USPS Rate Increase, May 11

[drawdog5]

http://pe.usps.com/PriceChange_May2009/PDF/PriceList/PriceList.pdf It's a 44 page document that'll make your head spin, but if you go to the first page, look over on the right - the Extra Services column. Then at the Quick References. The pages under Quick References have it boiled down nicely for the basics that I think most of us use. -- -Ann "Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend - inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." ~ Groucho Marx

[artistjillian]

Oh poop! :( -- ~Jillian artist, Jillian Crider ... google me!

[poozybear]

It looks like letters are only going up by two cents an ounce. My ACEOs and decals currently ship at the 2 ounce rate with non-machinable surcharge for 79¢, which will be raised to 81¢. The non-machinable surcharge is holding at 20¢ (still a sore spot with me as they continually run my non-machinable items through the machine anyway). Priority mail rates appear to be unchanged (I think they raised them late last year). At least that's a relief. USPS priority mail package rate is becoming so cost prohibitive that I'm now using Fed-Ex for larger items. A large (and the term "large" is a real stretch) flat rate box is $13.95. Ouch! -- Kathy

[drawdog5]

It's not a huge increase, but they've been increasing rates yearly for a number of years now, so it's adding up. Nearly 50 cents for a plain old letter is obscene, IMO. And this won't solve their money crunch problem - people are just going to use the internet/e-mail whenever possible. -- -Ann "Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend - inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." ~ Groucho Marx -- Edited by drawdog5 at 04/29/2009 12:07 AM PDT

[poozybear]

No, it definitely won't solve their money problems. They seem to be using the same business model as eBay: continue making incremental fee increases while lowering your level of customer service, and people will just accept it. Really, they will. I've been moving to the Internet for most things that can be done electronically. I haven't written a check in over three years. All the bills get paid online now. -- Kathy

[pinkshudders]

I used to work for an orthopaedic surgeon, and the Post Office's dirty little secret is their worker's comp problem - so many carriers come in with bogus back issues and stay off work for years, earning close to what they do working. My doctor hated frauds, and would send the office girl down to the parking lot to watch them go their car - amazing how many came in limping and bent, but walked normally back. They did not get the report they wanted on their next visit - but it's not hard to find a doctor who will write down whatever they want. And I agree - I use so few checks now I am still using my Crocodile Hunter box, which tells you how old they are! I love internet banking and Paypal. Vena

[poozybear]

I had a mailman once who told me he was going on medical leave for a foot problem, from walking too much. I remember thinking WTF? What walking? When I was a kid, the mailman used to carry a bag, and walk the entire route, but these days they just drive up in their Jeep and throw the mail in box (and usually the wrong box at that). -- Kathy

[poozybear]

Just bumping this to remind everyone . . . rate increase starts tomorrow. -- Kathy

[poozybear]

Whoa! Something to be aware of. I just printed a PayPal label, and it did not reflect the price increase. So I went to the USPS web site, and used their shipping calculator, and they aren't showing the new prices either. If you go to their shipping calculator, and enter a 1 ounce letter for shipping tomorrow, it tells you that the cost is 42¢ (which should be 44¢ as of tomorrow). So everyone use the rate chart than Ann posted. PayPal has not adjusted the rates, so labels printed today could result in items being returned as postage due. -- Kathy

[drawdog5]

Great, just great - glad to see these rate increases are resulting in better efficiency X-( I didn't even think about that when I printed a PayPal label today, good thing I bumped the weight up by an ounce! -- -Ann "Now, go away, or I shall taunt you a second time."

[poozybear]

I really can't believe this. The USPS has known about this increase for a year, yet didn't bother to update their shipping calculator? According to the rate chart, the PayPal labels I just printed were off by five cents, so I added some stamps. There's going to be a whole lot of mail returned to sender for insufficient postage. What a joke. -- Kathy

[poozybear]

I just printed another PayPal label, and the rates are now correct. For some stupid reason, they waited until the exact date of the increase to make the adjustment. Guess it never occurred to them that sellers would be packaging items and printing labels on Sunday. Grrrrr . . . I had to add postage stamps to all the labels I printed yesterday to cover the extra cost. -- Kathy