Hi Guys:
I ordered a PIKO caboose, 40.00 .
Cost of postage 30.00 !!!
These postal rates are going to really hurt the mail order business. The US Post Office used to be very reasonable. Now, the US Post Office seems to be almost as expensive as Canada Post.
What is going on down there in the United States ?
Norman
Norman Bourgault said:The PO got locked into an unreasonable, irrational deal of overfunding their pension system by Congress. Then they got a huge reduction in income due to the proliferation of electronic billing and email. Add to that a "no layoff" clause in their labor contracts, so cutting services doesn't even save much money for the next 5 years, and a Congress unwilling to allow them either help, nor a reduction to the level of pension funding that most other companies have. (I think some quarters have set them up to purposely fail, just like the other whipping boy, Amscrap) And you have a crisis that probably could have been avoided.
What is going on down there in the United States ?
So the cost of many services had to increase to meet their bills.
And then again, some places, especially fleabay sellers, overcharge on handling fees just because they can.
Yup, I bet what Mik wrote here about the US Post Office is right on the money.
I also think that’s only half the story, Norman.
US post office has to pay Canada post to make that final delivery. That’s why we pay double to get our stuff up here.
Canada Post is not giving away any bargains either. They say their business volume has dropped, so they have to raise the rates. Sound familiar? Sounds like the opposite of what any honest business would do. But we’re dealing with a Royal monopoly here.
Canada Post has discontinued the book rate, the printed matter rate, the parcel post rates, all cheaper options that we used to have.
Now there’s one rate beside letter class, and it’s VERY expensive. If you’re mailing anything other than a document you have to use this other thing, which STARTS at $7.00+.
Well, a package gets to the border, and the US post office better have collected Canada post’s bloodmoney too, 'coz Canada Post now wants its split. You’re not a citizen, you’re a subject, and they are a parasite.
Believe it or not the Brit Post office has become even worse, with regulations and paperwork up the ying yang. So much is this the case that the vast majority of eBay sellers over there won’t even ship overseas at all… If you haven’t yet done so, go to eBay UK and check out the shipping policies of a few Brit sellers for yourself. If you ask one or two of them, you’ll soon learn that the Post Office is the cause of the bottleneck.
I imagine that sooner or later the peasants will be revolting. :rolleyes:
Yes John, :lol: the peasants will be revolting. :lol: They’ll pool all the remaining ponies and bring back the Pony Express. 
I’ve mentioned this before: it usually pays to calculate the cost of shipping and then bring the volume of goods from one seller to a level where the shipping becomes bearable. To do this one can plan ahead and have a list of “to buy” items.
Works for me, but still strictly my opinion.
John Le Forestier said:'Sir, sir, the peasants are revolting!', the servant tells his lord, nervously. 'Don't say that, John, you'll hurt their feelings!'
I imagine that sooner or later the peasants will be revolting. :rolleyes:
Mik said:
John Le Forestier said:
I imagine that sooner or later the peasants will be revolting. :rolleyes:‘Sir, sir, the peasants are revolting!’, the servant tells his lord, nervously. ‘Don’t say that, John, you’ll hurt their feelings!’
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Norman Bourgault said:
Hi Guys:I ordered a PIKO caboose, 40.00 .
Cost of postage 30.00 !!!
These postal rates are going to really hurt the mail order business. The US Post Office used to be very reasonable. Now, the US Post Office seems to be almost as expensive as Canada Post.
What is going on down there in the United States ?
Norman
I have been purchasing some small items from the U.K. If it is less than 24 inches in length and under 2 kilograms (about five pounds in weight) then it travels by Royal Mail as a small parcel for around five English pounds to seven English pounds. This is not bad value as if I used my postal system to ship just across my city the cost of the same parcel would be $11.70. It is cheaper to get something from England than from the next suburb in my city.
Of cause there are some who like to profit and suddenly the postal cost skyrockets out of all proportion compared to what most charge me.
Mik said:Alternatively: 'Sire, the peasants are revolting." 'Yes, aren't they."John Le Forestier said:'Sir, sir, the peasants are revolting!', the servant tells his lord, nervously. 'Don't say that, John, you'll hurt their feelings!'
I imagine that sooner or later the peasants will be revolting. :rolleyes:
As for postal rates, and trains, the mail ain’t never been the same since they took it off the trains. Bah, humbug.
The last order I had from the yUK (to quote tac), which I expected to arrive normally through the PO, instead fell into the hands of some “courier” outfit, which demanded a sum over and above the s&h I had already paid to release the goods (to the PO, which delivered them).
Anything from the US, these days, I get delivered to the UPS store in Ogdensburg, NY, and pick it up there. FedUPS “brokerage” fees for transborder shipments make the old Dalton Gang look like pikers.
Then again, our current Dalton Gang (John leF and Fred know who I mean) make any other gang of bunglers and thieves look like pikers.
That UPS store in Ogdensburg is becoming a busy place since the postal rates and brokerage fees went up. We have sent things by UPS to large scale railroaders in America for 1/2 the price of international postage, and it gets there in days not weeks.
Like Chris we have goods shipped there to save international courier costs and eliminate the brokerage fees.
