does anyone out there know the secret to shipping a hoop without it costing a fortune? i went today to ship a hoop to my friend's mom, and the quotes i was getting were outrageous. base price for UPS ground was $15 (if the hoop had measured an inch bigger in diameter, it would have been $90... no, i'm not kidding), and they'll charge me an extra $15 for not having a box (i was going to bubble wrap it)... yet a box to fit the hoop would cost $10. the post office and fedex were about the same.
i'm so confused... what's the best way to package one for shipping, and still have it cost around $10-15 total? is that even possible?
i'm so confused... what's the best way to package one for shipping, and still have it cost around $10-15 total? is that even possible?
-
Unsu...
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Fri, August 31, 2007 - 1:35 PMI sure hope you get a reply to this post as I have the same cunundrum. I see some company's only charge $10 for shipping but others charge $17. The post office wants to charge $127. I called around to some of the online hoop company's to ask for guidance and they didn't want to answer my questions. Seems like an industry secret or something. So this is another little plea for some information. -
-
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Fri, August 31, 2007 - 1:38 PMI think there is a post on hooping.org site about this. -
-
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Fri, August 31, 2007 - 1:38 PM -
-
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Fri, August 31, 2007 - 1:59 PMyou are WONDERFUL. thank you so much! -
-
Unsu...
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Fri, August 31, 2007 - 2:11 PMWell, this thread is out of date. The post office recently changed their policy of shipping by size and not weight. So a hoop now cost $127 to ship. And the thread doesn't really address anything other than the P.O. So if anyone knows of updated info that would be awesome. -
-
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Sat, September 1, 2007 - 7:01 AMhere's my secret to getting my hoops shipped for SEVEN dollars. =) You walk into the place like you own it. It's all in the energy you put off. I walked into my local fedex and told them that the post office would charge me $10 (I have actually never tried the post office!). I made light of the fact i was shipping this huge hula hoop and was really outgoing about it~ making fun of myself, etc. The whole office was laughing and interested by the end. I also flirted just a bit with the guy that was shipping it for me. I suggest finding a new office and pretend like you've done it a million times before! You'll have to tell them it will be $10 or under. Good luck ;-) -
-
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Sat, September 1, 2007 - 2:26 PMITA - you have to know what the rules are for shipping dimensions (because many people who work at those mailbox places DO NOT and will try to charge you over $100), but without being bitchy about it. My local post office is totally nice AND they know how to do the dimensions properly, although they were a little confused the first time I mailed a hoop, so it's a matter of education them nicely and getting them used to doing it!
-
-
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Sun, September 2, 2007 - 4:20 AMactually, i went yesterday and shipped the hoop for just over $7... when i walked in, the post office clerk was like, "eek, i don't know how to ship that!" and i replied, "that's ok, i know other people who have, here's how you do it". i showed her what counts as length and what counts as girth, we weighed it, and it came to $7 and change. she was super-nice about it, and it worked out fine. -
-
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Sun, September 2, 2007 - 10:20 AMOkay, So what DOES count as length and as girth?
The ladies at my post office, called the length the diameter, and the girth basically the diameter times two.
So the total measurement of the hoop was three times the diameter. It came to 132" ( the hoop was about 44")
and they said that they had a limit of 130 inches on oddly shaped packages.
I offered that the girth could be considered the circumference of the tubing (about 3 or 4") but they didn't go for that.
Then I walked over to FedEx and they quoted me a price of $422!
Obviously, I need more a little info and a lot more charm when dealing with these postal people : )
-
-
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Sun, September 2, 2007 - 10:32 AMits all about confidence and acting like you've done this one million times before.
lets all be level headed about it, philthy hoops, hoop girl, and dozens of other hoop companies ship their's for reasonable rates so it may just take time and shopping around.
good luck. -
-
This is the maximum depth. Additional responses will not be threaded.
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Sun, September 2, 2007 - 12:23 PMummm this sounds worse than I meant it, please don't be offended anyone, that wasn't my aim... wow, I just typed and didn't review!
NOT MEANT TO BE OFFENSIVE!!! SORRY!!!
-
This is the maximum depth. Additional responses will not be threaded.
