Fedex / UPS / software query

[Gerald Good]

Hello. I use current version of Shopsite together with Stoneedge Order
Manager and things work very well overall. Currently I'm considering
the new 2003 UPS Ground rate increase, though, it stinks. I believe it
will cost me a significant amount of money. So I am going to seriously
consider Fedex Ground service and dropping UPS. I've noticed that more
online merchants use Fedex Ground, and Fedex seems to be a bit faster
than UPS. I personally have not yet carefully analyzed the rates but
they seem comparable. I would really appreciate any feedback from other
merchants that use Fedex Ground instead of UPS, in terms of service
level and rate comparison. Also, does Stoneedge or any other third
party provide software that allows for easy import of data for label
creation? Again, thanks for any insight.

-GMG

[Barney Stone]

Gerald -

I can't help with the rate issues - we do very little shipping of physical
products - but the Order Manager interfaces well with Fedex's QuickShip
program. Fedex provides that program free-of-charge to their shippers, and
the Order Manager can both export names, addresses, etc. to QuickShip and
import the tracking data, shipping cost, etc. back from QuickShip so you can
easily track packages from within the Order Manager, include tracking
numbers in emails to your customers, etc.

Hope that helps,

- Barney Stone, President
Stone Edge Technologies, Inc.
215-641-1837
www.ECommerceUtilities.com


"Gerald Good" <Jerry@importfood.com> wrote in message
news:3DE58783.FA66369F@importfood.com...

Hello. I use current version of Shopsite together with Stoneedge Order
Manager and things work very well overall. Currently I'm considering
the new 2003 UPS Ground rate increase, though, it stinks. I believe it
will cost me a significant amount of money. So I am going to seriously
consider Fedex Ground service and dropping UPS. I've noticed that more
online merchants use Fedex Ground, and Fedex seems to be a bit faster
than UPS. I personally have not yet carefully analyzed the rates but
they seem comparable. I would really appreciate any feedback from other
merchants that use Fedex Ground instead of UPS, in terms of service
level and rate comparison. Also, does Stoneedge or any other third
party provide software that allows for easy import of data for label
creation? Again, thanks for any insight.

-GMG

[Gerald Good]

Thanks for the message Barney. Your Order Manager is great! I didn't know
that it interfaces so well with QuickShip.

If anyone can comment on their experience with Fedex Ground that would be
appreciated as well. UPS has great customer service,,, hate to leave them but
need to compare rates carefully at this point,,,

Thanks,



Barney Stone wrote:

Gerald -

I can't help with the rate issues - we do very little shipping of physical
products - but the Order Manager interfaces well with Fedex's QuickShip
program. Fedex provides that program free-of-charge to their shippers, and
the Order Manager can both export names, addresses, etc. to QuickShip and
import the tracking data, shipping cost, etc. back from QuickShip so you can
easily track packages from within the Order Manager, include tracking
numbers in emails to your customers, etc.

Hope that helps,

- Barney Stone, President
Stone Edge Technologies, Inc.
215-641-1837
www.ECommerceUtilities.com

"Gerald Good" <Jerry@importfood.com> wrote in message
news:3DE58783.FA66369F@importfood.com...
Hello. I use current version of Shopsite together with Stoneedge Order
Manager and things work very well overall. Currently I'm considering
the new 2003 UPS Ground rate increase, though, it stinks. I believe it
will cost me a significant amount of money. So I am going to seriously
consider Fedex Ground service and dropping UPS. I've noticed that more
online merchants use Fedex Ground, and Fedex seems to be a bit faster
than UPS. I personally have not yet carefully analyzed the rates but
they seem comparable. I would really appreciate any feedback from other
merchants that use Fedex Ground instead of UPS, in terms of service
level and rate comparison. Also, does Stoneedge or any other third
party provide software that allows for easy import of data for label
creation? Again, thanks for any insight.

-GMG

[Norman]

Fedex Ground was formed when Fedex took over another carrier, I think that it
was about 2 years ago. Basically the other carrier served as the ground service.
We would be transferred to it when we called about ground inquires. Initally
service was only about average and not up to the level of the real Fedex. Ground
packages regularly went into a shipping black hole and would have be traced. I am
happy to save that over the last 10-12 months ground service has improved
substantially and is now up to Fedex standards. I haven't had to make a call in
recent memory about a lost package.
During the low days of Fedex ground we tested the good old US mail. Don't
totally discount it. We still send some packages using it. We always require a
signature guarantee. We are on the east coast. For a customer on the west coast
the post office can get a package there faster than ground service from either
Fedex or UPS.

