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  • Mailing in US got more expensive

    From Victor Manta@21:1/5 to All on Mon Jan 28 11:09:50 2019
    The price of a first-class forever stamp went up on last Sunday, from 50
    cents to 55 cents. That 10 percent increase is the largest single price jump
    in the history of the Postal Service, the Associated Press reports.

    The Postal Service lost $3.9 billion in 2018. First class mail volume
    decreased by about 2.1 billion pieces. According to USA Today, "it was the
    12th year in a row the agency reported a loss despite growth in package shipping."

    It is also more expensive to send a package using Priority Mail. The price
    of a small box rises from $7.20 to $7.90; a medium box increases from $13.65
    to $14.35.

    Source: https://www.npr.org/2019/01/28/689230576/mailing-just-got-more-expensive-forever-stamps-see-biggest-price-increase-ever

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  • From Sir F.A. Rien@21:1/5 to All on Tue Jan 29 08:08:14 2019
    The price of a first-class forever stamp went up on last Sunday, from 50 >cents to 55 cents. That 10 percent increase is the largest single price jump >in the history of the Postal Service, the Associated Press reports.
    As usual the newsettes have it WRONG!

    The postal increase of November 2, 1917 and of July 6, 1932 were 50%
    jumps.
    The postal increase of January 7, 1963 was 25% as was that of March
    2, 1974.
    The postal increase of December 31, 1975 was 30%.
    The previous 10+% increase was January 1, 1995.

    The 1¢ reduction [>2%] on April 10, 2016 was when a first class
    stamp became 47 cents: for the first time in 97 years (and for the
    third time in the agency's history)!

    The Postal Service lost $3.9 billion in 2018. First class mail volume >decreased by about 2.1 billion pieces. According to USA Today, "it was the >12th year in a row the agency reported a loss despite growth in package >shipping."
    That they're attempting to bail out their weetheart deals with UPS
    and Fed-Up Hex at the exxpense of the citizen isn't surprising! One
    Postal Official on the 'news' commented that individual mailings are
    down ... well HELL YEAH! As prices go out of reach, you DO NOT use
    the 'service'!

    It is also more expensive to send a package using Priority Mail. The price
    of a small box rises from $7.20 to $7.90; a medium box increases from $13.65 >to $14.35.

    Source: >https://www.npr.org/2019/01/28/689230576/mailing-just-got-more-expensive-forever-stamps-see-biggest-price-increase-ever


    JA

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  • From Victor Manta@21:1/5 to Sir F.A. Rien on Wed Jan 30 16:39:48 2019
    "Sir F.A. Rien" wrote in message news:s6t05e93rsl6mpp8clv4cshbvr83pl4do8@4ax.com...

    The postal increase of November 2, 1917 and of July 6, 1932 were 50%
    jumps.

    Yes indeed, but...

    The increase couldn't be smaller in 2017 because the rate jumped from $ 0.02
    to $ 0.03. The $ 0.01 (or 1 cent, penny) was and is the smallest subdivision (coin) of the dollar. BTW, this rate dropped just after two years (the end
    of war) back to $ 0.02.

    The same is valid for the 1932 increase, just that the rate didn't drop back anymore. Some following increases were also significative in percents, but
    the 6 to 8, 10 to 13 etc. weren't the only alternative increases anymore.

    Anyway, the last increase on Jan. 27, 2019, a 10 percent jump since Jan. 21, 2018, is a very important one and shouldn't be underestimated.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_United_States_postage_rates

    Let us compare the last increase in postal rate with the general inflation rate: "Annual inflation rate in the United States fell to 1.9 percent in December of 2018 from 2.2 percent in November, matching market expectations.
    It is the lowest inflation rate since August of 2017 (...)".

    https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/inflation-cpi

    Therefore roughly over the last year the USPS postal rates went up 10
    percent while the inflation actually went down. I mentioned the inflation because it was the usual "culprit" for postal rates increases, even if it
    grew significantly slower.

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  • From Victor Manta@21:1/5 to Victor Manta on Thu Jan 31 06:36:28 2019
    "Victor Manta" wrote in message news:gbejt4FpmciU1@mid.individual.net...

