when did postal rates go THRU THE ROOF???

Wobbie

Jesus.... just got back from mailing christmas presents. :shock: :shock:

I used to sell a lot on ebay. Shipping wasn't so bad. When, exactly, did rates go through the fucking roof????

Oh well.... at least I don't live in Canada.

norm

gotta pay for universal healthcare somehow

Fifthelement

norm wrote:

gotta pay for universal healthcare somehow

And well worth the investment :ugeek:

TravisTheSky

Rates are going up next month!

Remember that DVDs, CDs, and books are eligible to be shipped via Media Mail, which is extremely cheap. A large box of Media Mail can take a while to arrive at its destination. But a common bubble mailer with Media Mail in it crosses the country within 48 hours, same as First Class and Priority!

blackredyellow

Yeah... years ago, USPS was so much cheaper than FedEx or UPS, but these days, the gap is closing... and FedEx and UPS are faster and have MUCH better tracking than USPS.

theboxerorthebag

I hear you, it is crazy!! My suggestion is use the boxes where you can put as much stuff in as you can for a flat rate.

Biggest Wave

Flat rate boxes are definitely the way to go.

$10.35 Medium Size: 11 7/8" x 3 3/8" x 13 5/8" or 11" x 8 1/2" x 5 1/2"
$13.95 Large Size: 12" x 12" x 5 1/2"

Ship up to 70 lbs. (must fit comfortably in box) anywhere in the United States for those flat rates
and if you print your postage on-line you get an additional discount plus FREE Delivery Confirmation.

Wobbie

TravisTheSky wrote:

Rates are going up next month!

Remember that DVDs, CDs, and books are eligible to be shipped via Media Mail, which is extremely cheap. A large box of Media Mail can take a while to arrive at its destination. But a common bubble mailer with Media Mail in it crosses the country within 48 hours, same as First Class and Priority!

It IS extremely cheap, but I swear to god they send it around the world just to make sure it takes 2 weeks. 48 hours? I sent some books yesterday (media mail) and the guy at the window said it would be a "christmas miracle" if they made it to MN by christmas.

Biggest Wave wrote:

Flat rate boxes are definitely the way to go.

$10.35 Medium Size: 11 7/8" x 3 3/8" x 13 5/8" or 11" x 8 1/2" x 5 1/2"
$13.95 Large Size: 12" x 12" x 5 1/2"

Ship up to 70 lbs. (must fit comfortably in box) anywhere in the United States for those flat rates
and if you print your postage on-line you get an additional discount plus FREE Delivery Confirmation.

Those a a scam, too, unless you're sending gold bullion :shock:. You sound like you work for the USPS

Biggest Wave

imalive wrote:

Those a a scam, too, unless you're sending gold bullion :shock:. You sound like you work for the USPS

10 lbs from New York to Arizona is $29.95 plus 70 cents if you want Delivery Confirmation
Use a Large Flat Rate Box and it's $13.95 plus FREE Delivery confirmation (print label on-line).

Pay the postage on-line and it's $13.50
Fit it in a Medium Flat Rate Box and it's $10.35/$9.85 on-line

Please explain to me how that's a scam?

Biggest Wave

The same 10 lbs to Florida is $22.50 or $13.95/$10.35 Flat rate.

If you know how to utilize the Flat Rate Boxes they can save you a ton of money.

No, I do not work for the USPS, but I use them for all my shipping purposes.

Biggest Wave

Just for the hell of it I went to the UPS site to see what 10 lbs would cost to Arizona from New York.

3 day - 10 lbs would be $34.90 plus there's a $2.40 residential surcharge.
Ground - $14.81 plus $2.40 residential surcharge.

USPS 2-3 day Priority Mail - $10.35/$13.95 Flat Rate box.

stuckinline

i mailed a few packages today at the post office, the line was out the door. it was quite $$$.

btw, i use media mail quite often, i've had good delivery most of the time, only once did it take longer than 1 week for the person to receive it

Wobbie

Biggest Wave wrote:

Please explain to me how that's a scam?

settle down, Biggest Wave.... I was just pulling your leg with the employee comment.

