@soh.maryl on the local mail question........ I imagine they send it back to the sorting center as that is done my machine........doesn't take up employee time to sort thru whatever volume of local mail there is. At our PO the mail comes from the sorting center sorted as to route......and to address in route. 102 main/104 main, etc.
I doubt local PO's could devote the time to sorting it.....much less sticking it in the route bundle in the proper order which they would have to do before the carrier comes in to pick it up.......
Thank you for that info. But why was the local PO able to devote the time to sorting it some years ago, but they don't have time to do that now, especially considering what has to be a decreased volume of mail as I outlined in my previous post? They can't employ enough people, but can pay for gas and personnel to haul mail around?
Please understand: Am not against the USPS. Just would like to get a better grip on why their current way of handling the mail makes sense.
Thank you for that info. But why was the local PO able to devote the time to sorting it some years ago, but they don't have time to do that now, especially considering what has to be a decreased volume of mail as I outlined in my previous post? They can't employ enough people, but can pay for gas and personnel to haul mail around?
Please understand: Am not against the USPS. Just would like to get a better grip on why their current way of handling the mail makes sense.
Years ago a much higher percentage of letter volume went local. I live in St. Charles. MO. I have lived in my current home 16 years, in that time I haven't sent more than a half dozen local letters. It doesn't make any financial sense for the local post office to be searching through the outgoing mail by hand looking for unicorns when they can just leave the unicorns in with the rest of it to go through the big automated sort machine at the next hub, and then just let the unicorns come back.
I retired from the USPS in 2009, after 40 years. Back in the day, if you went inside the lobby of your local post office to drop off outgoing mail, there was also a slot for "Local" mail. I was not involved with the processing of that mail, I just remember that slot for local mail. So, it was handled separately from the other outgoing mail.
My point was that, in general, there has to be less volume of mail for various reasons.
So, if my local PO was able to handle the volume of mail without having it go to a central hub first, what's changed that they are unable to handle a lesser volume of mail at this time? Is mail tracking adding to their workload?
Add enough handling charges to your item to cover the 13% fee....or raise your items cost slightly. I think the handling charges is the 'quieter' way to do it...........is quieter a word?
Why is everyone so angry at the Post Office? Is it an easy target? People seem to want to use its problems as an excuse to shut it down. Are Americans so powerless they want to cut off their own nose and pretend they are powerful? Then Americans will lose an essential technology, which would be to the benefit of the billionaire class.
Maybe some of us see the USPS as inefficient? And some sellers see the increased rates as a step against their bottom line. Personally, since I no longer sell and rarely buy on line, my only complaint is the general backwardness of all our mail going first to a large city 40 miles north, even local mail like a birthday card for a grandchild who lives just across town. It seems to me that the PO's volume of first class mail (not talking about packages here) should logically have decreased due to the fact that we can now pay our bills on line, order merchandise on line etc. So there is less first class mail going through the postal system but more packages, so that's the reason we now have certain hubs that our mail has to go to first and adding miles to the trip for our mail is somehow efficient? Yes, I have posted about this before. Am not "angry at the post office", just don't understand their modus operandi currently.
Where I live they consolidated everything down into Hartford CT. The local town tax assessors sent out bills that ended up in Georgia and it was a big deal to waive the late fees. We still have a slot for local mail and our postal people seem to want to take care of things. I go into the old Great Barrington station sometimes and they are helpful and I like the old PO architecture, but this little boy started whining to his mother he didn't like it in there because there were no video screens. While the PO sells money orders they often don't have the cash on hand to cash them. The new software that rounds out pennies is pandering to the antipenny lobby. They paid for that software that doesn't provide revenue.
At my local PO that I rarely have a reason to enter, they taped off the slot where you could deposit local mail. Did notice that some patron had tried to pry the tape off. They apparently use some very high quality tape at the PO.
The fee is on top of the shipping, they aren't taking a piece of it. If you don't add the 13.5% to the shipping fee you are losing. Customers think it costs me a 78c stamp to send them a postcard - but I have to pay 13.5% on top of the 78c, plus the 30c fee, and the material used. Ask yourself if the fee is worth 24 hour viewing and shopping for a global customer base.
I usually just charge what USPS charge for shipping. didn't know eBay got a percentage of it?
Ebay gets a percentage in two ways. First, their FVF is of course applied to the shipping charge. Second, Ebay claims that they pass along a USPS shipping discount to buyers but they don't claim they pass along 100% of that discount. Every time USPS fees go up Ebay makes a little extra profit without doing a thing.
I usually just charge what USPS charge for shipping. didn't know eBay got a percentage of it?
