USPS Shipping Increase - A Potential Problem for Plant Sellers

[W.]

My day job is in e-commerce, which is just a buzzword for saying I sell things online. Not plants, usually, except for extra plants I have offered here on the Forum and on eBay. But because I sell online, I recently received an alert about the impending US Postal Service rate increase, which looks like it might affect many people who sell plants (among other things).

Here is the summary provided about that rate increase:

USPS rate changes effective April 3, 2022

As a part of 2022 rate increases announced by USPS late last year, new fees will take effect for some USPS products and services starting April 3, 2022. Below is an overview of the USPS shipping services increases.


Non-standard fees:

Additional fees will apply when package dimensions exceed USPS sortation specifications and require manual sorting. These fees will apply to Retail Ground, Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, Parcel Select Ground, and First Class Package Service.

Packages that exceed 22 inches but are not greater than 30 inches in length: Add $4.00 per package
Packages that exceed 30 inches in length: Add $15.00 per package
Packages that exceed 2 cubic feet (3,456 cubic inches): Add $15.00 per package
A maximum of two non-standard fees may be assessed for a package.


Dimensional non-compliance fees:

An additional $1.50 fee will apply to packages greater than 1 cubic foot (1,728 cubic inches) or 22 inches in length for Retail Ground, Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, and Parcel Select Ground when:

Dimensions provided are inaccurate
Dimensions are not provided

I talked to the postal clerk at my local post office about these increases. She was not 100% percent positive how these fees would be applied, but was 99% sure that some of the plants I had shipped in the past would have had these fees applied to them, since they were in long, skinny boxes about 36" long (Forum members who have ordered plants from me in the past know that my taller plants are shipped in boxes that look like square poster tubes).

Because these new fees are not an increase in the base shipping cost, they flew under the radar when they were first announced a few months ago. I did not notice them immediately. But, these new fees could have a substantial effect on plant sellers and collectors, since a great many plants are shipped in boxes which require manual sorting - i.e. in anything other than select types of flat-rate boxes. And, according to my postal clerk, even some of those require manual sorting and would be subject to these new fees.

This fee increase might be something for people here on the Forum to keep in mind when buying and selling plants once it comes into affect in April.

[brian]

Long skinny boxes were surprisingly affordable, another $15 on top is nearly double the cost.  Ouch

[elouicious]

Yeah this is F*^&ed

[Jaboticaba45]

That sucks. The prices have already gone up for flat rate. small flat rate used to be 8.45, now it is 9.45
It's weird asking $10 to ship a few seeds, but that's how it is now.

[K-Rimes]

Unfortunately due to politics and the forcing of USPS to 100% fund pensions at hiring, the postal service is going broke and needs money. It's meant to operate at a mild loss and not as a for profit business - if pricing matched "for profit", we'd be spending $20-$30 for a letter like FedEx / UPS charge. I laugh when people are like "They should just run it like a business! Capitalism yee-haw!"

It's still a bargain, albeit less than before with this increase.

I'm ok to spend a bit more to keep the USPS functional and around as they are today. It's horrible work these days if you know anyone who works there and all those Grumman vehicles need replacing ASAP. Saw one on fire kind of recently.

[spaugh]

That sucks. The prices have already gone up for flat rate. small flat rate used to be 8.45, now it is 9.45
It's weird asking $10 to ship a few seeds, but that's how it is now.

If you print the label from paypal its 8.25$ for a small flat rate box.  It used to be less.  Thats the price as of today.   Medium box is around 14$ now.  Used to be 12 something.  Probably should be much higher if it was actually tied to real inflation.

Everything costs a fortune now.  Thats what happens when your economy is based on debt and monopoly money.  If someone thinks shipping is expensive, try buying some lumber, pvc pipes, copper wires etc...

[Jaboticaba45]

That sucks. The prices have already gone up for flat rate. small flat rate used to be 8.45, now it is 9.45
It's weird asking $10 to ship a few seeds, but that's how it is now.

