Post Office Clerk Sows Doubt over Fate of Regional Rate Boxes

by: Snapped

“ Priority Mail Cubic offers everything that RRBs do, except for free packaging.”

As the post office evolved it’s hub and spoke sort and distribution, it became more efficient to price delivery in regions. The trade off was limited volume choices but free packaging.  As Priority Mail became more widespread, ground tended to backup, actually increasing relative delivery costs.  That has now been ‘addressed’ by “simplifying” rates.  Lot of that going around.  

The statement that the new offers the ‘same’ as the old however, is only true from the time they’ve effectively retired ground service rates by making them only minimally cheaper.  ‘Regional’ becomes a costly accounting redundancy because in the end, It all gets there almost the same time now, (but no free insurance).  

So now they’re bundling regional (costs) into ‘priority’ too.  Only now, besides ‘ground’ which offers no meaningful savings, there is only ‘priority’ which comes in two flavors.  ‘Cubic’ - where they weigh and measure the box - and original, where you get free boxes in limited sizes.  

As for all those leftover ‘regional’ size boxes?  This is where some ‘discussion’ occurs.  They should still be useable as regular boxes, as if not branded, and can go Priority Cubic, while ‘supplies’ last.  Then again, they may say ‘no’ just to avoid any confusion, and simply recycle all back-stock instead of distributing it, letting what’s out there vaporize by attrition.  

But the fees Poof at Midnight (central) 22 Jan, as noted.  Be a shame not to use up the boxes though - keeps folks from having to use another, while they last.

by: GetAGrip

One thing the postal jerks are good for is not knowing the rules and spreading rumors. Kind of like Ebay customer service.

by: railady

GetAGrip, if this is what your post office clerks are like, I sincerely feel sorry for you, but in my own experience these folks are pretty much ordinary people trying to do a difficult job. What I have heard from them is there is a lack of support from management, lack of explanations, lack of directions. When they DO get information, it gets changed before very long. They have enough problems trying to follow rules and procedures correctly, let alone get trashed by customers too.

The postal clerks/postmasters I have dealt with - in both small village post offices and state capital post office branches -- have always treated me superbly, sincerely trying to get my problems solved and questions answered correctly.  It doesn't help when they get blasted from the customer's side as well as from upper level management.  

by: toolguy

Everyone should convert to triangle boxes, that'll teach the Post Office who's in charge. lol

by: GetAGrip

@railady I stand by my comments. After 50 plus years of having to deal with the jerks I find that they are as incompentent as Ebay customer service.

by: toolguy

@GetaGrip

The postal clerk looks at you and wonders where you came from?

When you leave they say: see what I have to deal with. . . .

Most people who have problems with USPS are the problem themselves!

by: 4yourinfo

Hey Ebay - why did you pull the trigger on regional a few days early? Did you also start the price increases a few days early too?  Unfortunately, regional boxes were mostly being used by smart shippers hence not worth it for the USPS.. The point of flat rate options is to get uneducated shippers  to overpay by making it simple - ship it out anywhere for x price.. in the meantime it's cheaper in a standard box!- but the average consumer has no idea.. regional boxes were used by shippers who are more attuned to pricing...

by: Joe Mngs717

I still have plenty of A+B boxes to use for regular Priority mail. Some might remember when the regional rate boxes started there was also a "C" box which considerably larger. They were retired but all three are still usable if you pay the Priority rate.

by: thebobman

The "C" box never made sense. The pricing on those was so high that anytime I might have used those, it was far cheaper to just use UPS (if it was heavy), or to just ship by dimensions (if it was light).

by: pjgriff

I agree with thebobman about the "C" box.  I ordered some, never used them because they are so large, they are now sitting in my garage, labeled "use these when we move".

by: spooky

I was USPS 30 years and 8 of those years as a window clerk. I can attest that many many clerks have no idea of the rules

by: toolguy

Jan. 22nd??????

I went to print a "B" box yesterday and it was not to be found. . . .

by: toolguy

Saturday Jan. 21st

eBay shipping offers NO "A" box option!