topic Re: Post Office Wants To Raise Postage Again in Community Chat

Post Office Wants To Raise Postage Again

Pearlee — Thu, 11 May 2017 00:26:29 GMT

From the article below:

"WASHINGTON – The U.S. Postal Service is hoping it can soon raise stamp prices by a penny or more.

The postal service on Wednesday reported a quarterly loss of $562 million, despite growth in package delivery, due to continued erosion in the use of first-class mail as well as expensive mandates for its retiree health care obligations. It also attributed losses to a forced reduction in stamp prices last year."

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/05/10/postal-service-citing-losses-seeks-higher-stamp-prices.html

Re: Post Office Wants To Raise Postage Again

tansy — Thu, 11 May 2017 00:36:18 GMT

Maybe the Forever stamps were a bad idea for the USPO.

Re: Post Office Wants To Raise Postage Again

Pearlee — Thu, 11 May 2017 00:45:36 GMT

@tansy wrote:
Maybe the Forever stamps were a bad idea for the USPO.

@tansy I don't know. People didn't like the inconvenience of having to buy those "make-up" stamps for one or two cents after each [frequent] increase. I don't think the average person has a lifetime supply of forever stamps so I don't think the P O has really lost much on those. People will buy new forever stamps at the new price because they don't have a huge stash of previous forever stamps.

They should re-name those stamps as "Forever Or Whenever The Post Office Goes Out Of Business Whichever Occurs First Stamps." LOL!

Re: Post Office Wants To Raise Postage Again

Oznell — Thu, 11 May 2017 00:45:46 GMT

Oh, no. I sure hope they also don't discontinue Saturday service as a cost cutting measure. The Canadian Post Office stopped delivering on Saturdays years and years ago.

Weekend delivery is fun!

Re: Post Office Wants To Raise Postage Again

Q4u — Thu, 11 May 2017 00:48:39 GMT

Holy Moley.... they raised rates in Jan 2017, they raised them in Jan 2016 and the year before that! It's now more cost effective to send a package Priority than Parcel Post (because Priority includes some insurance)....!

I sell on eBay and it's awful because everyone wants free shipping and thinks whatever you charge is too much even if you pick up half the shippling costs. But to a small seller like myself who may buy a decent 2nd hand handbag for $3, sell it for $14 and then pay $7.55 for postage... add in the tissue, bubble wrap and tape you use you can see where a profit of $3.45 is awfully hard!

And yes, I know to "build in" the cost of the postage in my asking price.... but a funny thing happens then..... no one buys it...

With all the business the PO has, they shouldn't be losing money, even with the Flat rate boxes and Forever stamps. They'll be pricing themselves totally out of the market because people will just stop mailing packages and people like me will have to find other things to do....

Re: Post Office Wants To Raise Postage Again

KatieB — Thu, 11 May 2017 00:49:58 GMT

It probably is due to the forever stamps and the fact that a large number of people do not pay their bill by post nowadays. I still pay my bills by post because I'm afraid to have all my banking info on my PC. I have antivirus software, but I try to take all precautions I can. My Visa card has been used fraudulently 3 times in the past year....

Re: Post Office Wants To Raise Postage Again

ms traditional — Thu, 11 May 2017 00:54:23 GMT

it's fine with me - when i compare the service i get from the PO here in Los Angeles to Fedex Smartpost (pony express apparently) and UPS Mail Innovations which seems to involve 2 days to hand off a package, i vote for the PO. the reality is we aren't paying what it costs to deliver the mail including their employment/pension costs. that's the reality.

Re: Post Office Wants To Raise Postage Again

Pearlee — Thu, 11 May 2017 01:02:40 GMT

@Q4u wrote:
Holy Moley.... they raised rates in Jan 2017, they raised them in Jan 2016 and the year before that! It's now more cost effective to send a package Priority than Parcel Post (because Priority includes some insurance)....!

I sell on eBay and it's awful because everyone wants free shipping and thinks whatever you charge is too much even if you pick up half the shippling costs. But to a small seller like myself who may buy a decent 2nd hand handbag for $3, sell it for $14 and then pay $7.55 for postage... add in the tissue, bubble wrap and tape you use you can see where a profit of $3.45 is awfully hard!

And yes, I know to "build in" the cost of the postage in my asking price.... but a funny thing happens then..... no one buys it...

With all the business the PO has, they shouldn't be losing money, even with the Flat rate boxes and Forever stamps. They'll be pricing themselves totally out of the market because people will just stop mailing packages and people like me will have to find other things to do....

