Libra63
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posted on January 9, 2002 09:21:27 PM new
As I was mailing my ebay items yesterday the postmaster said that USPS was increasing all postage rates by 17% I think the end of May. Just another charge to pass on to our customers. Will it ever end. Letters increase from 34 cents to 37 cents. Will we get better service? I doubt it. I mailed 5 packages yesterday, bought a book of stamps and some discounted computer paper. In all it took me over 30 minutes to do that transaction.
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dadofstickboy
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posted on January 9, 2002 09:37:54 PM new
Your more than likely right. The 3 cent increase probably won't get him to move any faster!
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sun818
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posted on January 9, 2002 09:49:28 PM new
I heard delivery confirmation may be applied to First Class mail as a service. That would be cool... as long they get scanned at the end. 
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quickdraw29
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posted on January 9, 2002 09:54:35 PM new
It still needs approval, but I don't think they ever turn down a rate increase.
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barbkeith
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posted on January 10, 2002 03:47:29 AM new
I wonder if it will change the attitude of the woman who works in our post office. She is one of the rudest and snottiest people I have ever seen. She must really hate her job. I don't think I have ever seen her smile. If she did her face would crack and fall off. Thank goodness my mail lady picks up my packages so I don't have the displeasure of dealing with her often.
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rgrem
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posted on January 10, 2002 06:13:09 AM new
It is sad that many great USPS people are hurt by the actions of some. Just for the record, you USPS folks, my carrier is outstanding and the 2 post offices I go to are the same. Of course each of them has a couple of clerks with whom we'd rather not deal. On the rates, when 1st class was 5 cents, so were candy bars, a cup of coffee, a newspaper and a phone call at a phone booth. Those common denominators have all out-paced the stamp. (and a good hourly wage was $.50 to $1.00.)
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holdenrex
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posted on January 10, 2002 06:37:53 AM new
I also heard that the Priority Mail rates on more of the weight classes will be determined by zones, which removes a lot of the appeal of using Priority Mail in the first place.
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rgrem
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posted on January 10, 2002 06:57:52 AM new
holdenrex, I am surprised they want to fool around with priority. Many of us even pay a bit of the charges ourselves because of boxes, DC, etc. I can see some changes in the weight categories perhaps, but why in the world inflict the zone thing on us? Very disappointing to me.
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GU1HToM
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posted on January 10, 2002 09:09:00 AM new
The zone thing has always been there for Priority mail... it is just that under 5 lbs all prices were the same accross the board..
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sun818
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posted on January 10, 2002 09:46:26 AM new
Have you looked the proposed rates for USPS Priority? I'm seriously considering FedEx Ground for all my packages over 1 lbs. now. Goodbye long times and evil eyes from people in line!
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holdenrex
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posted on January 10, 2002 10:22:27 AM new
Actually, there was a time that there were no zones for Priority - the zones for over 5 pounds only came about after one of their more recent pricing overhauls. I heard now the zones will apply to any Priority packages other than what can be crammed into those "fixed price" Priority envelopes.
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quickdraw29
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posted on January 10, 2002 10:27:12 AM new
Speaking of those "crammed Priority Mail envelopes", our PO has a notice the envelope has to retain its shape, and no more than one piece of tape. I guess no more sticking bricks in there. lol
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holdenrex
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posted on January 10, 2002 10:49:29 AM new
Yes, I was ordering some supplies from the USPS online supply shop last night and I noticed that they had that "retain the shape" stipulation posted there as well.
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kolonel22
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posted on January 10, 2002 11:00:30 AM new
Regarding postal increases:
1. holdenrex – USPS Priority Mail has been charged by zones for a long time now . there used to be USPS Priority Mail that had a flat rate for anything you could send in one of there envelopes. Not anymore
2. Most people who do not send a lot of mail and only see these increases as a SMALL increase of a few cents. What they don’t see is that all the other rates and services go up as well. For instance the last increased raised the cost of Priority Mail, Media Mail, Tracking, Insurance, First Class over so many ounces, ect.
People don’t realize the effect these increases have on them until they order something through a mail order house, TV commercial or eBay. Then they become all too aware of the effects the “new” rates have had. By then of course it’s too late to protest or do anything about. Most look at it as the bill they have to pay or the card they have to send is “only” going up two cents, big deal.
