- photo lifted from wikipedia.org
I went to order more Express Mail envelopes on your website the other morning, only to find that they are no longer offered there. Whether this is a permanent or temporary situation, or if it’s because your webmaster has been too busy playing World Of Warcraft to add them, matters not. Why, you ask? After being lead in circles for about 15 minutes (because your recently redesigned website is now even more clunky and difficult to navigate), I finally find out that the rates for Express Mail International have increased by $8 with the new rate hike. Now I’m looking at spending around $40 to ship/insure an Express Mail International package, and that’s still the cheapest way to insure international mail through the USPS. I have been splitting that cost down the middle with the buyer, but after this, neither one of us will particularly want to use Express Mail, no matter how reliable it has proven itself to be. To me (and most folks, I reckon), an additional $5 both ways for shipping is over the top for my average price point.
I’ll be completely honest: I love my international buyers, but I dread shipping to them. For each rate hike and/or unexpected policy rearrangement, I must review my international shipping options, which new forms to fill out and how to prepare the packages. In the endless maze that is the USPS website, I’ve learned if you need to ship a live queen bee to the UK, she must be accompanied by an import license, and you can’t mail anything made of celluliod to Switzerland… but I still haven’t been able to find an affordable option that will fully protect myself and my international clientele.
It’s bad enough that I must fill out at least one form for each package, and be sure that an “official looking invoice” is either inside the package or affixed to the outside of the package in an unwieldy plastic envelope – which, to me, is nothing more than wasted paper, time and costly printer ink. But the customs authorities in other countries have become pretty consistent about scoffing at hand-written receipts and demanding an “official” one. Who defines what looks “official”? And aren’t we all supposed to be saving the planet by using less paper and toxic substances such as printer ink? I mean, really. What a load of penny ante crapola. And for what? Maintaining the illusion of free trade, while discouraging it with a bunch of pointless busywork?
To add further insult, the two packages I shipped the other evening that were registered and insured cost me $53 and change to mail. Sure, the two buyers paid half of that, but they will most likely have to pay even more to their local customs office once that package is delivered. Unless I want to risk my own livelihood and freedom by declaring lower values on high value parcels to both circumvent VAT’s/fees at the buyer’s customs office, and to attract less attention of potential thieves while it’s in transit, (I won’t, by the way, because it’s illegal) I guess we’re all bent over a mail cart, glutes fully lubed and spread. Nice doing business with you, USPS.
I mean no harm, and expect no response or any adjustment to your policies whatsoever. It’s pretty incredible what you guys DO get done, and we really do appreciate it. I couldn’t get by without you. It just stings.
Thanks for your time,
Offended in OK
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No, I didn’t send that to USPS, and I won’t. I just needed to vent. I’m sure there are at least a few of you feeling the same pain right now.
Thanks for reading… a more pleasant bead-related update coming later.
It’s a similar situation here in Canada, but I believe our rates are even higher, both for international and in-country shipping. We just had a rate hike too, and our service cannot be described as top notch. However, like you, I just have to accept it, because I need them and they are the only game in town. Courier services here are outrageously expensive so completely out of the question.
None of that surprises me, knowing a little bit about the mail sitch in Canada. It takes twice as long for my mail to get to my recipients in Canada as it does to get to Switzerland.
Can I make you feel any better by telling you I saw your purple christmas lights still out for sale at a Walgreen’s this week?
Wow, Walgreens? I didn’t know they sold that sort of thing. I only go to Walgreens for candy, sea breeze and dr. bronner’s mint soap.
Sea breeze? Don’t bother, I’ll send you some
Hum, I recall the “real” sea breeze smelling slightly of fish and salt. No thanks, I’m not big on fish. I have never eaten shrimp or lobster or any of the other various creepy crawlies of the sea… I stick to stuff with fins and no legs. I ate crab fries at Golden Corral once and I never forgot how sick they made me. Everyone else who ate them was fine, of course.
Have you ever checked out Endicia.com? I used to use that years ago and am thinking about signing up again. They offered insurance a lot cheaper than USPS, including international. They also offered free tracking. I don’t remember all of the particulars and I’m not current on all of their shipping details now, but might be worth a look.
I ship high end men’s shoes and suits overseas via USPS. Shipments that cost me ~$42 two weeks ago now cost more than $56! USPS must think they can get away with such a crazy hike because EMS is a less used service than domestic mail. I wish there was another option… :’(
Wow. I guess I’m lucky that I ship small items… And they CAN get away with it. What are we going to do about it?
I thought they were going to do away with Saturday mail service. That, and a less dramatic rate hike, might have done the trick. I think most people could have gotten on board with that. Then I think of the USPS carriers and wonder if they would have had to take a pay cut for that… It sucks all over, I guess.