It turns out that when you sign up with Winebid they default assign you FedEx as your shipper [because FedEx ships to all states].
But there are other options for shipping which you can choose on their website.
GSO [Golden State Overnight] also ships within California at less than half the cost of FedEx and GSO offers: 1) online tracking just like FedEx; 2) refrigerated trucks, unlike FedEx.
I recently received a full case from Winebid via FedEx to southern California. Cost: $23.
The week before I received 4 cases from Napa via GSO. Cost: $18.
I believe GSO ships a case of wine in California for about $12, less than half of what FedEx charges.
So if you buy in California and live in California ask your merchant if you can use GSO.
Now, GSO also ships from California to Nevada or Arizona. But Winebid currently doesn’t support GSO shipping to Nevada or Arizona. If you live in the last two states and buy from Winebid, lobby Winebid to start using GSO to those states.
I did emails back and forth with Jennifer (info@winebid.com) and she changed my default shipper for me. So I ASSUMED it was an option under one’s account. But like you, I don’t see it.
Maybe you have to email Jennifer which strikes me as a lame process!
It is true that you have to make an email-or-phone request to Winebid to change your shipper [in California] to GSO. As for rates, Winebid claims there is a shipping calculator on their web site but I confess I can’t find it.
GSO offers large discounts and refrigerated trucking to California companies that ship a large amount of wine in state. BP Wines in St. Helena is one such company and wineries also I imagine. My experience with BP Wines shipping via the GSO ‘California Overnight Parcel’ led me to assume you would get the same rate with Winebid. Not true.
This fall I got a full case of wine from Winebid via FedEx [to the LA area] and it costs $22.44. I then switched my Winebid shipper to GSO. I later got a half case of wine from Winebid via GSO for $20.19. When I asked Winebid why the difference between them and BP Wines they responded they could not [i.e., would not] comment on shipping rates for other merchants.
It is possible that Winebid in fact does not qualify for GSO discounts because Winebid makes everyone’s default shipper to be FedEx. This is convenient for Winebid, but hardly to the advantage of Winebid California customers.
BTW: If Winebid does not get GSO discounts they may also not get GSO refrigerated trucks. You would have to inquire about that. But you still should get one-day delivery with GSO.
We will ship over 1000 boxes of wine this year via GSO and could not be happier. Thier rates are in general about 30%-40% less than UPS or Fedex and their service policies when there are delivery issue are way outside the normal customer service space.
One minor issue, they can have drivers that are a bit “rougher” than brown or Fedex but the cost benefits outweigh this issue.
Winebid, they are shipping pigs and absolutely use shipping as a profit generating vehicle.
GSO is the way to go, for winebid or anything else. Very nice customer service as well.
Another way to minimize your winebid shipping costs is to select the option that consolidates auctions monthly. Assuming you don’t need the wine right away, this can convert 4 or 5 shipments of a few bottles each into a single case at month’s end, and save quite a bit whichever shipping method you use.
Yeah, they began this “feature” after many customer complaints that they shipped unconsolidated lots at their convenience and at significant cost to the customers.
Is customer intervention really necessary? Don’t they automatically consolidate at the end of a month? And do they consolidate for two or three months? [probably not…]
You just go to your account, click on “Consolidation Schedule” (bottom right of the screen), and you have three options, weekly, bi-weekly or monthly. I think it’s a pretty reasonable set of options.