Shipping Cost is out of control these days
Summary: In a discussion about the high shipping costs, stainlessenginecovers highlighted the complexity of mail delivery and the challenge of covering the postal service's $9 billion loss by increasing package costs. stainlessenginecovers provided a potential solution to address the postal service deficit by suggesting a small increase in mailing fees. Additionally, the conversation acknowledged the significant role of UPS, noting its market capitalization and enterprise value, and emphasized the importance of balancing postal service finances. This sparked dialogue about the financial aspects of both personal and public postal services.
Had some sales finally after a dead few weeks. Gotta say I am losing my shirt on the cost of shipping. USPS has lost there minds. I have been shipping things for going on 30 years. and every few months, the cost is higher and higher, but lately its every few days. Things under a pund in the USA costing $7 to $10 to ship USPS, FedEx which hands it off to USPS anyway was around 20% less today on every item I had to ship. USPS is going to put them selves out of business if there not careful. And Ebay is going to lose all the items people usually sell in the under $20.00 range. Ebay should stop the fees on Shipping and Tax to help sellers out a little anyway.
atlasesattic
·4 months agoYep, and July 12th it goes up again...
rudy2828
·4 months agoI feel for the buyers when the shipping is more than the item. I have many pairs of pants and shirts and will be selling them maybe 3 to a lot if sizes are same or close. Better than buyer paying multiple ship charges.
I may make less but my aim is to get rid of everything.
fern*wood
·4 months agoI agree postage costs are challenging for selling my stuff now, but I have moved away from using flat rate for anything but a few small 4 oz items. I never want to lose my shirt over postage.
krazzykats
·4 months agoCounterfeit stamp makers definitely hurt the USPS financially. When people steal, the loss ultimately gets passed on to everyone who uses the USPS the right way.
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christworks
·4 months ago@godzillafan2020 You need to figure out a way to adapt. That's the bottom line. I disagree. People wont' stop selling $20 items. Some sellers will be smarter when it comes to how they list them. Others will continue to do the same thing, complain, make excuses, and expect different results.
And FedEx Economy shipping is a valid choice. People like to scare others into not using FedEx. They scream, "Oh, they will charge you more after the fact!" That statement is absolutely false. In fact, I recently recieved a $4 refund from FedEx and the only time I've been charged extra is when I messed up and entered in the wrong side of a box. People get charged more because they try to be slick and fudge their dimensions or they do not realize that FedEx always rounds up.
lakefor94
·4 months ago@christworks
I just "hear" about more issues with FedEx deliveries. We are considered rural. There is no telling what kind of vehicle will pull up here with a FedEx delivery. Rented box trucks, contractors in vans, 2 and 4 door cars, many others models as well.
But these days, price is going to rule in a lot of cases and I understand that they will get the job done most all the time.
mtgraves7984
·4 months agoTrust me, FOX News has never said Biden started a war with Iran. Fuel is up, but postage won't come down when fuel does.
tobaccocardyahoo
·4 months ago70% of all postal routes in the US do not generate enough revenue to cover the costs of deliveries 6 days each week.
No politician of either party will propose a subsidy or allow USPS to reduce the number of deliveries.
In Denmark, they recently discontinued delivering letters. If no action is taken, that could be the result of facing the reality of USPS' problems.
jdbelt1960
·4 months agoI am not sure why we compare ourselves to what other countries are doing. I remember when we led and other countries wanted the benefits that we have.
eoma689485
·4 months agoLetter delivery by the Post Office does not face direct competition, providing the Postal Service with a steady and reliable source of revenue.
Packages on the other hand - heavy competition.
Shifting to a 5 day letter delivery would actually save some money, as long as packages continued to be delivered on the sixth day - a lot of people have medication delivered by mail.
ryry-jj
·4 months agoSellers need to raise their prices so they dont "lose their shirt". Why sellers refuse to cover their cost on any part of selling is beyond me. Doesnt matter if "free" shipping or a fixed shipping, you need to raise your prices to cover costs, even cover the FVF portion on cost
roccotacodad54
·4 months agoTry and look at it this way. What if they charged us what it actually cost ?
stainlessenginecovers
·4 months agoThey shipped 7.3 Billion packages last year.
So, if they lost $9 Billion, add about $1.30 to every package and they would break even.
