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Midnight Drain to Georgia: How to Avoid High Shipping Costs on Large eBay Purchases

AUSTIN – July 8, 2010 – We’ve all had that “doh!” moment on eBay:  You adeptly outbid others to win an auction only to realize you have to arrange transport for that large purchase – a car, boat, piano, antique, household goods, heavy equipment –  and yes, even large sinks being shipped to Georgia.

That’s the situation recently faced by Christa, executive producer of the Clark Howard Show. The nationally-syndicated radio and TV talk show (appearing on CNN’s HLN network) gives advice on saving money and spending less.   After Christa bought a giant sink on eBay, free “local pickup only” wasn’t free at all.  It meant she had to pay to have her newly-bought basin delivered from 1,000 miles away.

So Christa turned to uShip, the online shipping marketplace that helps relieve the stress and high cost of moving large items for buyers on eBay, Craigslist and more.  Her sink was delivered at a great price after transporters placed bids to win her business on uShip.  Christa ultimately selected a carrier based on feedback ratings and past customer reviews.

Among the 25,000 customer stories on uShip, thousands of eBay buyers like Christa have had similar experiences of reliable, low-cost shipping.  Here are a few eBay examples left by real customers:

First time eBay car buyer:  1997 Mercury Mountaineer shipped from New Jersey to Louisiana
“In a little less than 24 hours my vehicle was delivered safely from New Jersey to my home. I would definitely utilize uShip again for all my shipping needs.”

Antique buyer on eBay:  Oak icebox shipped from California to Texas
“I found exactly what I was looking for on eBay. The problem was that the antique oak icebox was for ‘local pick-up’ only in California and I was in Texas.”

Heavy equipment buyer:  Tractor shipped from Illinois to Virginia
“I put the shipment on uShip and in days had numerous bids, selected a provider, and in a week had the tractor without incident at my doorstep.”

About uShip
As the first and largest online transport marketplace, uShip connects people and businesses with feedback-rated transporters.  Carriers place competitive bids to win business, often filling extra space in their trucks and saving customers an average of 50 percent.  The uShip marketplace has attracted $150 million in business transactions, one million listings and 170,000 service providers.  Launched in 2004, uShip operates globally with localized functionality in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, European Union and Australia.