The Wealthiest Man In The Villages

[Villages Kahuna]

Occasionally, posters here kvetch about how much the developer of TV might profit from his efforts. But again, I've learned my lesson and in the process discovered the man who absolutely HAS to be the richest man in TV.

I made the mistake one last time of going to The Villages Pack-And-Ship to send a package. My laptop hard drive died and I had to send it to a repair service in Huntsville, AL. So here's what Pack-And-Ship was going to charge me...$24.95 to pack the laptop...plus $69.11 to ship it to Alabama, 3rd day delivery guaranteed. That's a total of $94.06 to ship a laptop about 400 miles!

I quickly bowed out and headed for my friendly local Post Office. There, the provide a Flat Rate Box for free and will ship the laptop by Priority Mail (2-3 day delivery!) for the grand total of $9.30. I can even print the postage on my computer and that includes Delivery Confirmation. Of course, I have to provide the bubble wrap and labor to wrap it up, but I figure I can do a heckuva lot of packing for the $84.76 savings by NOT using The Villages Pack-And-Ship!

TVP&S is a franchise of UPS, FedEx and USPS and as such can charge whatever freight the traffic will bear in TV. The profits their owner accumulates, a Mr. Downing if I read the certificates on the wall correctly, MUST make him the wealthiest man in The Villages.

But I've learned my lesson...never again will I permit my shadow to cross the threshold of any of the five Villages Pack-And-Ship offices here in TV. Grand larceny is usually punishable by time in the slammer. Mr. Downing can enjoy the profits of his larceny on the golf course!

[Russ_Boston]

Thanks for the warning. We have 'do it for you' shipping places up here that are similar in price. I use the good old USPS or direct with UPS and wrap it myself!

[samhass]

I agree VK. I shipped out a packet of documents to the Turks and Caicos. They slammed me. Never again.

[graciegirl]

Thank you for the heads up. I do ebay as a business and use the USPS. I just wish they were closer to my house in Hadley. I go every day.

[villages07]

I had a contract document that I needed to fax long distance....TVP&S price was $2 for first page and $1 for every page thereafter...to send an outgoing fax. So, this woulda cost me $30....fuhgetaboutit. My neighbor graciously offered me the use of his fax machine for free.

Yes, they are expensive.

[Muncle]

We had similar stores up north in the DC area. I'm sure they're nationwide, likely in a whole lot of strip malls. The one close to my home in Virginia was just as expensive as the ones here. The whole concept behind the stores is that they appeal to those who are too lazy or otherwise unable to find an alternative. Basically they're a Starbucks that sends stuff.

[chacam]

My wife went in to buy 50 one cent stamps and guess what ? ? They were two cents each ! ! !

[Villages Kahuna]

...particularly for eBay shipments.

The Post Office provides three different sizes of Flat Rate boxes, almost perfect sizes for most stuff you sell on eBay. They're Priority Mail and they're FREE! You can even order them in bulk right from the USPS website--they'll send you 20-25 boxes for free.

The two smaller boxes ship for $9.30 with no weight limitation other than the strength of the boxes. The largest costs $12.95. You can print the postage from the USPS website and tape it to your package and never have to stand in line in the Post Office. That includes Delivery Confirmation. eBay makes it very easy; you can click on "Print A Mailing Label" and you're linked to the USPS website. Add the shipping address and click "Pay" and it charges your PayPal account and prints the label. You actually don't even have to go to the Post Office. If you call or post a request online before 9:00AM, the USPS driver will come by your house and pick up your packages on the same day. Couldn't be easier!

Again...why did I ever choose to go back to Pack-And-Ship?

[Frangyomory]

Used Village Pack and Ship ONCE and after the shock determined it was worth the trip to the post office!!! ;D

[beady]

I had a similar experience.I needed to ship hubbies glasses to him, in a hurry, for obvious reasons.
Went to pack and ship and was quoted $46.00 for next day delivery and I had packed them and addressed the box. I left and went to the USPS and did it Express Mail. They arrived as promised and I saved a bundle.

