It’s only August, but already the holiday shipping wars are heating up: After UPS announced recently that it would be tacking on new surcharges during the busiest time of the year, FedEx says it won’t be adding extra fees on most packages shipped near the holidays. [More]
holiday shipping
UPS, FedEx Already Struggling Under Avalanche Of Holiday Deliveries
By 12.13.16
One might think that after years of online shopping growing in popularity that major shipping carriers would finally be prepared for the Big Show, also known as the holiday season. And yet here we are again, heading into crunch time, and UPS and FedEx are having trouble keeping up with all those packages. [More]
Want Your Package To Make It Under The Tree? You Better Get Shipping Soon
By 12.14.15
The busiest shipping and mailing day of the year is upon us, with the U.S. Postal Service expecting to process more than 600 million cards, letters, postcards, periodicals, catalogs, and packages today alone. Gift givers who have already sent off their goodies shouldn’t encounter too many issues with their packages making it on time, but for the rest of us procrastinators, we might want to head to the post office, UPS or FedEx store sooner rather than later. [More]
FedEx Expects To Handle A Record 317 Million Packages Between Black Friday And Christmas
By 10.26.15
As consumers continue to rely on online retailers to fill their holiday shopping needs, FedEx says this year will be busier than ever before: between Black Friday and Christmas, the company says it expects to handle 317 million packages. Which is a pretty impressive number — but what’s FedEx going to do to make sure those packages actually reach their destinations in time? [More]
Report: Target Will Also Offer Free Shipping On All Online Orders Throughout The Holiday Season
By 10.23.15
Best Buy won’t be alone in offering free shipping on anything customers order online this holiday season, as Target has also apparently jumped on the special deal bandwagon: a screenshot from their leaked toy catalog shows the Minnesota-based company will offer free shipping and returns. [More]
FedEx Increasing Some Shipping Rates Just In Time For The Holiday Season
By 9.16.15
People gearing up to ship extra-large packages this holiday season might want to save a few more pennies (or think about buying smaller gifts) before heading to the FedEx store, as the shipping company says it will be increasing some rates starting November 2. [More]
UPS Making It More Expensive For Retailers To Ship Your Large Purchases
By 6.16.15
When online retailers like Amazon began making a big splash with free or discounted shipping, a lot of what customers bought were books, DVDs, video games — items that didn’t take up much room. But now people are buying TVs, refrigerators, grills, furniture, and other large items online, and UPS is apparently tired of giving retailers a discount on these shipments. [More]
UPS Hates Coming To Your House, To Begin Tacking On Surcharges For Residential Delivery
By 2.3.15
Last week, in advance of its quarterly earnings report, UPS admitted that it over-spent on holiday shipping in 2014 and that it wouldn’t make that mistake again. Today, with those quarterly earnings announced, the company announced how it’s going to make back some of its money — by tacking on surcharges for residential deliveries. [More]
Insider Holiday Mailing Advice From A U.S. Postal Service Worker
By 12.10.13 — Updated: 11.29.16
The United States Postal Service shared some useful holiday mailing tips with us a few weeks ago, with some sensible suggestions to help you get your packages to their destinations faster and with a minimum of fuss. An anonymous postal worker complimented that list, but told us that she had some additions of her own: insights that can only come from behind the counter. [More]
“Don’t Guess The ZIP Code” And 8 More USPS Tips To Avoid Holiday Shipping Glitches
By 11.27.13
Whether you’re heading out into the Black Thursday maelstrom or waiting until later, if you’ve got loved ones who don’t live near enough for an in-person gift delivery, odds are you’ll be doing some shipping this holiday season. But there’s nothing worse than a present that shows up banged, dinged or never at all. The U.S. Postal Service doesn’t want that either, so it’s offering up a few handy tips to avoid shipping glitches. [More]
“No One Cares If You Write ‘Fragile'” And Other Tips From A Former UPS Worker
By 11.4.13
With millions of people prepping to ship off gifts to loved ones and familial obligations around the globe, the holidays are prime time for UPS and FedEx. With that glut of parcels, many containing precious items, there comes the heightened chance that your package will be crushed, dropped, kicked, dropkicked, and otherwise run through the wringer. But a former UPS employee says there are ways to minimize the likelihood of damage. [More]
UPS Won't Budge On Refunds For Packages That Didn't Make Guaranteed Christmas Delivery In Colorado
By 12.28.11
There are several thousand irritated UPS customers in the Denver area this week. They paid for UPS’ guaranteed pre-Christmas delivery but Big Brown was unable to make good on its promise and 50,000 packages didn’t make it under the tree in time. Now UPS is saying these customers will not be getting refunds because the delay was snow-related. [More]
