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Nancy OShea
Community Expert
Community Expert
December 30, 2022
Question

US Postal Service is Cutting Services & Raising Prices AGAIN

  • December 30, 2022
  • 3 replies
  • 604 views

If you rely on USPS to ship tangible products or send bulk mail circulars & promotional mailings, listen up.  The U.S. Postal System is cutting services & raising postal rates AGAIN.  

 

Mail delivery has been suspended in 5 States due to severe winter weather hazards.

https://bestlifeonline.com/usps-closing-post-offices-winter-weather-news/

 

In July, USPS announced a cost cutting effort to slash 50,000 employees through attrition over a 10-year "break even" plan.  Your local post office may have shorter operating hours or be closed/closing in an effort to shave off 64 million work hours.

 

  • No more Priority Mail Prepaid Flat Rate Stamped Envelopes.  USPS stopped selling them earlier this year.
  • No more Retail Ground and Parcel Select Ground distinctions.  The two options for ground shipments up to 70 pounds will be combined into just one First-Class Package Service (FCPS).
  • No more delivery of COVID-19 home test kits.  I received 8 home test kits from my pharmacy when I received my COVID/Flu boosters. The nurse said, "here take these, the post office won't deliver them."  😕😕
  • No more corporate accounts (USPSCA).  If your business has a corporate account with discounts for bulk mail sending, say goodbye. Expect the phase out to  begin in Jan 2023.  You will be asked to pay your unpaid USPSCA balances. 
    https://bestlifeonline.com/usps-discontinuing-corporate-accounts-news/
  • For the second time in 6 months, cost of a first class postage stamp will rise on Jan 22, 2023 from 60 cents to 63 cents.
    https://www.cnet.com/personal-finance/stamp-prices-are-going-up-in-a-few-weeks-heres-how-to-avoid-paying-more/

 

    3 replies

    Nancy OShea
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    January 1, 2025

    USPS sucks more now than it did 2 years ago.

     

     

    Next year, I'm using FedEx.

     

    Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
    Leslie Moak Murray
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    January 1, 2025

    "Springfield, MA"??!!

    Nancy OShea
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    January 1, 2025

    Yup.

     

    Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
    Chuck Uebele
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    January 1, 2023

    USPS service sucks, here. I have informed delivery and had notices showing that I had mail coming the last two days. I also had mail to be picked up in my mail box: no mail delivery and the outgoing mail wasn't picked up.

    Nancy OShea
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    January 1, 2023

    My husband receives temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals by mail.  The twice monthly injectables are stored with icepacks to ensure they remain between 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C).  Previously, they arrived in 2 days.  Now they're taking 4-6 days which means the icepacks aren't as cold as they should be.

     

    Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
    Abambo
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    January 1, 2023

    That's bad. Really bad.

    ABAMBO | Hard- and Software Engineer | Photographer
    Abambo
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    December 30, 2022
    quote

     


    By @Nancy OShea

    I don't know about “first class mail”, but a standard letter costs here one € (equal it with one $). Europe is €1.40, world is €1.75. However, bulk mailers can negotiate their term.

     

    I'm getting reductions for getting my invoices e-mailed to me. Keeps my letterbox empty for my subscription magazines. 😉

    ABAMBO | Hard- and Software Engineer | Photographer
    Nancy OShea
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    December 30, 2022

    First Class Mail domestic fits inside a standard rectangular shaped (letter-sized) envelope and weighs less than 3.5 oz.  Square, oversized or unusual shaped envelopes start at $1.00.  For packages up to 13 oz, prices start at $4.80.  Domestic delivery is usually 1-5 business days but we've had packages that took 2-3 weeks so it varies. 😬

     

    First Class International starts at $1.40 for 1 oz and goes up, up, up from there. 

    Based on ROI, we've had to reduce mailings to overseas customers.

     

    Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
    Abambo
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    December 31, 2022

    OK, the 1oz (ca. 28 g, for us that was 20g) letter weight has been abolished. Most letters were that weight (three A4 page+one envelope). It starts now with 50g standard size. It's mostly next day delivery, Europe takes two days more. That's 1 to 5 comparable.

    ABAMBO | Hard- and Software Engineer | Photographer