USPS First Class International Envelope rate change

So USPS has now incorporated rate changes so that international envelopes must now ONLY contain documents, and cannot have small items in them any longer. You must choose USPS package which is 4x the cost of what we could send out in the envelope or flats rate.

All the items that you could ship out using USPS international envelope rates are no longer able to be, without paying 4x the cost ($2.50 for 1oz, but now is $9.50).

So all the sellers selling simple things that fit inside an envelope using the envelope rate (with valid customs info posted with the envelope), like gels, screen protectors, and countless other items, will no longer be able to, because many times, this $9.50 is more than the product inside. This is going to have a huge impact on USPS revenue. They are going to continue lose year after year due to these crazy rate hikes, people are just going to shop shipping from the US to Canada and Mexico, because nobody wants to pay $10 for a 1 or 2 oz envelope with goods worth less than that. That won't help the USPS pension fund or its future. Despite it being a "private" entity, US taxpayers will continue to both pay these crazy rate hikes (despite fuel continuing to be low, which was the original excuse given for their revenue shortfalls years ago), and also in their taxes to keep this broken service up and running.

Should be interesting, I have jacked up my international shipping rates for Invisicord orders, but I suspect I will never see any more international orders.

FWIW if you've sent any type of package to Europe lately the customs forms are crazy and a total PITA.

The customs forms can be filled out online and aren't an issue here. Instead the issue here in the US is now:

- I can order something from China (or anywhere overseas really) for a few dollars and that includes shipping. Somehow they can ship it internationally, it comes through USPS at customs and arrives at my door, for less than I can pay to ship something similar just north over the border, about 3 hours from me.

- However, I being in the US and wanting to send something very small to Canada, what used to be $2.50 to send for a 1-2 ounce envelope, now has to go through the "package" option and not "envelope", and that costs $9.50 (almost a 4x increase). All US sellers that ship internationally for their amazon or ebay businesses have either pulled their international options, or have raised the rates, both of which now eliminate sales.

I am amazed this has happened, and not only is USPS going to lose yet more money due to this hair-brain scheme, but sellers that make revenues here in the US by having somewhat low shipping rates internationally for small items have to stop all international sales. Things like arts/craft supplies, screen protectors, various photographic related items that can fit in an envelope like a eye piece for a camera, and countless other items now cost more to ship than the item itself.

TeamSpeed wrote in post #18547717
They are going to continue lose year after year due to these crazy rate hikes, people are just going to stop shipping from the US to Canada and Mexico, because nobody wants to pay $10 for a 1 or 2 oz envelope with goods worth less than that.

I have jacked up my international shipping rates for Invisicord orders, but I suspect I will never see any more international orders.

I foresee that because of this change in shipping policy, the United States will lose billions of dollars a year in overseas sales. . So the USPS is making changes that will result in an even worse trade deficit for our country.

Freaking fools, is what they are.


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