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Sun, September 2, 2007 - 2:02 PMOne of the important things that goes with confidence is knowing how to educate the shippers. Hoops are an odd sized thing to ship so not everyone knows how to calculate the dimensions correctly, which is why people are being told it will cost $100+ to ship a hoop. At a lot of places, if you just waltz in and say, "Oh, it should only cost $7," the employees will not just take your word for it. You need to be able to explain it properly. When people just measure the diameter and multiply it by two (or even three), they are not calculating the dimensions correctly.
Kammi, you were correct. The girth is the circumference of the tubing (NOT the circumference of the hoop). The girth should only be a few inches and will vary depending on which tubing you use as well as how much bubble wrap you use.
There is an older thread that had a link to the page in the USPS regulations explaining that the girth is the circumference of the tubing, but it's from the old (now outdated) regulations. People used to print it out and bring it to the post office to show the employees who weren't aware of this. You can probably find the new version if you are willing to look through the new USPS regulations online!
UPS once tried to tell me it would cost over $100 to ship a hoop. When I tried to explain how to calculate the dimensions correctly, the girl basically told me to eff off. Not surprising considering the stupid high school kids they hire there. If you run into someone like that, either ask to speak with the manager or go to a different location or a different shipper. I didn't really care that much because I was just in the neighborhood with a hoop in my car and thought I'd compare prices just to see if it was comparable to the USPS, but if I'd really needed to shop something UPS, I would have been a lot more persistent. -
-
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Sun, September 2, 2007 - 4:49 PMEnough Superhooper.org customers have encountered obstinate postal workers that I've had to post this how-to on our site for shipping hoops.
Here's the link and I hope it helps! superhooper.org/repair -
-
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Mon, September 3, 2007 - 3:19 PMThank you for sharing that, Lara!
-
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Tue, September 4, 2007 - 2:07 AMYay, having a specific page number helps SO much! Thanks for posting that info, Lara!
-
Unsu...
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Tue, September 4, 2007 - 2:50 PMThank you Lara, this is so helpful and hopeful. :)
And thanks everyone else too.
-
-
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Tue, September 4, 2007 - 12:28 AMThanks for this reply. All this information really helps.
I live in Alaska, so I am used to things costing ALOT to ship. It happens all the time that things that cost just a few dollars to ship in the States will 'magically' cost $20 or more to ship either to and from Alaska. Furthermore, I was trying to ship my hoop to Saint Paul Island, AK - probably one of the most remote places for a hoop to go!
(Check out this hoops intended destination at: maps.google.com/maps ) So all those added Alaskan factors were probably a big part of my lack of *confidence* that a hoop could be shipped cheaply from here!
Anyway, I really appreciate the information that I can tell the postal ladies that a hoop should be measured like a "tire" and not a balloon, and the Superhooper site that says "Refer to page 650 in their Quick Service Guide" I can't wait to say that to them!
Thanks again!
-
-
-
-
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Tue, September 4, 2007 - 3:16 PMok, so help me out here. I was just there today with instructions that I had printed from the net and well after 1/2 hour I left with a receipt for a bout 12 bucks in my hand. They weren't sure about what to put in for height and width. Length 42" - Girth about 4". But they kept insisting that it needed a height and width. I just played around with it on the computer and put 1' in for the height and width and it came to about $6.22. Is that the correct way to go about it?? -
-
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Tue, September 4, 2007 - 3:17 PMoops I meant 1" for the height and width. -
-
This is the maximum depth. Additional responses will not be threaded.
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Thu, September 6, 2007 - 6:44 PMMission Sucessful:
I finally got my hoop shipped off, after much fanfare at the Post Office. There was a long line when I walked in, and one lady who was there the previous time I tried to mail my hoop hollered out at me across the room, "That's hoop is too big to ship! You won't be able to send it here!"
It was so embarrassing, but I stood my ground, and stayed in line. (And then, I actually sold a hoop to a curious woman in line while I was waiting!) When I got to the front, another postal service lady told me that they wouldn't be able to ship it for me.
