P.O. Box Rent price increase

CaptHenway

Like many of you I use a P.O. Box for security purposes. I have a 6x6 inch box and the price just went up to $188 per year!

I politely pointed out to them that the sign over by the boxes said that the semi-annual rate was $56, and they said that they must have forgotten to change that one for the past few increases. Only the sign in the lobby was official. It had pieces of tape on it with the new prices.

ifthevamzarockin

I just checked mine.

I have the 3x5.5 I paid the semi-annual rate on 8/20 in the amount of $53.
It looks like the new rate for my box will be $67 or $134 annual.

derryb

I get the largest box (it holds up 8 blue boxes with room to spare) for $70 a year at my credit union.

yspsales

I downsized mine to a small box. It was getting expensive.

Trying only to sell ATM.

The few shipments I accept get me a key to a larger box.

amwldcoin

When is the USPS going to realize "their ain't much blood left to squeeze out of the turnip".

OPA

@derryb said:
I get the largest box (it holds up 8 blue boxes with room to spare) for $70 a year at my credit union.

I believe we are talking Post Office mail boxes that receive mail and not Bank or CU security boxes that do not.

messydesk

@CaptHenway said:
Like many of you I use a P.O. Box for security purposes. I have a 6x6 inch box and the price just went up to $188 per year!

I pay that for a 3x5 box. Edit: $176, actually.

jesbroken

My 3x5 box is $134 per year. Just received my notice today.
Jim

Crypto

I pay 295$ a month for cable and internet. Money ain't worth what it used to be

derryb

@OPA said:

@derryb said:
I get the largest box (it holds up 8 blue boxes with room to spare) for $70 a year at my credit union.

I believe we are talking Post Office mail boxes that receive mail and not Bank or CU security boxes that do not.

my bad. In that case I made a one time payment for not only the box, but the post and the concrete for about $25 and best of all I can walk to it.

Flatwoods

@derryb said:

@OPA said:

@derryb said:
I get the largest box (it holds up 8 blue boxes with room to spare) for $70 a year at my credit union.

I believe we are talking Post Office mail boxes that receive mail and not Bank or CU security boxes that do not.

my bad. In that case I made a one time payment for not only the box, but the post and the concrete for about $25 and best of all I can walk to it.

Not everyone can do that.
USPS wouldn't deliver to my old address.
I had to have a PO Box.
I actually still have one. Bout $145 a year I think. Going to let it expire this cycle.

I have one I can walk to now too.

airplanenut

The good thing about the mail I receive is that it almost all needs a signature, so I can get a small PO Box knowing it usually just contains a card. That said, I've been to my PO once since last March. They've been doing a nice job forwarding everything since then.

MsMorrisine

but first class postage ...

SaorAlba

Mine was unilaterally close by the post office back in December, the postmaster decided to close down that whole section of PO boxes. I wasn't notified, only found out when an auction win was returned to the auction house with PO Box closed stamp on it.

CCGGG

Their service has decline noticeably in the past year so why not raise the rates... Seems that is what most service companies do?

ms70

Maybe Bezos will but them out and fix it.

sparky64

Just paid $28 rent for 6 months for my 3x5 post office box.
Maybe I'll get a rate hike in the summer?

MetroD

P.O. Box rates, effective 01.24.21, are on page 36 here.

To determine the current cost for a "competitive location", enter the applicable zip code here.

LanceNewmanOCC

@CaptHenway said:
Like many of you I use a P.O. Box for security purposes. I have a 6x6 inch box and the price just went up to $188 per year!

so much for complaining. i think i get mine under $100 annually and thought that was a lot. starting to think it is costing close $10 a month here soon BUT now i see some of your prices and yowza.

derryb

@ms70 said:
Maybe Bezos will but them out and fix it.

bezos loves usps, they taxpayers subsidize his deliveries.

ricko

My mailbox hangs just outside my front door on a covered/enclosed porch, and the mailperson delivers directly into it... every day except Sunday.... Works fine and fee free... Cheers, RickO

davewesen

I just asked at my post office and boxes there did not increase. phew

MasonG

@ricko said:
My mailbox hangs just outside my front door on a covered/enclosed porch, and the mailperson delivers directly into it... every day except Sunday.... Works fine and fee free... Cheers, RickO

There are places where that wouldn't work, you know. Not everybody gets mail delivered to their homes.

ricko

@MasonG .... Yep... Just fortunate to live in such an area....Cheers, RickO

Pokermandude

Supply and demand.

50 cents a day for the privacy/convenience/security of a PO box is still well worth it. Especially in these covid days of no signatures.

cladking

Wow! It's actually easier for them to deliver to a PO Box so they used to just charge a small handling fee. Mine charged less than $10 annually for years and years.

I guess they figured out that people would pay more so they upped the rates.

LanceNewmanOCC

@cladking said:
Wow! It's actually easier for them to deliver to a PO Box so they used to just charge a small handling fee.

wow, an obvious and good point and one that i hadn't considered too much. makes perfectly logical sense.

airplanenut

@SaorAlba said:
Mine was unilaterally close by the post office back in December, the postmaster decided to close down that whole section of PO boxes. I wasn't notified, only found out when an auction win was returned to the auction house with PO Box closed stamp on it.