We drive down and stop at the Freighthouse Restaurant for lunch. It’s a refurbished NYC freighthouse with large scale trains and good food at reasonable prices. It takes about an hour from Ottawa.
Tim-----
I would mention that the postal rates in the UK have gone up in the last month. Check postage before ordering…you may get a shock…we have.
CHECK here for packets etc to USA.
http://www.royalmail.com/price-finder
Ross Mansell said:It's called the Royal Mail, right? All those weddings and jubilees and idiot princesses in their fascinators must be paid for, and these royal monopolies milk the 'subjects' to pay.
Tim----- I would mention that the postal rates in the UK have gone up in the last month. Check postage before ordering..you may get a shock...we have. :) CHECK here for packets etc to USA. http://www.royalmail.com/price-finder
Bring out the big axe again. The Yanks had George Washington, reputed to have been pretty good with a chopper himself… We Frogs used a guillotine…
And afterwards, you’ll still have to rid yourselves of the damn postal monopoly. After 240 years the US is still stuck with one, and so are we. Ours is bad enough, heaven knows, but I do believe that you Brits are lumbered with the most limiting, awkward, and costly postal service in the developed world, God help you.
You can bet the Royal Family, or ‘The Firm’ as they call themselves, love the Royal Mail.
Prices are set at an international meeting of the International Postal Union.
They all hike prices together - as postal payments are subject to cross border rates.
John Le Forestier said:
Ross Mansell said:
Tim----- I would mention that the postal rates in the UK have gone up in the last month. Check postage before ordering…you may get a shock…we have.It’s called the Royal Mail, right? All those weddings and jubilees and idiot princesses in their fascinators must be paid for, and these royal monopolies milk the ‘subjects’ to pay. …
John, Looks like you’re in dire need of a “Tongue-in-Cheek” smilie.
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John Le Forestier said:Ross Mansell said:It's called the Royal Mail, right? All those weddings and jubilees and idiot princesses in their fascinators must be paid for, and these royal monopolies milk the 'subjects' to pay.
Tim----- I would mention that the postal rates in the UK have gone up in the last month. Check postage before ordering..you may get a shock...we have. :) CHECK here for packets etc to USA. http://www.royalmail.com/price-finderBring out the big axe again. The Yanks had George Washington, reputed to have been pretty good with a chopper himself… We Frogs used a guillotine…
And afterwards, you’ll still have to rid yourselves of the damn postal monopoly. After 240 years the US is still stuck with one, and so are we. Ours is bad enough, heaven knows, but I do believe that you Brits are lumbered with the most limiting, awkward, and costly postal service in the developed world, God help you.
You can bet the Royal Family, or ‘The Firm’ as they call themselves, love the Royal Mail.
Perhaps this has gone on far enough, too.
Ross Mansell said:
John, you are not only offensive but write about something you seem to know very little about…
Prices are set at an international meeting of the International Postal Union.
They all hike prices together - as postal payments are subject to cross border rates.
Ross: I am merely a republican (small r; there is no Repoublican party in Canada). As if that weren’t bad enough, I happen to be opposed to monopolies as well. Both views are quite within the mainstream of respectable North American society.
I doubt that many outside ‘the Firm’ are privy to its financial secrets; are you? There is thus ample excuse for me to know very little about them. I am one who happens not to be convinced that they are mere figureheads.
As for International Postal Union Agreements, Canada Post imposes a “Service Fee” upon us for collecting, if you please, the HST (VAT) from us on packages coming from the USA. This amount varies from $5.00 upwards. Last month, on a $200.00 package, my “Service Charge” - over and above the tax, remember - was more than $18.00.
Now, in my view this “Service Charge” represents a barrier to international communications. It was CREATED by Canada Post a few years ago. I honestly suspect that this “Service Charge” is a breach, at least in spirit if not in fact, of the intentions of the Postal Union.
Of course, it could face a court challenge, but I believe that would be moot, since the Gov’t would soon enough find a constitutional ‘work-around’ to recover its revenues.
In any event, these postal charges, related taxes and other fees make our hobby far more expensive than it needs to be; a problem that it seems we all face, regardless of the country we happen to live in, but some more than others.
I may seem a vulgar and ignorant colonial, but you Brits still have my sympathy. I believe your situation is more difficult than most. When I visit eBay UK., I notice the vast majoroty of sellers are most reluctant to ship overseas. On enquiry, aside from the expense, the big problem seems to be required trips to the post office for regulatory paperwork and so forth…
This is yet another case where the Swiss are at fault, 
the Universal Postal Union is headquartered in Berne, Switzerland
UPU said:
The UPUEstablished in 1874, the Universal Postal Union (UPU), with its headquarters in the Swiss capital Berne, is the second oldest international organization worldwide.
With its 192 member countries, the UPU is the primary forum for cooperation between postal sector players. It helps to ensure a truly universal network of up-to-date products and services.
In this way, the organization fulfils an advisory, mediating and liaison role, and provides technical assistance where needed. It sets the rules for international mail exchanges and makes recommendations to stimulate growth in mail, parcel and financial services volumes and improve quality of service for customers.
It’s OK H.J. They more than make up for it in cheese and chocolate! 
Talk about ironic, I went and picked up my mail today and there was my yearly PO Box bill…$75.00 up from last years $62.00 WHAT!!!
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