Post Office closing

[cropcirclesquare24]

If the Post Office is closed down--at least partially in the fall-- by congress, how will that effect your business?

[chapeau-noir]

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@gamersbaystore wrote:

The US Postal service should stop giving China and Amazon a free ride. Amazon gets super discounted rates, I say charge them twice as much, let Amazon fail. Same goes for China. It disgusts me to no end how China can ship anything anywhere in the U.S. for pennies on the dollar.

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The senate also needs to stop sitting on DeFazio's bill to eliminate the pre-funding stupidity that was introduced in the Bush II administration - that's what has really been sinking the USPS - this other stuff is nickle and dime. They actually are self-supporting on their products and delivery services.  This is a bill passed through the House with bipartisan approval, and I can't even find its status since February. 

ETA: Yes, the UPU arrangement for China needs to be eliminated for the entire agreement and China's trade status changed - the subsidized shipping is actually an international problem, not just a domestic one. 

[tools*]

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@jerzee908 wrote:

My next question is, how much has ePacket cost the USPS since it was implemented in 2011?  I'm not just talking the loss in postal costs, also the cost in man power to deliver those said packages?  It has to be in the billions........

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According to the Inspector General's report, ePacket has always been either profitable or revenue neutral. There has never been a loss.

[mrdutch1001]

Canada Post has had several " postal strikes" over the years where there has been no movement of mail for a period of time. It's not an impossibility for any postal system to shut down for any reason for any given amount of time.

Thankfully, there are courier companies out there as alternatives, just more costly to use.

[pburn]

Considering the content of the mail I receive, other than mail order items, I wouldn't even miss USPS. 99.9% junk mail/advertising.

It's too bad, really. Who doesn't love to get mail from someone? One of my close friends is spending this pandemic lock down writing letters to all her dear friends around the country. She's hoping she'll be able to use up all that stationery and notecards she has stashed away.

Someone posted a Facebook meme (so you know it's true) that said if every something-something American something-something would by one book of first-class stamps, the profit would be $1 gazillion dollars something-something to fund USPS for the next five centuries.

Something like that, anyway. I'm paraphrasing, obviously.

[gamersbaystore]

Yep, that 75 year mandate to prefund pensions and healthcare for workers is the whole reason the postal service is bankrupt now. Meanwhile, Trump wants to sell it off to investment firms so we can get robbed every time we ship something, and watch corporate America trash our entire postal system.

[the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth]

Ah, but one of the old men has experience and knows how to find people who know what they’re talking about. if the purpose of the president is to lead, then you need someone who can lead.

The other puts our very lives in the hands of someone whose only qualification is sleeping with the daughter.

[creativecrisis]

There's a grassroots effort happening right now to help the USPS raise short-term revenue. It's simple. Go to usps.com/store/home and buy a sheet of stamps, or some nifty stamped post cards or envelopes, or a set of their beautiful note cards. If you don't normally use stamps or send letters, maybe think about sending snail mail to friends and family. It's wonderful to get a real letter!  Or send letters/cards to folks in nursing homes or assisted living who can't have visitors right now.

[chapeau-noir]

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@tools* wrote:

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@jerzee908 wrote:

My next question is, how much has ePacket cost the USPS since it was implemented in 2011?  I'm not just talking the loss in postal costs, also the cost in man power to deliver those said packages?  It has to be in the billions........

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According to the Inspector General's report, ePacket has always been either profitable or revenue neutral. There has never been a loss.

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Gleaning from what I've read down through the years, the Inspector General has stated that they've lost millions a year handling foreign mail - admittedly, this includes ePacket rather than being only ePacket, but ePacket is one of the largest tranches.  The OIG did suggest that ePacket subsidies be tracked separately from other international mail handling, but that was a while ago.

The biggest difficulty is not only subsidizing an advanced country that is still given 'transitional' status by the UPU (and thus gets subsidies), but the effect it has on the world common market by flooding it with penny packets under this antiquated agreement - as a UPU member, we're not the only country affected by this.  Most bulk shipping from China is by freight - but the 'last mile' is handled by the USPS and other national services.

If nothing else, the UPU needs to stop dragging its feet on this, though I hope a change in agreement doesn't end up being a bargaining chip in our ongoing "trade war" with China.

[picknparley]

"....According to the Inspector General's report, ePacket has always been either profitable or revenue neutral. There has never been a loss....."

So, on the other hand we've been grossly overcharged for the postal service here.  If sending a packet from China for $1 doesn't lose money for USPS then why are we charged $7+ for the smallest Priority package - even to ship it 100 miles, or 10 miles.  We should also get to send it for $1

Of course that's not going to happen.  I'm just comparing their apples to apples.

[reallynicestamps]

I'd be curious to know if any country anywhere at any point in modern history has ever simply shut down its mail delivery.

Yes.

The United Kingdom tried it under the Conservatives.

It was a disaster .

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/apr/01/royal-mail-privatisation-taxpayer-loser

https://weownit.org.uk/public-ownership/royal-mail

[itsjustasprain]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

I'd be curious to know if any country anywhere at any point in modern history has ever simply shut down its mail delivery.

Yes.

The United Kingdom tried it under the Conservatives.

It was a disaster .

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/apr/01/royal-mail-privatisation-taxpayer-loser

https://weownit.org.uk/public-ownership/royal-mail

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Thats talking about privitization in a column written 6 years ago. I dont see any mention in there of them shutting down then or at any time later. Last I heard Royal Mail is still up and running - right?

[uncseniorsportsfan]

Since this is an election year - I see zero chance of Congress closing down the post office in any way in the fall.   

[chapeau-noir]

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@uncseniorsportsfan wrote:

Since this is an election year - I see zero chance of Congress closing down the post office in any way in the fall.   

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True 'dat.

[keziak]

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@pburn wrote:

Considering the content of the mail I receive, other than mail order items, I wouldn't even miss USPS. 99.9% junk mail/advertising.

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I read "somewhere" that its exactly that sort of mail that is most of what the PO takes in. Packages are like 30%.

[chapeau-noir]

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@itsjustasprain wrote:

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

I'd be curious to know if any country anywhere at any point in modern history has ever simply shut down its mail delivery.

Yes.

The United Kingdom tried it under the Conservatives.

It was a disaster .

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/apr/01/royal-mail-privatisation-taxpayer-loser

https://weownit.org.uk/public-ownership/royal-mail

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Thats talking about privitization in a column written 6 years ago. I dont see any mention in there of them shutting down then or at any time later. Last I heard Royal Mail is still up and running - right?

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Royal Mail was privatized in 2015.  It's still part of the UPU, however and designated Postal Service.  Yes, rates went up. 😣  I don't do much shipping of anything when I'm staying in England.