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geekhack Community => Off Topic => Topic started by: btctopre on Mon, 18 January 2016, 16:33:54

Title: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: btctopre on Mon, 18 January 2016, 16:33:54
(http://i.imgur.com/2SRnTTf.png)

I won't stand for this ****, USPS. You will be hearing from my lawyer in the near-future!
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: FLFisherman on Mon, 18 January 2016, 16:34:28
Show Image
(http://i.imgur.com/2SRnTTf.png)


I won't stand for this ****, USPS. You will be hearing from my lawyer in the near-future!

Your lawyer here. I thought we agreed not to go public yet?
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: bcredbottle on Mon, 18 January 2016, 16:35:31
This includes flat rate?
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: Dongulator on Mon, 18 January 2016, 16:37:26
ugh.. is there a better cheaper shipping company we could use? I was not expecting that much of an increase
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: jdcarpe on Mon, 18 January 2016, 16:37:41
Don't look at the international rates. You will be even more pissed.
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: whmeltonjr on Mon, 18 January 2016, 16:39:15
Don't look at the international rates. You will be even more pissed.

Straight up won't even be able to ship internationally anymore. The fact that you don't even save money online anymore also sucks.
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: romevi on Mon, 18 January 2016, 16:40:32
Get these guys.

[attachimg=1]




Yes, I jumped on the Making a Murderer band wagon. Fite mii.
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: fohat.digs on Mon, 18 January 2016, 16:48:09
Don't complain, all the other carriers are worse.

The gigantic advantage of USPS is "flat rate" which is very nice if you are shipping something like a Model F 122-key.

I think the US Post Office is great and does an exemplary job in general. UPS and FedEx are marginally better but cost more 90%+ of the time (but they do provide better tracking).

If you want to complain about real costs, ask why oil companies, airlines, and car companies continue to receive huge subsidies from the government while relentlessly raising prices and chalking up record profits. The Post Office is one of the good guys.
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: hwood34 on Mon, 18 January 2016, 16:50:23
Don't look at the international rates. You will be even more pissed.

Straight up won't even be able to ship internationally anymore. The fact that you don't even save money online anymore also sucks.

Looks like it's around a 10% increase? I mean it sucks, but it's really not stopping me from shipping international
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: jdcarpe on Mon, 18 January 2016, 16:52:51
Don't look at the international rates. You will be even more pissed.

Straight up won't even be able to ship internationally anymore. The fact that you don't even save money online anymore also sucks.

Looks like it's around a 10% increase? I mean it sucks, but it's really not stopping me from shipping international

Shipping a 1-oz package First Class international is now $13.50, up from $6.55. :(
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: hwood34 on Mon, 18 January 2016, 16:53:39
Don't look at the international rates. You will be even more pissed.

Straight up won't even be able to ship internationally anymore. The fact that you don't even save money online anymore also sucks.

Looks like it's around a 10% increase? I mean it sucks, but it's really not stopping me from shipping international

Shipping a 1-oz package international is now $13.50, up from $6.55. :(

mother of almighty ****. damn you usps...

still better than fedex and the always ****tiest UPS
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: bocahgundul on Mon, 18 January 2016, 16:54:27
Now its even harder buying things from USA
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: Michael on Mon, 18 January 2016, 16:56:43
God damn.
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: swimmingbird on Mon, 18 January 2016, 17:16:44
Don't look at the international rates. You will be even more pissed.

Straight up won't even be able to ship internationally anymore. The fact that you don't even save money online anymore also sucks.

Looks like it's around a 10% increase? I mean it sucks, but it's really not stopping me from shipping international

Shipping a 1-oz package First Class international is now $13.50, up from $6.55. :(

Cya geekhack
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: Binge on Mon, 18 January 2016, 17:20:56
Don't look at the international rates. You will be even more pissed.

Straight up won't even be able to ship internationally anymore. The fact that you don't even save money online anymore also sucks.

Looks like it's around a 10% increase? I mean it sucks, but it's really not stopping me from shipping international

Shipping a 1-oz package First Class international is now $13.50, up from $6.55. :(

Son of a... the postal carriers have this hobby by the balls.  It might be cheaper in a few years to own a store-front :|
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: fanpeople on Mon, 18 January 2016, 17:29:32
Oh no overly expensive freight costs have gone up more, looks like I will be continuing to pay a dollar in shipping for every dollar I spend on small items, not to mention the 30% rise from my own ****ty currency being ****ty.