If you print the label from paypal its 8.25$ for a small flat rate box.  It used to be less.  Thats the price as of today.   Medium box is around 14$ now.  Used to be 12 something.  Probably should be much higher if it was actually tied to real inflation.

Everything costs a fortune now.  Thats what happens when your economy is based on debt and monopoly money.  If someone thinks shipping is expensive, try buying some lumber, pvc pipes, copper wires etc...

Guess everyone is just going to have to take the punch to the gut.
My whole family wants to get more chickens, but the coop prices have doubled since last time and with lumber being so expensive, it sucks.
I noticed that some parafilm I bought a couple years back has more than doubled in price.
I'd love to learn more in depth about inflation, but I'm taking the wrong class (microeconomics).
Anyways, I'm just a rare fruit grower who loves trees and chickens. At least tree prices haven't gone up that bad...although they have gone up since I first started collecting if I remember correctly.

[spaugh]

By the way, my comments werent directed at you or anyone in particular.  Other than paypal has cheaper shipping than going through usps directly. 

Heres the link for you guys who dont already know

https://www.paypal.com/shiplabel/create/

[kalan]

Also recommend Pirate Ship shipping - easy to use, lowest rates
https://www.pirateship.com/

And it is crazy how the USPS is the only governmental organization that makes them prefund their retirement liabilities for 70 years in the future! I think it is like 80 billion dollars they need to keep on hand. That's not operating costs, that just prefunded retirement!

It's almost like you think some in congress want it to fail so we can get stuck with FedEx and UPS rates dominating the market.

[hammer524]

Thankfully the US Senate just passed the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 that will eliminate the BS pre-funding mandate

Also recommend Pirate Ship shipping - easy to use, lowest rates
https://www.pirateship.com/

And it is crazy how the USPS is the only governmental organization that makes them prefund their retirement liabilities for 70 years in the future! I think it is like 80 billion dollars they need to keep on hand. That's not operating costs, that just prefunded retirement!

It's almost like you think some in congress want it to fail so we can get stuck with FedEx and UPS rates dominating the market.

[driftwood]

honestly flat rates are a rip off anyway. You are paying like $4.00-6.00 for the box. As someone said if you use a website like pirate ship/go shippo and enter your own box sizes, you can send boxes that are identical size or smaller to the flat rates for far cheaper.

For example. A medium size box would cost me around $10.00 with a plain brown box from amazon versus the $15.00 for the flat rate. This rate is called "priority cubic" is only available online through websites like pirate ship

[Timbogrow]

Let's go Brandon! Hopefully all the people that voted for this guy has some common sense in 2024 and stays far away from the leftist mob out to destroy America and make us pay dearly for being Americans. Since he came in office I was paying in the 8$/lin-ft range for some aluminum tubing and now it's at 16.50$/lin-ft.  Went up 1.50 from last week. Not to mention shipping charge doubled from the supplier also. I feel your pain. Tons of work though and couldn't be in a better state/county.

[nattyfroootz]

Dimunitive thinking I see Timbo! Obviously only one person controls things .

Looks like I'll have to start buying 21" boxes to try and skirt around that shipping increase, bummer!

[Kevin Jones]

Inflation is not unique to the US... it's world-wide.

Kevin

 

[Timbogrow]

Dimunitive thinking I see Timbo! Obviously only one person controls things .
Dimunitive isnt a word, It's Diminutive get it right if your gonna try to make a joke insinuating I don't have a thought process. Obviously your one of the leftist that Diminutivly and regretably an American citizen with mythological dreams. When you all ruin California, stay there. Florida doesn't need you ruining us or anywhere else.

Looks like I'll have to start buying 21" boxes to try and skirt around that shipping increase, bummer!

[Timbogrow]

Who ever would have thought printing tons of money for build back better would be a large contributor to inflation? Bidens war on fossil fuels in only America couldnt do that? Quit smoking dope and throw your needles away. Is CNN and MSNBC all you have in California. Or let me guess you love Whopper Goldberg and the despicable 5 too and have no problem with men competing in woman sporting events.

