Regional A and B boxes being discontinued

[tsarllc]

I'm probably late to the party but I just discovered that USPS is discontinuing it's Regional A and B boxes on Jan 22nd. I've been able to use these boxes to leverage some great cost savings over the last couple of years as shipping rates continue to rise. 

USPS suggests on it's website the recommended alternative is  priority mail cubic. Does anyone know if Ebay will be adding this option as a choice in it's shipping options? It looks like it may be reserved for only customers shipping heavy volumes of postage.

Thanks

[rfmtm]

Best place to do cubic is with a free PirateShip account.  PS imports from ebay and updates the tracking and has great prices and service.  You will still be able to use the A&B for cubic till they run out.  Also the best place to do UPS.

[simba6]

" I've been able to use these boxes to leverage some great cost savings over the last couple of years as shipping rates continue to rise.  "

That's the problem.  Those boxes had to go for another rate hike.  The postal service has a love/hate relationship with packages.  They are best set up to handle letters or machinable flats in postal speak.  Packages require a separate sorting and handling operation.  Also, they take up more room and are more work to deliver.

[nobody*s_perfect]

You can purchase Priority Cubic through other online postage sellers such as Pirateship.

[caracy]

As a side note... You can still use Regional A and B boxes after the 22nd, but you have to pay Priority rate.

[oldskoolmadskilz]

Ughh

My top 3 Priority Mail boxes:
Padded FRE
Small FR

Regional A

[rfmtm]

@oldskoolmadskilz   If you can cut the A box down a 1/4" it will be under the .2 cubic inch threshold and actually ship cheaper at the cubic rate on Pirate Ship then it did at Regional Rate.  Even at full size, local shipments will still be cheaper.

[glorigoods]

Wow, I'm surprised there's not more people upset about this. For me it's horrible news added on to the already high shipping rates. Going to check out this cubic rate thing now.

[rfmtm]

The replacement for Regional is discounted Priority Cubic Rate from PirateShip. The trick is lining up box sizes that fit the need in the lowest price tier. For example the Regional Rate "A1" box, while it can go cubic as is, but if you can cut the height down a quarter inch it goes into the next lower price tier saving even more money.

Cubic Rate is calculated as follows:

Cubic Box OD = L" x W" x H" / 1728 Round Down all dimensions to lowest quarter inch before calculation, then Round Up the result to the next .1 cubic foot.
Cubic Max OD = 0.500cu ft

Cubic Max Weight = 20#

Cubic Max Length = 18"L

I have started a spread sheet to input my standard and modified box sizes to auto calculate the best price rate, which is often better than Regional, and certainly much better than going to a larger Priority Flat Rate box than needed.

Note there is also Cubic for envelopes and Cubic Parcel Select.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@glorigoods wrote:

Wow, I'm surprised there's not more people upset about this.....

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There have been loads of posts in the past few days, plus there were some back in October when this was first announced by USPS.