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Rant of the day - Post office!
gregm13
Posts: 5,798 ✭✭✭
What's up w/ the new postage rates!!!??? Regular stamps went from 39 cents to 41 but the post office has raised the 63 cent mailing (1 to 2 oz??) to 97 cents and the 83 (or 87 cents...I can remember) cent mailing (2 to 3 oz??) to $1.14!!!??? They must have taken a lesson from E-Bay on how to fleece the consumer.
Unreal.
Greg M.
Unreal.
Greg M.
Collecting vintage auto'd fb cards and Dan Marino cards!!
References:
Onlychild, Ahmanfan, fabfrank, wufdude, jradke, Reese, Jasp, thenavarro
E-Bay id: greg_n_meg
References:
Onlychild, Ahmanfan, fabfrank, wufdude, jradke, Reese, Jasp, thenavarro
E-Bay id: greg_n_meg
0
Comments
JS
The bottom line is simple, we now have to use more of the shipping charges towards the shipping.
Many charge 3.00 and up. That still leaves 1.50+ for mailers etc.
The PO is still the best way to get an item to your buyer. And it is still CHEAP too.
Steve
Bosox1976
gonna have to raise postal rates on my auctions.
Photos That Were Used On Baseball Cards
I was told on the phone by some stupid ***** operator
from the USPS that it's a $9.00 flat rate. You can still use
the old Global Priority mail envelopes. The new lame
service is Global Priority International and the envelope
for Priority is the same for domestic and international.
I called her that name in my head because she was slow to
answer my questions and I had to slowly repeat everything.
She included a lot of "I think" and "I'm pretty sure" in each statement.
If it is indeed $11 or $16, it will surely deter my Canadian bidders away.
Where's Jim on this one? We need a definitive answer.
Photos That Were Used On Baseball Cards
i try to go there as often as possible
the other day, the clerk was explaining the new rates to me, but i got distracted and wound up paying $127.50 to ship a raw card to Nova Scotia......crap!
<< <i>I wonder how much some of you guys charge for shipping? I'm sure nobody here charges 1.14 or whatever it is.
The bottom line is simple, we now have to use more of the shipping charges towards the shipping.
Many charge 3.00 and up. That still leaves 1.50+ for mailers etc.
The PO is still the best way to get an item to your buyer. And it is still CHEAP too.
Steve >>
It's not cheap and the customer has to pay more. The increases were ridiculous. chaz
Steve
<< <i>It is cheap, and the customer does not have to pay more if you are charging 3.00 to begin with (like most everyone does) anyway.
Steve >>
Hey hardhead... THE CUSTOMER has to pay more... read what I said. chaz
the ebayer being the buyer? or the PO customer? yes the buyer at the PO does pay more but IMO IT is still cheap, as long as you charge 3.00.
get it?
Steve
<< <i>When did the stamps go up? >>
Monday - the 14th.
<< <i>It is cheap, you are the hard head, the customer does not have to pay more if you have been charging 3.00 +
the ebayer being the buyer? or the PO customer? yes the buyer at the PO does pay more but IMO IT is still cheap, as long as you charge 3.00.
get it?
Steve >>
I'll make it easy for you cause we've butted heads before and you are definitely thick headed so I have to take that into account. To ship a 6 x 9 inch 2oz envelope (PSA card enclosed in small bubble wrap) and not a bubble mailer cost 77 cents before. Now, after the increases, it is $1.48 (almost double). Guess who is gonna pay????? It's not me, I have to pass it on to the customer........ get it????? Chaz PS: don't try to cheese out by putting $3.00 +, you said $3.00 originally.
Do you ride on the special bus or something? Unless you're charging your buyers .50 cents to ship, then yes they're going to have to pay extra. You just said it yourself that it's going to cost you $1.48. (I won't mention anything about $3.00). What did you charge them initially? What are you charging them now due to the .71 cents increase? Unless you can give a clear answer, there is no need to continue this.
I never argued the fact that the buyer is paying it. You keep saying that. MY POINT is simple UNTIL the PO charges the exact amount that I do IT IS CHEAP!
talk about being thick headed, you sir, are the epitome of a thick head.
I'm done debating this silly issue with you. You seem to think that sending your customer his/her item for 1.47 is expensive I do not. Who else is going to ship your package for less??
And yes we butted heads before, you seem to butt heads with many on here.
