Complaint Review: Mailbox Ect.. - Nationwide
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- Mailbox Ect.. Nationwide U.S.A.
- Phone:
- Web:
- Category: Shipping & Handling
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I Used Mailbox ect.. to ship a large package by UPS ground last Friday 3/1/02 from the Merrick NY store.
I thought the price charged for UPS ground,$48.00, seemed high but I did not question it. Later that day I called and got the tracking number. I went online to UPS tracking and got the package information. I then checked what UPSs shipping rate would be.
What I found surprised me. The rate for shipping a 30lb oversize package to Texas with $1000 insurance from a daily pickup location(Merrick 11566 to Austin 78731) was only $20.00!!!!
On Tues. 3/5/02 went back to the Merrick store and questioned the clerk about the price I was charged. he showed me that $48.00 is the the standard rate that Mailbox ect.. charges.
I can understand a moderate handling fee but more than double the standard UPS ground rate is extreme, especially since no mention is made of a handling fee or surcharge anywhere at the store or on the bill!
I spoke with the owner who was of no help. He said that he was only charging the standard Mailbox ect... rate. He did say he would consider listing that the rate included a surcharge or handling fee.
I also sent a complaint to Mailbox ect.. headquarters but received , what appeared to be, standard response.
"
Thank you for taking the time to write us. We value your comments and appreciate the opportunity to respond to them.
With regard to the pricing structures at MBE Centers, MBE Franchise Owners are encouraged to focus their efforts on the highest level of quality, service and convenience. This focus has a direct effect on the prices charged in order to cover associated expenses. MBE has found that these benefits are demanded by members of the public who choose to take advantage of MBEs offerings over other providers offering lower prices.
MBE Centers are franchise businesses and are individually owned and operated.
Due to Federal Anti-Trust laws, MBE as a franchisor cannot set prices for services rendered to the public by the individual MBE franchise location. MBE does, however, offer information and guidance to its Franchise Owners with regard to rate structures in an effort to provide both quality service to the public and a reasonable return on investment.
As with any retail establishment, MBE Centers mark up these services to cover fixed and variable costs associated with operating a customer service based convenience business.
MBE hopes this information is helpful in addressing your concerns. Thank you again for taking the time to write us with your comments.
Cordially,
Ann M. Weinstein
Supervisor, Customer Relations
Mail Boxes Etc., Home Office"
This is my response:
"Dear Ms. Weinstein,
Thanks for your quick response to my e-mail. I discussed the UPS ground shipping fee with Mr. Dellaporte, the owner of your Merrick New York franchise. He informed me that he was charging the standard MBE rate and is using your guidelines in setting the UPS rates.
If that is true than MBE charges more than double the standard UPS rate. Is this true?
I would also like to know why nowhere in the store or on the bill is there any mention of a handling fee or surcharge.
I dont know about the rest of your customers but I thought I was being charged the same rate that UPS charges.
As a policy Mailbox Ect.. charges 200% to 300% over the standard UPS rates and does not even hint that there is surcharge or handling ."
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 03/06/2002 12:00 AM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/mailbox-ect/nationwide/all-mailbox-ect-stores-are-rippoffs-16097. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content
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#4 UPDATE Employee
Running a mail and parcel center is very hard work
AUTHOR: Greg - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Wednesday, February 25, 2004
The truth is this - do you go to the grocery store and ask how much they mark up the steak? You realize its about 200% don't you and if you want you can get it for the same price as they do. When you purchase a new vehicle do you ask how much they mark up the car over the factory price = its alot.
Running a mail and parcel center is very hard work. For example if a customer gives the wrong address, UPS charges the parcel center owner an extra $6.00 dollars for the mistake which the parcel center owner has no way of knowing. The parcel center owner is responsible for the terrible packing that customers bring in and they must also handle about 60 other services to make money at their business. Its a hectic business and it takes a lot of organization. Also just to make it clear - when you go onto the UPS website they are assuming you have your own account number and have a daily pick up. Guess what you have to pay about $20 dollars per week to have that pick up - those are the rates they are advertising. Even if you take your package to the UPS hub, they still charge you 18% above daily pick up rates, not to mention you can only go there between 4 and 6 pm. Also they refuse just about every type of package because its usually improperly packed.
The bottom line is that if you want cheap go to the UPS hub directly - if you want convienence and service go to a parcel center.
If you didn't have a parcel store in your area what would you do? Goto the post office? Oh and by the way if you did call UPS for a Ground and I said Ground pickup - the charge is $10.00 per pick-up and you have to be there for the pick up and who knows when that is. MBE's are the highest in the industry as far as parcel and mail centers - a good, fair mark up is about 50- 65%.
For a real rip off see Credit cards, banks and bottled water.
Last but not least, FedEx ground is cheaper than UPS.
#3 Consumer Comment
dimensional weight
AUTHOR: Stacy - ()
SUBMITTED: Friday, May 31, 2002
Did you take into consideration the dimensional weight of you large package????? UPS charges based on the zip code, weight, and DIMENSION of the package. If the box you shipped was bigger than an 18x18x18 box then UPS would bill the shipper at a rate of 50 pounds or more.
I recently shipped a box the was 22x22x22 and UPS billed me for 70 pounds. Did you calculate the dimensional weight of your shipment before you decided to write scathing things about the shipping store?
#2 Consumer Comment
Get a clue!!!!
AUTHOR: Karen - ()
SUBMITTED: Friday, May 31, 2002
I have worked for a turn-key mailing store for the past 15 years. In all the years I have worked there the store has NEVER turned a profit. What non-business owners don't understand is the price of doing business - rent: $3000.00/mo. phone:$120.00/mo. postage meter machine lease: $125.00/mo. credit card processing fees: $300.00/mo. employee taxes $700.00/mo. insurance: $250.00/mo. utilitites $200.00/mo. etc........
I have heard idiots complain about my store charging .06 cents extra for a stamp, but that same person jumps in a SUV and pays $1.65 for a gallon of gas.
HELLO - PRIVATE shipping/mailing stores have the same right to charge extra for our service as any other retail store has the right, and does, charge 200% - 300% for their merchandise!!!!!! I challenge the same IGNORANT IDIOTS to walk into their local grocery store and complain about having to pay $1.59 for a head of lettuce when you could grow it for less!!!!!
When you go to a restaurant do you expect to see a disclaimer at the bottom of the bill stating that the meal would cost 200% less if you cooked and ate it at home????!!!
#1 Consumer Comment
unfortunately that's pretty much the norm
AUTHOR: E - ()
SUBMITTED: Friday, May 03, 2002
*Handling* equates to the inconvenience the company *suffers* to ship you the product. And since it's individually owned, they can pretty much set their S&H fees at whatever they feel is appropriate. You're paying that extra 20+ bucks for the box, the packing materials, the tape, as well as the extensive amount of time it takes to wrap it all up and ship it out
It's become that way with most companies...another way to get a bit more cashflow for the organization. But that is pretty ridiculuous. Keep fighting it, first off, and secondly, in the future, get in writing what the S&H fees are going to be, have them tally up the bill, etc, before you agree to purchase the product. I too have been slammed with ridiculuous handling fees in the past.
It's the same as those 'free' products that are popping up all over the web...not really free since you have to pay 5 bucks for some miniscule keychain toolkit...whereas you could pay 2 bucks at the store, plus have it immediately.
Good luck :-)
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