Oh wait, they already did that just the past 2 years????
So how are they 'losing' money then???
jdbelt1960
·4 months agoDelivering mail to every household is a bit more complicated than that.
stainlessenginecovers
·4 months agoSince that $9 billion is for the entire mail delivery/postal system (pensions, gas, trucks, planes, people, dist. centers etc etc) Does NOT matter....
a loss is a loss and a fix is a fix.
Down $9 billion and ship 7.3 Billion Packages at $1.30 more each package, and you are now Even.
jdbelt1960
·4 months agoAs of May 2026, UPS (United Parcel Service) has a net worth, or market capitalization, of approximately $85.87 billion. Its enterprise value—which accounts for both debt and equity—is higher, sitting around $108.73 billion. If I take your word at the $9B cost for USPS that is a bargain.
stainlessenginecovers
·4 months ago@jdbelt1960 It came from Google and post #5. It's accurate and the fix is easy. Add $1.30 to each package and break even.
USPS Net Loss in Fiscal Year 2025
The U.S. Postal Service reported a net loss of $9.0 billion for fiscal year 2025, ending September 30, 2025
bonanza125
·4 months agoUSPS has been losing billions for years. They rely on funding to stay alive which they may not get this year. So when you say "this will put them out of business if there not careful" well they kind of are financially speaking. They are actually the most reasonable when it comes to charges even with the price hikes. There is always reasons for increases and you will continue to see increases in the future as well. Ebay will not stop charging fees on shipping cause sellers will just take advantage of the situation and charge a cheap item fee but a high flat rate shipping cost fee which if there is no shipping cost fee the seller doesn't pay fees on the item other than the lowball amount. Not happening. My suggestion to you is either charge the correct amount in shipping cost and the buyer pays you or if nobody purchases items due to shipping being high then sell local.
stainlessenginecovers
·4 months agoFor USPS Ground Advantage there is NO zip to zip that costs $10 for under a pound. $8.13 is the new 'max (unless maybe at the counter where you pay retail?)
Fedex- you gotta watch it as that 'label' is just an estimate and it is well known that they come back for MORE $$ later (and ebay just 'takes' it from you).
jdbelt1960
·4 months agoPeople blame the price increases on USPS when it is this administration causing the problems. The USPS was never meant to be self-sufficient but rather supplemented by the US government as a service. As federal funding dries up this is what happens. We will miss mail delivery when it is gone.
godzillafan2020
OP4 months agoUSPS is run poorly, to much mgmt and way to many high paid do nothing Employee's. Every change they make or decision is bad. The whole Electric Mail Truck Fiasco is proof, Billions of dollars wasted on Vehicles that do not work and they got hardly any of them anyway before they scrapped the whole idea. This was Biden era crap.
eoma689485
·4 months ago"This was Biden era crap."
Not really...
The USPS, under Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, initiated the plan to replace its aging fleet, aiming for a mix of electric and low-emission vehicles.
Louis DeJoy was appointed Postmaster General in May 2020 by the USPS Board of Governors, a panel appointed by President Donald Trump.
Last year the post office lost 9 Billion Dollars
frugalmarketplace
·4 months ago@eoma689485
BINGO!!!!!!!!
1786davycrockett
·4 months ago@godzillafan2020
"This was Biden era crap."
Nope -- the Postmaster General that served during the Biden administration was actually appointed by Trump, in May 2020 -- 6 months before Biden was elected.
godzillafan2020
OP4 months agoIt is kind of amazing that people pick up on the Biden thing and not the fact that cost to ship with USPS is whacked and that FedEx is now less money for most items If I ship anything more than a few states away or over 10 oz it seems as of this morning anyway. USPS is poorly run and has been for well over 25 years under many Presidents including Biden and Trump.
jdbelt1960
·4 months agoDo you realize FedEx, UPS and other private shippers rely on USPS to deliver to unprofitable areas?
1786davycrockett
·4 months ago@godzillafan2020
"It is kind of amazing that people pick up on the Biden thing and not the fact that cost to ship with USPS is whacked"
Because your "fact" regarding Biden was incorrect -- that's why.
fern*wood
·4 months agoI'm sure privatizing USPS will take care of the high paid management at the top. 🙄