USPS Unbelievable Rate increases for First Class. (10 oz) from east coast to west 35% increase!!!

[gotoguys2000]

First class packages are now based on regions like priority mail. USPS is doing this in addition to an approximate 12% increase in first class pricing.  A 10 oz. package (first class) going from the east to the west increased over 30%. This is crazy. Is Ebay still negotiating for a better discount on our behalf?

[sweetpieces4you]

This increase is affecting all online shopping not just ebay. You seemed to have adjusted your shipping rates to reflect the increases !!! EBAY doesn't control the USPS !! Rather it's the USPS that makes the rules !! Discounts negotiated are again controlled by the USPS and the decisions THEY MAKE for all online shopping !! EBAY is SMALL POTATOES when you look at the ENTIRE ONLINE SHIPPING RATES !! 

[*coins]

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@gotoguys2000 wrote:

First class packages are now based on regions like priority mail. USPS is doing this in addition to an approximate 12% increase in first class pricing.  A 10 oz. package (first class) going from the east to the west increased over 30%. This is crazy. Is Ebay still negotiating for a better discount on our behalf?

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At least be thankful for the discounts eBay already offers.... 

[oak3196]

What sucks is 9oz to 12 oz is the same price. So add the bubble wrap or the foam to secure your item . you get charged for it .10 oz package not going to far 3.85 a 12 oz package going to the same place 3.85

[Anonymous]

I got my "shipping SHOCK" yesterday when I printed labels for 8 orders!!! I LOST $30 because of the rate/zone increases. I have tried to be very fair to my customers and have been willing to eat some of the shipping costs until THIS point. I'll be revising all of my current listings in the next few days and new listing will be hiked. I'm also going to start sending some orders separately to keep them OUT of Priority. They seem to get there in the same amount of time anyway. It just seems to me that the government WANTS me on WELFARE instead of letting me make a few bucks just to pay my bills.

[johnrj1226]

@oak3196 

That is called zone pricing.  Std. Priority  and Parcel select ground have been price by weight & zone right along....  why should FCP be exempt? Plus, whatever you pay is  still cheaper than shipping a package less than 1 lb via priority.

Remember the USPS  debt at the end of 2018 is  $15+ billion dollars (only  lost $3.9 billion  in 2018).  Only a few ways to  reduce the debt and/ or become profitable - increase prices or reduce costs/services/overhead or sell off assets or increase customer base that will produce  added revenue & profit.  Government controlled agencies ain't too good at doing any of this stuff.

[cathydale]

I shipped a First Class pkg (shipping envelope) with top in it today - 13 oz from Maryland to Florida and it cost me $5.10 !!!  Florida I THOUGHT was not a far away time zone -- we are both hugging the east coast.  I know this same pkg would have shipped for under $4.00 previously.  Probably $3.85 or so.

I will need to up all my shipping cost at least $1.50 just in case I get a sale on the West Coast.  This is a BIG HIKE.

[johnrj1226]

It is what it is -
1. USPS "may" roll back some increases in the future, they rarely do, but have at times. Likewise, they have tweaked some price upwards too.
2. Maine to Fla is on the east coast and in the same time zone too - distance shipped is  one of the key factors in shipping  rates. Plus, Fla is a rather long state 447 mile North to South & one can travel 792 miles from Pensacola Fla to Key West. From Baltimore, Md to Miami, Fla is 1097 miles via the famous I-95 or a little more than 1/3 of the way across the USA (lower 48).
3. Updated all our shipping & handling charges on Jan 27.

[oak3196]

The USPS gives a big break for items coming from china . That's why they can sell something for 5$ and give free shipping .And post office works on Sunday for amazon . And its not the zone that bothers me or it cost more to ship to the west  . If a item weight was 8oz it cost 3.18 now it cost 3.85 and if it ships to west 4.53  . But if it is 12oz going to CA it is 4.53 . Charge me for what I ship or make china pay what I pay for shipping . The people of America is getting screwed because the government screwed up . 

