QKO

You may or may not have noticed, but the United States Postal Service increased all of their package rates on January 27, 2013.

While the increase for domestic packages went up about 5% in most cases, there was a truly dramatic increase in International parcel rates, both in Priority Mail and International Parcel and Envelope rates.

Buyers of fabric and other goods from online stores in the USA who have those orders shipped to OUS destinations got whacked with an average 30% increase in postal rates.

For instance, the commercial rate for those of us that buy our postage online, for a priority mail Flat Rate envelope going to Australia, jumped from $16.95 to $23.95, an increase of 30%.

All other sizes and classes of International mailings went up correspondingly.

Just thought I'd post this for the benefit of those international buyers who will be wondering what the heck happened to their shipping rates.

Online shop owners aren't all of a sudden getting greedy, they're just at the mercy of the USPS.

NJ Quilter

AFAIK all postage rates went up! I had no clue. Friend & I were talking about it that day, in fact. I had gone to the PO to send some 'fits it ships' boxes. Lady in front of me had a box of what presumably were wedding invitations and ended up having to add a penny postage to each one. Felt bad for her - not so much for the $$ - it was relatively inconsequential, but I'm sure it messed up the 'look' of the envelope. And based on what I could see of the invites - looks were important! Fortunately doesn't effect forever stamps so my bills went on their way without a hitch!

But what the friend I were discussing was how I had not heard/read about the increase anywhere. I read news online each morning; watch local and national news on tv each evening. Have my homepage set to msn. Not one of those vehicles mentioned a postage increase in the preceding days.

grannie cheechee

The USPS did a blip one time that the 1st class mail would go up Sunday, but if you missed it, you were surprised at the post office. I did find in my gr-gr-grandpa's diary thast it cost $0.50 to send a letter from Council Bluffs, IA. to PA.. It was when he was on his way to the CA. gold rush. We aren't there with the postage, but soon. Sorry to hear about the 30% increase for the out of the US.

Jingle

Wonder if they will then operate in the black for a change. Small business will feel the pinch as always. They can't pass all increases on as everyone thinks, as me how I know.

Barbshobbies

Did you ever hear a postal worker complain about their benefits ? It may be a hard job, but I`ve had few with out beniefits. Last year I made 6 scarves for Special Olympics and the cost me $10.25 to mail them. This year I felt so bad that I won`t be sending them any. Yesterday I got a big envelope that said UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE, WE CARE. In it was a chewed up letter, with 2 gold coins which I didn`t order, that said I had to reply as soon as possible. NOW what do I do? there is no address where it came from, only my name.

Pollytink

I'd heard letter rates were going up and I forgot to buy more forever stamps! But, darn! I'm prob. going to get hammered if I ever get the baby quilt finished to send to Italy!! Ouch! So much for procrastinating!

patricej

i don't complain about the rates.
the rates are high compared to what they were, but they are not high when you compare them to the cost of delivering them ourselves.

i can order and print postage online.
i can leave a note for my carrier. she will come to my door to pick up anything i couldn't fit into the mailbox.
so ... i never have to leave my house to send my packages on their way.

most USPS employees do care. they care very much. they work very hard.
they are our friends and family.

they get blamed as a group for every little thing that goes wrong.
really? in a system that huge, with millions upon millions of customers and transactions, you expect that nothing should ever go wrong?

they contribute a whopping chunk of their salaries to share the costs of their benefits.
they work long hours in all sorts of horrid weather and conditions.
they deliver faithfully to even the worst and most dangerous neighborhoods.
they often risk serious injury to deliver our letters and packages.

and yet they rarely hear a thank-you.