The consumer-oriented 3D print service Shapeways has improved their shipping capability by teaming up with UPS. UPS is well-known for their ability to efficiently organize shipping operations in an end-to-end fashion, and it looks like Shapeways has taken up their offer. This means they will be able to ship printed objects anywhere in the world within 2-3 days! However, you’ll still have to wait for the printing process itself to proceed, meaning “count on it taking up to ten working days to hold your model in your hands”.
We think this is a great step; Shapeways should concentrate on the 3D bits, and leave the shipping to brown.
Via Shapeways
My experience (and that of everyone I’ve talked to) with UPS does not reflect yours. They may ship anywhere in the world, but in Canada they are regarded as incompetent greedbags. They inflate duty charges (they once charged me duty on the DATE of the package), and they sued the government under NAFTA to try to take the lucrative markets from Canada Post, leaving the interior unserved. I can’t think of a worse shipping agent to do business with. If a company only ships by UPS, I will strongly consider not doing business with them on that point alone, and I’m far from the only Canadian who feels that way.