Remm your GAI thread? I do, and you were shown to be a fool then as you are now.
Steve
Edited to add: Thanks Bryan.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
<< <i>You are such an idiot, the only person here that is not getting it is you. guess what dopey, if a person charges 3.00 before, now and next week it is still CHEAP IMO. no crap the ebay buyer is paying it. he is paying it from the 3.00 + or minus that he pays in shipping.
I never argued the fact that the buyer is paying it. You keep saying that. MY POINT is simple UNTIL the PO charges the exact amount that I do IT IS CHEAP!
talk about being thick headed, you sir, are the epitome of a thick head.
I'm done debating this silly issue with you. You seem to think that sending your customer his/her item for 1.47 is expensive I do not. Who else is going to ship your package for less??
And yes we butted heads before, you seem to butt heads with many on here.
Remm your GAI thread? I do, and you were shown to be a fool then as you are now.
Steve
Edited to add: Thanks Bryan. >>
Hey knucklehead..... you don't get it and it's not cheap. I am glad I made such an impression on you about GAI knucklehead. chaz
Looks like you are a cheapskate.
Steve
LOL you are glad that you were a fool in that thread?
Steve
<< <i> I am glad I made such an impression on you about GAI knucklehead.
LOL you are glad that you were a fool in that thread?
Steve >>
Fool??? you are such an a..hole. Boneheads like you will never grow up. What's your collection??? I'll bet it's late 80's and early 90's crap!!! chaz
for less than $.41. Come to think of it, $.41 seems like a good bargain.
I guess I'll continue using the USPS.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
<< <i>Well I tried like heck to find someone else to carry my letter from N.Y. to California
for less than $.41. Come to think of it, $.41 seems like a good bargain.
I guess I'll continue using the USPS.
We're not talking about a letter. We're discussing a package. Please read. chaz
maybe that will penetrate thickhead here.
Actually i can't find anyone to ship my cards for less then 2.00
I've looked but can't seem to find anyone, guess i'll have to whine about it.
Steve
Geez, are you always wrong?
Steve
<< <i>. What's your collection??? I'll bet it's late 80's and early 90's crap!!! chaz
Geez, are you always wrong?
Steve >>
Pretty good Pitcher. That's some awesome Mars Attacks you have there. I take back what I said. chaz
I didn't want to do this but USPS is now bending me over a little. I don't mind increases of 5-10% but for the items I ship, the increases were closer to 60% for one psa card.
I would hope that buyers would bid a dollar less on my items now to offset the shipping increase. That way ebay gets a smaller cut as well. On some of my fixed price items I lowered my price a buck on them, to already offset the postal increases. I hope it works and the buyers aren't too mad about the increased shipping costs. At least I'm not like 70% of other sellers on ebay, I don't just throw your card in a padded mailer and drop it in the mail. I try to package cards pretty securely.
With all that said, I still think that USPS service is excellent for the most part for mailing smaller items like graded cards. I've had more problems when using UPS than USPS. Maybe that's just my luck however.
Now winpitcher and Chaz can get back to their arguing. ....... lol.
Lee
<< <i>Well I tried like heck to find someone else to carry my letter from N.Y. to California
for less than $.41. Come to think of it, $.41 seems like a good bargain.
I guess I'll continue using the USPS.
Intellectually I know that's true and I've made the same point for years. I still do...although my sunny disposition was shaken a touch this month by one of my payment's 3 week scenic tour of the nation, trying to get to Minnesota...
I knew about the stamp rate increase, but the MO fee hike was news to me. On Friday, I had a very close brush with the always popular "Slink out of line, leave the office and go back to the car for some change" maneuver that we all would like to avoid.
Have you shipped a card since the increase went into effect? Either you haven't or you have some hookup at the post office because there's no way a bubble wrapped card in a bubble envelope costs 75 cents to ship.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
Lee
The postmaster usually greets me with my bundle in hand, and she's easy on the eyes.
Lee
Even before the rate increase and the "thickness" surcharge for packages, a package at 2.2 ounces would cost 87 cents to ship. Now, that same package costs $1.47 to ship. Still a bargain, IMO, but about double 75 cents.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
<< <i>The weight comes to 2.2 oz for each package and it costs me 75 cents to ship first class. It used to be 63 cents. I can scan a receipt if you don't believe me.
