Buy those Forever stamps now.

[desertdeb]

Going to 55 cents January 27, 2019.

USPS Announces Postage Rate Increase - Starts January 27, 2019 - Stamps.com Blog

[cnsteele]

That's a large increase, relatively speaking! As a cardmaker and lover of the written word, though, I'll still send out happy mail because relative to other expenses in my life, this one is tiny.

[DCinkit]

Thanks for heads up!

[westiemom]

Geez. I just bought a bunch last December when they were going from 49 cents to 50 cents.

I might need to reassess my "spread the joy" campaign. I sent 64 Halloween cards last month, along with 24 more birthday, anniversary, and just for fun cards. 88 in October.

Yesterday I mailed 60 Thanksgiving cards and I have sent 21 birthday, get well, anniversary, and just for fun cards so far in November. Already 81 and two weeks to go. PLUS I had to buy an additional 17 of the 21 cent stamps since some cards had a "bump" on them (seriously?)

To add to this, everyone at the post office I use acts like they are angry all the time.

Discouraging.

[Jevick]

When I had an issue with the USPS the clerk said "It sucks to be you." I came home and immediately signed up for all my bills to be sent and paid online. I do mail cards but now the only thing put in my mail box are sale papers, which I take back to the post office and drop into their lobby's trash bin.

[westiemom]

Jevick, I have had some issues with the post office but I send a lot of mail also. Some of my mailings don't seem to get delivered. In September, I sent two envelopes (one oversized) to my son in Boston. I sent them two days apart. BOTH got lost! When I complained at the post office, I was told, "You should have paid for tracking." To which I replied, "when I put a paid-for stamp on the envelope and personally handed it to you, I trust it will get to it's destination" She said, "I can't help you" so I said, "well, I am retired but I worked as a nurse for a long time and if I had ever acted like you do, I certainly would have been reprimanded. I will need to see the postmaster." She stomped off and brought back........ the husband of one of my former coworkers. When I said, "Hi John! Looks like you are who I need to see," she looked a little sick.

I doubt if he had much to do with it but both of the envelopes showed up in Boston the next week. But over five weeks for two envelopes seems a bit much.

I was just glad they finally showed up. Some of what I send has never arrived.

[rockybeta]

Since my son's house is the first in a row of attached houses and the sidewalk is right in front of his big picture window he keeps the curtains closed. He got a new mail person and that person decided no one lived there since the curtains were never open so he stopped delivering his mail.........! He had to take time off work and go to the post office to get it straightened out. What the heck has happened to customer service????

[cnsteele]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockybeta

Since my son's house is the first in a row of attached houses and the sidewalk is right in front of his big picture window he keeps the curtains closed. He got a new mail person and that person decided no one lived there since the curtains were never open so he stopped delivering his mail.........! He had to take time off work and go to the post office to get it straightened out. What the heck has happened to customer service????

Oh my...we once had the mail man stop delivering our mail because we would not shovel a path through our yard for him. Silly us, we thought shoveling and salting our sidewalks, driveway, and front porch were enough. The mail man who would not deliver was a sub. Our regular, awesome, friendly mail man returned to work and delivered our mail and even apologized even though he had nothing to do with it!

I did, however, stop at the post office today and pick up rolls of stamps in anticipation of the price increase. I am set for a couple years lol!

[wavejumper]

I like the new first responder ones.
5 cents is a lot for a single jump considering they just had one a year ago

[lynnewithane]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockybeta

Since my son's house is the first in a row of attached houses and the sidewalk is right in front of his big picture window he keeps the curtains closed. He got a new mail person and that person decided no one lived there since the curtains were never open so he stopped delivering his mail.........! He had to take time off work and go to the post office to get it straightened out. What the heck has happened to customer service????

That is just plain crazy.
I’m assuming he took in his mail each day. Why would they stop delivering?

[Cwmwcw]

I will share my “lovely” USPS story. I was standing in line behind a guy mailing a package at the self-service postage machine. Apparently he and the postal worker knew each other and were chatting. Customer said, “hey Bob what is the zip code for Woodland?” Bob hesitates and says he doesn’t know. Guy tries to enter the code again. Same thing - wrong city. Asked Bob again, Bob again thinks for a minute and says “I don’t know”. So now I am thinking “where the hell am I?” Certainly not the post office who ISSUES zip codes and should either (a) know them or (b) have a way to look them up. Yep, I got tired of waiting so I pulled out my cell phone, googled zip code for Woodland, tapped the guy on the shoulder and pointed it out. All the while good old Bob, postal worker, stands looking totally baffled with the request. Sheesh!

