posted on December 14, 2000 01:21:12 PM
Here's the new postal rates ready to be printed. This may be more than you really want to know, but... Now how will these new rates affect sales? ummmm
First-Class Mail
Letter Rate First Ounce $0.34
Additional Ounce $0.21
Card Rate (post cards) $0.20
Priority Mail
Up to 1 lb. $3.50
2 lbs. Flat Rate $3.95
Over 2 lbs., up to 3 lbs. $5.15
Over 3 lbs., up to 4 lbs. $6.35
Over 4 lbs., up to 5 lbs. $7.55
(Rates available up to 70 lbs.)
Express Mail
Up to 1/2 lb. $12.25
Over 1/2 lb., up to 2 lbs. & Flat Rate $16.00
Over 2 lbs. up to 3 lbs. $18.85
Over 3 lbs. up to 4 lbs. $21.70
Over 4 lbs. up to 5 lbs. $24.50
(Rates available up to 70 lbs.)
Express Mail Insurance
Up to $500 Included
$500.01 to $5,000 $1.00 per $100
International Airmail
1 ounce, Canada & Mexico $0.60
1 ounce, other countries $0.80
International Postcards
Canada & Mexico $0.50
All other countries $0.70
Aerogrammes
All countries $0.70
Certified Mail $1.90
Certificate of Mailing $0.75
Return Receipt $1.50
Return Receipt for Merchandise $2.35
Receipt Requested After Mailing $3.50
Money Order
Domestic $0.75
APO/FPO $0.25
International $3.25
Inquiry Fee and Copy of Paid Money Order $2.75
Delivery Confirmation
Priority Mail $0.40
Package Services $0.50
Signature Confirmation Used in Conjunction with Priority Mail
Electronic $1.25
Manual $1.75
Signature Confirmation Used in Conjunction with Parcel Post, Bound Printed Matter, Library Mail, and Media Mail
Electronic $1.25
Manual $1.75
Insured Mail
Up to $50 $1.10
$50.01 to $100 $2.00
$100.01 to $5,000 $2.00 plus $1.00 per $100
Pickup Fee $10.25
for Express Mail, Priority Mail and Package Services
posted on December 14, 2000 01:27:19 PMNow how will these new rates affect sales?
No affect at all, if you just absorb them as a cost of doing business (at least, that's what a lot of posters suggested about the fees PayPal began charging).
posted on December 14, 2000 01:51:35 PM
Those are some major increases! Ouch! It's going to be harder for some buyers to rationalize the value of shipping something for an item that is only worth a few bucks.
posted on December 14, 2000 01:53:56 PM
These Incresses are basically .65 more then shipping now for priority frist class mail for the flat rate.
and one dollar more per additional pound most sellers shipping for the most part would only get over the 2 lbs flat rate if there item is glass and china and so on so I see priority as still a good deal for buyers.
posted on December 14, 2000 02:01:55 PM
I think you will find sellers who list lighter weight Low priced Items selling more in lots and you will see alot more sellers combineing shipping.
instead of a sellr who sells clothes listing pants blouses and stuff separtely they will be selling colthes in sets.
They will be out looking for sets of cups glasses dishes instead of just buying one peice to sell makeing the shipping on the sale easyer for buyer to handle.
posted on December 14, 2000 02:04:14 PM
The thing which bothers me most is that, since Online Auctions and E-Commerce, USPS must have made more money than ever!...Why such huges increases? For instance Insurance, first 50.00...from .85 to 1.10...That's over 15%!!!! Only an opinion
******************** Gosh Shosh!
posted on December 14, 2000 02:39:48 PM
Yes, the folks selling lower priced items will be the hardest hit by these new rates. I noticed that the insurance for .01 to $50 went up 25 cents but it only went up 20 cents for the $50 to $100 increment.
posted on December 14, 2000 02:58:45 PM
All the carriers at my PO just got new trucks and they are HUGE in comparison to the usual jeep. The "backseat" has probably 6-8 or even 10 times the space of the old. They are smallish panel vans, and apparently run on gas or some alternative fuel.
They are planning to be carrying parcels as opposed letters and for a long time to come. These trucks have room to grow, and I have to think that they committed to this change back when ebay was at it's peak and looked as if it would never stop growing.
posted on December 14, 2000 06:13:05 PM
I was talking to a guy at the post office he said he had just come from one of their training classes they have to go to. He claims that the rate increase has come due to pressure from other carriers to increase their rates. He also mentioned the abuse that the Priority mail system has suffered with people turning boxes inside out to ship them first class, and also using them to ship item by other carriers.
He also said that the post office actually fought to not have to raise it as much as the commission wanted them to, which is also to say that the commission allowed for more of an increase than we will be seeing.
So I guess we can look forward to UPS, FedEx and the like going up in the next year. UPS does their rate increases in February so it will probably mean you'll be able to shop between the two for a few months for the best rate.
If you have a bunch of small items it might be a good idea to bundle them together and start dumping them if the new pricing is going to hurt your sales.
The page I saw at the post office today had no pricing for parcel post/first class, hopefully if will be less than what you are now charging for priority mail so you can still ship it for the price in the add, just not priority.
The new rates go into effect on January 7th, make sure you have the new rates in your adds or your making enough to eat some shipping costs.
Thursday December 14 5:04 PM ET
UPS, FedEx See Slowing Volumes
By Simon Hirschfeld
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of leading package delivery companies
United Parcel Service Inc. (NYSE:UPS - news) and FedEx Corp.
(NYSE:FDX - news) sank on Thursday as both warned that holiday volume
growth had eased with the slowing U.S. economy..>>>>>>>>>>
