Judging by the large number of PMs I've gotten about this in the last 24 hours, I think there is interest out there.
To get a quote from me, just PM or email me (
[email protected]) with:
1) Source zip code (or city/state)
2) Destination zip code (or city/state)
3) game(s) you're shipping. (so I can determine weight and number of pallets). If you don't want to tell titles, just say "three 19 inch uprights and one cocktail game" or whatever.
That's it...I'll email you a price with all the options.
If you decide to go with my quote, I'll need a bit more detail and you'll need to paypal me the full shipping cost. Then I'll create the necessary paperwork, send it to you and the shipper, and schedule the pickup. I'll mark up the quotes $10 to cover my time and you'll need to cover paypal fees too or I'll lose money doing this.
We'll see how this goes for a while and if it ends up being more of a hassle than it's worth, I'll stop doing it. But I see too many threads where people pass on deals because they don't want to bother with the hassle of shipping. It is a hassle, and I'm here to help.
The fine print:
1) FYI, my shipper is FedEx.
2) game(s) must be palletized. My shipper does not offer that service for any price. I have in a pinch had sellers take games to the terminal, beg for a free pallet, and palletize it in the parking lot using materials from Costco or Walmart. Not ideal, but got the job done.
3) Best pricing is when you can ship business (or terminal) to business (or terminal). This is probably the only time that my shipping is way cheaper than NAVL. Once you start adding residential pickup, delivery, or liftgate fees you're getting into NAVL range. (see 6 and 7 below). This shipper has hundreds of terminals all over the country, so you can usually find one within easy driving distance.
4) There are decent economies of scale with my shipper. Two games is significantly cheaper (per game) than one. Three more so, etc. At some point the economies level off.
5) Games are *not* insured. This shipper limits liability on used merchandise to pennies on the dollar (like most all LTL carriers). This is why proper palletizing is important. That said, I've personally shipped several hundred games using this shipper without a single one being damaged in shipping (so far...knock on wood).
6) Residential delivery or pickup adds $60 per shipment, not per game (on either or both ends). Residential means they have to drive into a residential area - not whether or not you run a business out of your house.
7) Liftgate needed on pickup or delivery adds $85 per shipment, not per game. If games are palletized properly, liftgate is unnecessary on delivery. You can just tip the game on its back in the truck, and gently slide it down the back edge of the trailer until the pallet touches the ground.
That's all I can think of for now. I'll edit this if I think of anything else and I can figure out how.
Thanks,
John