When the USPS added an 8% "fuel surcharge" (a bunch of bunk), eBay's fees increase on that 8% by default; but again, it is not eBay that should be chastised, it is the US Postal Service raising rates too fast and too high because they, as a business, have no other means to make money other than postage, and this is because it is a poorly managed entity on the financial side and on the sales and marketing side. Never be happy when you see a paid advertisement by the USPS on television because it is a waste of money and time. Let me know when the USPS starts selling Bruce Lee T-Shirts with their Bruce Lee Stamps since they haven't a clue to come up with (or to be allowed to produce) that idea.-----they did for the stamps which has been the best stamp since Looney Tunes.
I usually just charge what USPS charge for shipping. didn't know eBay got a percentage of it?
When the USPS added an 8% "fuel surcharge" (a bunch of bunk), eBay's fees increase on that 8% by default; but again, it is not eBay that should be chastised, it is the US Postal Service raising rates too fast and too high because they, as a business, have no other means to make money other than postage, and this is because it is a poorly managed entity on the financial side and on the sales and marketing side. Never be happy when you see a paid advertisement by the USPS on television because it is a waste of money and time. Let me know when the USPS starts selling Bruce Lee T-Shirts with their Bruce Lee Stamps since they haven't a clue to come up with (or to be allowed to produce) that idea.-----they did for the stamps which has been the best stamp since Looney Tunes.
You call it "bunk"
I call it "covering costs of fuel"
Potato, tomato.
You can be mad at USPS for the fuel surcharge all you want, but it's not USPS who started a war with Iran. Elections have consequences.
Also wondered why/how an eBay seller with that much experience could ask that question; however, refrained from remarking on it to avoid adverse reactions.
Also wondered why/how an eBay seller with that much experience could ask that question; however, refrained from remarking on it to avoid adverse reactions.
LOL; I couldn't refrain due to the adverse reaction it would cause on my own psyche.
I usually just charge what USPS charge for shipping. didn't know eBay got a percentage of it?
Then you’re losing money every time on shipping. eBay charges a fee on the shipping you charge. Best you raise that shipping price if you don’t want to keep losing money on it.
eBay's final value fee, charged to a seller when his item sells, is calculated as a percentage of the total of the item price, the state sales tax if applicable, and the SHIPPING FEE plus 30 or 40 cents.
dhbookds
·4 months ago@soh.maryl on the local mail question........ I imagine they send it back to the sorting center as that is done my machine........doesn't take up employee time to sort thru whatever volume of local mail there is. At our PO the mail comes from the sorting center sorted as to route......and to address in route. 102 main/104 main, etc.
I doubt local PO's could devote the time to sorting it.....much less sticking it in the route bundle in the proper order which they would have to do before the carrier comes in to pick it up.......
soh.maryl
·4 months agoThank you for that info. But why was the local PO able to devote the time to sorting it some years ago, but they don't have time to do that now, especially considering what has to be a decreased volume of mail as I outlined in my previous post? They can't employ enough people, but can pay for gas and personnel to haul mail around?
Please understand: Am not against the USPS. Just would like to get a better grip on why their current way of handling the mail makes sense.
onefootflipper
·4 months agoYears ago a much higher percentage of letter volume went local. I live in St. Charles. MO. I have lived in my current home 16 years, in that time I haven't sent more than a half dozen local letters. It doesn't make any financial sense for the local post office to be searching through the outgoing mail by hand looking for unicorns when they can just leave the unicorns in with the rest of it to go through the big automated sort machine at the next hub, and then just let the unicorns come back.
chewgumwalk
·4 months agoI retired from the USPS in 2009, after 40 years. Back in the day, if you went inside the lobby of your local post office to drop off outgoing mail, there was also a slot for "Local" mail. I was not involved with the processing of that mail, I just remember that slot for local mail. So, it was handled separately from the other outgoing mail.
soh.maryl
·4 months agoMy point was that, in general, there has to be less volume of mail for various reasons.
So, if my local PO was able to handle the volume of mail without having it go to a central hub first, what's changed that they are unable to handle a lesser volume of mail at this time? Is mail tracking adding to their workload?
Not bad mouthing the USPS, just wondering.
ryry-jj
·4 months agoAdd enough handling charges to your item to cover the 13% fee....or raise your items cost slightly. I think the handling charges is the 'quieter' way to do it...........is quieter a word?
inhawaii
·4 months agoNow you know.
