i was referring to bstock, sorry I wasnt more clear... bstock is what i have been checking out (m200s) so its on my brain.

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This post has been brought to you by curegeorg, thanks for reading.

My experience with Outlaw, is that they ship the heavy stuff (amps, LFM-1, etc.) via Fedex, and the lighter stuff (950, ICBM, etc.) thru UPS.

Well that is of interest, UPS for lighter weight Items and Fedex for heavier weight items.

Interestingly. I just went to both ups and fedex's site to estimate shipping from the west coast (CA) ( 90210 ) and others from LA (90020,90030,90040) to my zip code. The information Fedex gives back to me is that the shipping rate is about 50% of what is being quoted by the Outlaws.

Unless of course the other 50% is what is charged for the packaging of the components before shipping. Again, this is not a slam or a post to generate controversy. Just looking for answers.

One thing I've found from shipping an assortment of odd packages in the last couple years (including such things as an SVS sub) is that the online calculators aren't always accurate. If your box dimensions are off by a few inches or the weight changes a few pounds, you move up to a higher bracket and the price jumps up (and even when I was accurate, I have found the final price to be somewhat higher before it's all said and done). Are you using the net weight for a packed unit and dimensions of the outer boxes, or the weight and dimensions of the component itself? The packaging on an LFM-2 adds somewhere around 20 pounds, I think (the product data lists the weight as 58 pounds, but the shipping label says 77), not to mention at least six inches in every direction. The increase would be less for an amp or 950, but still enough to have an impact.

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gonk -- 950 Review | LFM-1 Review | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | Saloon Links

Another thought: where are you located? Adding a day's ground travel or some extra flight time makes a big difference. Since Outlaw goes with a flat rate for shipping to any location in the US, they've had to work through some sort of number crunching on average shipping distances (what percent stay on the west coast, what percent go to the midwest, and what percent go all the way to the east coast) or else work out a single rate with their shipping that applies to any destination. The calculations behind either scenario are going to be nearly impossible to re-create from our perspective.

Just out of curiousity, I tried the LFM-1 at FedEx.com. (Hey, I'm in Memphis, right? It's FedEx's home town.) The package was 34"x28"x34" (a guess at the dimensions) and weighed 77lbs (the value that was written on my LFM-1's shipping label). When I selected FedEx Ground, it wouldn't even give a rate for home delivery because the package is too heavy (70lb limit). FedEx Express gave a range of prices starting at $142 for Express Saver (3 business days to most cities), and the prices went up from there. Standard overnight was $220. Compare that to Outlaw's standard rate of $110 for overnight, and I'd say the price doesn't seem so bad.

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gonk -- 950 Review | LFM-1 Review | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | Saloon Links

Good point Gonk,

I live on the east coast, so I decided to go for some large distance calcualations, based on zip codes. Some of the weights I tried were for the 950/7100 and 950/755. I usually added 10 lbs for packaging and 6-7 inches for dimensions ( 6-7 inches each for HxWxD). I could have been shortsighting it considerably, based on your information.

A friend of mine got nailed for shipping when they ordered a camera SLR, not digital, online. He sent it back, and thats when the disparity of shipping prices appeared. Cost of shipping when he ordered the product $40,
cost of shipping he paid to return it ( ground shipping both ways ) was $8.

This kind of shipping practice is more prevalent that not, from what I have seen. However, your analysis of the situation clears things up for me a bit. I was thinking I had missed something. Flat fee shipping, for anywhere in the US would be a intuitive choice for an online company like the Outlaws.

Bob045

Just adding my info here....

I live in western West Virginia, 12 miles from Eastern Kentucky, and my 755 came 2 day from DHL. Who by the way did not have anyone sign for it.....but oh well I still got it.

Over the last 2-3 years or so I have spent an amp's worth on shipping with all the internet purchasing I've done from both internet-only and traditional companies. The quality of the products I have tested and ultimately kept has far out weighed the shipping cost. Things like Onix Rockets and Refs, SV Subwoofers, Outlaw Pre-amp and Amps, Anthem Amps, and cables from various sources. Through it all I have lots of packing slips and even a couple of t-shirts!

Shipping cost ain't been cheap, but the great gear I ended up with is well worth the extra cost . . . at least for my ears and budgets!

Phatlac.