This is a rant I've been meaning to write for a while.  Apologies for the delay.

A few months ago when I was back home in Arlington, Virginia, I raided our storage attic to retrieve a mirror that we wanted to bring back to London. I bought the mirror about 10 years ago in Mexico for only about $40, but it has priceless sentimental value. It was too big to bring on a plane as a carry-on, so I decided to mail it.  That's when I made the big mistake of sending it via the UPS Store -- specifically, UPS Store #3326 in Towson, Maryland.

For those who aren't familiar, UPS Store (previously known as Mailboxes ETC) is a chain of shops across the United States that will help facilitate mailing of items, particularly odd-shaped items. They sell packaging supplies like boxes, tape, packing peanuts, etc.  The offer a variety of shipping methods; obviously they try to steer you to their own UPS service, but will also send it via regular ol' U.S. Postal Service (USPS). After they quoted me $300 to send by UPS, I settled on the regular postal mail. I was at first quoted about $100...as the clock kept ticking, they kept tacking on charges. My final bill to mail a $40 mirror to London was
$142.29.  The breakdown:

Packing material (peanuts & tape): $10.32
Cardboard box: $19.12
Service charge: $8.00
U.S. Postal Service Global Priority Mail: $103.08

It's bad enough that they are charging $29.44 just for packing materials plus $8 service charge; they had to make a profit somewhere. But I assumed the $103.08 was out of their control and they were using standard prices set by the USPS.  The next day I flew home to London. The package arrived about 4 days later; everything was tip-top and the mirror survived intact.  That's when I noticed the shipping label, and that's what got me really steamed.

Actual cost for shipping the package from Baltimore to London by Global Priority Mail: $65.

That's right:  UPS STORE CHARGED A FRACKING 63.11% MARKUP ABOVE USPS! 

At no time was I ever told by UPS Store idiots that I was being charged a fee higher than the price I would pay had I walked into a regular post office.  They already charged me an $8 service charge. And I could even understand a small, say 10% markup. But 63% MARKUP!?!?! 

I went onto the UPS Store website and wrote a complaint letter. No response. I wrote a second letter. No response. I have now written three letters on their online complaint form, and sent other emails. I have NEVER received a response from anybody at UPS Store. So screw em. My next email is to the Better Business Bureau.

BOYCOTT THE UPS STORE!! 

And support your local U.S. Post Office.

Thank you.