@Q4u First class postage dropped for a while in 2016 - I think from April which only lasted to January of 2017 Remember, the federal law that gave them their previous increase stated that there was to be a rollback because that increase was supposed to be temporary. So there was a rollback from 49 cents for a first class stamp to 47 cents which only lasted for less than a year. Figures.

I see what you are saying about Ebay, because I sell occasionally. And then there are the Paypal and Ebay fees to pay. Plenty of sellers still charge shipping fees though, whether people want free shipping or not.

Re: Post Office Wants To Raise Postage Again

GSPgirl — Thu, 11 May 2017 01:09:08 GMT

Every time I go to my post office there is a sign that says: that get no federal funding. Why is it still calls the US post office? In London years ago I received two mail deliveries per day. That was overkill.

Re: Post Office Wants To Raise Postage Again

SydneyH — Thu, 11 May 2017 01:57:19 GMT

It's still a good value imo, I'm ok with an increase......

Re: Post Office Wants To Raise Postage Again

GCR18 — Thu, 11 May 2017 02:15:46 GMT

It doesn't seem like the gap is closing with the increases. I don't have a good feeling about their future. Hope I'm wrong.

Re: Post Office Wants To Raise Postage Again

In-x-s — Thu, 11 May 2017 02:17:15 GMT

I'd be happy if they'd increase it to 50 cents, the odd cents drive me crazy!

Re: Post Office Wants To Raise Postage Again

missy1 — Thu, 11 May 2017 02:18:53 GMT

Even $1 stamp to mail a letter, is fine with me.

Re: Post Office Wants To Raise Postage Again

shoekitty — Thu, 11 May 2017 02:27:06 GMT

I would never want to loose the post office ...at least at this time. I dont mind an increase, as I mail very few letters and bills. My mailman says he is always grateful to deliver packages, no matter how many or how heavy. He says it keeps the post office going, and his job.

I do not pay all my bills online, but I do about half so my postage isnt what it used to be. I think it is the same for most people.

Re: Post Office Wants To Raise Postage Again

NYC Susan — Thu, 11 May 2017 04:03:27 GMT

@SydneyH wrote:
It's still a good value imo, I'm ok with an increase......

I'm okay with an increase too. A few pennies doesn't make that much of a difference when what we're getting is really a bargain.

Re: Post Office Wants To Raise Postage Again

hckynut — Thu, 11 May 2017 08:05:30 GMT

When USPS revenues go up, why do they keep losing money? I took General Business in high school in the '50's, and learned why way back then. Basically it comes down to those in charge making the right decisions.

When money "in" goes up, losses should not be acceptable from those in charge. What private sector business accepts bad management year after year after year? They don't, they change those at the TOP, or go out of business. The USPS should be no exception.

hckynut(john)

Re: Post Office Wants To Raise Postage Again

Lynnster67 — Thu, 11 May 2017 15:16:38 GMT

My neighbor joked that eBay and Amazon are single-handedly keeping USPS in business. And maybe not even Amazon, as they now have their own fleet of delivery vans in certain metro areas.

The Postal Service can only raise stamp prices to the extent there is inflation (i.e., CPI). Which last year was a whopping 0.3% (my parents' SS went up $5 only to be offset by increase in Medicare Part B premium).

When stamps jumped from $0.46 to $0.49, that was supposed to be for "extenuating circumstances". A DC judge ruled that this is the new normal and made USPS lower stamp price to $0.47.

And that prefunding for retiree medical? NO OTHER ENTITY, public or private, is required to do this. Although companies have to have actuarial calculations run for disclosure purposes, it's an unfunded laibility.

Re: Post Office Wants To Raise Postage Again

Lynnster67 — Thu, 11 May 2017 15:20:10 GMT

Congress (esp those representing rural areas) is NOT in favor of eliminating Saturday delivery.

Re: Post Office Wants To Raise Postage Again

Pearlee — Thu, 11 May 2017 15:31:09 GMT

The way to cut costs so that it's effective is to cut off some of the retirees' outrageously generous benefits. When is someone going to have the nerve to do that, rather than continually ask for postage increases?

Re: Post Office Wants To Raise Postage Again

esmeraldagooch — Thu, 11 May 2017 15:40:30 GMT

One of the mill's my husband worked at had a pension plan the employee and the mill funded. When my son started working there this was not an option and you had to fund a 401K if you wanted to have money in retirement.

If they don't have the money to fund the retirement, perhaps they employees better pony up.