The Black Vault

[greeney2]

Got a real shock again today at the Post Office. They have leapfrogged the mailing rates for flat rate mail international again by enormous percentages. If any others on the board sell things and ship them internationally, the only way to ship many things is via our US Postal Service, because any service like Fed ex or UPS is very expensive. The Post office has not raised the domestic rates (inside the USA and territories) on flat rate, but the international rates again have skyrocketed. The small flat rate box, not long ago went from 11.95 to 16.95, and just went another jump to $23.95. An increase f $7.00, is around 40%. The increase before was around 40%. Previous to the 11.95 rate it was well below $10.00.

I can understand rates going up, but we have been in a world of increases for wages and other increases in the neighborhoods of 3%, or something reasonable for decades. This is uncontrollable gouging, no better than being at the mercy of the gas stations. The clerk told me they had to do something to make money, and I was so close to telling her not one of them knows what the meaning of "hurry up". I don't care if the line is out the door, they never act like they need to respond to any rush, sitting on their lazy asses. My postman rips and tears Mrs. G2's magazines cramming them into the box, with the junk mail. There is such a major difference between watching a UPS or Fed Ex person, compared to the Post Office, it is embarrassing.

Those new rates have probably given a death blow to small business people who sell on ebay internationally, and now selling any small item just became so NOT cost effective, it will kill their sales.