International Postal Rate Increase - Again

Until they drive all the business to the private carriers
it used to be o.k. here as well

It's just as bad here in England.
Royal Mail has gone from being a reliable, trusted service to an over-priced joke.
The government tried to privatise it years ago but everyone complained. However, they simply privatised it by the back back door and stripped it down slowly so that no one would notice (!).
Deliveries are slower, they come at any time of day (instead of first thing in the morning), and the prices have shot up.
The parcel division, which should be prospering with all the on-line ordering, is the worst of all.
I wanted to send something to Germany about a year ago and discovered that they wanted £30 to send it there. I got on the computer and very quickly found a courier who sent it for half the price AND they picked it up from my house AND it was tracked.
So, yes, the private carriers are going to get the business!

US service has remained good (for me at least), but here they are closing down the physical locations so it's becoming more difficult to actually send anything.

I'm just gratified that USPS gets things delivered now, most of the time. And they have even added some gadgets for scanning and tracking at the moment of delivery. They are also much faster now, even for low-priority means like "Media Mail".

I still don't think the whole thing is a proper function of government, but it's way down my list of priorities, unless they start trying to drive private carrier alternatives out of business through legislation.

It's interesting that they expressed real concern that email would drastically reduce their business. Of course shortly thereafter the surge in online commerce and associated shipping got things significantly busier, and I haven't heard complaints since.

[quote author="bcarso"]It's interesting that they expressed real concern that email would drastically reduce their business. Of course shortly thereafter the surge in online commerce and associated shipping got things significantly busier, and I haven't heard complaints since.[/quote]

There are the complaints from the older set who still like to drop in the PO to buy single stamps for single letters(?!). They're not too happy with all the package shippers in line in front of them.

[quote author="emrr"]There are the complaints from the older set who still like to drop in the PO to buy single stamps for single letters(?!). They're not too happy with all the package shippers in line in front of them.[/quote]
They need to 'figger out' how to use the stamp vending machines and automated shipping centers, which will sell single stamps at actual cost. there are several innovations which are aimed solely at shortening lines...

Keith

yeah, but that blows their social hour all to pieces.

[quote author="emrr"]yeah, but that blows their social hour all to pieces.[/quote]

sad but true

[quote author="emrr"]
There are the complaints from the older set who still like to drop in the PO to buy single stamps for single letters(?!). They're not too happy with all the package shippers in line in front of them.[/quote]
It the same here :green: , it is even worse because the French Post is also a bank.... But you can see old ladies waiting for hours to buy collectible stamps!

From a daily email letter I get, received this AM:
"
The price of stamps is going up next week from 41 cents to 42 cents. "Aw, that's cute," said oil.

— Amy Poehler, Saturday Night Live
"