So! ya got postal worries eh!

[Oldandintheway]

Australia Post (in their wisdom?) have decided to introduce a new extra level of service to our domestic ordinary mail delivery.
They are calling it "Priority" mail.
Naturally, they have taken the opportunity to increase costs across the board (as you would)

Here's how it stood - an ordinary letter domestically Oz wide = 70 cents.
Now - Regular $1.00 taking from 2 to 6 days
Priority $1.50 taking from 1 to 4 days
Registered from $4.80 2 to 6 days
Express from $5.75 - ASAP

As you can see, & if my maths are correct, we've had an overnight increase of 44% to the regular service & about 115% if you use the Priority service.
Keep in mind this is just on a standard letter. Other non standard types cost extra!

Why have they done this you ask!
To remain viable they say, & blame the interwebby ether, on the demise of ordinary mail articles, & the huge use now, of mobile contact devices.
I'm sure this is only the thin end of the wedge, & flow on increases to international shipping rates will follow, if they haven't already.
Life as an online seller has just become more difficult. (Again)

[FirstGreenIsGold]

Australian and Canadian dollars are pretty much the same. We are in the same boat with Canada Post. They have strange rules and each postal clerk seems to have their own interpretation of those rules. Every year the rates go up. I sympathise and I'm sure that many of the members in the U.S.A. and the U.K. do as well. It's frustrating.

(Also, my dear old Dad worked for Canada Post from 1942 to 1979, so I've heard all about working there from a postal worker's point of view too. Up until the late 1970s though, the wages were quite low, so he didn't make a whole lot of money working there.)

[madelaine]

We had a major restructuring of postal services a few years ago. I just removed all my cheap items that were suddenly "small parcels" - any item which is fatter than 2.5 cm (or, in old money, 1") - they went from costing the same as a letter to 4 times that.

In addition we now have no post box in the High Street which is a major loss. It's as if they don't actually WANT to get the business.

[Oldandintheway]

We had a major restructuring of postal services a few years ago. I just removed all my cheap items that were suddenly "small parcels" - any item which is fatter than 2.5 cm (or, in old money, 1") - they went from costing the same as a letter to 4 times that.

In addition we now have no post box in the High Street which is a major loss. It's as if they don't actually WANT to get the business.

You're certainly correct there! They don't want the ordinary letter mail hassle that's for sure, only the parcel freight component.(where the money is)

[astral276]

Postal charges are a major barrier, particularly to the small seller, to online selling. Finding the postage on an item is more than the price of the item makes me not buy. It also makes it virtually impossible to beat shop prices; while you may be able to beat the price and make a little profit, once you factor in the postage there is little hope of doing so.

I wonder if postal services have ever considered reversing their logic? Instead of constantly increasing prices, so less and less people use the service, and they then have to increase the price again (and around and around it goes); how about lowering the price so that more people use the service? 100 fees of 5p is better than 20 fees at 15p.

[tonyreddevil]

Postal charges are a major barrier, particularly to the small seller, to online selling. Finding the postage on an item is more than the price of the item makes me not buy. It also makes it virtually impossible to beat shop prices; while you may be able to beat the price and make a little profit, once you factor in the postage there is little hope of doing so.

I wonder if postal services have ever considered reversing their logic? Instead of constantly increasing prices, so less and less people use the service, and they then have to increase the price again (and around and around it goes); how about lowering the price so that more people use the service? 100 fees of 5p is better than 20 fees at 15p.

Just like Supermarkets discounting
The Mighty Post Office Wont Consider It.

[crafters_corner_2]

"Just like Supermarkets discounting
The Mighty Post Office Wont Consider It."

It's not the Post Office, it's Royal Mail.