Proposed New Rates for the USPS 2007

quote:

Originally posted by marciay96:
Here is the latest proposal for new rates at the Post Office:

USPS Rate Proposal

Flat Rate box would go up to $8.80 -- Yeesh.

Marcia

Chit!

I just did my template for my other selling ID I'm booting out of summer-break.

I'll have to change my shipping rates.

Geesh!

Thanks Marcia,
Donna

Donna,

So far these are the "proposed rates" for the increase to happen in spring 2007 so you have some time until then.

The three cent raise in stamps seems a little steep. I am so tired of having to buy one cent stamps just to use my old first class stamps as I cannot keep up with the hikes!!

Marcia

quote:

Originally posted by marciay96:
Donna,

So far these are the "proposed rates" for the increase to happen in spring 2007 so you have some time until then.

The three cent raise in stamps seems a little steep. I am so tired of having to buy one cent stamps just to use my old first class stamps as I cannot keep up with the hikes!!

Marcia

Phew!

No changes were made to my clothing template for another ID.

Thanks!
Donna

The thing I noticed is that it is probably going to start costing more to get packing supplies shipped.

I usually order my packing peanuts online and have them delivered since it is cheaper to get them from Texas than it is to get them from the local Staples store. I'm betting that the guy down there is going to have to raise his rates because I'm sure that it will no longer be $4.00 for him to get them shipped to me... We'll see I guess...

Mike

USPS Rate hikes AGAIN? I mailed off a pair of tailight lenses today, a very small - thin pair . . . I'm thinking the box and all weighed like 1 pound 7 ounces - sent it Parcel Post...Iowa to Illinois and it about floored me when the cost came out to 4.90. Something just doesn't seem right about that, but I went and checked all my figuring and it seems it was...or so THEY (the USPS) say!

Totally, completely UNREAL!
Blew my little mind !!!

I guess we'll all have to fasten our seat belts when the New Year Rolls around, we may be in for a ride!

The postal service sucks. I find it hard to beleive they can't make money on the existing rates.

drunknwitch - seems like Priority would have been only a little bit more than Parcel.

I really like Priority the best of any mailing option, free confirmation when you print out a shipping label - comes right out of Paypal. Free boxes. Gets there quicker than UPS or Fedex ground too.

The USPS is due for a rate increase. Seems to me in the last year Fedex and UPS have gone up a bunch, only they did'nt announce any rate increases.

Parcel post can be a real drag if your shipping something large. From what I've heard the big parcel post boxes get stuck on the bottom where they are the last item shipped and get considerable wear. Sometimes even small and medium boxes will have a long shipping time also.

I just recieved a box from Canada, took forever by Airmail Parcel Post, 2 1/2 to 3 weeks for the customs, etc. Then when it arrived the box was so worn out and beat up - looked liked it had been shipped to every US lower 48 state then here. UPS is really bad about beating up their boxes too.

The real problem with USPS is their arcane complicated rules. Start reading the fine print, i.e. Airmail Letter Post has maximum size restrictions most people don't know much about including many postal clerks.

I prefer USPS for shipping. Easy to use, free supplies. Faster shipping times.

They stopped giving out the Priority Mail tape. I dunno, for whatever reason (money) they did. Anyway, I will be stocking up on the free supplies. I have to wonder if they'll begin to charge a chunk of change for shipping supplies.

Proably not, but you never know.

quote:

seems like Priority would have been only a little bit more than Parcel.

To tell you the truth, Priority would probably have been a little less . . . 10 cents? or so . . .

Time related deadline to beat the mailtruck for it's end of day pick-up at the post office.

I print my own labels...yes, Delivery Conf. is free with priority - 14 cents otherwise.

If I would have EVEN thought that the cost to ship two tailights from Iowa to Illinois was going to be that much .. . I would definately have shipped priority. But being so late in the day and trying to make sure and get it on that truck, I didn't want to mess around with reprinting/setting up the label . . . as there is no more Priority Mail tape, I really hate to send priority mail in a plain box .. . "Ooops, I forgot to look at that label to see if it's 'priority", said the mail handeling gorilla as he threw it into the 'next week' bin -lol!

But even though, I seldom ship priority unless it's a flatrate box, a special request or a non-eBay Motors customer as the car guys are a lot more laid back and less stressed out about getting their stuff "The day after" they send you the money!

You are right about shipping International and all the regs regarding 'width, thickness, length, weight' and ALL involved with AIR LETTER POST. I think it is also way too complicated for most postal employees to try and figure out, so I will make them get the book out and look when they are doubting my sanity when it comes to my ideas on how I want stuff sent....
PayPal and the Click and Ship crew must think it's too complicated for the mainstream public also, as there is ABSOLUTELY no way to buy Air Letter Post shipping online - but then you know how the general public is when it comes to that kind of thing....you know, READING, FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS, LOOKING AT PICTURES and being able to perform simple tasks such as ASKING QUESTIONS if they do not understand something . .. . !