Not that all Postal employees are bad or don’t care or have burn out but chances are service, speed of delivery, the lines and attitude will not change. We all know it. It seem that no matter how much the Post Office increases their fees they are always claiming that they are not making money and have to raise them again. One comment they often spout is that they have to compete with private companies like FedEx and UPS and people sending mail via e-mail now so they just aren’t making the revenue they need.
3. I for one, think competition is good. I have recently switched a lot of my shipping from USPS Priority Mail to FedEx Home Delivery. I get tracking & insurance through them and the connivance of calling and having my packages picked up right at my front door. The driver has always been courteous and helpful. Especially the first time I used them and didn’t do the paper work correctly. The driver shut of his truck and came in the house pulled up there web site for me and showed me how to do a daily close and manifest. I was very impressed to say the least. I now wo this for just about anything over a pound.
The down side of FedEx or UPS you have to Supply your own boxes and tape where the Post Office
gives you these items for using Priority Mail. Which is something I always felt even though I shipped
a lot through priority mail they should not be doing. I feel they should be charging something for these
items even if it covered just their cost. I can only imagine how inexpensive they must be considering
the large purchase of these items by the Post Office.
It’s very disappointing when any company makes changes and increases prices, especially when the end customer doesn’t get any more bang for there buck.
health & Happiness
"The Colonel"
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technerd
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posted on January 10, 2002 11:01:23 AM new
<I heard now the zones will apply to any Priority packages other than what can be crammed into those "fixed price" Priority envelopes.>
This would be a major bummer. Now I simply charge $3.90 for priority mail when I send my "end of auction" e-mail. If I have to get their address first, this will take another E-mail.
Any ideas?
Simply charge the amount for the zone farthest from you?
Charge the average?
Hmmm, maybe just list all the zones and charges?
Maybe a link to a web page you have that lists the states and the cost to each one. Example:
"If you prefer priority mail, the charges vary by state from $xxx to $yyy. (Click Here) to see how much it is to your state."
P.S. My local P.O. and their people are also great. They welcome me by name. If there is a line, the manager comes out and asks if anyone just needs a packaged picked up. My local carrier is also great. I live downtown. If he sees me walking, he will stop his truck and ask if I want any packages for me so I don't have to pick them up from the post office.
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kahml
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posted on January 10, 2002 11:20:51 AM new
If you want to know what the proposed Priority Mail rates are - by zone, take a look at page 7 of the following document:
http://www.usps.com/ratecase/_pdf/factsheet.pdf
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quickdraw29
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posted on January 10, 2002 12:26:24 PM new
Fedex provides boxes too. The difference between Priority and Fedex is that USPS always includes the prices of boxes and tape in the price of shipping, even if you use your own box and tape. Fedex gives you the discount rate for using your own boxes and charges more if you use theirs.
[ edited by quickdraw29 on Jan 11, 2002 09:48 AM ]
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figmente
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posted on January 10, 2002 01:29:53 PM new
One thing I find peculiar with the new zoned rates for priority mail down to just over 16 ounces is how the logic of first class versus priority has been lost.
That is: the 1st class rate used to extend beyond 13 ounces with the same increment per ounce, these rates were dropped because priority was defined as the same service, but the 1st class rate would turn out higher. With the proposed zoned rates many priority packages would cost more than per the first class rate calculation (0.37 for first ounce, 0.23 each additional).
For extreme zones that 17th ounce gets awful expensive.
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dman3
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posted on January 10, 2002 02:49:21 PM new
WHen postal rates were incressed last year I started chargeing a fixed shipping price like most mail order companies have been chargeing for years.
IF prices for Priority go up to much I will switch my shipping to First class media mail only and with the $$ saved on actual postage I will go back to Buying the boxes to ship in.
When you Really Look at the priority rates you will find there so called free boxes cost you nearly 2 times more then buying them in bulk.
I figure them red white and blue priority boxes end up costing my buyers about $2.25 each the rest is for the actual shipping cost.
http://www.Dman-N-Company.com
Email [email protected]
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ahc3
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posted on January 10, 2002 03:08:16 PM new
It really bugs me that the press reports the increase as a penny, or in this case 3 cents. Most reasonable people figure no problem, I can deal with 3 cents more. What do I send out, 10 letters a month, that is less than $4 per year more....
