Big price increase with the Post office 2019

[dptedora]

If favorably reviewed by the PRC, the new prices will include a 5-cent increase in the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp, from 50 cents to 55 cents. The single-piece additional ounce price will be reduced to 15 cents, so a 2-ounce stamped letter, such as a typical wedding invitation, will cost less to mail, decreasing from 71 cents to 70 cents.

First-Class Package Service, a lightweight expedited offering used primarily by businesses for fulfillment purposes, will move to zone-based pricing to better align with the cost of service and improve value based on distance.

he proposed Mailing Services price changes include:

Product
Letters (1 oz.)
Letters additional ounces
Letters (metered 1 oz.)
Outbound International Letters (1 oz.)
Domestic Postcards  

Current
50 cents
21 cents
47 cents
$1.15
35 cents

Proposed
55 cents
15 cents
50 cents
$1.15
35 cents

The proposed domestic Priority Mail Retail Flat Rate price changes are:

Product
Small Flat Rate Box
Medium Flat Rate Box
Large Flat Rate Box
APO/FPO Large Flat Rate Box
Regular Flat Rate Envelope
Legal Flat Rate Envelope
Padded Flat Rate Envelope

Current
$7.20
$13.65
$18.90
$17.40
$6.70
$7.00
$7.25

Proposed
$7.90
$14.35
$19.95
$18.45
$7.35
$7.65
$8.00

First-Class Package Service, a lightweight expedited offering used primarily by businesses for fulfillment purposes, will move to zone-based pricing to better align with the cost of service and improve value based on distance.

[fine_find]

Thank you. It appears that the post office has re-written their box sizes so no one will notice what they did. It's nice to know there are others who have seen the originals and know the differences in the sizes when compared to what they have now.

[fine_find]

I don't use the flat-rate boxes either. Like you, I use regular Priority for the same reasons. But I did use them long ago when the sizes were different and fit what I was selling better.

[fine_find]

Sorry, that message I left for you was meant for disneyshopper.

[fine_find]

You have no idea just how close to truth you really are. I read what their plans are for the future and it was all about China. Very little was said about the US sellers. Really sad. 😞

[usgamecollector]

these price changes are normal, they happen every year this amount. I blame inflation and gas prices.

What is bad is first class changing to zone based instead of a flat charge. That is going to screw over a lot of ebay sellers.

Does anyone know if international costs are increasing in Jan?

[vintageantique77]

Not too off topic, but I had the unfortunate honor of working as a mail carrier for 1 year here in NC, and I can tell you the place hemorrhages money like a manager gambling on his own game, They use outdated gas guzzling vehicles, and pay the boys they hired in the 80's about 30$/hr at the moment. Coupons and Amazon/EBay is what's keeping them afloat, don't believe anything other..... New hires like myself used to make 22/hr, it got cut to 16/hr, and they lost a boat load of guys....I still wish buyers didn't pretend like shipping isn't a real thing, and is a worthless cost..... Takes money to do this business, baby. You'll pay more in the store vs eBay labels..... Thank GOD for labels....

It's a mess...

[drusalina]

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@usgamecollector wrote:
these price changes are normal, they happen every year this amount. I blame inflation and gas prices.

What is bad is first class changing to zone based instead of a flat charge. That is going to screw over a lot of ebay sellers.

Does anyone know if international costs are increasing in Jan?

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Changing First Class to zone based is bad for me.  I will have to eliminate Free Shipping and do all calculated, since it will cost me more to ship across the US.  Even though it isn't much more, it still hurts your profit.   Thanks for the heads up.   I think most buyers realize that Free Shipping isn't really free anyway.  

Don't be fooled by eBay's discounts.  You get the same discounts if you use PayPal.   It is printing your label at home that gets you the discount instead of counter service, which is more. 

[div_style]

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@az.sales wrote:

If you use stamps then that is a good thing (55+15=70 instead of 50+21=71).  You save one cent if you send 2 oz.  

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But if you have any of those non-denominated 21-cent stamps you should use them up before the price change after which they will be worth only 15 cents.

[ekmadonna]

"I blame inflation and gas prices"? Really gas prices have been slashed in half from almost $5.00 a gallon to under $3.00 for the last 3 years, so it ain't the cost of fuel going up, sorry! It's to fund the Chinese and the bloated out of control USPS PENSION FUND plain and simple.

[sonoranboutique]

It's kind of dumb that USPS increases their prices faster than inflation.  I mean, we the people pay for USPS with our taxes.  Why do they need to increase their profitability faster than the inflation rate?

[sonoranboutique]

Also zone-based pricing on First class is stupid.  It's only going to weaken our economy if California is discouraged from doing business with New York because of zone-based pricing.  Same reason a stamped letter costs the same if you're sending it next door or to someone in Hawaii.  USPS is supposed to be a government service that facilitates communication and business, not disrupt and complicate everything with zone-based charges.

I can see why they'd need zone-based pricing for Priority Mail since packages can often be very heavy, but on First Class it's just stupid.

[moondogblues]

and the bloated out of control USPS PENSION FUND plain and simple.

You can thank Congress for that.

[moondogblues]

" USPS is supposed to be a government service that facilitates communication and business, not disrupt and complicate everything with zone-based charges."

The USPS is no longer a government entity.....

[the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth]

@sonoranboutique USPS gets no money from taxes. They’re a quasi government agency burdened with a huge ridiculous pension requirement.

[v7bbn_0]

I can remember shipping small flat rates and padded flat rates for $5...

Now it's going to be $8...

This stuff inflates faster than cigarettes, but why am I paying a sin tax on shipping?

Someone else mentioned it's going up faster than inflation, truly it is pretty ridiculous, soon we'll be paying $10 for a small flat rate box.

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@vintageantique77 wrote:
Not too off topic, but I had the unfortunate honor of working as a mail carrier for 1 year here in NC, and I can tell you the place hemorrhages money like a manager gambling on his own game, They use outdated gas guzzling vehicles, and pay the boys they hired in the 80's about 30$/hr at the moment.
It's a mess...

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I find it odd that you're defending their practices while pointing out that it's their own fault at the same time.