Charge accordingly.
deltilogical
·4 months agoWhy is everyone so angry at the Post Office? Is it an easy target? People seem to want to use its problems as an excuse to shut it down. Are Americans so powerless they want to cut off their own nose and pretend they are powerful? Then Americans will lose an essential technology, which would be to the benefit of the billionaire class.
soh.maryl
·4 months agoMaybe some of us see the USPS as inefficient? And some sellers see the increased rates as a step against their bottom line. Personally, since I no longer sell and rarely buy on line, my only complaint is the general backwardness of all our mail going first to a large city 40 miles north, even local mail like a birthday card for a grandchild who lives just across town. It seems to me that the PO's volume of first class mail (not talking about packages here) should logically have decreased due to the fact that we can now pay our bills on line, order merchandise on line etc. So there is less first class mail going through the postal system but more packages, so that's the reason we now have certain hubs that our mail has to go to first and adding miles to the trip for our mail is somehow efficient? Yes, I have posted about this before. Am not "angry at the post office", just don't understand their modus operandi currently.
deltilogical
·4 months agoWhere I live they consolidated everything down into Hartford CT. The local town tax assessors sent out bills that ended up in Georgia and it was a big deal to waive the late fees. We still have a slot for local mail and our postal people seem to want to take care of things. I go into the old Great Barrington station sometimes and they are helpful and I like the old PO architecture, but this little boy started whining to his mother he didn't like it in there because there were no video screens. While the PO sells money orders they often don't have the cash on hand to cash them. The new software that rounds out pennies is pandering to the antipenny lobby. They paid for that software that doesn't provide revenue.
soh.maryl
·4 months agoAt my local PO that I rarely have a reason to enter, they taped off the slot where you could deposit local mail. Did notice that some patron had tried to pry the tape off. They apparently use some very high quality tape at the PO.
soh.maryl
·4 months agoTo clarify, I am NOT angry at the PO and have no desire to see it shut down.
Why would shutting down the USPS system be "of benefit to the billionaire class"?
Don't they receive and send mail also?
chapeau-noir
·4 months agoThe billionaire class would buy the USPS make it a private entity. The price would not go down.
deltilogical
·4 months agoThe fee is on top of the shipping, they aren't taking a piece of it. If you don't add the 13.5% to the shipping fee you are losing. Customers think it costs me a 78c stamp to send them a postcard - but I have to pay 13.5% on top of the 78c, plus the 30c fee, and the material used. Ask yourself if the fee is worth 24 hour viewing and shopping for a global customer base.
johnrj1226
·4 months agoeBay has been charging a fee on shipping since 2010/11 as I recall.
m60driver
·4 months agoEbay gets a percentage in two ways. First, their FVF is of course applied to the shipping charge. Second, Ebay claims that they pass along a USPS shipping discount to buyers but they don't claim they pass along 100% of that discount. Every time USPS fees go up Ebay makes a little extra profit without doing a thing.
shado-x
·4 months agoWhen the USPS added an 8% "fuel surcharge" (a bunch of bunk), eBay's fees increase on that 8% by default; but again, it is not eBay that should be chastised, it is the US Postal Service raising rates too fast and too high because they, as a business, have no other means to make money other than postage, and this is because it is a poorly managed entity on the financial side and on the sales and marketing side. Never be happy when you see a paid advertisement by the USPS on television because it is a waste of money and time. Let me know when the USPS starts selling Bruce Lee T-Shirts with their Bruce Lee Stamps since they haven't a clue to come up with (or to be allowed to produce) that idea.-----they did for the stamps which has been the best stamp since Looney Tunes.
kibble-net
·4 months agoYou call it "bunk"
I call it "covering costs of fuel"
Potato, tomato.
You can be mad at USPS for the fuel surcharge all you want, but it's not USPS who started a war with Iran. Elections have consequences.
stainlessenginecovers
·4 months ago20 year member, sold 1800+ items and you are JUST NOW asking/discovering this??
EVERY listing you EVER created shows this WHEN you click the 'LIST IT'.
soh.maryl
·4 months agoAlso wondered why/how an eBay seller with that much experience could ask that question; however, refrained from remarking on it to avoid adverse reactions.
stainlessenginecovers
·4 months agoLOL; I couldn't refrain due to the adverse reaction it would cause on my own psyche.
onefootflipper
·4 months agoHow did you sell 1800 items and just now realize that, that change happened like 15 years ago.
iamalwaysright
·4 months agoThen you’re losing money every time on shipping. eBay charges a fee on the shipping you charge. Best you raise that shipping price if you don’t want to keep losing money on it.
krazzykats
·4 months agoYes, eBay fees are on the total sale. Price, sales taxes and shipping...
ᓚᘏᗢ
soh.maryl
·4 months agoeBay's final value fee, charged to a seller when his item sells, is calculated as a percentage of the total of the item price, the state sales tax if applicable, and the SHIPPING FEE plus 30 or 40 cents.