Do You Have Questions about the Impending USPS Rate Hike?

by: The End

Do You Have Questions about the Impending USPS Rate Hike?
The fuel price increases of a few years ago were the reason to raise prices on everything. Now the fuel prices are dropping to under $2.20/ gal., inflation should have been neutralized or decreased.
I smell a big fat postal union rat gumming up the works.
LOWER THE PRICES !

by: RKTOYS

My only question is why Americans are being screwed even harder to subsidize Chinese shippers.  I'll go to bat for postal workers on many occasions but what the USPS is doing here is wrong.

by: sasikat9

Believe this or not but Yesterday I called the USPS service line. Questioning where to find the new update for postal rates chart on their web site. After talking with a Customer rep and two different supervisors all declared that there is no increase in rates on January 17 that they know of. WHAT PLANET DO THESE PEOPLE LIVE ON.

Questioning our local postmaster the same question, his answer is that he has no knowledge of any rate increase in the future but does acknowledge that he has read on the internet about an increase. He has gotten no information at all, but did get a new advertising sign to hang. Problem is that even the sign is wrong. It claims new rates for FIRST CLASS PACKAGES UP TO 13 OZ.....

Its no wonder the post office is in so much trouble. The right hand doesnt' even know that there is a left hand. How pitiful....

The supervisors even guaranteed me that if I take a hundred packages to the post office on the 17th that I can use the same rates for postage that is in effect on the 15th. Glad I got all there names because there will be some hell to pay come the 17th

by: SparklyEyes7

Gas here is $1.69!

by: bb6

"This particular rate increase has not been easy to locate information on the rates. USPS has not done a simple schedule as they have in the past and had it on their homepage, at least not as of a day or two ago. "

Stamps has the easy breakdowns on their blog...
http://blog.stamps.com/2015/10/22/usps-announces-postage-ra
te-increase-starts-january-17-2016/

by: flybuy

The increase would not be so bad but this year tracking with the post office has been terrible.  Not to mention the offices nearby have only one or two people working the counter at the most even during the holidays.
Rolling part or all of the shipping cost into the price of the item is an option.  As the prices for shipping and Ebay and Etsy and Paypal go higher one would think more people will use Instagram, Facebook and their own websites rather than pay the fees to make up for shipping increases.  

by: pro-spin

Is Media mail increasing?? I e-mailed the post office is this was the reply I received, not much help
''Thank you for contacting us with regard to our Standard Mail Services. I understand that you want to know if Media Mail prices are increasing.

I checked on this for you and I found that Media Mail is a cost-effective way to send educational materials. This service has restrictions on the type of media that can be sent. From $2.72 at a Post Office. There is no more information available at this time.

Thank you for emailing the United States Postal Service. We appreciate your business.''

by: tb

For 1st Class Package rate, currently there is an incentive to keep the weight down. Now, with 1 ounce the same price as 8 ounces, we'll be padding the heck out of our product. Yes it's a rate hike, but in our case, this means less damages as we can now add excessive packing material. Not sure this is a smart move for USPS. If more people do this, that will mean more weight, and more fuel consumption. Where's the efficiency incentive?

by: tb

Also, international shipping has skyrocketed in the past few years. Wasn't it just 3 or 4 years ago where a 4 ounce package was about $4? Now it's $9+ and soon to be about $11. What's probably the most frustrating about this is that the international service "tracking" is so poorly implemented. We monitor all shipments, and I'd say 95% of the time, international is scanned out of the US and then that's it. I'm actually shocked when I come across an international scanned as delivered. It's extremely rare. What are we paying for?

by: val2525

I ship using eBay Shipping.  I have no idea what the rates will be because I can't find any updates or press releases from eBay giving sellers our rates.

by: Anteeker

With USPS no longer offering online commercial base shipping prices with Click n Ship, do you know which companies will continue to offer it?  Will it still be offered by Stamps, or Endicia and do you know whether PayPal will offer it?  Thanks.

by: lessthanthreerecords

When they quote an average percentage increase, is that also figuring in the removal of the discount you currently get for printing online?  For example, if a given parcel currently costs $10 to ship from a USPS retail location, and $9 to ship if you print online, and will be going up to $12 using either method, would this be listed as a 20% increase or a 33% increase?

by: maxmad

This should explain it........

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/storyline/wp/201
4/09/12/the-postal-service-is-losing-millions-a-year-to-help-you-buy-cheap-stuff-from-china/

by: GotToGetOut

Check out the UPS smart post rates (partly handled by U.S. post office) -- I am finding I can send a 2 lb. package that would cost $9+ on USPS for $6+ through them. I will shipping more through this service now that prices are going up even more.

If Ebay wanted to help sellers, they could pass on their huge shipping discounts to sellers instead of keeping part of the discount themselves. We all know THAT won't happen.

by: Rexford

USPS could do wonders for their revenue generation if they would give their US sellers an affordable international rate.  It would be a big boost to US exports as well.

Quite literally, they are charging US sellers more to subsidize the Chinese.

by: Garcia

Postage hikes are going to encourage buyers to purchase in brick and mortar stores instead of online.  Is that what the PO wants?

by: Shop and Ship

First Class Package Service:

"First Class Package Service rates will see an average increase of 12.8% in 2016. [Minimum $2.60 for 8 oz & under for USPS First Class Package]

The MAXIMUM WEIGHT for First Class Package Service Commercial Base pricing will be INCREASED from up to 13 ounces to up to 16 ounces.  

First Class Package Service Commercial Plus pricing will no longer exist in 2016." [Applies to Click-n-Ship and possibly eBay Labeling??]

So yes, it will cost more to mail CDs and DVDs USPS First Class.

by: No Princess

Prices will be going up on all of my items, or I will have to eliminate the Free Shipping that I currently offer.  I get Commercial Plus rates now, so I will definitely be doing some research on this.

by: RKTOYS

@Rexford
But what can we do?  If we stop shipping via USPS, Republicans can point to that as "proof" that it doesn't work, slash more US jobs, and let UPS/FedEx rob us for lack of competition.  If we keep shipping via USPS, we continue subsidizing the Chinese/corporations and cutting our own throats anyway.

by: gizmo

The postal service talked long dung about everyone else , & their dim weight & such. Now who is the jerks? These idiots cant even ship a package without damage , & they want more. I think Ill make a deal with fed ex , or UPS. At least my packages get there in one piece. USPS is sub par at best , & I for one am sick of their fake insurance they rarely pay out. Packages looking like someone played soccer with them. I will be done with them. They are not worth their high prices now , their service is crap!