[Sidney Lanier]

It's just another caveat; it's up to us to ask prices, and it's our choice to walk out. I too sell on eBay and I can count on the fingers of one hand (that's five for me...) the number of times I've had a problem with a wandering or smashed package or some such issue, out of thousands that I've shipped. We have one of the best postal systems in the world, even if we complain about the rates going up periodically or the occasional employee who could benefit from an attitude adjustment (as you'd find anywhere out there in the public).

We were once granted a free shipment by FedEx after a screw-up on their part. I decided to pack into their overseas envelope as many of the books as I could squeeze in from my M.A. program (centuries ago...) to send to our youngest son Craig's 'adopted brother' in Casablanca, Morocco; the young man, from an incredibly poor family, was studying English language and literature and really appreciated the books. After FedEx processed the shipment, I asked how much it would have cost if I had paid for it. Ready for this? $174! And this was about 18 years ago....

BTW, Craig, his girlfriend, and the now famous Quixote (Craig's 'Spoiled Rottenweiler') are at this moment visiting TV and having a marvelous time!!! They're not sure who's enjoying the golf cart more--Pups or them!

[blueeagle65]

As someone that has some first hand knowledge of this subject matter let me chip in my two cents worth. The are only three VPS stores - Bichara Blvd, Southern Trace shopping center and the new shopping center on 466A. As far as Mr. Downing being the wealthiest man in The Villages (he isn't even a Villager, but a life long local), IMHO - I seriously doubt it....... Not even close.

[chelsea24]

Graciegirl, Wildwood Post Office is the closest to us. I'm there all the time. Not as crowed either.

[Sidney Lanier]

And in the more central part of TV, where we are (Belvedere), we use the Oxford post office, a bit north of the intersection of 301 and 466 on the west side of 301. Also small, uncrowded, with friendly and helpful clerks.

[Villages Kahuna]

After getting Villages Pack-And-Ship's almost $95 quote to pack and ship my laptop computer to Huntsville, AL, I decided to use the freindly folks at the Oxford Post Office. I packed the laptop in the box they provided, with as much padding as would fit of course, and took it in for shipping. If I had not wanted insurance, the cost would have been $12.95. With the same amount of insurance imbedded in the P-A-S price, USPS shipped it Priority Mail (2-3 day delivery) for $23.80.

But I was still curious. I called the UPS store in Deerfield, IL, which I used frequently when I lived near there. The manager worked up what their price would have been to pack the computer in a computer box and ship it second-day air with $1,000 of insurance. The UPS price was $41.65.

But I furthered my investigation of my options. I set up a FedEx account several years ago, so I checked how I could use their services without going to Villages Pack-And-Ship. Voila! I could have packed my laptop in a box which FedEx would provide, drop the package off at their drop-off location near Laurel Manor, and have it delivered 2nd day air with $1,000 insurance for $25.44. If I really wanted to be lazy, I could have FedEx pick the package up at my house for a total price of $33.63.

So as best I can determine, Mr. Downing would have profited about $50-60 based on the actual cost of packing and shipping the item using either FedEx or UPS. (I believe they were going to ship using FedEx.) That's for just one customer in one of the several stores he owns. I wonder how many "walk outs" they have in those stores after people are told their prices? A worse thought is how many dummies gulp and agree to pay their larcenous prices?

I know I'll never walk out of a Villages Pack-And-Ship store again...because I'm never ever going to go in one again!

[mcgraw]

i had the same thing a few.weeks ago27.00to send 8lb box to n.y..i will never go there again.only to the post office

[mfp509]

I, too, had the same experience with Village Pack and Ship and will never go there again. I steer as many people away from there as I can. Go to the post office.

Also, my bank provides free faxing. VPS faxing is another rip-off.

[fraurauch]

I use Shipgooder.com to find out who has the best rate for whatever I want to ship. Give it a try the next time you must ship something.

[Villages Kahuna]

I can highly recommend the Oxford Post Office, about a quarter mile north of CR 466 on the west side of 301. The girls there are friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. After my first trip to drop off some eBay shipments, they took the time to teach me how to print my own postage at home instead of standing in line for them. Then they even suggested that I don't even have to come to the post office by suggesting I call for a free same day pick-up at my house. All you need to do is call before 9 AM and the USPS truck will come by and pick up your package(s). What could be easier? And they provide nice, free flat-rate boxes as well!