There was a time when I purchased from the US and I paid a little less because AUD conversion was just a little over USD. They were a few good days.

Should see if USPS will take Clacks and Bros as payment, probably work out cheaper. Mind you from my perspective USPS has its **** in one sock, every package I get from them seems to spend no more than a few days in the US, and then 1-2 weeks with AUS post. I think they do a good job as fohat says, but I only have received maybe 80-100 packages initially delt with by them.... 
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: bocahgundul on Mon, 18 January 2016, 17:33:54
Oh no overly expensive freight costs have gone up more, looks like I will be continuing to pay a dollar in shipping for every dollar I spend on small items, not to mention the 30% rise from my own ****ty currency being ****ty.

There was a time when I purchased from the US and I paid a little less because AUD conversion was just a little over USD. They were a few good days.

Should see if USPS will take Clacks and Bros as payment, probably work out cheaper. Mind you from my perspective USPS has its **** in one sock, every package I get from them seems to spend no more than a few days in the US, and then 1-2 weeks with AUS post. I think they do a good job as fohat says, but I only have received maybe 80-100 packages initially delt with by them....
Its even worse for us Indonesian Ghers
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: fanpeople on Mon, 18 January 2016, 17:36:28
Its even worse for us Indonesian Ghers

Oh man, I have never even thought about Indo, I bet you guys get stomped.
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: SpAmRaY on Mon, 18 January 2016, 17:43:44
So about those group buys delayed into this year from last year where people paid the cheaper shipping rates......
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: Vittra on Mon, 18 January 2016, 17:44:43
This is unfortunate. With the USD/CAD exchange rate, buying from across the border was painful enough as is.
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: fanpeople on Mon, 18 January 2016, 17:52:31
This is unfortunate. With the USD/CAD exchange rate, buying from across the border was painful enough as is.

You need someone who lives just near to boarder to collect mail and to boarder runs, like a drug runner
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: swimmingbird on Mon, 18 January 2016, 18:08:01
This is unfortunate. With the USD/CAD exchange rate, buying from across the border was painful enough as is.

You need someone who lives just near to boarder to collect mail and to boarder runs, like a drug runner

I'm glad I'm not the one who has to poop out those GMK sets on the other side
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: fohat.digs on Mon, 18 January 2016, 18:18:34
Shipping a 1-oz package First Class international is now $13.50, up from $6.55.

I have not been able to ship anything that was a "package" (definition: over 3/4" thick and not flexible - as opposed to an "envelope" which is "flat" and "flexible") internationally for under about $10-$12 in a couple of years, it seems to me. But then I never stick 2 key caps in a bubble envelope anyway.

Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: tjcaustin on Mon, 18 January 2016, 18:47:12
Don't look at the international rates. You will be even more pissed.

Straight up won't even be able to ship internationally anymore. The fact that you don't even save money online anymore also sucks.

Looks like it's around a 10% increase? I mean it sucks, but it's really not stopping me from shipping international

Shipping a 1-oz package First Class international is now $13.50, up from $6.55. :(

...welp
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: rowdy on Mon, 18 January 2016, 19:57:41
FWIW Australia Post just had a 43% increase in the price of a stamp to send a single letter (70c up to $1).
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: cryptokey on Mon, 18 January 2016, 19:59:21
Well, looks like I'm going back to using my trusty steed.  :rolleyes:
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: billnye on Mon, 18 January 2016, 20:09:14
:'(
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: SpAmRaY on Mon, 18 January 2016, 20:11:37


Shipping a 1-oz package First Class international is now $13.50, up from $6.55.

I have not been able to ship anything that was a "package" (definition: over 3/4" thick and not flexible - as opposed to an "envelope" which is "flat" and "flexible") internationally for under about $10-$12 in a couple of years, it seems to me. But then I never stick 2 key caps in a bubble envelope anyway.

I believe the trick was using click-n-ship online but with this recent change that no longer is discounted.

