fedex

[fiddlecollector]

Does anyone know when Fedex uses volumetric weight instead of actual weight for charging purposes, i sent a 4 kilo package recently and got charged almost double what i was expecting and a listed weight on the invoice of 17.5 kilos.

[Brad Dorsey]

What is "volumetric weight?"

[Regis]

Go to their web site and enter a sample shipment. When you get the list of prices, at the bottom of page you'll find "How dimension and value affect your rate"....or something close to that. Selecting dimensions will answer your questions..

[fiddlecollector]

Thanks i`ve had a look but can`t find the info,or at least i don`t understand it.All it says is if the If i`m sending a violin which is a quite big package ,does this mean i will always be over their weight package limit. I mean if you send it in a Fedex box which is far too small but can hold up to 25 kg the rates are far less than something weighing a fraction of that.

This is what it says``

Weight

For FedEx International Priority® & FedEx International First®, rates are based on the total weight of all packages in one shipment using one air waybill. Any fraction of a kilo takes the next higher weight.

When dimensional weight exceeds actual weight, shipments will be charged according to the IATA volumetric standard:

Dimensional weight in kg = Length x Height x Width in cm / 6,000.

A flat rate applies up to 10 kg and 25 kg for FedEx® 10kg Box and FedEx® 25kg Box respectively. An increment for each additional kilogramme is then added. ````

Going by what i can understand ,is that if i use my own packaging averaging around 4 - 5 kg , unless the package is the size of a shoe box i will always be charged by the volumetric method.

[fiddlecollector]

I hope the previous post explains their use of `volumetric weight`. To me it sounds dammed unfair .

[Michael Darnton]

I don't think it's unfair at all. Weight isn't the only issue in shipping, as you know from packing for vacation--space is an issue, too. What they're trying to do is fairly charge people who would fill their trucks with large boxes full of air, billing for the space they consume.

I use 9 x 13 x 36" boxes for violins, and I think that's a "just right" balance of weight vs space, if I remember correctly.

[Regis]

"Fair"? I can't imaging anyone in shipping business that does not take both dimension and weight into their pricing model. Should a 10lb block of steel ship for the same as 10lb box that is mostly full of packing and takes up half of a small truck?

Regardless of who the shipper is, you should not be supprised by the cost, as long as you have access to internet. For something that I value, I use FedX. For other things, I check and use cheapest for the shipping speed that I need.

[fiddlecollector]

Michael ,i use a similar size box , which incidently can be placed on end so can in fact use less than a square foot of floor space.Fedex` s own box rates are far lower than it is for shipping a violin which isn`t really any bigger volume wise than their largest box. Also the difference between US Fedex rates and UK seems quite alot.

Our own post office uses a l + w + H limit, so anything which comes in under so many metres fits the criteria.

Why should a box the same size as a fedex box be charged alot higher?

I don`t agree with their argument in this case. But i do agree with someone shipping a 5ft square box of foam weighing 10 kg having to pay more.

[fiddlecollector]

Also recently i was billed for a piece of furniture bought by an American at the same auction house that i bought a violin,so my card was debited for something like 450 US$ for shipment of this from Ireland to Georgia. I did get a quick refund of the charges but it took them almost a week to figure it out.