Survive the high cost of flying with extra baggage.

Well it would seem as if air travel is the way to go considering the cost of filling up your gas tank. You need to take into consideration how the airlines are padding your ticket. Some airlines are charging $15.00 for the first bag, others are charging a $50.00 additional bag fee and others are charging $50.00 just for a bag that has exceeded their maximum weight standards.

Here’s how I travel these days. Backpack and laptop bag for my carry on items and one medium lightweight shell suitcase for baggage check-in. All my important expensive stuff stays with me on the plane. The suitcase houses basic toiletries, under garments and few days worth of clothing.

I like to shop while I’m vacationing. So I’ll pack my new stuff for the trip home in my suitcase. The additional stuff that will not fit or will will cause the bag to weigh too much is boxed up and shipped via ground service to my home.

If you’re traveling to a destination and would like to save some bucks, call your hotel to see if they’re willing to accept your packages via UPS or FedEx. Concierge service might even help prepare your shipments for the trip home.

Travel light and travel inexpensively!

For more shipping tips visit: www.postnet-fl.com

Shipping Computers with FedEx, DHL or UPS

Here’s the bad news. Computers, even if you insure them and they are damaged while in transit aren’t valid insurance claims according to the shipping companies. They’ll argue and insist that you sent a damaged computer. To be honest with you, I shipped a computer overseas 5 years ago, it was stolen and I still have not received a dime of the $5,000 it was insured for. Pissed? Yeah, you bet. But hopefully I can help you avoid some mistakes that I’ve made and you’ll get your computer to it’s destination in one piece.

1. If you’re shipping overseas… Never, ever, ever send it in it’s original packaging. Repackage and remove anything that would indicate how new it is. If you’re computer savy, I would strongly suggest opening up the case and remove memory, drives, motherboards (numbering them for easy re-installation for the receiver) – if you don’t ship these separately, there’s a good chance the nice guys in customs will remove them and keep them.

2. Customs forms for overseas shipping should always indicate that the computer is used, broken, etc. I strongly suggest NOT insuring it, not only will it prompt a nice little inspection from customs’ sticky fingers, but it will also cause VAT (value added tax) to be added and the receiver will have to incur these expenses.

3. If you’re shipping within the United States, disregard everything in step one. Don’t even open up the original packaging! I suggest using brown wrapping paper and covering the entire box. But don’t take the computer out of the original package! Keep your bill of sale, because that’s how much you’ll get back on an insurance claim. You’re just wasting money insuring it for more. The shipping companies have wised up to this. In my opinion FedEx Express has the best track record of delivering and also making good on their insurance claims.

4. Used computers require careful packing, both in the US and for overseas shipments. For a desktop CPU, use bubble wrap to encase the entire box. Reinforce the corners with cardboard. Pick a double walled box big enough in size allow an additional 2-3 inches of packing peanuts to be packed around the bubble wrapped CPU. For added strength, use strapping bands around the box. These are available at PostNet.

5. Laptop boxes can be purchased for $20.00. This box allows the laptop to “float” in a vinyl shield inside a sturdy box. If you can’t find one of these boxes, bubble wrap and place in a small form fitting box.  Then place the small box into a larger box with packing peanuts. Laptop boxes are the only recognized method of packing by the shipping companies. They will honor insurance claims on damaged laptops in these boxes.

Be sure to check out our website for more packing and shipping tips: www.postnet-fl.com

Shipping Cakes or Pies

A pie is considered a perishable similar to any unfrosted or frosted cake that would normally require refrigeration. Materials for packing include: Plastic container or wrap Styrofoam box Corrugated box Packing foam or peanuts, reinforced moisture resistant tape, bubble wrap and dry ice. 

1. First you’ll need to freeze your cake or pie solid.

2. Then wrap the frozen pie/cake in a sealed plastic container or wrap to avoid loss of moisture.

3. Place plastic container into a Styrofoam container that surrounds the box with at least 2 inches of insulation. Bubble wrap works great.

4. Place Styrofoam container into a corrugated box with at least 1/2 inch to an inch of empty space for packing material and dry ice packs. We recommend floating the interior box in packing peanuts or bubble wrap.

5. Ship overnight with a priority morning delivery for best results. Drop your shipment at PostNet late in the day, but no later than 4:30pm to assure that your package makes our nightly express pickup! If you don’t have your own FedEx, UPS or DHL account, bring it to the scale and pay for it here!

For more tips, visit our site: www.postnet-fl.com