Members jump aboard shipping program

As of mid-October, over 100 MRA members had signed up for the new MRA shipping savings program, and many more have expressed interest. Those who have started using the program are already seeing savings—and anticipating more savings to come.

Karen Falls, owner of Karen’s, a small gift store in Port Sanilac, said the program “set me on a whole new path! Who knew you could have parcels shipped collect?” For Falls, the big savings has come through avoiding the handling fees that vendors were tacking on each shipment.

“On one shipment, in the past I paid $12 shipping and handling,” she said. “But when I had it shipped FedEx Ground Collect, the charge was only $5. Most of the difference wasn’t the shipping discount but the handling charge.”

Ross Wegryn-Jones, owner of RJRCoolTools.com in Holt, is also pleased with the service.

“The process has been seamless and I was contacted by both the MRA affiliate [PartnerShip] and FedEx in short order,” said Wegryn-Jones.

The only issue he reported was that some vendors in rural areas were reluctant to coordinate their shipments with FedEx. Wegryn-Jones has saved about $30 so far, and expects to save approximately $200 annually with the program.