[hammer524]

Who ever would have thought printing tons of money for build back better would be a large contributor to inflation? Bidens war on fossil fuels in only America couldnt do that? Quit smoking dope and throw your needles away. Is CNN and MSNBC all you have in California. Or let me guess you love Whopper Goldberg and the despicable 5 too and have no problem with men competing in woman sporting events.

Consider sharing your political views on other websites, don't see how this is relevant to gardening.

[nattyfroootz]

Let me know if you ever want to come smoke the good legal ganja out here and get some quality perspectives Timbo .  Sorry about the spelling, already smoked too much ganja today!

[Kevin Jones]

Don't go harshing my Buzz please...

Kevin

[Timbogrow]

The topic usps shipping charges has nothing to do with gardening.

[achetadomestica]

I went to Wal Mart yesterday and bought 100 regular ordinary paper plates that
were Good Value brand. $4.58 WTF
They use to be .99
I drove by the gas station and it was $3.99. I came back 25 minutes later and it was $4.32
You feel like buying extra stuff now that you will need next week because who knows
how much it will be next week

[W.]

The topic usps shipping charges has nothing to do with gardening.

This topic does concern gardening, which is why I created it. Fruit collectors outside of Florida and California rely on the US Postal Service to acquire plants and seeds for their collections. Sellers in Florida and California rely on the US Postal Service to be able to sell their plants and seeds to collectors both in their own states and in other states. This fee implementation will make it harder, or certainly more expensive, for the rare fruit enthusiasts who use this Forum to be able to continue their hobby or business. I posted this information to make fellow users on the Forum aware of it, so they can prepare accordingly and not be blindsided the next time they order online or go to their local post office.

On the other hand, I do not believe that yours or others' political posts are either constructive or appropriate for this site, which is about growing fruits and has stated on the masthead, "Uniting Growers Worldwide!"

[Timbogrow]

The topic usps shipping charges has nothing to do with gardening.

This topic does concern gardening, which is why I created it. Fruit collectors outside of Florida and California rely on the US Postal Service to acquire plants and seeds for their collections. Sellers in Florida and California rely on the US Postal Service to be able to sell their plants and seeds to collectors both in their own states and in other states. This fee implementation will make it harder, or certainly more expensive, for the rare fruit enthusiasts who use this Forum to be able to continue their hobby or business. I posted this information to make fellow users on the Forum aware of it, so they can prepare accordingly and not be blindsided the next time they order online or go to their local post office.

On the other hand, I do not believe that yours or others' political posts are either constructive or appropriate for this site, which is about growing fruits and has stated on the masthead, "Uniting Growers Worldwide!"

Politics are what's effecting the price change. Bidens war on fossil fuels only in America is directly related to the cost increase and printing tons of money for build back better also influences the rising inflation. So I disagree that I am off topic. It being about usps shipping, affects every market. It's like saying; "because a machine shop increased its price on machining the molds and raw materials for pots, the prices are going to increase". Or the increase in gas prices makes it more expensive to mow the lawn. The increase has nothing to do with gardening. It's strictly an economic topic which is controlled by lousy politicians.

[K-Rimes]

There are 5 Republicans of 9 governors on the USPS board, the maximum allowable by law as it's supposed to be impartial politically. It's a Republican majority on the board. I don't think this is a Democrat or Republican problem honestly, it's a USPS as a whole problem - but hopefully the new legislation to not have to pre-fund retirement passes and helps stabilize the situation.

If you wish to have no discussion of politics on this site, then one should avoid topics such as this that involve any government agencies. USPS is what it is, then, and we should hold our tongue.

Personally, I don't see a dollar here or there as the deal breaker for collectors and grower/sellers. It's still a bargain and a half compared to for-profit joints like FedEx and UPS.

[fruitnut1944]

Do you have anything official about these increases? I can't find this on USPS website.