My point is.... good luck getting 70 pounds into one of those shoe box sized boxes :shock: . Hell yes, they'd be a great deal if you actually had something small that weighed a ton (i.e. gold bullion).

Alls I know is, postal increases have FAR outpaced inflation. I'm shocked everything they explain my "options."

Biggest Wave

imalive wrote:

My point is.... good luck getting 70 pounds into one of those shoe box sized boxes :shock: . Hell yes, they'd be a great deal if you actually had something small that weighed a ton (i.e. gold bullion).

Alls I know is, postal increases have FAR outpaced inflation. I'm shocked everything they explain my "options."

10 lbs is far from a ton. It fits easily in one of those boxes and
as I have shown can save you a lot of money. I ship 15 lbs in the
large flat rate box all the time. The savings are even greater.

The increases have exceeded the price of gas? I don't think so.

TravisTheSky

imalive wrote:

TravisTheSky wrote:

Remember that DVDs, CDs, and books are eligible to be shipped via Media Mail, which is extremely cheap. A large box of Media Mail can take a while to arrive at its destination. But a common bubble mailer with Media Mail in it crosses the country within 48 hours, same as First Class and Priority!

It IS extremely cheap, but I swear to god they send it around the world just to make sure it takes 2 weeks. 48 hours? I sent some books yesterday (media mail) and the guy at the window said it would be a "christmas miracle" if they made it to MN by christmas.

It has to be a small amount of Media Mail, like one pound. I often mail DVD sets under a pound for $2 and change, and 1 - 2 pounds for $3 something. The clerks always try to get me to pay more for Priority. But I know that a small box set of DVDs in a 9 X 11 bubble mailer ships just as fast as the more expensive methods. I don't think the workers even believe me when I tell them, "It will be there in 2 days."

Riot_Mac

The cost of everything has gone up over the past few years... not just postal rates.

decides2dream

imalive wrote:

Alls I know is, postal increases have FAR outpaced inflation. I'm shocked everything they explain my "options."

do you truly believe that?
more than milk?
gas?
hell, even the cost of telephone service and FEEs?
i really don't think so.

mailing a first class letter is still pretty damn cheap, and mailing packages thru USPS is still the cheapest (and yes, overall quite reliable) method, time and again. i've never had a bad experience...*knocks wood*

just sayin'.

Jeanwah

decides2dream wrote:

imalive wrote:

Alls I know is, postal increases have FAR outpaced inflation. I'm shocked everything they explain my "options."

do you truly believe that?
more than milk?
gas?
hell, even the cost of telephone service and FEEs?
i really don't think so.

mailing a first class letter is still pretty damn cheap, and mailing packages thru USPS is still the cheapest (and yes, overall quite reliable) method, time and again. i've never had a bad experience...*knocks wood*

just sayin'.

Mailing a parcel through USPS versus UPS or Fed Ex can be cheaper. Especially if mailing out of the country. Just do a test and see. I'm sure it's not in all cases cheaper, but in many.

decides2dream

Jeanwah wrote:

decides2dream wrote:

imalive wrote:

Alls I know is, postal increases have FAR outpaced inflation. I'm shocked everything they explain my "options."

do you truly believe that?
more than milk?
gas?
hell, even the cost of telephone service and FEEs?
i really don't think so.

mailing a first class letter is still pretty damn cheap, and mailing packages thru USPS is still the cheapest (and yes, overall quite reliable) method, time and again. i've never had a bad experience...*knocks wood*

just sayin'.

Mailing a parcel through USPS versus UPS or Fed Ex can be cheaper. Especially if mailing out of the country. Just do a test and see. I'm sure it's not in all cases cheaper, but in many.

isn't that what i posted?

even recently in real simple magazine, they did a side-by-side comparison...and USPS came out on top as cheapest when comparing comparable services. agreed it may not always be the cheapest, but more often than not - it is. sometimes that isn't the only priority tho, sure.

hrd2imgn

yes, unreal priority boxes now are over 10 bucks!

maybe they should de-bloat(I made that word up) that mamoth cash hog....just like the fed too

lets face it, e-mail is KILLING them

Biggest Wave

hrd2imgn wrote:

yes, unreal priority boxes now are over 10 bucks!