Oh, did I mention that I went in to buy 2 ounce stamps three weeks before Christmas to which I received the response that they didn’t have them. Um, excuse me but they carry basically ONE product - stamps - and they cannot keep them in stock? Nope, not the least bit confused by their financial troubles......

[rockybeta]

I should have mentioned that when i was looking at the Xmas stamps for this year online I decided to see how much it would be if I ordered them and had them delivered.........$1.25 for two books. For me, a small price to pay to not have to stand in the long lines we have where I live.

[bdeyes9]

My USPS story is a long one. My husband andI had to apply for visas for a trip to China the end of October. The Middle of August we sent our applications and Passports priority
Mail to the Company that applies for visas in Washington DC. We mailed them on A Friday and were told they would be delivered by Tuesday. My husband tracked the package and
It was scheduled for delivery Monday before the end of the business day. Tuesday AM he checked and the package was “ in transit”. That set off an alarm and we went to our Post Office. We were told “ didn’t do their job and forgot to scan it in”. We did say that the package was very important as it contained our Passports. His answer did not stop our concern. We asked if he could check further he went in back for a few minutes came back and said someone will get back to you tomorrow before 3:00. We heard nothing so at 3:30 we went back to the post office. The guy we talked to the day before wasn’t there.
The guy we talked to this time told us he didn’t have an answer for us ( even though he never went in back to check) so once again we said the package contained our passports and could he go check further. He did go in back. Meanwhile the other guy at the counter
Was joking around with another customer, he tried really hard to get us to engage in the hilarity. We simply were not in the mood!!! The guy returned and said they were checking into it but it could take unti Friday to get an answer. So Friday afternoon we pay another visit to the post office. The First guy was there. He knew nothing. I asked if he could contact the Maryland PO which was the last place the package was scanned. He told us he did not have the Authority. When I asked who did he said his Supervisor. We asked to speak to them. He laughed and said “ it’s 3:15 on a Friday he’s gone for the weekend”.
So we went home found the Postmaster General’s phone number and waited on hold for
An hour and 15 minutes... but we Did speak to a person who said she would research our problem but it would take until Wednesday. She did give us her direct number. So when we didn’t hear anything on Wednesday my husband called her. She said they didn’t know what had happened to our package but “rest assured we will deliver it when it is found”
So we had to get new expedited passports visa and passport photos. The additional cost was over $400.00. Needless to say we FED EX’d our second application. The trip to China was wonderful!! We got home November 8th.
2 days ago my Husband got an Email from the Visa company... they received our package
And wanted to know where to return our original package! USPS kept their promise, they did deliver the package as soon as they found it!! Only took 3 months!! Sorry so long. But needed to vent!!!

[westiemom]

Bev- I think your story is worse than any of mine! So sorry for you! No one seems to care about their work anymore.

[wavejumper]

wow Bev. That is appalling.

Mine dont compare either-I go to pick up a package I got a notice for-she turns, looks turns around and says Not Here. I said it is right behind you. I am looking at it.....and so on. I agree. No one wants to do their job anymore.

I guess it bothers me that when I order online they charge me for delivery. I am not saying I am right, it just does. They didnt used to.

[harvestmoon]

You might think that a company in financial trouble would attempt to improve their 'product' (delivering mail) instead of increasing prices when the quality of their product has decreased. !!

[lynnewithane]

That is unbelievable, Bev.
It made me nervous to mail in my passport. Just seems like here should be another way.

[bdeyes9]

Lynnewithane my advice would be to make a copy of your passport before doing anything.
I was so bummed that all the stamps in my passport were gone... I loved looking at them.
I would go with FED EX. They delivered ours in two days. We didn’t go the most expensive option either. Or if you decide to go with USPS be sure to take more insurance.
We got $50 the standard amount. The expedited replacement costs were over $400.
Where are you going?

[Jevick]

About 10-12 years ago the government started making all these laws governing the post office. They include requiring them to fund their pensions and insurance for retirees for 75 years in advance. They were required to make huge payments of over $5 billion periodically. The post office can't do this and it's stupid as the very people they are covering haven't even been born yet. Yet if they have such major financial issues why have all their vehicles in my area been replaced with new big Transit type vans? Our carriers walk their route...I'm looking out my window right now seeing him delivering. He drives about one mile, parks at the corner by my house, walks the route, gets in his van and leaves.

[lynnewithane]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bdeyes9

Lynnewithane my advice would be to make a copy of your passport before doing anything.
I was so bummed that all the stamps in my passport were gone... I loved looking at them.
I would go with FED EX. They delivered ours in two days. We didn’t go the most expensive option either. Or if you decide to go with USPS be sure to take more insurance.
We got $50 the standard amount. The expedited replacement costs were over $400.
Where are you going?

