The US Postal Service adopted plans to always keep stamp price increases at or below the rate of inflation. The stamp hikes will be annual and capped by the consumer-price index, replacing the old system of periodic and steep increases. The USPS had the right to still do one more hike under the previous rule, but opted to go for the inflation-indexed approach ahead of schedule. Those clever Forever Stamps which were to remain valid forever, will still be forever valid.
usps
Surprise: Grocery Store Loyalty Cards Really Do Help People Return Lost Keys
By 10.1.07
The Colombus Dispatch informs us that Kroger loyalty cards do, in fact, help people find lost keys.
The U.S. Postal Service delivers about 100 sets of lost keys each week to the Great Lakes region Kroger headquarters in Westerville, which covers most of Ohio, Michigan and West Virginia. Kroger employees look up customers’ addresses and ship the keys and any attachments to their homes, often to very surprised owners.
Unlawfully Billed? Threaten To Report Them For Mail Fraud
By 7.25.07
One reader says that after Cingular overcharged her, she sent them a letter informing them they were committing mail fraud.
Get Free Shipping Materials From The Post Office
By 7.9.07
If you’re going to be mailing stuff, why pay for envelopes and boxes when the USPS will send you great ones for free? The USPS will send you Priority Mail flat rate boxes, shoe boxes, envelopes, video boxes, address labels, stickers…. as well as all the various forms you might need… for free.
Postmaster General Angry At Wachovia Over ID Theft Ad
By 5.31.07
Postmaster General John Potter is mad as hell at Wachovia! He’s accusing them of ‘really doing a disservice to the American public’ with an ad that suggests mailing your bills puts you at greater risk of ID theft than paying them on-line. Potter says this simply isn’t true:
“I have no problem with competition — it’s a good thing, it can keep everyone at the top of their game,” he said. “All I ask for is a little honesty when you’re doing it.” Asked specifically about the bank, he accused Wachovia of “really doing a disservice to the American public.”
Don't Buy Forever Stamps As An "Investment"
By 5.24.07
By law, “Forever Stamps” won’t save you any money if you’re planning on hoarding them for all eternity, says Slate.
If You've Ever Wondered Why Brooklyn Smells Like Piss
By 5.16.07
A postman threw what looked like a piss-filled glove right in front of us on the street yesterday.
Guy Who Flipped Out In Brooklyn Post Office Is NOT Sorry About It
By 4.6.07
Read the original Daily News story inside, as we can’t seem to find it on their website.
VIDEO: US Airways Baggage Handler Plays Tee-Ball With Packages
By 4.3.07
The USPS tubes and boxes were set to board America West flight 131 from San Francisco to Las Vegas this Sunday, April 1.
What You Need To Know About The Forever Stamp
By 3.28.07
To ease the blow of postal rates going up two cents, the USPS is introducing a new stamp that will always pay the postal rate, no matter when you use it.
Post Office Meltdown: Customer Flips Out On Video At Brooklyn Post Office
By 3.24.07
After several minutes of the customer’s rant, three police officers respond to the scene, but the 5-minute, 43-second clip ends too soon to see what happens next.
USPS Rate Hike: Introducing The 'Forever Stamp'
By 3.20.07
The Governors approved the Forever Stamp, which will sell at the new 41-cent First-Class Mail one-ounce letter rate. The value on these stamps will always be the one-ounce letter rate and can be used for any future one-ounce letter mailing without extra postage.
By Air, Boat, Or Plane, Paypal Sucks For Transaction Disputes
By 3.17.07
How is that Paypal gets away with having a customer service system completely unreachable by humans?
Chicago Has The Worst Mail Delivery In The US
By 3.12.07
The audit found that first-class mail sent between Chicago ZIP codes made it to the correct address the next day 91 percent of the time. The cities that fared best in the audit had deliver rates of around 97 percent.
Why Is It So %#$%@-ing Impossible To Get Your Mail Delivered in Brooklyn?
By 3.9.07
Sorry for the local flavor of this post, but we live in Brooklyn. When we order things from UPS the UPS guy does not ring the bell. Ever. We work from home, so we know he does this. We’ve seen him do it. When we complain, they tell us that he’s a 10 year veteran with no prior complaints. We’ve complained before, so we assume this is part of a standard script. It’s not just UPS that’s messed up in Brooklyn. The post office may be even more screwed up. We hardly ever get any mail. Even junk mail.
US Postal Service Solves Long Waits By Removing Clocks From Post Offices
By 3.2.07
This sounds like a joke, but it’s being reported by the Houston Chronicle: The USPS is removing clocks from post offices in order to allow customers to better “focus on the postal service.”
“We want people to focus on postal service and not the clock,” said Stephen Seewoester, Dallas spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service.
The USPS has removed clocks from 37,000 post offices as part of a “retail standardization program.” Um, correct us if we’re wrong here but:
USPS Rate Hike: The Forever Stamp
By 2.26.07
A new “forever” stamp — good for mailing a letter no matter how much rates go up — was recommended Monday by the independent Postal Regulatory Commission. A forever stamp would not carry a denomination, but would sell for whatever the first-class rate was at the time.
Send Military Care Packages For Less
By 1.30.07
The U.S. Postal Service introduced a Military Care Kit, or “Mili-kit” in 2004 to make it easier for military families and friends to send care packages to their loved ones stationed overseas. Since the inception of the Military Care Kit, the U.S. Postal Service has shipped more than 150,000 kits. Each kit contains two Priority Mail boxes, six Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes, eight Priority Mail labels, one roll of Priority Mail tape and eight customs forms with envelopes.
