New USPS shipping cost increases seem to be targeted toward rural areas.

[colfaxstation]

Looking through the so called minimal impact to shipping areas, it appears the new USPS rate increases are targeted to rural areas.  Thanks a lot USPS.

[ltldpr]

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@tobaccocardyahoo wrote:

Yup

Costs more to deliver.

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Because of fuel, which is down now from this time last year I've heard? 

I can definitely see where they waste a ton of fuel by going the opposite direction for 40 or more miles to get to the "designated" sorting facility, only to go right back past where a package originated in order to get to its destination, when there are sorting facilities in the direction the package is being mailed to. Absolute definition of inefficiency, but we pay for their bad decisions.

We rural people are being charged more for the same service - and they're supposedly going to slow down our deliveries too. 

We grow the food, produce much of the energy, bury everyone's mountains of garbage, and we pay more for less. Sucks!

[oaklandmaryland]

this change really effects sellers who do not use calculated shipping because one will never know what an exact zip code will be increased by. For me I see too many wrong calculated prices so I don't use it. I also don't like to have to click on an extra link to get the shipping.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@oaklandmaryland wrote: ... I see too many wrong calculated prices so I don't use it. I also don't like to have to click on an extra link to get the shipping.

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Inaccurate calculated postage is extremely rare.  Most examples turn out to be cases of seller error.

A potential buyer does not have to click on an extra link to see the shipping cost in a listing that has calculated shipping.  The calculated shipping shows up automatically, based on the ZIP Codes of the item location and the buyers primary address; in fact, just looking at a listing it's impossible to tell whether you're seeing flat rate or a calculated shipping price.

[dbfolks166mt]

Found it https://community.ebay.com/t5/Shipping/USPS-has-another-Rate-Increase-as-of-Sept-16th-But-just-on-so... 

     That is just the original announcement but there is NO information about the rates or the increase. I also cannot seem to find that information on the USPS site or anywhere on the internet. Given the list of zip codes is so massive I am wondering if the rates vary by zip code. 

[dbfolks166mt]

On top of that, USPS is increasing shipping time to rural areas. Also there's a point of raising shipping costs and making the buyer pay shipping that they will stop buying.

     Do you have a link to more detailed information on this? 

[dbfolks166mt]

I use fixed price shipping and aim to at least break even on it (including the fees) on at least 80% of shipments, in the event that I get too many underpaid shipments on my free shipping listings I will up the shipping. How it works!  Similar on my auction listings, too many with too much loss = price increase. 

     I use fixed price on occasion which is why I have been searching for some more information regarding the particular cost of this new surcharge and whether it is a fixed price surcharge or if it is going to vary depending on the zip code as well as the sellers location . It may become too complex for me to continue to use fixed price shipping and I will simply switch over to calculated and each buyer will see their actual shipping cost. 

[dbfolks166mt]

@onefootflippers wrote:

For those of you worried about free shipping I have to ask why? Your cost to ship can already vary by up to 300 percent, why would a much smaller variance matter to you?

Don't know where you got that bit of hyperbole. I can ship a 2 pound package from Nevada to California for $5.98, and that same package to New England for $8.97. That is a 50% increase, not 300%.

A 5 pound package to Calif is $6.53 and to NE $13.14. That is 100%, not 300%.

     I am on the east coast and can ship a 60 pound box to either Maryland or California for $15.19. 0% variance. 😁

[richard1rst]

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@dbfolks166mt wrote:

On top of that, USPS is increasing shipping time to rural areas. Also there's a point of raising shipping costs and making the buyer pay shipping that they will stop buying.

     Do you have a link to more detailed information on this? 

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Well I can't speak for the USPS but this might at least give a semi-guideline. I buy my postage on Pirateship. They automatically show the UPS and USPS ground advantage prices side by side.

I have noticed that on some ZIP codes they are within pennies of each other. BUT for the same size box they are sometimes $1.50 - $3.00 more. I assume those are the rural ZIPs. UPS has always added an upcharge for rural addresses.

I wouldn't be surprised if the USPS, seeing what UPS is able to charge, came up with a similar price upcharge.

Not scientific I know but at least maybe to preview the eventual sticker shock.

[jg.mason]

Here is the information I was talking about from the other thread.

@wastingtime101 wrote:

Rate increases aren't published in advance (except sometimes for flat rate packaging) unless they're public-facing changes. This is strictly a change for third party postage providers with deeper discounts, which means the info is not public-facing. Sometimes they provide an average % but that never really tells us much since it's an average.

Assume worst case scenario: new rates to these zips affecting "a very low percentage of transactions" could be as high as the USPS Commercial rate, but might be lower. Rates won't be higher than the commercial rate.

[robbie31415]

It Stinks but it's something the USPS need to do.

Areas that are larger money losers need to be more expensive.

The USPS has been operating at a massive loss, it would be nice if they could get it on a path that it's self sustaining.

[tsme35]

here you go:

https://www.ecommercebytes.com/C/abblog/blog.pl?/pl/2024/9/1725475170.html

[ltldpr]

From the link:

Does that mean sellers in rural areas will face longer delivery times for their outgoing orders to customers than their urban and suburban counterparts? It sounds like it.

I wonder if eBay will take that into account for delivery times. However, since they can charge higher fees for sellers whose metrics are affected by the slower deliveries, there is no financial incentive for them to take it into consideration. Exactly the opposite, actually.

[psfhobbies]

May be time to adjust those free shipping heavier items. Lord knows my FS items always goes to WA OR CA TX AZ and I am in PA.

[stainlessenginecovers]

Makes perfect sense; if a package cannot be delivered at 'where-ever' some of these 'outskirt' areas typically have mail delivered and the carrier has to drive 10 miles on a dirt road to a house (or something similar)

[cozycornertreasures01]

By law, the Postal Service is allowed to ask Congress for up to $460 million annually to cover the cost of providing rural service. But it has not requested these funds since 1982.

https://www.uspsoig.gov/focus-areas/focus-on/importance-postal-service-rural-areas

I live with 5 miles of 4 post offices and 10 miles from a major city in Maryland. My zip code is the only one affected my the change. It is only oped from 10-2 and closed on Saturdays so I have to drive to another post office to make sure my orders are sent out on time. Most rural areas are economically depressed, don't have public transportation and don't have the the representation needed to fight these kind of infringements of ones civil liberties. Am I gonna contact my representaives about this, you bet I am!