shipping golf clubs

[echotrail]

I want to relate my recent experience with shipping golf clubs and to get imput on alternatives.

I'm not a platinum, gold or even tin member of any airline that gets free checked baggage. The airlines charge excessive bag fees, usually around $75 to check a set of clubs and I wanted to use my own clubs vs. rent.

Remembering Fedex ads on tv relating to the Fedex cup point system they sponser with the PGA I went to their HSOforum and found a link showing I could ship my clubs (under 50 lbs) in my own travel bag from the TC area to Phoenix for $37. When I took the clubs to the shipping center they wanted $142. After some conversation they said they could get the price down to $80 and then later down to $53 but no lower. They suggested I open a direct billing account with them and ship to a business (golf course, resort or hotel) to get a discounted rate. I did this and preprinted both of the shipping labels I needed. The cost to get them to AZ was $23.33 when they coded the contents as "golf clubs".

5 days later I scheduled a Fedex pickup at a hotel in Mesquite, NV. and was given a confirmation# (Important # to keep). When I checked out I found Fedex had not picked up the clubs. I didn't want to leave them behind so I took them with me to Las Vegas and dropped them at a shipping center. When I got home I found I had been billed $134.00. I questioned the charge and was given the standard "This is how we do it" expanation. My next conversation with a supervisor got results. She said the shipping center in Las Vegas probably didn't know it was golf clubs (duh!) and billed according to weight and package size. She agreed to the $37 fee as promoted on the HSOforum. After I mentioned my confirmation# and missed pick up she refunded me the entire $134 saying if Fedex missed a confirmed pickup you don't pay.

There were a few exciting minutes to find plan B, an extra trip to a shipping center and a 12 minute phone call but Fedex got it done and took the loss. I'd use Fedex again but if you have a better way share it with all of us.

[picksbigwagon]

Interesting tale. We are getting ready to head to Florida soon and I am packing my clothes in a carry on and checking my one bag, my clubs......I am seeking out a lighter golf bag, not packing golf balls, buying them down there and strategizing ways to maximize my spaces.

I suggested using Fed ex to ship the clubs but was quickly shot down by all three brother in laws.....oh well

[ted4887]

Interesting tale. We are getting ready to head to Florida soon and I am packing my clothes in a carry on and checking my one bag, my clubs......I am seeking out a lighter golf bag, not packing golf balls, buying them down there and strategizing ways to maximize my spaces.

I suggested using Fed ex to ship the clubs but was quickly shot down by all three brother in laws.....oh well

Just out of curiousity, but who do you fly with? We checked our clubs for free with Southwest just two weeks ago on a flight down to AZ. For $30 though, other than the miscommunication that obviously happened, that seems like a pretty darn good deal. I'd probably just stick with using them and hope for better results next time.

[picksbigwagon]

I believe we are flying Northwest/Delta directly to Jacksonville. This summer on my trip to portland, my wofe booked the tickets and she is a platinum club member and she could have packed a Studebaker and not been charged a dime, so my cubs fly free. When we went to Hawaii, we were charged from Honolulu to Maui, $75 each way ( grand total of 60 minutes of flying) since there was no first class on that puddle jumper

[echotrail]

We used Sun Country going to Phoenix, drove to Mesquite and Sun Country from Las Vegas back home. In Dec. ticket prices to Phoenix were about $400 RT. On a Tues. afternoon in mid Dec. Sun Country had a 48 hour sale for $89 (each way incl. all fees/taxes) going to/from Phoenix and Las Vegas to Mpls. so I didn't wait for price matching from the other airlines.

Last Aug my wife went to Phoenix to see her ailing dad and took the standard sized carry-on suitcase. Sun Country had reduced the carry-on bag size by 2" and had agents at security turning people back to the ticket counter to pay the $25 bag fee.

This trip we just put all our stuff in one larger suitcase and prepaid the $20 fee to check it in. At the airport we found out Sun Country must have given up on the reduced bag size as just about everyone on the flight had one as a carry-on.