USPS wants another rate increase

[denali]

WTF, they just raised rates and now they want to do it again.

 

[SpongeBob]

You ever see that seinfeld where kramer tries to stop getting mail?, I think I may try that...

 

[Tauren]

I've started paying bills by phone. Just dial up the 800 number and it's free. (most of the time)

 

[divinemartyr]

I really could care less about this rate increase. I almost never send out any mail other than a couple of bills. Most of the bills that I pay I can pay online and just use my credit card to do so. Letters to people are almost always sent via email these days, you have to figure more people are communicating this way than ever before.

If stamps were 'breaking my bank' I might be upset, but I would honestly pay $2/letter if it cost that much and I had to get something somewhere. When you think about it, that's relatively inexpensive especially if it has to go to another state, or even another country.

If you read the whole article you'd see they are projected to lose nearly $1 billion this year. Where do you think that money comes from? If they don't increase their rates, you'll be paying higher taxes. I would prefer to see costs added to stamps rather than tax increases.

dm

 

[denali]

divinemartyr, I'm not concerned about the price it's just the fact they cannot seem to plan better. Instead of going from 33 to 34 why didn't they goto 40 or 50 cents.

 

[dcdomain]

Perhaps their partnership with FedEX will give them some business sense.

 

[Modeps]

youve got to be kidding me....

 

[Adul]

the should start raising rate a little higher then a cent. a nickel at least. Stamps are cheap, especially compares to postal rates in some other countries.

 

[divinemartyr]

denali,

I'm not sure that I necessarily agree with you. Gradual increases tend to go over better with the American public. When gas rates when up like they did 30-50 cents per gallon, sometimes more depending on what area of the country you were in, people were pissed. Raising it 1 cent every 3-6 months is a lot less noticeable. I'm sure the rate increase they want to do this time, is sometime in the future, like 3-6 months down the road.

dm

 

[The Stigenator]

increase rate a bit (may be a nickel) since I have been bad and not giving business. I have started to make all my payments online and its free. So the way I look at it is that they are loosing money over the whole deal.

 

[sharkeeper]

<< Where do you think that money comes from? If they don't increase their rates, you'll be paying higher taxes. I would prefer to see costs added to stamps rather than tax increases. >>



That is incorrect. The U.S. Postal service has not received any subsidies from the Government since 1982. Their revenue is based on rates only.

Cheers!

 

[Fingers]

personally I liek the idea of more for stamps, I don't want to start getting taxed for someone elses use of snail mail rather than email.

 

[fdiskboy]

Pay attention fingers and read the post above yours.

 

[pidge]

I think they should not do delivery on Saturday's and that would save them a bundle on delivery costs. However they should have the post office open on Saturday's so that people could take care of business they cant' on weekdays. The post lady who delivered my mail before was horrible. She would never drop off packages. She would just leave a note without even bothering to knock cause she didn't want to carry the package I guess. I complained and they replaced her or something cause they have another guy and thank goodness, he knocks.

 

[Total Refected Power]

Pidge:

They work 7 days a week already. Not delivering mail on Sat would cause a massive backlog and probably cause more trouble.

It is still a cheap form of doing business.

 

[gittyup]

The more people pay their bills by phone and the internet, the less revenue the USPS will have. Although they only lost $199 million last year, I suspect that number will increase as more people use the alternative methods of paying thier bills. My gosh, they USPS already works their people like slaves now, which is why every once in a while one of them goes postal. Since they are already a model of efficiency, their only option to increase profit is to raise rates ( again ). I, ofcourse, pay half of my bills online and hope to increase that amount...

 

[Viper GTS]

The USPS is the world's best postal system, bar none. For $0.34, you can mail a letter anywhere in the US and it WILL get there. Mailboxes are considered to be federal property, thus stealing mail is dealt with VERY harshly. For less than $4, you can send a package anywhere in the US, with a tracking number &amp; delivery confirmation. If you mail it Monday, it will get there Wednesday or Thursday if it's going all the way across.

A 3% rate hike is not going to kill you.

Viper GTS

 

[pmark]

I remember that the USPS asked the general pubic which would they like more, more frequent gradual increase of the price or less frequent but bigger increase in the price.

The consences was for more frequent gradual increases. What you are seeing now is just that plan going into action.

 

[vi edit]

I say raise the prices on bulk mail and presorted. Stick it to the busninesses that spam my mailbox everyday. I could give a rats ass if the poor credit card companies had to pay more for sending me an app every other day.

 

[BoberFett]

Ditto vi_edit

 

[divinemartyr]

<< That is incorrect. The U.S. Postal service has not received any subsidies from the Government since 1982. Their revenue is based on rates only. >>



Maybe you missed the fact that they lost $199 million last year and are projected to lose $1 billion this year? Where do you think this money is going to come from? The USPS is not some untouchable business which has an unlimited supply of money backing them up.

Sure they haven't received government subsidization since 1982, but do you REALLY think they can lose $200 million - $1 billion per year and never expect help? Come on....

My information was not 'incorrect' at all, it was smart thinking for the future.

I reiterate my point, I'd rather see stamp prices increased than have to deal with increased taxes later!

dm

 

[pidge]

Its strange how a company that has a monopoly can be losing money. They really need to reorganize and not focus so much on rate hikes to solve their problems. Email, online bill pay, paypal..etc, its bound to get worse. If their only resolution is to hike the prices then they got a moron running the show.

 

[DannyLove]

there are so many other alternatives now, screw the post office

 

[sharkeeper]

<< Maybe you missed the fact that they lost $199 million last year and are projected to lose $1 billion this year? Where do you think this money is going to come from? The USPS is not some untouchable business which has an unlimited supply of money backing them up.

Sure they haven't received government subsidization since 1982, but do you REALLY think they can lose $200 million - $1 billion per year and never expect help? Come on.... >>



Sure, it's because they're tax exempt. If they weren't tax exempt they would've been in the red a few years they were in the black.

Good Read

Cheers!

 

[Pretender]

<< The U.S. Postal Service, a month after increasing its prices, said on Tuesday it would begin arguing for another increase in postage to offset slowing growth of package volume and rising labor costs. >>

Another great corporate plan: raise prices to raise revenue, then get surprised as you start losing more customers, and have to continue raising rates. By 2010 the price of a stamp will prolly be $1.50, especially if one of those companies who likes making hardware that appeals to computer newbies makes an easy and quick scanner that scans and emails written letters/papers quickly.


Oh, and Viper, there are quite a few people who would disagree with your positive stance on the state of the postal service.