Posted on 04/04/2005 11:09:59 AM PDT by FlyLow
Have you checked their website lately? You can design those cards, right on their website, using your pictures / artwork or theirs, and you won't even have to make a trip to the PO. They are offering a lot of one stop shopping for products that have been offered by online services such as Snapfish. See here.
I've been doing a little bit of ebay sales lately, mostly using Priority mail for delivery, and I've been pleased with their websites functionality to print the labels, buy inurance, pay for the postage, etc. Now all you need to do is either drop the package off at any box -- no standing in line -- or arrange for free home pickup of the package. They'll pick it up at my door, free, as long as I've already paid for it through their website and request the pickup online by 2 am that morning.
They really do seem to be attempting to reinvent themselves.
I agree about the USPS. I find USPS priority mail to be 1-3 days faster than UPS, and it's cheaper too. As for Fed Ex, I never even consider it - too expensive.
Give your postman a bottle of cold water, snack, or Coca Cola every once in a while. It does wonders for your service. lol.
ping
I use the US Postal Service Priority Mail for business. It's a very good value for packages not needing overnight service.
I live in the outer suburbs, my credit union's closest branch is in downtown Minneapolis, so I bank by mail. The "bank by mail" goes to the main credit union office in Rochester MN. If I put a check in my mail box by about 3PM, it is regularly deposited in my account by noon the next day. High praise for both the USPS and my credit union.
I called my Postmaster to complement them, he said that Intra-Minnesota 1st class letters are being delivered overnight 97% of the time.
Hard to beat that!
Priority mail is CHEAP and provides two day delivery.
Compared to 206 years ago, today's US Postal Service is quite a good deal....
US Postage Rates 1799
single letters
not over 40 miles - 8 cents = ($0.87 in 2005 dollars)
40-90 miles - 10 cents = ($1.08 in 2005 dollars)
90-150 miles - 12.5 cents = ($1.36 in 2005 dollars)
150-300 miles - 17 cents = ($1.84 in 2005 dollars)
300-500 miles - 20 cents = ($2.16 in 2005 dollars)
over 500 miles - 25 cents = ($2.71 in 2005 dollars)
You got that right!!!!
Anybody can get those free boxes, not just ebay sellers. See here. For most boxes, you have to order in minimum quantities of 25, and they will deliver them free to your home or business. The link goes to the Priority boxes and supplies, but Express service boxes and envelopes are free, too. No matter who you are, you can get them all free if you agree to use them for the purpose they were provided for -- priority and express mail sent through the USPS.
My postal carrier (mailman) told me that it's scary how poorly they treat packages at the post office - that they often treat them like footballs. In my experience Fedex is the most professional and reliable of all of the shipping companies. I can ship Fedex ground packages to many areas of the country and it only takes two days, sometimes three depending on distance. Those of you who aren't aware of this incredible relatively inexpensive service (and it seems many aren't) should check it out. To me there is no contest between Fedex ground and UPS ground. Priority Mail is cheaper however.
I may be wrong, but I think many of the bashers come from larger urban areas where you see more of the employee problems one associates with big government.
The TSP accounts came into existence when the PO switched its employees from being covered by Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) to Federal Employment System (FERS). This happened around 1985, and if you were an employee and chose to switch to FERS, you were given the option of contributing to a TSP account, which was matched by the USPS--either 5 or 10%.
I was eligible to contribute to a TSP account, but there was no matching contrib by the USPS cuz I did not switch to FERS, but stayed under CSRS. FERS is really just a fancy name for Social Security, and lots of long-time employees did not want to switch from CSRS, because the retirement bennies weren't as good. My late husband, however, had no choice but to be under FERS (because he was hired after 1985)--and his TSP account grew at a fantastic rate, considering the small amount he put in each payday.
The TSP accounts can be borrowed against with relatively low interest rates, and they can be passed on to spouses. I can see no down side to them, and cannot understand why more people aren't urging President Bush to model private SS accounts after the TSP program.
Packages are treated roughly by all of the shippers. All of them use conveyer belts to deposit parcels in bins and containers. The rule of thumb when shipping something via any carrier is to prepare it to be dropped from a height of 10 feet.
Ditto! (And THANKS!!)
If you are shipping things under 13 oz, just about nothing beats first class for cost effectiveness, and it gets there about the same time as priority.
Over that, but under a pound, US Priority mail beats UPS for speed and cost.
After that, everything starts to get competitive. I have sold knitting patterns all over the world, and for low weight items, I have not found anything that beats USPS.
This is quite impressive. Since I have been on FR I cannot remember another government agency besides the military recieving more than fifty percent positive posts on here. lol I suppose that is a supreme compliment.
I worked for UPS when I was in college. When I worked there, 90% of the package handlers were kids in their late teens or early 20's. They worked on package conveyor lines, loading the trucks. As a general rule, they really didn't give a darn about their job and thought it was funny to kick around packages coming down the "lines". Some of them were thieves too.
I don't know if that has changed but I seriously doubt it.
A person working at the Post Office risks losing a very good job with benefits if they fool around or steal. A kid working on the line at UPS doesn't.
but i filled out a form and had it stopped? no more third class mail.
Did I miss something?
Nuck!
Bonehead
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.