Have you seen what the postal service did to prices yesterday? Oh my!

[Wood Doctor]

Either way I think we can all agree that USPS is pretty inept at delivering, ANYTHING. I can ship a saw pretty much anywhere in the country for under $25 with UPS, same saw is at minimum $40 using USPS. The UPS package will arrive sooner and in better condition to you door by a professional. The USPS most likely will be waiting for you at a office that is open from 9-11 and 1-3 completely eliminating any option of a working person ever being able to actually get their package.

Did I mention I think the USPS is a joke?

In fact, Fed Ex ground will beat UPS out of Omaha on most packages. It depends on where it's going, weight, box dimensions, etc. Always worth checking.

Amazon is getting into the shipping business, so help may be down the road (no pun intended).

 

[Definitive Dave]

http://www.wsj.com/articles/usps-posts-annual-loss-though-revenue-rises-1447433323

second sentence breaks it down pretty simply
in 2015 the USPS turned a profit of 1.2 billion dollars before the congressional fellatio payment of 5.7 billion for future health care and retirement, which were already being taken care of just fine before the 2005 mandate that is buggering a once great agency/business

package volume up by 14%

the funny thing, at least to me is they want to raise their number of package shipments 9.5% and just had to take a large rate increase
Dave

 

[mesupra]

There is no doubt the system that they are being forced into using to cover future retirement is not conducive to overall success. However I feel they are in this predicament due to years of being over staffed with poor quality employees. In my 30 min commute I pass by 4 different post offices, not a single one provides anywhere near the service of either UPS or FedEX.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

All the postal employees I've met have been good, hard working people. The problem with the Post Office isn't generally their employees but Congress who don't know how to run anything. Everything they get involved in, like healthcare turns out to be a disaster. Congressional members should work at a business before trying to run it just to see how it's supposed to work.

 

[Wood Doctor]

USPS will also argue that postage prices have been stable for 40 years when adjusted for inflation. So, the 13-cent stamp in late 1975 costs the same as the 49 cent stamp today, i.e., you are getting the same bang for your buck.

 

[fordf150]

arguing over how inept they are is pointless. Bottom line is that shipping just got more expensive and for some of us shipping charges are going to need adjusted and buying online may have just taken a jump in price. i just spent the morning packing boxes and printing labels. i charge $6 shipping for small/light items and it used to cost $5.25 for a small flat rate. It now costs $6.10 but on larger/heavier items like bars it is hard to swallow the price increase and just eat it. I shipped 1 bar this morning that i charged $10 for and actual cost was $19. $19 for 1 20" bar to Ohio to Oregon!!!! I was tempted to check fedex prices but usps is integrated into my store and printing shipping labels is a 30 second job...shipping fedex would require me to manually enter all the info, i decided it just wasnt worth it.

 

[mesupra]

$18.75 for a flat rate "large" box that I can ship through UPS for $8.00 seems a little off.

 

[sunfish]

We get excellent service from our small rural PO here in Success Mo. I've got to know and become friends with each post master in the last 26 years and each one has gone above and beyond to help customers. Based on what the post masters here have told me, besides Congress the white collar bureaucrats running the show are the problem.

 

[Wood Doctor]

$18.75 for a flat rate "large" box that I can ship through UPS for $8.00 seems a little off.

If the box is not one of the USPS standard boxes, you pay through the nose. But, if it is a standard box, the weight means nothing and it's competitive.

 

[sunfish]

If the box is not one of the USPS standard boxes, you pay through the nose. But, if it is a standard box, the weight means nothing and it's competitive.

Yes, I'm still seeing the usps flat rate boxes beating the other shippers. But these price increases and the no discount for click n ship has me looking & comparing. Might have to see if my FedEx account is still good, havne't used it in years.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

Check the size of that "Large flat rate box". One of them is 3" thick and the other is around 5". You couldn't put a chainsaw in it. When you switch to your box the cost goes way up.

 

[sunfish]

Check the size of that "Large flat rate box". One of them is 3" thick and the other is around 5". You couldn't put a chainsaw in it. When you switch to your box the cost goes way up.

No, can't fit a chainsaw in the flat rate boxes, but I'm not shipping many chainsaws. I did ship over 800 flat rate boxes a few years ago though, avg weight was 40 lbs each.

 

[RedneckChainsawRepair]

I mailed a bunch of flat rate small boxes back to folks from the chain build off Tue. Each box was $6.80 now instead of $5.95.

.85 cent a box up.

 

[dsell]

Sure put the screws to me. I had to revise 700 auctions for the increase on 1st class and priority. That was nice on top of working through inventory for taxes. These are my prices through Ebay:
1st class 3 oz was $2.04, now $2.60 up to 8oz,
9oz takes a jump to $3.30, add a nickel for each additional ounce up to 16, yes, it changed from 13 oz to 16 oz.
However, the new sign in the post office still shows 13 oz and the clerks still claim the max is 13oz.
Flat rate envelope or legal flat rate envelope is $5.60
Small flat rate box and padded mailer is $5.90
Medium flat rate is $11.60
Large flat rate is $15.85
and then you have regionals.
Keep in mind Ebay charges 10% and Paypal charges another 2.9% for the shipping rate the buyer paid and then you have packaging cost.
I changed my lowest rates to $3.59 1st class and $7.49 Priority.
I was able to change a few auctions to first class because of the 16 oz increase.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

Probably put the screws to me also. About the only thing I ship are chainsaws. It kinda means it won't be worth it to sell any more Poulans, Homelites or anything that doesn't cost much. The postage will make a Wild Thing cost about $150 or more shipped very far. I doubt many would pay that.

 

[Bill G]

I just checked to see what a sample rate was.

On December 30, 2015 I mailed a 11lb package to a member here it was $9.65

Here is the same package today

Package, weight 11 lb 0 oz (4.990 kg), mailed on January 21 after 1:00 PM
from ILLINOIS CITY IL 61259 to CHARLESTON WV 25301
Priority Mail 2-Day™
Mon, Jan 25
$15.10

That is a huge increase (due to no online discount)

 

[RedneckChainsawRepair]

I still ship saws UPS or Fedex. USPS only gets the small stuff.

 

[1Alpha1]

In addition to it being a PITA sometimes to sell things, now that the USPS rates have gone up, I'm more convinced to avoid it (selling) more than ever, unless it's a big money item and it's worth the effort.

I rarely sell on E-Bay any more. Craig's List is another matter though, and still works great for me.

 

[mesupra]

The large flat rate at my PO are now up to $18.75.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Groceries , and meat are closely related to diesel prices, not gasoline, because most farm machinery use diesel. Meat prices should fall by this coming spring if the trend continues.

Here farm diesel is cheaper than gas. Was 1.94 a few days ago. Gas is 2.30