    The increase couldn't be smaller in 2017 (...)

    Correction: The increase couldn't be smaller in 1917 (...)

    Victor Manta

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  • From Sir F.A. Rien@21:1/5 to All on Thu Jan 31 08:13:31 2019
    The postal increase of November 2, 1917 and of July 6, 1932 were 50%
    jumps.

    Yes indeed, but...

    The increase couldn't be smaller in 2017 because the rate jumped from $ 0.02 >to $ 0.03. The $ 0.01 (or 1 cent, penny) was and is the smallest subdivision >(coin) of the dollar. BTW, this rate dropped just after two years (the end
    of war) back to $ 0.02.
    We have/had 1 1/2 cent stamps!
    Stamps are produce by PRINTING, therefor we could have ANY rate they
    might choose to set!

    Anyway, the last increase on Jan. 27, 2019, a 10 percent jump since Jan. 21, >2018, is a very important one and shouldn't be underestimated.
    I never undersetimate the incompetency of the USPS! Many of my
    letters from the UK goin into the maw of the ISC in CA. The might
    re-appear in days, weeks or even [on two occasions] MONTHS!
    Naturally if they land at ISC NY, consider them GONE! Extra true if
    they're REGISTERED !!!

    Therefore roughly over the last year the USPS postal rates went up 10
    percent while the inflation actually went down. I mentioned the inflation >because it was the usual "culprit" for postal rates increases, even if it >grew significantly slower.
    You can always find someone/something to blame anything upon, as
    long as it is not the manglement of the company/service/gummint!

    Right now, despite congression edict [law?] they're doing everything
    the can to 'prove' the local PO is 'not needed'. This despite the
    seniors in the area getting their medications through their PO
    Boxes. [We do NOT have house delivery! - You walk/bike/drive to the
    PO!]

    At this point we're down to 22 hours of 'service' a week, with the
    mail arival often being up to an hour late, so the poor clerk has to
    rush to get it out and still meet their arbitrary, 'Distributed'
    check in scan and time. Still a rumor is that it will be reduced to
    12 hours per week sometime in 2019. Obviously, if you can not get
    the mail, then the PO isn't needed - self-fulfilling prophecy,
    innit?

    For this I should be happy to pay more ... and then have the
    clueless newsies come up with "the largest postal rate increase in
    history"?

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  • From Victor Manta@21:1/5 to Sir F.A. Rien on Thu Jan 31 17:30:46 2019
    "Sir F.A. Rien" wrote in message news:hr665ednov21c0n6fv07tgkf81oujc5jqo@4ax.com...

    For this I should be happy to pay more ...

    It is known that more was offered in the past, even if the technical means (transportation, printing of stamps, sorting of mail, etc.) were less
    developed and therefore more expensive.

    By using the Inflation Calculator found here:

    https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/

    I found out that a letter under an ounce, that was franked by a 2 cents
    stamp in 1919, should be franked hundred year later with a 29 cents stamp
    (1991 level).

    The USPS customers pay in 2019 roughly the double of that, despite the technical progress and increased quantity of mail when compared with 1919.
    The higher costs come, I suppose, from higher wages and operating costs.

    Even if for an individual, who sends a quite limited number of letters, a 10 percent increase in postal rates is acceptable, and they would pay even more for a better service, a known consequence of postal rates increases is that many companies that operate by mail are driven out of their core business.
    This backfiring should not be ignored either.

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  • From Sir F.A. Rien@21:1/5 to All on Fri Feb 1 08:23:08 2019
    Even if for an individual, who sends a quite limited number of letters, a 10 >percent increase in postal rates is acceptable, and they would pay even more >for a better service, a known consequence of postal rates increases is that >many companies that operate by mail are driven out of their core business. >This backfiring should not be ignored either.

    But it's the typical response of a nonaccountable bureaucracy.
    Give less service, charge more, then whine that 'business' is
    falling off!

    It's not, as it's a monopoly, that we have any other real choices
    for anything physical that must be sent.

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