Goodbye Free USPS Supplies?

Maybe old news? I just got the email from Ebay that the USPS is thinking of eliminating the free boxes to ship packages.

https://www.ebaymainstreet.com/news...utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=campaign_846012

I use the free boxes often. You can leave a comment to the USPS to let them know to keep it available.

https://www.uspsoig.gov/audit-asks/...ase-revenues-and-manage?page=10#comment-72220

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

I use the USPS free supplies also. I have almost a whole box of flat rate padded envelopes. I use those the most. I also have a stock of medium flat rate boxes. Might have to order some more in case the USPS ceases the freebie program. Although I never thought it was free. I can see people not using the packaging materials or using the materials for other purposes that could cause undue costs to the postal system.

 

Oh nuts I cut them up for currency shipping...lol

 

I’ve received several packages from eBay sellers whose contents were wrapped in, or padded with, obviously unused Priority Mail materials. It’s no surprise to me that the USPS is tired of supplying yahoos with free paper and cardboard.

 

I better go stock up on the priority boxes as use them for shipping currency.

One box makes 3 cutouts to cover note then put do not bend on package. Jim in cc uses paper cutter at office....for them.

 

Problem is though the boxes are a big upcharge which many likely would not do if they have to buy a box as well. They very easily and I would almost bet that they would lose more in lost revenue from people using cheaper methods than they lose from misused packaging.

 

Free loaders........

 

I think they should charge for them, then give a refund at the register. Kind of like a bottle deposit.

 

Please no, the lines are long enough as is

 

I have a hard time believing USPS packaging is truly free.

In a normal business model, the cost of those materials would be factored into the rate structure (the same way the cost of sandwich wrappers, paper bags, napkins, etc. is factored into the price you pay for a Big Mac).

I realize it's a stretch to refer to a government-run operation as "normal", but still, I'll bet there's more to this than meets the eye. Perhaps charging a separate fee for materials is simply a way to avoid rate increases that would make USPS less competitive.

 

Vending machine?

 

Nothing in life is free. You're paying the price for those free supplies in the higher costs of shipping priority.

 

If anything maybe think about getting rid of some of them like the cd/dvd one, but aside from that I don't think I'd make any huge changes.

 

Just what I was thinking!

Reed

 

The flat rate boxes are a good deal for heavy stuff. Just mailed a packed out box of coins for consignment to auction, like 20 lbs, in one of those boxes. I also use them for packaging other stuff I sell on Ebay. Sometimes I wrap them in brown paper and use parcel rate.

 

The price to send a package is triple what it should be.
Because they gave Amazon a sweetheart deal, we, the customers, the public
are being double dipped.
We are charged shipping by Amazon (let's say $4.99) for something that could be mailed in a manila envelope for a dollar.
And then, we are overcharged by the post office, to make up for the sweetheart deal they gave Amazon.
I haven't mailed any packages in years and I used to mail packages all the time.
If I can't put it in a manila envelope I don't bother any more. I have the money to pay for it, I just don't like being taken advantage of.
Having to overfund their pension plan is one of the reasons, but that's not my fault. I don't know why they felt trying to bankrupt the post office was a good idea. It was probably the only gov't organization that made money.
If they go broke it will cost $3 to mail a letter from a private carrier.
So banks and Wall Street get bailed out, but not the Post Office?
Amazon makes more money by over charging for shipping, and letting the post office do all their work for them. How can they survive on that business model?

 

Really? Read that fine print on every Priority packaging that is free from the Post Office. You can be prosecuted if they want just by doing this. If caught, they will bill the customer you are shipping to for the difference. You are risking a poor rating. If they refuse to pay, the parcel is returned to you, postage due for the difference. You must pay to get it back and repay to reship, if your customer still wants it. It's just not worth it.

 

@Michael K You are so right. By law the post office was required to put money into the retirement funds of the military. Then came one of those gulf wars. The government needed money for the war and the post office was screaming about military retirement. So naturally, the law was changed.

On paper there is money to fund the post office retirees account but don't think for one minute that any money is in that account. In short, it's a slush fund for the federal government.

 

Well I don't know the exact numbers. But it is my understanding, that a bank can operate with 5% or less than it's funds on hand. And in the same vein, the post office could fund their pension plan let's say at 10% since only X amount of people can retire per year. (And like any pyramid scheme, the current workers pay for the retiring workers.) Congress made them fund the pension plan at 80% which is not nec. and unreasonable. And because of that, they were showing a loss when actually they were making money.
As for funding the war, I'm not saying that didn't happen, but I am unaware of that fiscal irresponsibility.