[golfnut]

thanks VK that's great info....GN

[Sidney Lanier]

From another ebay seller, keep in mind that to call (or it can be done on the usps.com website) for the USPS to come and get your packages at your home, you must be shipping at least one Priority Mail package. It can't be just first class, media mail, and parcel post. Also, sometimes regular Priority Mail is cheaper than using the flat rate boxes if what you're shipping is not heavy (as is more frequently the case for me). And as mentioned earlier, the Priority Mail supplies are free and can be ordered online; it just takes a few minutes to create an account.

[graciegirl]

From another ebay seller, keep in mind that to call (or it can be done on the usps.com website) for the USPS to come and get your packages at your home, you must be shipping at least one Priority Mail package. It can't be just first class, media mail, and parcel post. Also, sometimes regular Priority Mail is cheaper than using the flat rate boxes if what you're shipping is not heavy (as is more frequently the case for me). And as mentioned earlier, the Priority Mail supplies are free and can be ordered online; it just takes a few minutes to create an account.


Thanks so much Sidney and Kahuna.

I thought I was a veteran ebayer, but again I learn in TV!

[nanci2539]

Oh; Oh!!!

We went to TV Pack and Ship to set up a PO Box. They charge $25 a month. We only need it for 2-3 months max. I went with convenience on this one. The Post office we went to (I think it was Oxford) had a long line and we had to fill out a paperwork and prof of our rental, etc. It just seemed like a smoother process at the Pack and Ship but I sure won't be using them for general package mailing, etc.

[jmarkohio]

I recently sent a small package to our neighbors home in Virginia. It was important enough that I had to send it overnight express. Pack and Ship at the Colony charged me over $70, which I thought was a bit expensive but assumed that because I wanted them to receive it as soon as possible that it was just the cost of doing business. My neighbors have just returned and told me the shipping label on the same package I sent to them was for $21.00. Should I feel ripped off? From what I have read on this thread I think they may be on the same path as the gas station down the street.

[Villages Kahuna]

Why I didn't discover this sooner is beyond me.

Whether shipping eBay items or gifts to the grandkids, the USPS Flat Rate boxes are terrific. They have a couple of sizes that ship for $9.30 and a larger one that ships for $12.95. The weight limitation is such that you wouldn't be able to carry the thing if you approached the max.

As far as postage is concerned, either eBay or the USPS website itself permits you to print your postage right on your printer. Then you simply print it and tape it to the package and it's ready to drop in the box. Once you do it once or twice, you'll conclude as I did that it's the only way to go. You don't need a scale if you use the Flat Rate boxes. If you use another type of box, you will need to weigh it to calculate the proper amount of postage. Small scales are readily available at Staples or Office Depot.

Now, about mailing, if you print your own postage, you don't even have to go to the Post Office. Of course, you can drop your packages off at your mail station when you go to get your mail or take a swim. But you can also call the Post Office and they will send a carrier by your house and pick up however many packages you have to mail--even just one!--at no charge. You don't even have to be home. I just tell them to grab whatever is sitting outside by the front door and they disappear like a genie was there!

If you're uncomfortable with all this technology, the self-ship scale-station at the main Lady Lake Post Office is also a Godsend. It's open 24 hours a day. Just bring your package, throw it on the scale, follow the instructions on the touch screen, stick in your credit card, and drop it in the box. I guarantee there are no lines if you go about 10 PM!

It's kind of hard to imagine why anyone would ever go to Villages Pack And Ship again.

[nanci2539]

the self-ship scale-station at the main Lady Lake Post Office is also a Godsend. It's open 24 hours a day

Where exactly is the Lady Lake PO office located

[renielarson]

AND...the USPS Priority Mail delivery times are as good as UPS and, I have found, as dependable.

I have never attempted to print my own postage on the USPS website but think it might be to my advantage to take a look. I'll be contacting you, Kahuna, if I have any questions, ok?

Is the Lady Lake main P.O. the one that is right around the corner from Town Hall and the Police Station?