Lee >>
Lee, I am with Grote on this - but I'd love to know how you are doing it so I can copy you! A 2 oz bubble mailer used to cost .63 (plus .14 for electronic DC) and now it costs $1.48 (with electronic DC). A bubble mailer can only fit one postal class description, and if you are shipping them for .75, then either you are using the wrong mail type when you print your electronic labels, or your Post Office has some special knowledge on this that no one else seems to have. I use stamps.com for my postage, and it's pretty cut and dry as far as figuring out correct postage costs.
Now, I simply use a 75 sent stamp with no delivery confirmation, and I'm willing to take a loss on a lost card or somebody trying to scam me, which happens seldom enough to justify me not spending the extra 75 cents for delivery confirmation.
But my argument is that even at 1.48 for postage, 25 cents for a bubble mailer, and 5 cents worth of bubble wrap, postage should cost the seller no more than $2 for a single card. Even if you include gas (which I think is ridiculous), you're still well under $3.
Lee
For letters : It must be 1/4 inch thick or less and weigh less than 3.5 ounces. Between 1/4 and 3/4 inch, it is considered a large envelope. If the letter is more than 3/4 inch thick ,it is a small parcel.
For large envelopes: It can't be more than 3/4 inch thick, otherwise its a parcel.
For parcels: 3/4 inch thick or more.
Photos That Were Used On Baseball Cards
geez that is what i have been saying all along.
and................I think that for the service provided it is cheap.
maybe not as cheap as it was last week but still cheap.
Steve
$3-$4 has become industry standard, but if you sit down and really calculate the cost of shipping, it's really only around $2. We're not selling crap on infomercials where we can charge $14.95 for shipping and that becomes a big profit center. I mean how much do you think Shop at Home made on shipping when they were selliong cards? My guess would be an average of about $5 per transaction. It's such a scummy way of doing business, and I think in terms of selling on ebay you stand to gain more by offering fair shipping rates. While it's impractical to charge everybody exactly what their package is going to cost to ship, it is possible to estimate it fairly accurately and charge accordingly. I think it's more of an asset to be able to offer free shipping on additional cards because that will drive the prices of your auctions up as people will be more tempted to look at your other auctions and adjust their bids upward.
Lee
<< <i>
<< <i>Well I tried like heck to find someone else to carry my letter from N.Y. to California
for less than $.41. Come to think of it, $.41 seems like a good bargain.
I guess I'll continue using the USPS.
We're not talking about a letter. We're discussing a package. Please read. chaz >>
Chaz, I was actually giving the USPS a pat on the back. Everything that is shipped postally
is a dirt cheap bargain. It's one of the greatest bargains to be had in this day and age. I
understand we are talking about packages. I'd like to see someone hand deliver their cards
cross country in 7 days for less than $5. Can't do it? Well the post office does it everyday.
All this whinning about postage is a joke. Charge $.25 more and it's covered. Postage too
much? Don't buy it or don't sell it. Move on to basket weaving.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
<< <i>The problem is with the delivery confirmation, which now costs 75 cents- I only use it on cards that are $50 or more. The majority of the cards I sell cost less than that. ALso, using the electronic payment is also no longer an option for me because for whatever reason Paypal doesn't let you send "a package or thick envelope" for less than $1.48 (USPS package rate), and a single card in a bubble mailer can be sent at the flat rate rather than package rate. If you're PO is a stickler about enforcing requirements for the flat-rate, take out the bubble wrap and put in a piece of cardboard to keep it flatter.
Now, I simply use a 75 sent stamp with no delivery confirmation, and I'm willing to take a loss on a lost card or somebody trying to scam me, which happens seldom enough to justify me not spending the extra 75 cents for delivery confirmation.
But my argument is that even at 1.48 for postage, 25 cents for a bubble mailer, and 5 cents worth of bubble wrap, postage should cost the seller no more than $2 for a single card. Even if you include gas (which I think is ridiculous), you're still well under $3.
Lee >>
Thanks for clarifying this - it makes sense to me now. I didn't realize that you could send a bubble mailer at the flat rate, but apparently you can, as long as its only one card and you forego the delivery confirmation.
And, I agree with your last statement completely. I am not raising my $3.00 rate, but when I see sellers like 4SC (who charged $4.00 even at the old .77 rate!) I wonder if it costs them some business here and there due to their shipping greed.