USPS Rate Increases This Month

[val2525]

blog.stamps.com/2019/10/15/usps-announces-2020-postage-rate-increase/

[Pantlandia]

Media mail is going up too Not much, so I can't complain too much; 5 cents for the first lb ($2.75 to $2.80) and 1 more cent per lb over the first (+0.52 to 0.53 per lb).

[blissfullymiserable]

guess I'll keep quiet and suck it up until it gets to $6 or over for a 15.9 oz first class package. Then I'll whine about it. The increase in 2019 was a tough one as 90% of my packages go 1st class.

[val2525]

The rate increases suck but at least it hits everyone who uses USPS.

[Deleted]

I am using Fedex SmartPost. It might take one or two more days than USPS, but it is cheap though.

[val2525]

Mar 9, 2020 5:24:30 GMT @davidw said:

I am using Fedex SmartPost. It might take one or two more days than USPS, but it is cheap though.

It is cheaper, but.....

As far as delivery delays, try as much as 5 days longer than USPS, depending on where the buyer lives. A heads up - a lot of buyers do not like SmartPost or SurePost (UPS), although with SurePost you have a 50/50 chance that UPS ends up delivering the package (which is faster than if it's turned over to USPS for final delivery). Anything being delivered SmartPost to me goes thru Phoenix to LA, where it's handed over to USPS and shipped BACK to Phoenix. It adds 2-3 days more to the delivery time.

[Tabby]

I refer to both of those services as SLOWPOST.  Hate them!  

[kritter]

Mar 9, 2020 16:40:22 GMT Tabby said:

I refer to both of those services as SLOWPOST.  Hate them!  

Me too!

[Pantlandia]

Mar 9, 2020 5:24:30 GMT @davidw said:

I am using Fedex SmartPost. It might take one or two more days than USPS, but it is cheap though.

MINIMUM 3 days, usually 4 or more, longer for me to get things shipped this way. The FedEx truck drives by my house on it's way to the Portland FedEx hub, then it drives by my house to go up to Kent WA (almost 200 miles away), takes a day (if not 2) to get things moving there, so it can come back down to our Postal Hub, then to my local post office, then is finally delivered. 

[denise15601]

So he just mentioned in the news conference that he thinks that all of the bad Internet companies should stop giving shipping discounts to the sellers and buyers.

He is going to do his best to stop the discounted shipping.

Hasn't he tried to do this before?

He says that he wants to help out USPS by doing this.

[val2525]

The best way to help the USPS is to end the stupid prefunding requirement on the pension plan. Then drop the plan and go to a standard 401K like FedEx and UPS have. If the USPS is not a true government agency and not funded by the feds, the USPS does not need (and cannot afford) to provide a government type retirement pension.

[denise15601]

Yeah, leave eBay alone!!!

[chapeaunoir]

The senate absolutely NEEDS to pass Rep. DeFazio's bill to repeal the pre-funding put into place by the Bush Administration - it has bipartisan backing and passed the House in February:

federalnewsnetwork.com/agency-oversight/2020/02/house-passes-smaller-usps-reform-bill-to-eliminate-pre-funding-benefits/

With the current crisis it has become vital.

[val2525]

I think that's in the pile of bills McConnell refuses to act in, since the prez is not in favor of helping out the USPS at all.

[chapeaunoir]

Apr 13, 2020 21:53:01 GMT val2525 said:

I think that's in the pile of bills McConnell refuses to act in, since the prez is not in favor of helping out the USPS at all.

I'm sure Moscow Mitch is seeing a lucrative privitisation opportunity.  More and more the Fed reminds me of the last days of the Roman Republic.