Go Back  Quiltingboard Forums > Main
mailing a quilt >

mailing a quilt

mailing a quilt

Thread Tools
 
Old 09-16-2011, 12:48 PM
  #41  
Super Member
 
BettyGee's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Colorado
Posts: 2,254
Default testing adding smileys to the post

I bubble wrap and use USPS Priority Mail with a perfect record. Oh that did it, but seriously I have been most happy with this method and all of my items have arrived in excellent shape and very quickly. I do not pay extra for the insurance, dumb? Perhaps, but I'm not claiming to be a genius.
BettyGee is offline  
Old 09-16-2011, 01:48 PM
  #42  
Power Poster
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Southern California
Posts: 19,131
Default

Originally Posted by MTS
Doesn't matter.
Should they get lost or damaged, unless you have a certified appraisal for insurance purposes, the most - the MOST - you'll maybe get back is the cost of supplies.

The post office considers a quilt something you get at Kmart for $20. They're not in the least interested in your skill or the time you spent creating it.

Sorry, but that's the reality.

Send it USPS Priority w/ DelConf.
That's how I always send my gifts and packages - within the US, and also to Canada and international destinations.

You can send if Signature Confirmation if you want someone to sign for it but it still won't matter if the package is lost.

Same, btw, for UPS and FedEx.
They won't even insure the artwork.
Most of the well-known teachers/quilters - who ship their item all over the place to guilds/shows - have separate insurance policies to cover the items should anything go wrong.
I TOTALLY agree with MTS. Make sure that you include both your address and who you are sending it to physically attached to the quilt. Make sure if you print a Click n Ship label (you save money by purchasing postage online) that you use a glue stick to attach the label and use packing tape. My friend shipped a baby quilt and she used scotch tape. The label arrived but no quilt. She was heart sick but made another one. :lol:
ManiacQuilter2 is offline  
Old 09-16-2011, 01:57 PM
  #43  
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Hope Mills, NC
Posts: 36
Default

Had a featherweight shipped by PO that was insured for 250.00 BUT I paid less, arrived broken and PO gave me 50.00 which doesn't include the shipping cost, you don't get that back, or at least I didn't. I don't buy insurance anymore unless it's a mfg product that I have receipt for.
YolandaW is offline  
Old 09-16-2011, 02:10 PM
  #44  
Super Member
 
ptquilts's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Vermont
Posts: 6,984
Default

not applicable to quilts, but when you are shipping something breakable, like a machine, pack it so the box can withstand a four foot drop onto a hard surface. Really. They do not get handled gently by any shipping service. And forget about marking it Fragile or Handle with Care.
ptquilts is online now  
Old 09-16-2011, 02:24 PM
  #45  
Super Member
 
MacThayer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Nevada
Posts: 1,103
Default

Originally Posted by ptquilts
not applicable to quilts, but when you are shipping something breakable, like a machine, pack it so the box can withstand a four foot drop onto a hard surface. Really. They do not get handled gently by any shipping service. And forget about marking it Fragile or Handle with Care.
This is exactly where taking it to a UPS store and having them pack it is the most important. They know how to pack it so it can withstand a 4 foot drop without damage, and they stake their reputation on it. I just shipped several items from my Great Grandmother's estate, including a fragile teapot she received as a wedding present, and an old, very delicate clock, also a wedding present (circa 1880). Both arrived in pristine condition. I know it costs a little more to have them pack it, but they have the right boxes, the right packing material, and they do this for a living. I don't. So far nothing they've packed has ever met with harm, and I send a lot, due to my husband's business. And I agree, if you can't print your own label, next best thing is to have a printed label at UPS/USPS, and stand ready to cover it with wide, clear packing tape. Scotch tape doesn't cut it.
MacThayer is offline  
Old 09-16-2011, 02:32 PM
  #46  
Super Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Posts: 3,996
Default

I've shipped both ways and never had trouble.
Raggiemom is offline  
Old 09-16-2011, 02:45 PM
  #47  
Member
 
kskwilter's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 32
Default

Several years ago I made and shipped via UPS 3 quilts to my DIL for her friends who had triplets...each quilt had the child's name on it....long story short...package was delivered (per the driver's log)...and then stolen off the front steps before DIL got home...I had insured the box for $200...only had to send a description of the 3 quilts, the cost of fabrics, and how much time to make...and they "looked" for 2 weeks...and then sent me a check for $200...needless to say...I wasn't happy about making another set of quilts...but at least my fabric/shipping and time were paid for.
kskwilter is offline  
Old 09-16-2011, 03:02 PM
  #48  
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Hope Mills, NC
Posts: 36
Default

Yes I know about having them pack but I was purchasing this and I paid the seller extra for shipping and they pocketed the money and packed "ok" but not great like I would have. I have shipped 3 featherweights without an incident having said that, even the PO said it appeared as if someone had stepped on the box and that that happened sometimes. Still no $ for the machine so I removed the motor and sold it separate to recoup just a little.
YolandaW is offline  
Old 09-16-2011, 03:03 PM
  #49  
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Hope Mills, NC
Posts: 36
Default

Oh I have to add this. I mailed a box of patterns to Australia and they never got delivered and every time I went to file a track they would give me some runaround about how I had to wait this long for this or that long for that, FINALLY I filed the missing item ONE YEAR LATER and lo and behold it came back to me the VERY next day. We still couldn't figure out why it didn't ship neither could the PO so the PO guy was nice and didn't make me purchase more postage or insurance and it got there just fine this time, no difference in addressing..nada.
YolandaW is offline  
Old 09-16-2011, 03:41 PM
  #50  
Senior Member
 
Learner747's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Midwest
Posts: 626
Default

The cost of sending a package via UPS is astronomical.
Learner747 is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
schoolteacher
Main
37
04-28-2015 07:52 AM
bearisgray
Main
31
03-08-2015 06:47 PM
mom2boyz
Main
36
05-09-2014 08:57 AM
Elizabeth A.
Member Swaps and Round/Row Robins
688
03-26-2011 08:46 AM
sandpat
Pictures
1285
03-02-2010 09:09 AM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off



FREE Quilting Newsletter