I've sent plenty of small boxes so long as they were only a few ounces for <$8 international first class many times but not anymore. :/
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: Hellcatz on Mon, 18 January 2016, 20:18:23
my god u guys should never go to Canada then. our postage rates are outrageous
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: berserkfan on Wed, 20 January 2016, 21:40:33

Shipping a 1-oz package First Class international is now $13.50, up from $6.55. :(

WTF

Price of oil goes way, way down, cost of shipping goes way, way up.
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: demik on Wed, 20 January 2016, 21:41:44

Shipping a 1-oz package First Class international is now $13.50, up from $6.55. :(

WTF

Price of oil goes way, way down, cost of shipping goes way, way up.

and the butt ****ing never stops
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: Badwrench on Wed, 20 January 2016, 21:56:30
The pricing in the OP is only using a commercial account (Stamps.com, etc.).  The usps online and in-store pricing is as follows:

[attachimg=1]

$6.80 a pop for those of us that don't have a commercial account that just send a small package every now and then.  Time to start charging people $2 via Paypal and using their services. 
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: SpAmRaY on Wed, 20 January 2016, 22:11:15
The pricing in the OP is only using a commercial account (Stamps.com, etc.).  The usps online and in-store pricing is as follows:

(Attachment Link)

$6.80 a pop for those of us that don't have a commercial account that just send a small package every now and then.  Time to start charging people $2 via Paypal and using their services. 

Well before the 17th you could get the commercial pricing using usps online click-n-ship but not anymore. :(
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: riotonthebay on Wed, 20 January 2016, 22:14:36
Let's be real, the $0.80 isn't going to break the bank for anyone shipping a flat-rate small box.

The international shipping change, however... that's where it looks like it's going to hurt.
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: demik on Wed, 20 January 2016, 22:15:54
Let's be real, the $0.80 isn't going to break the bank for anyone shipping a flat-rate small box.

The international shipping change, however... that's where it looks like it's going to hurt.
Time to boycott overseas shipping.

Sorry commies.
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: byker on Wed, 20 January 2016, 22:28:14
Rip buying artisans :(
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: nathanrosspowell on Thu, 21 January 2016, 01:15:07
my god u guys should never go to Canada then. our postage rates are outrageous
For real. **** this. I need to move to the land of the free.
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: ika on Thu, 21 January 2016, 01:17:36
IIRC it's been a few years since they last increased rates (and last time it was like less than 0.30) so it's about time. But instead of ****ing everyone like this in one fell swoop they should really just do it slowly.
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: baldgye on Thu, 21 January 2016, 02:32:39
Let's be real, the $0.80 isn't going to break the bank for anyone shipping a flat-rate small box.

The international shipping change, however... that's where it looks like it's going to hurt.
Time to boycott overseas shipping.

Sorry commies.


RIP
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: Halverson on Thu, 21 January 2016, 02:52:31

my god u guys should never go to Canada then. our postage rates are outrageous

USPS saw our rates and said "hey, I got an idea"
Sad stuff :(
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: Air tree on Thu, 21 January 2016, 03:19:14
Jimmies: Rustled
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: jacobolus on Thu, 21 January 2016, 03:44:35
USPS is amazing, truly one of the wonders of the world.

They have a pretty tough mandate though, which is to deliver 6 days a week to every mailbox in every little rural ghost town in America, for a flat rate across the whole system.  Their volume has been dropping for years as people transfer routine communications online, and they have to keep funding pension obligations for retired workers from the years when volumes were higher, and their workers are all treated amazingly, much better than their competitors. They often end up losing the price competition on higher-margin packages to private shipping companies, but those companies are happy to use USPS for last-mile delivery whenever they need to, and so don’t need nearly as complete a network.

Not to mention, congressional Republicans keep trying to defund it.
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: jaffers on Thu, 21 January 2016, 03:55:30
You think USPS is bad. Auspost have had rates like this since the beginning. And they managed to crack a model M IN HALF. One of Ludovitcian42's that he sent

EDIT: I MEAN AUSPOST
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: katushkin on Thu, 21 January 2016, 03:58:01
Don't look at the international rates. You will be even more pissed.

Straight up won't even be able to ship internationally anymore. The fact that you don't even save money online anymore also sucks.

Looks like it's around a 10% increase? I mean it sucks, but it's really not stopping me from shipping international

This guyyyyyyyyy
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: pr0ximity on Thu, 21 January 2016, 05:31:47
Karma for inflating Clack prices and not getting along with reddit.
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: bcredbottle on Thu, 21 January 2016, 06:17:42
USPS is amazing, truly one of the wonders of the world.

