Postal rates are going up again!!

[penny_pinching_jewelry]

Hi everyone, our great postal system wants to raise prices again on us on January 19th.  Just a heads up!!

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will raise shipping prices in early 2025 while keeping the cost of first-class stamps unchanged.

The proposed price hikes , which would take effect Jan. 19, include a 3.2 percent increase for Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express services. USPS Ground Advantage rates would rise by 3.9 percent, while Parcel Select services would see the steepest increase at 9.2 percent.

[caldreamer]

Not again...I wonder how this will affect EBAY negotiated rates.   These rate increases are killing me...

[selsa84]

Service goes down and prices go up. I'm at 12 lost packages in 40 days. Checked the reddit forums and it's insane how bad it is here in Atlanta. 

[meme6253]

Well isn't that some wonderful news!

[toujoursladybug]

If they keep increasing, people are going to start deciding they can't afford it and stop buying/sending packages, which means less business for USPS. Do they ever give reasons why they need to increase the price?
The past few days, I've had so many people message me about high shipping costs on items that weigh over a pound, most of them weigh over 2, and they always live on the other side of the country. Usually they blame me for it, like I decide the costs of shipping a 3lb package from ID to CT. They're going to be even more upset next month 😅

I think I'm going to have to include a message in my item descriptions and a pre-written message for those that message me about it. I want cheaper shipping for more sales, not the other way around, buyers!

[nobody*s_perfect]

Based on the past few years, probably the new rates will be very similar to what we're currently paying with the holiday surcharges which happen to expire on January 19.

Here's a handy summary of the surcharges which are currently in effect. I just don't have the energy to compare then to the new January 19 rates, especially since we have no way of knowing in advance what the new eBay discounted rates will be.

https://www.stamps.com/article/usps-2024-holiday-surcharges/

[postcardcountry]

I've I done my math correctly, the January 19th increase is the same (or nearly the same) as the holiday surcharge.

[evry1nositswindy]

I had a priority package from Ohio to Indiana take 8 days and a ground advantage package from Ohio to Missouri took 20 days.  Both were in early December, not right before the holidays And they want to charge me more for this 'service'?

[deserdog]

"Do they ever give reasons why they need to increase the price?"

Wages and saleries go up, healthcare cost go up, fuel costs go up, maintenance costs go up, retirements have to be funded. 

UPS and Fedex both raised their rates 5.9% on Dec. 23, 2024. 

If you want peiople to be able to make a living, you have to be willing to pay the price of higheer rates and costs. There is no way around it.

[selsa84]

I've had more lost packages in 2024 than the last 12 to 15 years. 

[tobaccocardyahoo]

I actually had a shipment make it through Indianapolis in a day, the week after Christmas. Looks like the log jam there has been cleared.

[simba6]

Good thing China can still produce forever stamps for less.

[fbusoni]

@penny_pinching_jewelry 

According to the Department of Treasury, FY 2024 total government spending was $6.75 trillion and total revenue was $4.92 trillion.  The amount by which spending exceeded revenue was $1.83 trillion in 2024.

It's always amusing to me how successive US administrations propose trillion dollar defense budgets (in FY 2024, the Department of Defense had a $1.99 trillion budget approved) and continue, year after year, to run a trillion dollar deficit, which is funded in part by US tax dollars.

Yet when USPS -- which successfully delivers 150 million pieces of mail every day and without which our nation would come to a grinding halt -- needs to raise prices slightly to improve services and look after its employees, people get apoplectic.

Just pass the cost along to your buyers.

[slyders_finds]

Side note, did anyone see the interrogation of the CEO from USPS? He actually had the nerve to self grade his performance as an A. 🤣 And when he got called out for being less than that he actually put his hands over his ears like a toddler. 

[loose_goose_garage]

Looking at a quick comparison from the Current Ground Advantage Commercial Rate (Left) and the Proposed Rate (right), the Proposed is 

slightly less than current rate (Likely due to the Holiday Surcharge being dropped).

If anyone has the rates prior to the Holiday surcharge being added that would be another interesting comparison, I cannot find it though.