CONSUMER NOTES COURIER SERVICES: THEY’RE FAST, BUT NOT CHEAP

Delivering information by hand is probably one of the oldest forms of communication in the world. Not even the
telephone or the computer have put courier services out of business. Those forms of communication may be faster, but
they don’t deliver in one day (or less) the legal documents, advertisements, architectural drawings and a myriad of
other essentials that make it possible for Dallas businesses to stay in business.

Courier service delivery rates are complicated, and most are based on a “zone” system. That means the courier service
divides the city into several different areas, and the price of a delivery goes up if the courier has to cross more
than one zone to deliver a package. Costs are also incurred if the courier has to wait for you, if the courier has to
wait for someone at his destination or if you give the wrong delivery address. Other courier services that will
deliver to outlying areas charge by the mile. About the only thing that is standard in this business is that the
faster you want something delivered the more it costs to deliver it.

To get an idea of how courier service prices compare, look at the chart. We asked each service the same question: How
much does it cost to deliver a letter from downtown Dallas to an office in the Galleria in one day (base rate) and in
one hour (rush rate)? As you can see from the chart, there is a price and a service to fit anyone’s needs.

If you’re going to be using a courier service on a regular basis, be sure and ask if you can get a discount rate on
deliveries. Also find out what other services are offered. One courier we talked to only delivers things that will fit
in a large envelope. Another says he once went as fer as to deliver a sedated shark to Galveston.