Postal rates are insaaane!

[Mookeylama]

then i don't get what's changed. because couple days ago went to ship an HT MJ BAD from OH to UT using the Automated Center. it was $38+ Priority or $17+ Parcel. i figured the machine was off but went home and checked online. same results. now obviously the MJ's gonna be heavier than an SS but still

 

[Buttmunch]

I have to admit, I was wrong. The prices have gotten crazy just within the last few weeks I guess. Shipping 1 2-3 pound figure seems to be the same $15 ish priority, but sending two at about 3lbs is now $30+! Yikes! I guess I'll be using Parcel post more often now

 

[The Ween]

I have to admit, I was wrong. The prices have gotten crazy just within the last few weeks I guess. Shipping 1 2-3 pound figure seems to be the same $15 ish priority, but sending two at about 3lbs is now $30+! Yikes! I guess I'll be using Parcel post more often now

Yup, it may take a bit longer to get there (maybe) but they treat the package just the same. They aren't going to be more careful with it.

 

[Buttmunch]

Well, I've found they treat parcel post items like dirt. Probably the same with priority, but since they only have the priority items 2-3 days, they suffer less than the 7+ days parcel takes.

 

[The Ween]

Well, I've found they treat parcel post items like dirt. Probably the same with priority, but since they only have the priority items 2-3 days, they suffer less than the 7+ days parcel takes.

That could be, but I just ordered something parcel post this week and got it Friday. Took 3 days. I saved about $5. All you can do is ask the person buying your item what they want to do.

 

[Buttmunch]

Yeah, I always give people the choice of what they want to do. In the past, as little as last month, it was a no brainer to use Priority as the prices were only different by a few cents, or sometimes even cheaper if you bought online. I think this will really back fire on the postal service. If you want to increase customer numbers, you lower prices, not raise them!

 

[316what]

Not sure what you're doing, but I just shipped a Bowen Hulkbuster Iron Man MB from Ohio to California via Priority and it only cost $16.

 

[karamazov80]

^^

It's all right here:

https://postcalc.usps.gov/

You put in the zip codes, weight, and size if necessary, and BAM. . .shipping estimate. I've probably shipped near 1,000 packages via USPS over the last few years, and when I tried to get something mailed at a physical post office have found this calculator to be perfectly accurate.

 

[Buttmunch]

Yep, same here. I've done this for years. Only the last few weeks have I noticed the price hike. Before that, yeah $15 to send most things priority across the country

 

[karamazov80]

Maybe they've been phasing in price hikes in different regions? They started jacking up the Priority rates here more than a year ago. The first time I encountered it was on an eBay auction where I said I would send an item Priority for X amount but the price ended up being 3X that or so. I about fell off my chair.

 

[Mookeylama]

yeah this is horse feces. just shipped a 5.6 lb box (18"x14x7) to Cali from OH and it woulda been like $35-37 Priority insured. as it was it was $20 ins Parcel. now just 3-4 months back i shipped this same type item, same insurance, in same box, at same weight to same state and it was about $20ish Priority. WTF?! i honestly think they have worked the price increase in the measurements somehow, because it seems i'm asked to measure more now, or the clerk is whipping out the tape measure on stuff that didn't used to get checked.
boooo

 

[Darth Snoopy]

I just sent a 4 lbs. package from Kansas to California for $12.30 via USPS Priority Mail yesterday.

I didn't notice any change from last month when I sent something that weighed about the same.

 

[BuffyGirl]

What totally peeved me off was that I went into usps with a black and white catwoman statue to mail to my bro. For anyone who knows of these, their boxes are quite small. I didn't however have a mailer box as I was wanting to just get it weighed for freight.

They told me shipping would be $7.95 (not a problem) if I used my own box, and if I used one of theirs $23.99. WHAT?! They can go to a place I wont mention here.

 

[Bannister]

yeah this is horse feces. just shipped a 5.6 lb box (18"x14x7) to Cali from OH and it woulda been like $35-37 Priority insured. as it was it was $20 ins Parcel. now just 3-4 months back i shipped this same type item, same insurance, in same box, at same weight to same state and it was about $20ish Priority. WTF?! i honestly think they have worked the price increase in the measurements somehow, because it seems i'm asked to measure more now, or the clerk is whipping out the tape measure on stuff that didn't used to get checked.
boooo

They started using dimensional weight with priority, which is why the prices have gotten so high. An inch or two in box size can jack up the price to ship considerably. I use USPS for small stuff like posters and dvds. Anything larger I mail UPS or Fedex.

 

[Mookeylama]

They started using dimensional weight with priority, which is why the prices have gotten so high. An inch or two in box size can jack up the price to ship considerably. I use USPS for small stuff like posters and dvds. Anything larger I mail UPS or Fedex.

good timing^! thanks Bannister. yep, that's exactly what it is. i spoke w/ a clerk today and she said it's much more dependent on size now than it used to be, and that zones 5-8 (Cali, Texas, Florida, ect) have went up a lot. that blows because i bet people will now start using smaller boxes (or worse, no box!) than they normally would, and of course those will allow less room for secure packing.

guess i'll start trying UPS too. don't think i'll go w/ FEDEX because they don't offer insurance from what i've read and been told. or a lousy $100 flat coverage.

 

[Darth Madden]

The price increase sucks but since my buyers pay it I don't really mind either way. And when I buy something online I can see who is charging the best shipping and go there. And its also why I use amazon.com a LOT. I can have stuff for people shipped directly to them and not have to worry about it being too expensive.