This review is for UPS's long-distance shipping services. Hopefully it'll help you make a decision on whether or not to go with UPS, or let you know what to watch out for if you are planning to use them.
I had some clothes and books to ship home, and decided to go with UPS. I first went to the store and purchased 2 of their largest boxes (26x20x20) for $12 each. They were said to be "shipping grade" but the ones I bought from Home Depot were much cheaper and felt just as, if not more, sturdy. I also bought a roll of shipping tape there for $5. In other words, buying shipping supplies at UPS is pretty pricey.
Then, I filled up the boxes with my stuff and called the store to book a pickup time. I gave them my shipping and credit card info and reserved a slot 2 days later. I was also told that if the UPS rep were to come up to my apartment to pick up the items, it would incur an extra $20 charge, even though my building has an elevator, so I said I would meet him in the lobby.
On the pickup day, a rep called me at the scheduled time, and waited downstairs with a dolly and forms. He was really nice and took the time to answer all the questions I had. After I gave him my boxes, he told me that perfume was generally not permitted, so we reopened the boxes to find my bottle of perfume. This was fine since I only had 2 boxes but you will want to ask exactly what items are not allowed especially if you have many boxes. He also told me that I didn't have to tape the top of the boxes because UPS can do that for me. Then, he told me about the insurance policy. Basically, you can insure your items for $100/box or $300/box (I'm sure there are more options but these were the ones given to me). I think the $100/box insurance incurs no additional charge (i.e., it's built in to the shipping price). I was told that the latter option, which is the one I chose, would cost about $10 for both boxes.
An hour or so later after I turned over my boxes, I received a call letting me know how much the grand total was going to be. Strangely, they also told me that they had to put extra tape around my boxes, which added ~$10 to my total. I bought their shipping grade boxes, and I had mainly clothes in there, so I wasn't expecting additional tape to be necessary or having to be charged for them at the last minute. The boxes turned out to be about ~55 lbs each, and the final amount charged to my credit card was a little less than $140. The charge varies with how far it's going, and just for reference, mine was being shipped ~600 miles away.
Overall, 3 stars because the shipping materials were pricey, one of the reps was kind of unfriendly, and they weren't very upfront or clear about the charges. However, it is a reliable and convenient option. I would consider using them again, but only after I have done my research on other shipping businesses in the area! read more