So, I said, "There 10-15 companies in the States that do nothing but ship hoops just this size through the postal service, so I'm sure you are able to ship it." She went in the back and came out again saying, "I have to measure the circumference of the hoop - if it's more than 108 inches, you can't ship it." I knew the circumference was more than that but let her measure it anyway. When she determined it was larger, I said what *Superhooper* suggested about checking their Quick Service Guide. She went away and did that and came back and measured the diameter, and the girth of the hoop, and sure enough I was able to mail the hoop!
And it only cost about $6.50!
To answer your question slick, I think they can either measure the diameter and girth, and the weight, OR the height, length, and girth, and the weight. And it should cost around $6-10 depending on where you are mailing it to. But, I'd just be thankful you can mail it at all, because from my experience it really took a lot for them to accept it as a package. -
-
Unsu...
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Thu, September 6, 2007 - 7:46 PMWow, great story. Congratulations on shipping and selling :)
-
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Fri, September 7, 2007 - 9:13 AMYES!!!!!!
What a horrible experience --- and what wonderful satisfaction at the end, I'm sure. Congrats on the hoop sale!
I admit I end up doing a lot of networking at the post office, too.
Ah! I'm so glad it worked out for you. -
-
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Fri, September 7, 2007 - 7:55 PM*Smiles & Smiles*~ It's so funny how a big hoop can be so freaky =) Way to stick it out and hold your ground. !
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Mon, September 10, 2007 - 2:37 PMI also found out after a day of calling around that the key is that it is measured like a tire. I actually had to call the head post office office in order to not pay $50. My friend who also sells hoops was pretty happy I burst the bubble! :) -
-
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Mon, September 10, 2007 - 9:29 PMThe Post Office is so unorganized...! When I told them to measure it like a tire (like Superhooper also suggested) they measured the circumference of it, and said it was too big! Go figure.
One last post about my hoop sending fiasco - the reward is in finally delivering a beautiful hoop to a happy hooper - check out my blog for a picture of BJ rockin' her hoop out in the Pribilof Islands in Alaska! cosmichoops.blogspot.com/
-
-
-
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Mon, September 10, 2007 - 10:49 PMMaybe this may helps some additional fokes out there, I found on the USPS Website pe.usps.gov/text/dmm100/what.htm, that a package is describe as a
A three-dimensional mailpiece contained in a box, thick envelope, or tube, weighing up to 70 pound" (tube being highlighted here) and that a packagage is measured by " Package Weight cannot exceed 70 pounds. Length + girth (distance around the thickest part of the package) cannot exceed 108 inches. (Parcel Post cannot exceed 130 inches.) "
This came directly off thier website. Maybe in addition to refering to their manual, you can still print out their own website page. -
-
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Tue, September 11, 2007 - 2:10 PMI see that this link didnt work because of a comma.. sorry.. here it is again
pe.usps.gov/text/dmm100/what.htm
-
-
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Tue, September 11, 2007 - 8:11 AMyou could always get one of those hoops that break down into three pieces or so. -
-
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Tue, September 11, 2007 - 12:33 PMHi everyone!
I uploaded to the photos in this tribe the copy of the photocopy that a postal worker made for me in 2004. Thanks to this paper I have been able to ship hoops cheaply wherever I go, and I've shared this with most of the hoopmaker/sellers in the US to support their businesses as well. I have heard that others have had success with this as well.
Copy it, bring it with you to the postoffice, and good luck!
-
-
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Tue, September 11, 2007 - 4:30 PMI got my hoop from Hoopnotica, they sent it coiled to half it's size and I put the connector in it and hold it together when I got it. They include instructions. Might help at the USPS to have a bit of a smaller package.
-
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Thu, September 13, 2007 - 7:43 PMHi Kara, so full of soud advice - makes me happy :) How exactly could I get to the photo /info that you uploaded? -
-
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Sun, September 16, 2007 - 5:25 PMGot to this trhead late as I have been pretty much offline these last weeks...
