wood after writing that. I could’ve said the same before this year. Got screwed out of $500 from usps who destroyed the rods that were packed in foam , plastic , taped inside a thick cardboard tube. Had them insured and followed all the steps through claim process also. Lessons learned, avoid usps if possible and never again in cardboard.
24’Bass Cat Puma Sts-300 Proxs
23’Gatortrax Gt tunnel hull-200 Suzuki
^ had the same issue with UPS for rods I packed perfectly and they shattered in a tube on a conveyer belt. Same experience with denied claims, same excuses. They have until this Friday to resolve before I take them to small claims court. Such bs for their negligence, it’s been 6 weeks now with no resolution. Will never use them again although I’m sure there are issues with all the major shipping companies.
^^ I know the feeling. If I new how it was gonna go I would’ve saved my time, told them to f themselves . Still would be out the $ but the time and aggravation would’ve been saved and the whole deal would have stung a tick less.
24’Bass Cat Puma Sts-300 Proxs
23’Gatortrax Gt tunnel hull-200 Suzuki
I have a small pile of newish rods sitting here that I've been meaning to advertise. I cringe with the thought of negotiating and hassling with my local USPS. I have priced USPS online and thinking about making labels myself. Too many times I've gone to UPS or USPS and gotten clerk that didn't know WTF he/she was doing with calculating the shipping. I'll use the cardboard tubes if I have them. If not I like the PVC irrigation pipe which means I have to make a trip to the local landscape supply house. Haven't bought in awhile so not sure on price. Lighter than plumbing PVC.
2017 Phoenix 819
2016 200ProXS, s/n 2B359849, Mod 1200P73BD
Good to know, thanksOriginally Posted by cidgrad
If you use USPS - consider this:
- Make sure they scan the package at pickup. We've had numerous packages that weren't scanned at pickup and USPS claimed they were never picked up. We only ship baits via USPS so have not had this with a rod. USPS will not honor the insurance claim if they don't scan the package at pickup.
- USPS had the highest damage rate with rods. There is an entire fleet of personal vehicles used by postal carriers and its not uncommon to see something like a rod tube hanging out of the window going down the road (again - experience). Even the mail delivery trucks really don't have room for rod tubes. Our local office has to send a separate delivery anytime someone sends us a rod tube.
- USPS is less, but it's roughly a 50/50 gamble that it will get there in one piece. It's another 50/50 that they will honor the insurance. If they do honor it, it's not usually a quick process.
- If USPS gets lost, getting it tracked and found is pointless. They will tell you whats on the internet tracking. If you get someone at FedEx or UPS, they can do a flag of some kind at the distribution center and have someone actually put hands on the package. Usually when we call UPS on a lost package, it gets moving pretty quickly after that.
Basically I don't advise USPS - but we also ship a lot so there are more opportunities for something to happen.
Was talking to a dealer I used to buy a lot of specific brand rods from. It got so bad for him that he had to bite the bullet and file a lawsuit against UPS and USPS for not paying their claims. So the carriers in question just sat on the claim and did nothing all the while the dealer wasn't allowed to sell any rods.
2017 Phoenix 819
2016 200ProXS, s/n 2B359849, Mod 1200P73BD
I have had great luck with USPS up to this point. I had a tube and rod broken in 1/2 on the conveyer. I had insurance and followed all the time frames for the claim. And yes it was wrapped with bubble wrap , in a heavy tube, and I even had a broom handle inside to help with the flex.
Guess what they said I didn't make the 30 day time frame even though every step of returning the rod to Post Office and it leaving the post office all happened in a 7 day window still leaving 23 days to be processed.
This was an expensive rod and I insured it to the full value. When I went to the Post Office that accepted the rod they told me that the insurance is a private company and not part of USPS. They also said they would do all they can to make sure they paid the claim.
We will see how this goes.
I would recommend getting a third party insurance policy like Shipsurance when shipping anything of significant value. Their rates are usually much cheaper than what the shippers offer.
I never want to deal with any of the shippers claim runaround ever again. I haven't had to file a claim with Shipsurance but I'm confident it would be a better experience than any shipper's so called customer service dept.
https://www.shipsurance.com/
"If It Ain't Broke, You're Not Trying"- Red Green
Great to know.
Just had two bouts with two different POs this morning. Trying to ship a 94in x 3.5in tube. I checked online first and could get a price. But show up at the post office and somehow they have a surcharge making the total $167. I say, then how can I get a price of $30 online. Clerk be telling me, because we don't know what the package looks like until we see it - I say, the surcharge would be based on weight and dimensions? Ended up shipping Fedex for $44. I think I could have printed the label from my Stamps.com account but didn't reopen that account. I cringe every time I walk in and the first words out of their mouth, "oh, I don't think we can ship this."
Last edited by krindgen; 09-24-2022 at 04:00 AM.
2017 Phoenix 819
2016 200ProXS, s/n 2B359849, Mod 1200P73BD
I’ve shipped rods all over the US
First …UPS does not offer insurance…you are declaring a value to the package which might get you something if they lose it? If it’s broken in shipping you are screwed. They will find a reason to deny including the tube not being new ( I am reusing tubes ) or too thin a wall or I like the Cubs and not the Yankees … whatever.
It’s going to cost $30 at a minimum … but probably $35 to $40
I bubble wrap both ends and use a lot of packing and this year I have been really lucky and not had an issue.
I think USPS is cheaper but UPS has worked this year for me
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