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I think ebay must have bought the US post office
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If you've been reading the news, the Post Office may be closing down this winter because they are so far in debt. Perhaps this is one way they try to make some extra money.Comment
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The problem is the Postal Service can’t fund their pensions with current income. That’s the issue. There’s also some law on the books—not clear on the details—about how the Postal Service (and other government agencies) have to fund their pensions with a 5-6 year lead time? So the whole “crisis” has to do with keeping up payments for pension fundings. And 80% of the U.S. Postal Service budget is devoted to labor costs. Think about that for a second… 80 effing percent! Read up on it here:
Sorting out the Postal Service - Los Angeles Times
As far as the topic of First Class being bumped to Priority, this is all B.S. I have no idea who in the Postal Service is responsible for this nonsense, but if an item is sent via First Class Parcel, that’s all one needs to ship it. No need to upgrade. But Postal Clerks are clearly playing games to see if they can squeeze revenue out of folks. There is a pretty good eBay community thread here that explains it:
Once and for all, what qualifies as a First Class Mail Parcel?: Community Help Boards: eBay Discussion Boards
I dug this thread up and found that eBay thread after getting into a conflict with the local postal clerk right near me. Basically was sending two 9 inch by 11 inch stiff photo mailers with some padding inside making them about 1/2 an inch thick. Weight about 6-7 ounces each. All domestic U.S. And had delivery confirmation on them as well. And I have sent these before. All went out First Class Parcel without issue. Until I ran into this @$%!# clerk. She insisted that if I wanted delivery confirmation, I had to “upgrade”*to Priority. But she didn’t even give it to me as an option. I’ve dealt with her before and she is nasty about “upselling” and treats customers like crap. In this case she took the envelope, went to talk to someone about it, came back and without warning me about the “upgrade” just printed out the Priority postage and told me that’s the way it had to be mailed. I told her I never had to do that before and I have been mailing similar packages for years, and she said—and I quote—“If someone else did that for you in the past you are lucky. You got over on them. Now it’s got to go Priority.” I flipped, demanded she stop the transaction, forced her to remove the sticker, and got my packages back. I then also told her how she’s been nasty to people before and I am going to complain. She shouted back at me about how she was “Just doing her job!!!” Got her name, talked to the manager but I am definitely going to make a case about this. Here is why.
I took the packages back since while I am 1 block away from the post office, I am not going to use them anymore because of this incident. Thankfully I live a longer (but still a brisk walk away) distance from the main Brooklyn, NY Post Office at Cadman Plaza. So walk the stuff there, and the guy does all of the same upsell questions, but get this. Unlike the @$%!# clerk from my local post office, this guy actually measures and weighs all of the items and when the issue of those packages that the other @$%!# clerk said have to go Priority, guess what? He didn’t blink an eye at them going First Class Parcel with delivery confirmation because I WAS IN THE RIGHT!!! The packages fit the requirement!!! I WON!!!
Seriously, if the clerk at the main post office were to have told me about Priority, then I would have said “You know what, I guess she was right…” But the reality is the U.S. Postal Service is really pushing clerks to upsell and they are making up arbitrary rules just to try and squeeze more money from nothing. Which is ridiculous. Do they actually think squeezing customers for an upsell will balance their budget? If anything they are alienating their customers.
Oh, and here is the best part. When I complained to the manager of the local post office, she ignores the fact that her clerks are treating customers like crap and tells me that I can just use the A.P.C. (Automated Postal Center) or use “Click & Ship” to avoid the clerks. And my response—which I shouted so all can hear—was basically, “So you are basically saying your clerks can treat customers like crap and the only solution is to use the machine?!?!? How can I get a job where I treat people like crap, alienate customers and then still have a job?”
All that said, I really like the U.S. Postal Service. And I feel bad that they are facing a budget crisis. But if they want to survive, they are making TONS more enemies than friends doing this. I mean if I were FedEx or U.P.S. I would start offering some Priority Mail alternative (similar price & service) to take advantage of all of the bad will the U.S.P.S. is creating for themselves. The U.S.P.S. is basically begging for someone else to fill the void this way.Comment
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I think a lot of post offices are in danger of being closed. They are looking at mail volumes and revenue, if they pressure you into priority mail maybe that looks like more revenue for that post office?
sucks with this economy, everyone is looking to save their job.Comment
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I think it’s delusional to think it’s an effective way to bring more revenue for the post office. Is bullying customers who will fight to say “No!” bringing in more money or creating unnecessary ill will. I will use my case as an example: I have four (4) packages. All are well packed, computer print-out labels, and are not a hassle. But the stupid micromanagement of the post office dictates that even if someone clearly states “First Class” they need to upsell and one needs to actually fight some clerks to get the service they are entitled to? If they instead simply went through the packages—in my case 2 First Class, 1 Priority, 1 Air Mail to Canada—and gotten it over with they could go onto the next customer. I’m not breaking any postal regulations in any way/shape/form and I am not trying to pull a fast one, but this is how I got treated!?!? After 10+ years mailing exclusively at this specific post office? I feel sorry for the other clerks who have to work with the “genius” I dealt with, but in their defense the other clerks have never given me one ounce of crap for any reason.
For the record this specific post office has had some major issues, and local community leaders have demanded monthly meetings since July 2011. They are supposedly on a “90 day turnaround” which means the Brooklyn Postmaster is watching them closely. Which blows my mind because the service now is clearly WORSE than before. I’ve taken notes and pulled out receipts so I can connect dates/times to incidents, but this 1 specific clerk has to go. And any manager that allows that kind of behavior to fester needs to go. Any service that retains anyone who treats customers this badly—especially when the whole “conflict” is me not taking the bait for an up-sell—needs to hit the road. Have her sort packages in a basements somewhere. Front-facing clerks need to show basic respect.Last edited by MicromanZone; Sep 22, '11, 1:37 AM.Comment
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The buyer told me the package was too light to send First Class, so they automatically upgraded it to Priority...
Does that make ANY F****g sense at all? I also know that is was NOT under weight.Comment
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According to that eBay community thread I posted above:
So basically if you send an enveloped like what you sent, stick in some stiff/corrugated cardboard, clearly mark “do not bend” and that’s should shut them up. That makes it a First Class Parcel.All of the following are First Class Mail Parcels eligible to use Delivery Confirmation:
An item 3/4” thick at thickest point
An item 1/4” thick at thickest point and rigid
An item 1/4” thick at thickest point and nonrectangular
An item 1/4” thick at thickest point and 1/4” or bigger lumpiness
The previous three can be less than 1/4” thick if they weigh more than 3.5 oz or are over 11.5” x 6.125” inches.
But believe you me, I do not plan on ever paying a fee like that as a seller or a buyer unless there is 100% good reason. This is utter B.S.Comment
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