Mailing quilts?

[Denise]

Hi, just fact finding....would like to get my business off the ground and found a city 3 hours from me that is in dire need..haha....of a long arm quilter as theirs is taking a hiatus...now, not sure if i want to get into the hassle of mailing quilts, etc etc etc....

would be happy to just start in my area but do know i would have more work if i spread around the area....how big a deal is this and has it worked for you? Thanks ahead of time!!...Denise in Wisconson

[Bonnie]

I have never had any trouble with any of the services....FedEx, UPS or the Postoffice.

However, my only suggestion is to always insure it just in case, have a tracking number and tell your customer when to expect it so they are there when they need to be. UPS has gotten so bad about just leaving boxes that if it rains something could get messed up, and NEVER NEVER NEVER say what's inside.

Quilts are no longer quilts once they hit the box they are clothes, sheets, or whatever else I decide to put on the box. TO MANY of my quilting friends have lost quilts in the mail because they actually stated on the paper work that it was a quilt.

Also when insuring they will only pay for the materials to make a new one they will not actually give you the value of the quilt... Although if its been actually apprasied for something I don't know if that would count or not.

[Beverly]

I used to UPS all of my quilts to a town about two hours from here. I liked my quilter so much that I even drove a few down and waited for them while she quilted them. It was not that big of a deal. She just put a note in with the UPS charges added in. She is a very trusting person. She just put her bill in the box including the UPS charges she paid to return the quilt to me. I sent the check the day I received the quilt. Make sure you will receive the payment. Maybe at least get a deposit. You don't want to quilt for nothing. Good luck.

Also, I sent them from work and received them back at work. It is cheaper from office to office than to residence. You can also pay a liittle more and request a signature. It used to be one dollar. I am not certain what it would cost now. --- Bonnie is correct in saying that many quilts have been "lost" during shipping. Sad but true.

[BethDurand]

I've only needed to ship a few quilts out of town. I used UPS, packed it up, and told the customer what the shipping would be. Got the check from her, then mailed the quilt.

Good luck with yours.

Beth

[MODEN]

Ditto for me. I have a PAYPAL account and my customers pay me that way. I sent them an invoice via e-mail, they pay with credit or debit card, including shipping back to them, and when I know their payment is in my account I commence work. I get Quilts from a City 3 hrs away and it works great. I also sell my Quilts and ship them all over the Globe. I wrap them in tissue and then if size permitts but them in a large Bubble Envelope, the plastic kind. They are waterproof, and well sealed. I also never mention the word Quilt on my Packages, fior customs purpose it's Fabric or Blanket.

Nice for you to get that business, good luck