Unfortunately, after years of shipping hoops for my biz, I am once again encountering problems, even with the wonderful info provided me by Kara. As was cited earlier in this topic, the rates did change around mid May this year...for most of my hoop biz life I had been living in NC, where I had developed a wonderful rapport with my post office peeps...it has been a little more rocky since I moved to VA, but I was still able to win them over with kindness, confidence and persistance...till one of the workers randomly decided he had a problem with it again...then I was forced to look up Kara's jpeg again and bring that in with some other documentation from what I could find online (you used to be able to find more specific info through their online reference guide, but it seems they've changed that as well). Right away though, I was told (and this is true) that what the jpeg that Kara so graciously provided cites is, in fact, the Parcel Post guidleines, not the Priority Mail rules...now, you would think that this could be easily transferred, as it is obviously a clear graphical explanation of how to measure our precious sacred hoops, and really most people in the beaurocatic system really just want to be able to cite some sort of reference so they don't get chewed out by someone higher up. Homeclie with the issue begrudginly let me slide with this, saying they would just wait "till they had a problem" and, lo and behold, a few days ago I got an email from a customer saying that her hoop had arrived with a postage due of $40...and this is from another town in Virginia, within the same state that it was mailed from. Frustration!!
I will continue to fight for this, as I have for years, but I have to say I worry about the future of mailing solid hoops, for those of us that focus on this kind for our business (not all hoop makers make- or care to make- collapsable hoops).
I appreciate all the info shared here and hope that an iron-clad defense comes out of this...charm and confidence do go an incredibly long way, but you never know when someone will get a bee in their bonnet and want to create an issue...
good luck everyone! -
-
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Mon, April 21, 2008 - 12:46 PMThis is indeed an incredibly frustrating issue here in Chicago as well. So one day I mailed three hoops successfully, under $8, with a little assurance and some laughs for the postal workers. The very next day I tried to mail 3 more and they said that it was dangerous to weight the hoops and after holding my ground for about an hour--problem NOT solved--they actually went in back for 20 minutes and came back out and had the nerve to say "you're still here?" Has anyone run into a weighing issue? How do your post offices "balance" the hoop(s) to get a proper weight? My post office suggested that I build some sort of weighing contraption that the hoop could sit in and then we could subtract the weight of the "contraption". It seems a little extreme to me. h e l p . . . . . -
-
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Mon, April 21, 2008 - 2:29 PMsounds like your postal folks are looking for an excuse to not ship your hoops! i got a similar reaction from one of my local post offices, and i just don't go back there anymore. it's bad customer service. sometimes i'll help hold the hoop to balance it if needed... that way there are 2 people on either side of the hoop lightly holding it, and it doesn't really add any weight.
good luck!
-
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Tue, April 22, 2008 - 7:27 AMi am getting similar mixed responses from post offices here in dc. one day they are above and beyond helpful, then next you'd swear im plotting a hostile world takeover with a plastic wrapped hoop. the first time that i mailed some the postal worker made an X with priority mail tape across the center of the hoop. he put one of the big plastic mail bins on the scale first and zeroed it out, so the bin would not add to the weight on the scale. he then balanced the hoop with the X made with the tape on the bin (so that the hoop is horizontal to the floor and scale) and got the weight. the tape supported the hoop perfectly once it was balanced on the right part of the bin.
i have also seen them guess the weight, sort of balance the hoop on it's side on the scale alone... but really if you can have the patience to do it with the taped X, it is steady enough to weigh that way and pretty accurate. you may need to talk them through it... anyway, it's another option.
i have a question as well - where are other people attaching a mailing label on the hoop? are you wrapping a sticker one on or tieing one on somehow? just curious... -
-
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Tue, April 22, 2008 - 10:23 AMI use a bright piece(yellow, orange etc..) of construction paper cut into a long rectangle. Then I use a black sharpie to write the address. I tape it long ways along the top of the hoop. On the underside of the hoop(directly under the first label) with the same color paper, but much smaller, I write the return address. I've shipped all my hoops this way and my post office never questioned it.
-
-
-
-
-
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Thu, April 24, 2008 - 12:30 PMHello there.... I have a question for you.... Where exactly is this page to photocopy??? I would greatly appreciate it if you still had it... Thank you so much... PeAcE.... ~marianne -
-
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Thu, April 24, 2008 - 11:11 PMIt is in this tribe's photo gallery. You will have to weed through all the pictures but it is there.. I just printed it off again last week. -
-
Re: how the heck do you SHIP a hoop?
Mon, April 28, 2008 - 9:52 AM
-
-
-
-
