USPS to Delay New Fees Snuck into January Rate Hike

by: Ina

BTW, eBay and Etsy charge a commission-plus-payment processing fee on the total transaction amount including shipping, making this even more costly for sellers hit by the surcharge fees.

by: terry55

WOW, means I can keep my home for another couple months then be just another homeless veteran living on the streets.
How is this even legal to raise fees 100-150%, whats worse is NOBODY cares. I've written congressman, senators and all our news channels and not one response.
Its been hard enough to deal with their yearly increases but this will put me out of business.
USPS isn't smart enough to know they'll need those packages come next year when the 1099 rule goes in effect and 30-40% online sellers quit.  

by: Chicago48

Packages over 1 lb. go via UPS/FEDEX.  I rarely use USPS, maybe Priority mail for packages under 1.5 lb.  It's just not competitive anymore.

by: RMA49311

So what about square tubes? I frequently use 4x4x48 and 6x6x48 boxes to ship auto parts... neither of which are round, both of which at at/under a cubic foot, but obviously are over 22/30 inches... Am I going to have to start custom building my own boxes from the USPS triangle tubes? Even though they are bigger and bulkier and not as strong for heavy items? THIS IS SO CONFUSING. Hopefully they walk this one back into the bushes never to be seen again.

And with regards to the 22in/30in surcharge, is that just for "tubish" parcels? I also at times use boxes that are large but skinny...
24x18x5 is a size I use for things like trim panels and that is 1.25 cubic feet. So will I have to pay the $4 "greater than 22in" surcharge or does it only apply for parcels which exceed 2 cubic feet?
For example, when shipping things like door panels I use 36x30x5... that is over 3 cubic feet dimensionally and obviously exceeds 33in on the longest side. Will they be hitting me with an extra $15 surcharge there? The spec cartons I use for this already sometimes cost me more than $10 per box not to mention the cost of the label... I do calculated shipping with no markup on these to remain competitive but adding that $15 surcharge would mean I have to essentially give away the item in order to offer them to my buyers... That is, if the surcharge applies to non-tubish parcels.  WOW thanks for the headache USPS.

by: terry55

RMA49311 :
That's the problem, Can't find anyone who will answer those questions.
Is it for tubes or any all package over 30", what does USPS consider "nonstandard size", some where it says priority flat rate boxes won't be charged but what about USPS medium triangle boxes????
 

by: quirkyantiques

I would imagine its any package over 22" and up-it would be a huge revenue boost. I cant imagine them rolling this out for what-a few thousand poster tubes?

by: terry55

I doubt it would be a revenue boost, I'll stop shipping hundreds of packages, they won't sell at that outrageous rate, USPS just wants to get out of the large package business. I've been checking rates on large packages sold this last week and UPS beats them by $3-$6 per package.

by: pennyemporium

i agree with @terry55; those new "surcharges", even just the $4 extra, will boost the cost of usps shipping OVER both fedex and ups.  usps may say 'but we give you "free" shipping boxes!'.. sure, but even with free boxes, the cost will STILL be higher than other carriers!  
and won't the usps have to deliver all these "other carrier" packages the last mile, anyway?  so the front end of usps is saving money, but they are dumping all the work, with loss of compensation from postage sales, on their back end workers.  
sure, THAT will improve postal service... snorts

by: terry55

@pennyemporium
70% of the packages I shipped I bought the boxes, so not saving much there.I've written everyone I can think of for help but NOTTA, I bet if stamps double it'd be all over the news

by: Mbrj201

Terry55.
DeJoy wants to destroy the USPS, gut the pension fund, give the proprietary shipping processes to his shipping interests and sell off the remaining pieces to the highest bidder.  

by: terry55

@Ina
maybe you could get more info for us, I've called and written anyone I can but either they don't answer or care.
But any way you could find out specific's:
Is it for all boxes over 30" or just boxes over dimensional size and what about USPS triangle medium boxes, are they exempt?
I'm at wits end, call or wrote anyone at PO, senators and congressmen, all our local news channels, none care.  

by: pennyemporium

@terry55 :  from reading all i can, and i'm just an average seller like yourself.... it seems like the ''nonstandard fee'' of $4 extra would apply to ANY package where one side measures more than 22 inches and the ''nonstandard fee'' of $15 extra would apply to any one side over 30 inches.  

*note: if you have a FLAT RATE BOX, such as the game board box, which has a side measure of 25-ish inches, you would NOT be charged the additional ''overage'' charge.  it would simply cost the regular crazy high flat rate, so no need for additional charges, i guess.

all i know is that at some point, the cost of postage will overwhelm the value of my widget, and... that will be that.