If that were only it though. Rates to send packages has increased at an unbelievable pace. On January 1, 2001 it cost $3.20 to send a 20 ounce package from California to New York. It currently costs $3.95, and under the new rules I believe will cost well over $5.00 to send it.
I think zoned charges for 1 pound and over are going to really hurt auctioneers a lot! I know I will limit what I purchase online, because the shipping cost will be really high depending on where it is coming from. Who needs the internet tax, just have the USPS kill online businesses, because this effectively is what is going to happen.
Most sellers after June 30 (which is when this hike will go into effect) will not be able to quote a shipping rate in their auction, they will have to get questions from bidders and then look up the rates. It's going to get ugly, folks...
And for those who shrug it off and say no big deal, it is only 3 cents, this will cause prices to increase, because most businesses rely on mail for delivery, and those expenses are going to skyrocket.
I think the USPS needs to be dissolved and a new system take its place. Management is inept, and the employee union is just too strong. At this point I am for privitization (which I have resisted to date) because I see no other option. I suppose that with the new zoned rates, perhaps they will lose a lot of business to UPS and FedEx and that will push for something to change.
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trkirk
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posted on January 10, 2002 06:20:22 PM new
The reason for the proposed rate increase is because of the expense involved in cleaning up mail sorting facilities, treating contaminated mail, testing and treating exposed employees, the expense of sending the mail in trucks rather than on planes, the loss of revenue from a drastic drop in mail volume all after the attacks on September 11th. While Congress passes out billions of dollars to airlines and other business damaged by the attacks they will not give a dime to the postal service to help it through this trouble that was for once not their fault.
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holdenrex
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posted on January 10, 2002 07:54:37 PM new
trkirk, the sad thing is this USPS rate proposal was developed before the September 11th attacks and subsequent anthrax attacks, so those expenses aren't even factored into this proposed increase. Note that the date of the proposal document is October 1st, which is prior to the first anthrax case even being reported. At the time this proposal was being developed, the skyrocketing gas prices of early last year were the scapegoat for the increase.
"Most sellers after June 30 (which is when this hike will go into effect)".....
Nope, we have 'til September - all the USPS documents say the rate increase will not take place prior to September '02.
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cybercomputing
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posted on January 11, 2002 02:03:21 AM new
Our business uses USPS Priority for any packages 3-4 pounds and under .. Because the price is right ...the service is okay ... If/when the rates go up, we already have a UPS Pickup account ..i think we will be doing more business with them ..even their ground service isn't "that" slow when it comes to delivery times ...sometimes close to even priority ... and the cost is cheaper for items over 4-5 pounds ... since that is the "base" wait it seems ... Just my opinion =)
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ahc3
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posted on January 11, 2002 09:31:48 AM new
No, it will most likely be June 30, it is an all but done deal that has been reported in the past week. The major opponents of this (direct mailers) will agree to the hike if the USPS promises not to request another hike in 2002. That means that probably in March, it will be decided that the rates will take affect as proposed, and 6 months after they go into affect, they can request higher rates (Those should take the usual 10 or 11 months to implement though)
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gsullepscusps1
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posted on January 11, 2002 09:36:42 AM new
Hi. I am sub-contracted by the USPS. I am new to this message posting stuff. I can help folks with their Priority shipping. Am I allowed to share more details about this on this message board? I read the terms etc., but am still not sure. This is all on the up and up. I can give FREE Delivery Confirmation on all Priority shipments. Please advise. Please email me with questions.
[email protected]
[ edited by gsullepscusps1 on Jan 11, 2002 10:11 AM ]
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quickdraw29
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posted on January 11, 2002 09:45:48 AM new
As long as you don't solicit you can share your wisdom.
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ebstuff
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posted on January 11, 2002 10:13:39 AM new
USPS says the boxes they send are the property of the USPS and misuse (like for UPS) may violate federal law. Assuming one can deal with the box printing, does the USPS still own the used box? food for thought.
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gsullepscusps1
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posted on January 11, 2002 10:20:27 AM new
Fortunately, I do have some wisdom and knowledge to share. Is what I have posted thus far, ok in content and subject? Should I continue in this manner?
[email protected]
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quickdraw29
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posted on January 11, 2002 10:26:15 AM new
No, that's soliciting.
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