directwheels - 8:02 pm on Jun 7, 2011 (gmt 0)

I am having some major dilemma with shipping right now.

My website sells products that contain compressed gas and I was told I cannot ship them with USPS Priority Mail. I got away with this for a while and started getting C&D letters from the USPS.

After speaking with UPS and FedEx, it seems that my only option is to ship by ground. Here are my choices:

USPS Parcel Mail - doesn't have tracking numbers, but it does have electronic delivery confirmation. Price is good, although I don't know how customers will feel about having no tracking numbers.

UPS and FedEx Ground - both have tracking numbers. The price isn't bad at all when you first look at it, until you realize there is a $2.5 or $2.75 Residential Delivery Surcharge. I was told there is no way around this. Does anyone know more about this?

I order stuff online all the time. This past week, I paid $2.xx for shipping with FedEx Ground on a computer part delivered to my residential address. I am guessing there was no residential delivery surcharge there? Unless the merchant absorbed it.

UPS and FedEx ground shipping are both around $9 + the $2.5 surcharge. The merchandise I see is only worth around $15. Asking customers to pay that much for shipping probably just won't work.

Does anyone have tips for me? Thanks.