They have a pretty tough mandate though, which is to deliver 6 days a week to every mailbox in every little rural ghost town in America, for a flat rate across the whole system.  Their volume has been dropping for years as people transfer routine communications online, and they have to keep funding pension obligations for retired workers from the years when volumes were higher, and their workers are all treated amazingly, much better than their competitors. They often end up losing the price competition on higher-margin packages to private shipping companies, but those companies are happy to use USPS for last-mile delivery whenever they need to, and so don’t need nearly as complete a network.

Not to mention, congressional Republicans keep trying to defund it.

How dare you provide such a rational and informed analysis in this moanfest?
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: Elrick on Thu, 21 January 2016, 06:21:01
You think USPS is bad. Auspost have had rates like this since the beginning. And they managed to crack a model M IN HALF. One of Ludovitcian42's that he sent

EDIT: I MEAN AUSPOST

Yeah, good old AusPost never let you down when it comes to offering smashed packages with all your goods crushed.  Sometimes I get boxes that have been gaped by Rhinos, yet they see fit to deliver it in pieces to my front door.

Usually I write it down as a loss but still, for the money you lay out on delivery they should at least of even bothered to not smash it to bits.  Still we are stuck with using them for all our goods and we all hope none of the idiots at their warehouse will gang rape our packages for fun.

Welcome to our desperately debauched world, here down under  ;) .
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: jdcarpe on Thu, 21 January 2016, 06:51:14
Not to mention, congressional Republicans keep trying to defund it.

But USPS isn't funded by the government.
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: fohat.digs on Thu, 21 January 2016, 07:08:25
USPS is amazing, truly one of the wonders of the world.

They have a pretty tough mandate though, which is to deliver 6 days a week to every mailbox in every little rural ghost town in America, for a flat rate across the whole system. 

their workers are all treated amazingly, much better than their competitors.


How dare you provide such a rational and informed analysis in this moanfest?


The Post Office became quasi-independent of federal government support in 1970 under Nixon. As with most examples of privatization and deregulation, it has proven to have a mixed result, but with far less egregious price increases than almost any other.

Looking at charts, the prices seem to appear rather reasonable, but the facts on the ground disagree. For example, a single T-shirt, wrapped in plastic that weighs almost nothing and stuffed in a non-rigid envelope, costs about $17+ minimum from the East Coast to Europe, before this current hike.
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: sitch on Thu, 21 January 2016, 07:22:05
darn reading this makes international buyer like me sad, I just started my keyboard buying spree  :'(
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: neverused on Thu, 21 January 2016, 07:29:25
How is this an issue for people that make one off purchases? Who cares what the percent increase is when the actual difference is the price increase? No one is paying based on a percentage so that is a moot point. If you cannot afford less than $1.00 more, then perhaps you should reconsider your purchase and budget in general. A you should not have a $1.00 margin.
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: SpAmRaY on Thu, 21 January 2016, 07:42:42
How is this an issue for people that make one off purchases? Who cares what the percent increase is when the actual difference is the price increase? No one is paying based on a percentage so that is a moot point. If you cannot afford less than $1.00 more, then perhaps you should reconsider your purchase and budget in general. A you should not have a $1.00 margin.

For me the two issues I've got are click-n-ship online shipping is no longer discounted versus walking into a post office and the cheap international first class price doubled.

I mean sure it's only a couple dollars here and there but it adds up pretty quick.

Besides when you're selling things people want cheapest possible prices.
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: neverused on Thu, 21 January 2016, 07:46:26


How is this an issue for people that make one off purchases? Who cares what the percent increase is when the actual difference is the price increase? No one is paying based on a percentage so that is a moot point. If you cannot afford less than $1.00 more, then perhaps you should reconsider your purchase and budget in general. A you should not have a $1.00 margin.

For me the two issues I've got are click-n-ship online shipping is no longer discounted versus walking into a post office and the cheap international first class price doubled.

I mean sure it's only a couple dollars here and there but it adds up pretty quick.
Those are fair points and also non-trivial increases.
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: jacobolus on Thu, 21 January 2016, 07:56:02
Sorry JD, I should have been clearer, that was poor phrasing. I should have said something like “drive out of business” instead of “defund”.

