Question of the Week: Which is Your Shipping Carrier of Choice?

March 14, 2011 by Pamela 3 Comments

Many online stores offer one or many shipping methods from a single carrier. Using two or more carriers give customers options based on price, experiences with the carrier, and consistency in delivery.

Do you have a favorite carrier? UPS, USPS, FedEx? Did you make your decision based on price or previous experiences?

And, have you ever abandoned an online order because of the shipping carrier(s) used?

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When it comes to sending, I prefer UPS and USPS, just because they are more convenient for me than the others. FedEx has its place though, so I would have to say that I have a favorite depending upon the situation.nnWhen I order stuff, I like to have the choice for the best deal. Sometimes, when I know I could get a better deal if they used a different carrier, then I may opt out if what they are offering is too far out of range. So the answer is yes, I have changed my mind depepnding upon the shipping offered, but not solely because of the shipper.nnFWIW, I have never had an item broken by FedEx, either in shipping or receiving. But since I do the least amount of business with them, that may just be due to the statistical probablilities. UPS has the worst track record for breaking stuff, but most of the stuff I ship isn’t very fragile. Over 20+ years dealing with them, I would say it’s not an unreasonable risk for the amount of stuff I’ve shipped with them.
- Pamela Hazelton
  
  Thanks for the detailed reply!
Anonymous

I prefer UPS or FedEx. I do find FedEx to more expensive in general. The knock on the USPS is their tracking system. It is very lacking with giving details and updates. With the other two services I know when a package has been dropped at my door. That means a lot when ordering things, especially gifts for my wife that I need to get my hands on before she gets curious. :-)nnIt is easier to ship via FedEx in my opinion since they own Kinkos and you can ship directly from the store. UPS stores on the other hand can some times be out of the way.