Medium & Large Flat Rate Boxes are over $10
The small Flat Rate Box is $4.95

Another thing that needs to be taken in to consideration is that the Postal Service provides
FREE Priority boxes, tape and labels. You can even order them on-line and have them delivered
to you at NO charge. Does UPS provide free boxes, tape & labels? I don't think they do.

haffajappa

imalive wrote:

Jesus.... just got back from mailing christmas presents. :shock: :shock:

I used to sell a lot on ebay. Shipping wasn't so bad. When, exactly, did rates go through the fucking roof????

Oh well.... at least I don't live in Canada.

your right. postal rates go up consistently every 6 months or so.
in january, it will be over a dollar for a postage stamp to the US...

now i get to hear more old ladies telling me, 'when i was your age, i could send a letter for a penny...'
:roll:

haffajappa

I also often hear how the USPS is so much cheaper than Canada Post...
I was told that USPS is going bankrupt - not sure how true that is... but it makes sense with how cheap the postage is..

Biggest Wave

haffajappa wrote:

your right. postal rates go up consistently every 6 months or so.
in january, it will be over a dollar for a postage stamp to the US...

now i get to hear more old ladies telling me, 'when i was your age, i could send a letter for a penny...'
:roll:

It's YOU'RE and they've only gone up once a year at most.
Stamps will not be going up at all this year so that will make
it two years in between increases. Parcel rates are going up
Jan 4th and that's only because UPS and FedEx are as well.

Thorns2010

Biggest Wave wrote:

haffajappa wrote:

your right. postal rates go up consistently every 6 months or so.
in january, it will be over a dollar for a postage stamp to the US...

now i get to hear more old ladies telling me, 'when i was your age, i could send a letter for a penny...'
:roll:

It's YOU'RE and they've only gone up once a year at most.
Stamps will not be going up at all this year so that will make
it two years in between increases. Parcel rates are going up
Jan 4th and that's only because UPS and FedEx are as well.

I do believe he was saying that in Canada that rates go up about every 6 month, NOT the US.

Jeanwah

haffajappa wrote:

I also often hear how the USPS is so much cheaper than Canada Post...
I was told that USPS is going bankrupt - not sure how true that is... but it makes sense with how cheap the postage is..

The USPS is hurting, but until they actually cut a day of mail delivery (it's been talked about for years now), things obviously aren't bad enough for them. Or perhaps, they're still in denial. My husband works for them, they cut some middle management, closed a few post offices, but still hold on, and don't want to have to reduce a day for delivery.

Biggest Wave

Thorns2010 wrote:

Biggest Wave wrote:

haffajappa wrote:

your right. postal rates go up consistently every 6 months or so.
in january, it will be over a dollar for a postage stamp to the US...

now i get to hear more old ladies telling me, 'when i was your age, i could send a letter for a penny...'
:roll:

It's YOU'RE and they've only gone up once a year at most.
Stamps will not be going up at all this year so that will make
it two years in between increases. Parcel rates are going up
Jan 4th and that's only because UPS and FedEx are as well.

I do believe he was saying that in Canada that rates go up about every 6 month, NOT the US.

I have to learn to read instead of skimming.

My bad.

haffajappa

Biggest Wave wrote:

Thorns2010 wrote:

Biggest Wave wrote:

It's YOU'RE and they've only gone up once a year at most.
Stamps will not be going up at all this year so that will make
it two years in between increases. Parcel rates are going up
Jan 4th and that's only because UPS and FedEx are as well.

I do believe he was saying that in Canada that rates go up about every 6 month, NOT the US.

I have to learn to read instead of skimming.

My bad.

grammar nazi.
and i work for Canada Post,
and i'm a girl

Thorns2010

haffajappa wrote:

and i'm a girl

Sorry, I thought you were the guy in the picture. My bad!

haffajappa

Thorns2010 wrote:

haffajappa wrote:

and i'm a girl

Sorry, I thought you were the guy in the picture. My bad!

lol thats gord downie!!!!!!!
i guess you'd have to be canadian....