Nowhere. This is something I did in the past.
I just had hubby check. I’m good for several more years.

[lynnewithane]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jevick

About 10-12 years ago the government started making all these laws governing the post office. They include requiring them to fund their pensions and insurance for retirees for 75 years in advance. They were required to make huge payments of over $5 billion periodically. The post office can't do this and it's stupid as the very people they are covering haven't even been born yet. Yet if they have such major financial issues why have all their vehicles in my area been replaced with new big Transit type vans? Our carriers walk their route...I'm looking out my window right now seeing him delivering. He drives about one mile, parks at the corner by my house, walks the route, gets in his van and leaves.

With the decline in snail mail, it seems to me they’d make more money raising the price of bulk mail. We get plenty of that.
Where I grew up, they walked, and put it in the box attached to the house.
Where I live now, all boxes are at the curb. Our mailman drives his Jeep up to each box. But, if there is a larger item, he’ll knock on our door and hand me all the mail. I love him, but he’s older. I suspect he’ll retire soon. Loved our mail lady before that! She retired I’m guessing in her 50’s. We’ve been lucky!

All of the newer construction I’ve seen (we are in a heavily populated area) has a locked set of mailboxes in a common area so the mailman can deliver much faster.

[westiemom]

My son has those big clusters of mailboxes in his newer neighborhood. I think they are called "gang mailboxes" There are big locked at the bottom and if you have a package, it is put into one of these bins and locked and then the key is put into your locked mailbox. Anything bigger than the bin (and they are huge) you must pick up at the post office or arrange delivery when you are home. This has eliminated theft in their neighborhood EXCEPT UPS and FedEx, who leave your packages on your step. I know plenty of people who have had packages stolen right off their porch but that is another topic.
I think all mail should be delivered this gang-mailbox style. It is cost effective and safer. You don't have to find someone to pick up your mail when you are gone; it jsut stays locked up. Your USPS packages aren't stolen (which is medication in many cases) and also saves fuel for the USPS. The outdated model of the walking mailman to your door is just that----- outdated. We really need to start thinking of ways to save the post office.
(I would also like them to teach their counter clerks some manners but that is also another topic)

[beaddict]

"With the decline in snail mail, it seems to me they’d make more money raising the price of bulk mail. We get plenty of that."

I was just saying this the other day. They need to jack up junk mail pricing instead of continuing to "penalize" the people that send mail that matters.
We still have one of the lowest postage rates worldwide so I'm not going to complain too much but it does bug me that first class and package postage keeps going up but we keep getting more junk mail than ever. If they raised the cost of junk mail postage by just 1¢, they'd increase their revenue significantly.

[lynnewithane]

I bought $100 dollars worth today. That should last a while.

[binx]

Gheez, I was just going to agree that price increase - 10% is well above the economic growth, then I read some of your stories. I'm mad right along with you; "sucks to be you." What's wrong with people?

Large jump in prices + poor customer service = government, I suppose. I'm blessed; I have a wonderful rapport with my letter carrier, but he just shakes his head when he talks about the goings-on at our post office. Sad.

[purpleflowers]

The full list of changes to postage is attached.

[AbbysGrammy]

Bought $50 worth today. that should get some happy mail out for awhile.

[berlycece]

I purchased a bunch of postage stamps today. Rates go up Sunday!

Funny thing... on the usps website, they had 55 cent Forever stamps you could pre-order! Ummm, if I am ordering/buying stamps today, they won't be the higher cost ones! Good grief! :lol:

[SkyNacho]

Quote:

Originally Posted by berlycece

I purchased a bunch of postage stamps today. Rates go up Sunday!

Funny thing... on the usps website, they had 55 cent Forever stamps you could pre-order! Ummm, if I am ordering/buying stamps today, they won't be the higher cost ones! Good grief! :lol:

That's fine if you don't care what image is on the stamp. But you know how some collectors are-- gotta have the new releases ASAP. And some people just like to see what's being released next.

I personally am looking forward to getting some cactus flower stamps, even though I've also stocked up on other ones at the 50 cent rate. ;)

[Jevick]

After careful consideration (and checking my supply of forever stamps), I decided that I won't stock up on stamps before the rates go up. I'm going to keep my money and just purchase stamps as needed. Plus I can buy stamps through some bank ATM machines when neded.

[uncbballfan]

I bought some of the books of stamps. When I gift a set of cards, I often include stamps for the recipient.