The problem is that they mailed you a notice, but they couldn't deliver it because your box had been closed.

RichR

I pay $600/month for a parking space, $700/month for a storage unit, $175/month cable, and $250/month for cell phones...life ain't cheap!

thebeav

@RichR said:
I pay $600/month for a parking space, $700/month for a storage unit, $175/month cable, and $250/month for cell phones...life ain't cheap!

Don't forget drugs and alcohol !
Oh , and Netfilx......

RichR

Don't forget drugs and alcohol !
Oh , and Netfilx......

Oh yes...
Food...$200/month
Alcohol...$2000/month
Drugs...Priceless!

jt88

I paid $326 last year. I don't know about 2021 yet.

JBK

I have the smallest size box at a small town PO.

I've trained the ladies there to not fold anything so I don't need a larger box.

MsMorrisine

they taken to the cram for me. almost always fine. can't describe when to not cram, so I've let it happen.

as for the price increase. unsure on mine as the other half writes the check. I'll pay a rate hike since they take ups & fedex stuff and hold it for me.

LanceNewmanOCC

mine just jumped to $59 for 6 months and i was deciding how much it is really worth to me. was going to go ahead and eat it because of a few reasons but i waited a day too long and they wanted a 39% late fee. the box was let go.

how are others 2021 price hikes?

edited to add. i was/am partially sensitive to the cost as i may not have paid exact attention to the costs the past few years but it was nagging that the amounts had jumped enough i should take notice. just checked my tax files as i have them readily accessible via thumb drive.

2019 - $80 annually
2020 - $92 annually
2021 - $118 annually

RichieURich

2020 $254, 2021 $322. That is a 26.8% increase.

MidLifeCrisis

Ours is an expensive hobby. If you are comfortable receiving your coins at home, great...but if you need a post office box for security, then you gotta pay. I rarely have coins shipped to me at home.

LanceNewmanOCC

@MidLifeCrisis said:
Ours is an expensive hobby. If you are comfortable receiving your coins at home, great...but if you need a post > > office box for security, then you gotta pay. I rarely have coins shipped to me at home.

.
that was pretty much the deal-breaker for me, i've only been buying at shops.

for security, it is worth much more than they are asking to avoid what could possibly happen otherwise though.

WCC

Up to 10 years ago, I had a UPS Store box at somewhat less than the price quoted in the OP. I had the smallest one for mail but they would just hold my packages. There was no need for a larger one.

divecchia

@ricko said:
My mailbox hangs just outside my front door on a covered/enclosed porch, and the mailperson delivers directly into it... every day except Sunday.... Works fine and fee free... Cheers, RickO

I have the same setup. It's an enclosed porch that is about 4'X6' with a mailbox and plenty of room on the floor for large packages.

Renting a PO Box where I live is expensive. It costs $246 annually for a 5" X 5.5".

Donato

jt88

It cost me $251.

MasonG

Why I prefer a PO box:

-How many times have you received mail at home intended for someone else, written "Not at this address" on it and gave it back to the PO?

-How many times have you received mail with "Not at this address" written on it?

BAJJERFAN

@derryb said:

@OPA said:

@derryb said:
I get the largest box (it holds up 8 blue boxes with room to spare) for $70 a year at my credit union.

I believe we are talking Post Office mail boxes that receive mail and not Bank or CU security boxes that do not.

my bad. In that case I made a one time payment for not only the box, but the post and the concrete for about $25 and best of all I can walk to it.

And so can others should they so choose. Are you always there to beat em to the punch?

WCC

@MasonG said:
Why I prefer a PO box:

-How many times have you received mail at home intended for someone else, written "Not at this address" on it and gave it back to the PO?

-How many times have you received mail with "Not at this address" written on it?

Only for a prior resident for where I owned or rented.

MasonG

I've written "Not at this address" and clipped the envelope back to my mailbox for the mail carrier dozens of times in my life. I have yet to receive a piece of mail addressed to me with "Not at this address" written on it.

Seems odd.

golden

A box has gotten very high but I really do not have a choice.

BillyKingsley

Have had mine since 1995. It has gone up, but it's worth it.

Have had my mail stolen out of my home mail box on multiple occasions.

Never gets left outside like FedEx, UPS and Amazon do.

The benefitsfar outweigh the negatives, which are pretty much only the cost.

pruebas

@BillyKingsley said:
Have had mine since 1995. It has gone up, but it's worth it.

Have had my mail stolen out of my home mail box on multiple occasions.

Never gets left outside like FedEx, UPS and Amazon do.

The benefitsfar outweigh the negatives, which are pretty much only the cost.

I've had mine for as long and I agree. But mine has climbed to over $400/year. More than a safe deposit box!

WCC

@pruebas said:

But mine has climbed to over $400/year. More than a safe deposit box!

I pay for a safe deposit box (about $150 for a 5X10) but paying for both at your rate would border on making it uneconomical to collect for me given my budget.

LorneReams

I was just checking this now. When I got mine 20 years ago, it was $50 a year, now:

2019 $140
2020 $150
2021 $176
2022 $216

This is crazy. I'm going to probably move or cancel this year.

MasonG

Mine went up to $185 this year. Five years ago, it was $125.