I just bought a 12 lb, 2 package, order from Happs, UPS ground (residential) at a shipping cost of $14.58. That's a cent less than the going online rate for companies with daily pickup.
Online quote as of July 22, 2002:
PACKAGE INFORMATION
PACKAGE 1 PACKAGE 2
Weight: 11 lbs. Weight: 1 lbs.
Dimensions: 12x14x8 in. Dimensions: 6x6x4 in.
Origin: 60007, US
Destination: 94530, US
Drop-off/Pickup: Daily Pickup Service
Address Type: Residential
Packaging: Your Packaging
Currency: USD
UPS Ground
Total Rate (USD) 9.45* (package 1) 5.14* (package 2)
(total $14.59)Things that increase prices: residential deliveries ($1-2), COD ($6), large objects.
I bet happs is just charging what they have to pay. UPS has some wierd rules on large objects. One rule is that you cannot ship them by ground! I don't understand that one. Another is that oversize (grade one) is charged as if it was 30 lbs, and oversize (grade two) is 70 lbs!
http://www.ups.com/using/services/packaging/oversize-guide.htmlThey should have warned you of this, but you should be aware that shipping big objects cost a lot more that normal objects.
One way to check if the company is overcharging shipping is to look at the shipping label when you get the product. Also, goto UPS.com and check out how much it would cost to ship your package (you need: from and to zip codes, weight & size of package) with daily pickup (the cheapest)