"USPS strikes again" Topic

I just went to the Post Office and found out they have raised rates again. I get the distinct impression that they simply do not care how this is going to affect commerce. I guess I need to contact my congressmen and complain for whatever that will actually be worth. They have strayed into the absurd amount for their service territory.

Buy Forever stamps?

Unless you are shipping something light, mailing a package is a killer. Not too many people want to pay 15 to 20 dollar shipping on a 15 to 20 dollar item.

Go to the UPS store. For some plastic sprues that I sent to a TMPer in Singapore, it was four dollars less to ship it UPS.

I'm almost getting the walking-exercise done that my Dr. wants me to do by taking the daily delivered mail from my house to my neighbors' house to which the mail is actually addressed. More for less, I guess. Plus my heart is getting more exercise.

Yea, last time I checked for pricing in the USA, for shipping a large, but light package, UPS was far cheaper.

Apparently, the USPS is unaware, or unwilling to acknowledge that fuel prices dropped by about 40% – 50% quite a while back, since they never dropped the package rates.

We did get a slight 2 cent discount on letters, but I imagine that's over now too, since they said Forever Stamps were increasing in price last Sunday, again.

It's good to have a monopoly/oligopoly, apparently.

Congress passed a law forcing the USPS to fully pre-fund it's pension plan. No business ever did this because it doesn't make any sense. The motivation was that they hated the postal workers' union, which was contributing to the wrong side.

Anyhow, a large faction in Congress doesn't care about damage to the Postal Service or knock-off damage to the economy.

Don't bother complaining to your representatives.

Please don't ship to Canada by UPS – their so-called "customs brokerage fees" can cost the buyer as much as the shipping and the value of the lot, combined!

Emckinney is correct.

I'm also with emckinney.

If you're going to be selling a good amount of stuff, ship through PayPal and use USPS Priority flat rate boxes.

If you're going to be shipping lots and lots of stuff, buy a $10 USD digital scale, dust off the printer, and save up some Amazon boxes to reuse. As long as you're mailing something within a few hundred miles Priority in your own box is much cheaper than flat rate.

Either way, use Paypal.com/shipnow for a substantial discount.

I've always considered the USPS one of the great bargains of the world. Consider what they do: Take something and send it anywhere in the world for a few dollars. The few times I've tried UPS they have charged several times what the USPS did for the same package.

Please don't ship to Canada by UPS – their so-called "customs brokerage fees" can cost the buyer as much as the shipping and the value of the lot, combined!

yep, it is sooo bad that if the other side tells me they are using UPS it is an instant deal breaker :(

I recall one or two price reductions in the USPS postage rate in recent months. In the recent times, there seems to be more thought and practice to price adjustments to offset costs and savings.

Also, emckinney +1

I found out about the increase in stamp price and bought two rolls of 100 each. I am good for a long time. UPS is cheaper to ship than USPS in U.S. according to weight. But be careful they adjust price for size of box. Don't use a box that is under filled. The reason I was given is Amazon uses large boxes to ship small items. I've noticed that my Amazon orders have been coming recently in boxes just large enough to fit the items. UPS is cheaper if you ship to business address as well. If you can get a lot of heavy items in a USPS box it could be cheaper than USPS.

The USPS is still my preferred carrier. In my last apartment in Brooklyn, there was no lobby as the building was just a little house carved up into apartments – as so very many properties in Brooklyn. I stopped using UPS, or anything that shipped via UPS, because they would just leave the package there on the street for others to help themselves to. At least USPS would leave a delivery notice and call again another day if I was not there to accept delivery.

"The motivation was that they hated the postal workers' union, which was contributing to the wrong side."

That is simply false. The Postal Accountability & Enhancement Act had 163 co-sponsors when introduce in the House in 2005, 104 Democrats, 58 Republicans and 1 Independent. The bill passed on 26 Jul of 2005. The vote was 410 to 20 and 3 not voting. The 20 who voted "No" were all Republicans. The bill passed the Senate, with changes, on 9 Feb 2006. Since there were changes the bill died.

On 7 December the bill, with changes noted in the Senate version, was reintroduced in the House by 2 Democrats and 1 Republican. It passed the next day on a voice vote. Congressman Mike Pence (R-Indiana) asked for a recording of the votes but that was denied and the bill merely noted as passed. The Senate passed the bill the next day.

As I understand, there is no approval needed for anything but the cost of a first class stamp. So the rate increases have been frequent and sometimes just plain craziness, especially for Priority and International.

And the staff knows less and less with each new person they add. As someone who ships thousands of parcels a year I can tell you I know more about how to prepare my mail than the counter staff.

I find that the flat rate boxes are the best option for delivering things (and unlike UPS, around here it might actually arrive to its intended destination).

I don't think I've mailed an actual letter for a decade so can't speak to that.

Never had a problem with USPS, some with UPS, avoid FedEx like the plague.

I have tried a few times to purchase items from either private sellers or stores in the US and even when they eat some of the cost of the shipping it's been cheaper (or near the same cost) to order it online from the UK. Just yesterday I was going to order a bag of cavalry from Old Glory and the postage and handling was $78 USD USD to Canada.

I've been waiting for the post office to deliver the miniatures I've ordered from Cool Stuff Inc. The website said about 5-14 days, and the deadline is drawing near. It definitely has taken longer than usual.

Still ship Flat Rate on most of my customers orders. If I remember right part of USPS's problem is also the feds grab a chunk of their income. If all the money we paid for shipping went straight to the USPS things would work better…but they got to get their graft in Washington.

I've had nothing but excellent service and delivery results from the USPS.

I have a good relationship with all of the window clerks and we know each other by name. When they see me coming to the window they say, " sending more little men again?"

For US domestic service, many of my packages arrive within two days using first class and Priority Mail. International shipments arrive within 5-10 business days. I've gotten quotes from UPS for international delivery and the prices are twice what I would pay through USPS.

Needless to say, I'm a very happy customer 😀