So I guess I don't know what next - a cleaning lady that comes in once a week and takes care of my shipping before she heads home? I could use one of those, but are there any trustworthy people out there who will do the job and not ship all your valuables to their house while they're at it?

Geez, life can be SO complicated!

quote:

Originally posted by drunknwitch:

quote:

seems like Priority would have been only a little bit more than Parcel.

Geez, life can be SO complicated!

I'm hijacking this thread.
Drunkn...you sell used auto parts, right?

I've been given the "priviledge" of selling my son's 2000 Mustang Headlights. Phhhtttt..I have NO idea bout selling in the auto parts...wanna give me some pointers?

Suthrnjewl at Suthrnjewl dot com

Thanks, Donna

quote:

Originally posted by JeffS:
The postal service sucks. I find it hard to beleive they can't make money on the existing rates.

Jeff,

In case you read this, I need to pick your brain in matters regarding eBay.

Email me at:
Suthrnjewl at Suthrnjewl dot com

Thanks, Donna

quote:

I've been given the "priviledge" of selling my son's 2000 Mustang Headlights.

The right catagory is a little tricky if you're not too familiar with the set-up . . .

eBay Motors>Parts & Acc.>Car & Truck Parts>Lighting and Lamps>

...then make sure you get the correct kind of light - if it's a straight headlight application just choose that as opposed to 'covers, cornering,fog/driving lights, etc.'

Make sure and list the correct model and series... in the title and the description:
Mustang . . .?

I don't sell much for newer parts, so I'm not too hep on just what the small variations are for these . . . but you need to be sure to include the series...is it off of a GT, Saleen, Shelby. fastback, convertible, etc?
And even though they CAME OFF OF a 2000 mustang, they may actually be CORRECT for any number of years Mustang - 1999, 2001, etc. and of course to be tricky, they may also be correct for another model of Ford . . . whatever models they had for those years (Focus, probe, whatever - a Hollander Interchange manual will tell you that, or you can surf the pictures in the 'Cars for sale' section of eBay motors and take a look at headlights - which can be mind numbing, as you could imagine...).
But make sure and get all (if any) other applications.

Be sure to include those specifics as a lot of times there were VERY slight changes between the different models/series within any given year (bored design engineers is all I have to say on the subject -lol!) and those small design differences may have included the headlights/housings or any dress-up detailings that they may of had...so those little details are BIG keywords.

Describe the condition COMPLETELY - check for any broken mounting tabs/holes, cracks in the housings, any chips in the glass - chrome condition (if any - as CHROME is king!) whether they are sealed units or just housings that take a bulb/socket in the back - if it is, or has a moving or removable part, comment on presence/lack of, and conditiion of that also.

Year/Model/Series/Interchange - if any/Condition.

Hope this will help . . . that's about all I can help with besides giving you some extra hours in a day for time burnt up doing research!

Mariann

So what you're saying Mariann is that I will need more information than the car is red?
<smile>

Thanks so much for your input and I'm printing this out so I can do my research and put them up so he'll get the most bang for his buck.

Take care, Donna

quote:

Originally posted by Magie Noire:
They stopped giving out the Priority Mail tape. I dunno, for whatever reason (money) they did. Anyway, I will be stocking up on the free supplies. I have to wonder if they'll begin to charge a chunk of change for shipping supplies.

That may very well be since so many people misuse them.

They still give away Priority Mail stickers for free though... You can order them online even and have them mailed right to your house (as with all of the boxes too). Heck as I'm sure many of you already know, you can even get eBay co-branded Priority Mail boxes.

I've been having problems with Parcel Post lately. Seems like my local Post Office is just sitting on the packages and waiting 2-3 days before they even send them out.

Mike

Yeah, everyone was using the Priority tape to put together the Priority boxes, but it is intended for marking plain boxes. If you ask real nice at the P.O. they might give you a roll.

Check out the new shoebox Priority box, very good size for many things.

mnormand, yep that seems to be a common problem with parcel post. But parcel is still better than UPS or Fedex in some situations.

I've found that FedEx and UPS can't compete price wise with USPS under 4 lbs which covers most of what I sell (used to sell). UPS charges 16.00 per week for the privilege of driving by and picking up your package at a 25% lower rate. Pay residential rates and you can drop it off yourself or pay a fee to have them pick it up. How far do you have to drive to drop off a UPS package? It's 22 miles here round trip.

All the Priority Mail supplies are free and they will ship them to you for nothing in great boxes you can use in the future. They offer tubes 24" to 36" long for those oddball items like the tools we sell. I've gotten a lot of positive feedback on packaging. It's sturdy, clean and impressive. They will pick it up at my doorstep for nothing. With the price of gas the way it is, that's a savings. I can offer my customers a better rate through USPS and that also keeps them coming back. That's my bottom line.

Good luck to all,
Rosemary

I found a link that helps explain the changes pretty clearly for domestic shipping:
http://www.neopostinc.com/support/2007_usps_rate_change...irst_class_mail.html

USPS's page for international shipping changes is here:
http://www.usps.com/ratecase/simplified_international_rates.htm

-Kevin