[Average Al]

"They will price themselves out of business."

They might have done that already. I went in to what used to be a very busy P.O.the other day and joked how I could walk right up to the counter. I wanted to mail a small box that used to cost me about 5.00 to mail and they wanted 13.00 to mail it! That was more than UPS with insurance and real tracking. I ask about the cost and I was told rates went up 3 weeks ago, particularly for none local deliveries.

[funfan]

I use the Post Office almost daily to mail packages. The rates did go up from .05 to .25 cents. The rates are also affected by weight,size of package and Zones. A 1 lb package sent priority mail with delivery confirmation to Zone 2 Fresno is $5.95 while the exact same package sent to South Carolina Zone 8 costs $7.05

[FerociousRabbit]

In the normal world prices are based upon supply and demand. If everyone wants your product you can raise your prices. In the case of the USPS, they have a product that no one really wants or even needs anymore so they defy the laws of economics and raise prices.

Government in action.

[LostInBayport]

I wanted to mail a small box that used to cost me about 5.00 to mail and they wanted 13.00 to mail it! That was more than UPS with insurance and real tracking.

Yes. More and more I find that FedEx is now often cheaper than the Post Office.

Plus, FedEx has never lost a package sent to me or from me, and the packages arrive in the time frame they promise...and a tracking number doesn't cost extra. Not so for the Postal Service.