There has been a financial shortfall at USPS for several years, which makes up the difference by borrowing from the treasury. They’ve been at their $15 billion statutory debt limit, and have net income of about $-5 billion per year.

That’s a deceptive summary though. The main reason the USPS has such a huge budget shortfall is the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006.

The PAEA was a bipartisan bill, intended to tweak various bits of post office rate schedules, bureaucratic procedure, etc. It’s a complicated piece of legislation, so I’m not exactly sure everything that went into negotiating it, but anyway, it passed with broad support in Congress. However, the Bush Administration insisted that a rule be stuck in about pre-funding USPS pension obligations. It was crazy for the Democrats to go along with this plan, I’m not sure what they were thinking, but I guess they didn’t realize it would be such a big problem (in 2006 the USPS was doing pretty well; mail volumes have tanked afterward), and wanted to strike a compromise so they could get their bill passed.

The rule change goes like this: Up until 2006, the USPS had been paying pensions of retired employees as they came along. The PAEA required that the USPS must instead pre-fund 100% of an actuarial estimate of its future pension obligations, and required that they get to that point within 10 years. Since the USPS has a sizable number of employees, pre-funding all of their pension obligations many decades into the future costs a lot of money, an extra $5+ billion/year. (As far as I understand no other institution, public or private, faces this kind of requirement.)

There’s not necessarily anything inherently wrong with pre-funding pension obligations, but requiring that it be done so quickly, during a period of declining post office revenue (oops, right before a recession) hit the USPS budget like a ton of bricks.

There have been repeated attempts by Democrats to offer various fixes, but the Republicans are in charge of Congress, and are happy to see the USPS flounder. They’ve been preventing USPS from scaling back services, adjusting rates, consolidating rural post offices, etc., they won’t let the USPS enter any new lines of business, they won’t let the USPS run at losses (unlike other government institutions), they won’t raise the statutory debt limit, and they definitely won’t consider fixes to the way USPS is required to prefund its pension obligations. In my opinion their ultimate goal is to see the USPS get privatized.
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: berserkfan on Thu, 21 January 2016, 08:33:34
US Congress is a bunch of big money crooks, and has been since the days of Washington. These people fight over pennies when it comes to the public good, but spend dollars with wild abandon when it comes to their pet projects.

What's this $5 billion shortfall in the face of $700b every year put into the US military machine? Does anyone really think that decreasing US military spending by $100b a year will result in Putin sending tanks into Prague, Iran conquering Saudi Arabia, China invading the Philippines or North Korea shooting nukes at Hawaii? And in contrast, even if USA increased military spending to $1400b yearly, would that be enough to stop ISIS from radicalizing malcontent or mentally ill people (Mo's Mad Marauders) to behead people?

Privatization of any public utility service in the USA could lead to some really serious economic consequences for minorities. I never had a good experience living in US ghettoes, but at least there were still some things we could count on - basic water, electricity, USPS.

jacobolus, let me offer the prediction that should come true if the Repubs get USPS privatized. The new USPS will provide great service to Bill Gates' neighbourhood. Warren Buffett would also be praising the postal service for its efficiency.

I also predict:
no more USPS office in Baltimore.
whole of Chicago south side (or any place overpopulated by minorities) served by one post office.
sending mail from South Central LA to Detroit (or whatever black neighbourhood to another black neighbourhood) will take months.
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: Badwrench on Thu, 21 January 2016, 14:25:12
My biggest issue is that I can no longer do First Class via the USPS website.  I have to go in person and wait in line only for them to try to up-sell me when all I want is the cheapest option.  The price increase is annoying, but not the end of the world, just have to add it into sales now. 
Title: Re: USPS Confirmed Scum of the Earth
Post by: jdcarpe on Thu, 21 January 2016, 14:32:02
My biggest issue is that I can no longer do First Class via the USPS website.  I have to go in person and wait in line only for them to try to up-sell me when all I want is the cheapest option.  The price increase is annoying, but not the end of the world, just have to add it into sales now.
I think that was the case already with first class, since the last change a few years ago. That's why many went with stamps.com, since you could still buy first class through them.

And try convincing an international buyer to pay $13.50 in shipping (first class bubble mailer) on a $5 novelty cap.