[dptedora]

I revised some of my listings from free shipping lowering my price to Calculated cost varies by buyer location. And will see if this makes a difference in sales. Since raising the prices for free shipping items will not be a good idea as my competitors’ prices would be cheaper

[lja440]

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@Anonymous wrote:
I got my "shipping SHOCK" yesterday when I printed labels for 8 orders!!! I LOST $30 because of the rate/zone increases. I have tried to be very fair to my customers and have been willing to eat some of the shipping costs until THIS point. I'll be revising all of my current listings in the next few days and new listing will be hiked. I'm also going to start sending some orders separately to keep them OUT of Priority. They seem to get there in the same amount of time anyway. It just seems to me that the government WANTS me on WELFARE instead of letting me make a few bucks just to pay my bills.

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There is a possibility of the rates going up each January. The new rates are published well ahead of them going into effect so why were you not prepared?

New rates requested HAVE TO BE PROVED NESSISARY to be approved by Congress. This years rates have jumped by a lot, it's true. And in large part it is because of the aging delivery fleet. The LLV's need to be replaced. LLV's were intended to last on average 11 years, a good portion of the fleet is now 27 years old. Even with prompt maintenance a daily use vehicle will only last so long. I drive my own vehicle on my mail route. The average person put 13,000 to 15,000 miles on their car each year, I drive over 46,000 miles per year just for work. I drive and maintain 3 RHD Jeeps for work, each have over 200,000 miles on them (the one I will be driving today is fast approaching 275,000 (will pass that Wed).

I have always considered how to have the best value with shipping for every item I list. Items I list often ship in the PFRE, MFRB, LFRB and the RR boxes. BUT!!! I also stock plain padded envelopes and plain boxes of the same volume and use whichever offers the best value with postage. Instead of just blaming the government take time and PLAN AHEAD.

[penguins_dont_fly]

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@cathydale wrote:

I shipped a First Class pkg (shipping envelope) with top in it today - 13 oz from Maryland to Florida and it cost me $5.10 !!!  Florida I THOUGHT was not a far away time zone -- we are both hugging the east coast.  I know this same pkg would have shipped for under $4.00 previously.  Probably $3.85 or so.

I will need to up all my shipping cost at least $1.50 just in case I get a sale on the West Coast.  This is a BIG HIKE.

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Postal Zones have nothing to do with Time Zones 😞

They also have nothing to do with State lines.

Postal Zones are strictly based on the physical distance between zip codes.

You sit in the center of a bull's eye. 

Every zip code prefix (325xxx) is the center of their own zone chart and Postal Zones radiate out from the center.

I'm in Pensacola Florida (325xx) ... Key West (330xx) is Zone 4 for me ... in the same State

What is also zone 4 for me? Abbot, Texas and any other zipcode in that range (766xx), Alba, Missouri (648xx) ... Bristol, Virginia (242xx) ... And others

https://postcalc.usps.com/DomesticZoneChart

First Class shippers are now going to have to learn how Zones affect shipping cost .... welcome to the club .... those of us who ship Priority and Parcel Select have been doing this forever 🙂

It's really not that hard once you get your head wrapped around it 🙂

[johnrj1226]

I suspect you are reimbursed for business mileage by USPS at some per mile rate or a flat monthly amount based on your route and are allowed a 54.5  cent/mile deduction by the IRS (for 2018).

Used to drive about 40K/year for business covered 4 states - was provided a flat monthly car allowance - enjoyed  the tax deduction.  Trade  care every 2 years to max trade-in price (less than 100K) - did not lease. 

[penguins_dont_fly]

I forgot to comment on something ... regarding Maryland and Florida both "hugging the East Coast" and Time Zones

I mentioned that I'm in Florida, right?

I am 347 miles from the "East Coast" (as the crow flies) and I'm in the Central Time Zone LOL

[firstcoastcards]

True...But with this large increase in rates maybe Ebay can stop taking 10% of the shipping cost?...