Norman
1 Ocean Boulevard
http://www.web8.com/ocean


Gerald Good wrote:

Thanks for the message Barney. Your Order Manager is great! I didn't know
that it interfaces so well with QuickShip.

If anyone can comment on their experience with Fedex Ground that would be
appreciated as well. UPS has great customer service,,, hate to leave them but
need to compare rates carefully at this point,,,

Thanks,

Barney Stone wrote:

Gerald -

I can't help with the rate issues - we do very little shipping of physical
products - but the Order Manager interfaces well with Fedex's QuickShip
program. Fedex provides that program free-of-charge to their shippers, and
the Order Manager can both export names, addresses, etc. to QuickShip and
import the tracking data, shipping cost, etc. back from QuickShip so you can
easily track packages from within the Order Manager, include tracking
numbers in emails to your customers, etc.

Hope that helps,

- Barney Stone, President
Stone Edge Technologies, Inc.
215-641-1837
www.ECommerceUtilities.com

"Gerald Good" <Jerry@importfood.com> wrote in message
news:3DE58783.FA66369F@importfood.com...
Hello. I use current version of Shopsite together with Stoneedge Order
Manager and things work very well overall. Currently I'm considering
the new 2003 UPS Ground rate increase, though, it stinks. I believe it
will cost me a significant amount of money. So I am going to seriously
consider Fedex Ground service and dropping UPS. I've noticed that more
online merchants use Fedex Ground, and Fedex seems to be a bit faster
than UPS. I personally have not yet carefully analyzed the rates but
they seem comparable. I would really appreciate any feedback from other
merchants that use Fedex Ground instead of UPS, in terms of service
level and rate comparison. Also, does Stoneedge or any other third
party provide software that allows for easy import of data for label
creation? Again, thanks for any insight.

-GMG

[Gary Kennedy]

I use Airborne Ground. It is cheaper than UPS and Fedex and it is faster
than both. They have great customer service and pay all claims within 30
days. I have an export from stone edge to my airborne system so no typing.
I have been using them for 2 years and before that I used UPS. No
comparison, Airborne is much better.

Gary Kennedy
www.martyshoes.com

"Gerald Good" <Jerry@importfood.com> wrote in message
news:3DE58783.FA66369F@importfood.com...

Hello. I use current version of Shopsite together with Stoneedge Order
Manager and things work very well overall. Currently I'm considering
the new 2003 UPS Ground rate increase, though, it stinks. I believe it
will cost me a significant amount of money. So I am going to seriously
consider Fedex Ground service and dropping UPS. I've noticed that more
online merchants use Fedex Ground, and Fedex seems to be a bit faster
than UPS. I personally have not yet carefully analyzed the rates but
they seem comparable. I would really appreciate any feedback from other
merchants that use Fedex Ground instead of UPS, in terms of service
level and rate comparison. Also, does Stoneedge or any other third
party provide software that allows for easy import of data for label
creation? Again, thanks for any insight.

-GMG

[Terry Spodick]

I used Fed Ex Ground and had terrible problems both with their delivering
on time and with their billing which was a nightmare. Had several damaged
returns which they would not help with. I switched to UPS a year ago and
haven't had one problem.

Hope that helps.

Terry

Gerald Good wrote:

Hello. I use current version of Shopsite together with Stoneedge Order
Manager and things work very well overall. Currently I'm considering
the new 2003 UPS Ground rate increase, though, it stinks. I believe it
will cost me a significant amount of money. So I am going to seriously
consider Fedex Ground service and dropping UPS. I've noticed that more
online merchants use Fedex Ground, and Fedex seems to be a bit faster
than UPS. I personally have not yet carefully analyzed the rates but
they seem comparable. I would really appreciate any feedback from other
merchants that use Fedex Ground instead of UPS, in terms of service
level and rate comparison. Also, does Stoneedge or any other third
party provide software that allows for easy import of data for label
creation? Again, thanks for any insight.

-GMG

--

Terry Spodick
JewishCard
304 Darwin Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
831-469-8883
[Logo] www.jewishcard.com