I don’t live in the U.S. and when I have to buy through the web (ebay) large and heavy items like this machinery which has to be transported a lot of miles and that is going to be received at their final destination with a delay of weeks or months I feel like a blind person that has to trust in other senses until I can physically see the item, hopping that it is at least what I imagine and pay for. Some times I receive items as expected or better but some times I receive items that are very far from that and normally this is due to inadequate shipping procedures principally on heavy machinery (lathes, mills, etc.). In my case many other people participates in between the shipping process including customs agents, storage and shippers and that increases the risk of accidents and items deterioration, but my experience is that most of them are in the loading procedures. In the last year of five machines shipped three were damaged, one was completely broken and two damaged but reusable, these shipments were contracted normally by their sellers. This is why I’m trying to contract directly the shipping services and I found that Uship gives me the opportunity to receive a lot of alternatives, and I can review the background, experience and biding of each one of them before I make a final decision. Now I can say that my first experience with Uship shipping gave me at least these advantages: 1. I didn’t have pay to the seller of the item the total shipping together with the item cost, and I’m sure that the cost is real. 2. I received a lot of bids from different kind of providers giving me other alternatives to evaluate. 3. I can estimate real shipping cost but principally evaluate shipper background and service offered. 4. I can get a reasonable price but principally maintained every thing under control with a good communication in all the process, knowing where and how they were. Thank you very much for this useful way to contract shipping services. Alberto