Big Jump In Postal Rates: US To Canada And Australia

Of course all the postal rates have gone up. And for a good reason. The quality of service has gone way, way up. The attitude of all the postal employees too is constantly going up. All the postal employee's benefits too continue to climb. There is a massive improvement, almost per day, on the delivery services of all mail. With all this it is only natural that they should raise prices.

The USPS is a total joke. I just wish private industry, like a Fed-Ex would take them over and do it more efficiently. It will never happen, just wishful thinking.

I generally don't support too much 'hands off' capitalism, but I have to agree in this case. They're useless...they returned my priority package for 20 cents extra postage when it weighed about 3 lbs. Probably cost 5-10x to return it than to just let it go. What's bizarre is I put a full priority stamp on it, so I think its because the rates went up, but still stupid. I JUST bought 20 priority stamps and now I have to waste time putting 20 cents extra, oh boy. Has happened before too but its entirely random. In the case of the postal service, competition will bring much better customer service and performance. Not only that, but when agencies are 'removed' from the rest of the public, they tend to build up inertia and power grabs and you end up getting a bunch of bureaucratic BS that makes zero sense. They operate similar to how they did in the 50s or something.

I just went to a local post office last week to mail a coin to Canada in a #0 mailer and it cost me $1.75 for 2 ounces. The one thing that the local post office does is check to see if it is too thick, if it is then it will get charged more. I have never had the extra charge so I don't know what it would be. I use cohesive corrugated wrap as well and it was only one coin thick so I believe it was still under 1/4"? That might be the magic number.

Just checked the USPS calculator for shipping to Canada in a large envelope and it costs $1.65. It must meet these specifications as shown on the page:

First-Class Mail® International Large Envelope
Maximum Value for Contents: $400.00
Max. length 15", height 12" or thickness 3/4"

If you go to a post office make sure it is operated by the USPS. I only say this because there is a mailbox place literally across the street from my house that does sell postage, but charges more than the regular post office. I asked the real post office and they say that these shops are privately owned and can charge whatever price they want.

I am in Darwin, in the tropical north of Australia. I once bought a coin on ebay, from a seller in USA. He sent it by UPS. It made it to Sydney, twice, but UPS returned it to the sender, twice, because they couldn't find Darwin. The seller gave up, and at my request, forwarded the coin via USPS - it was here in 4 days. I've never had a problem with U
USPS. I have no experience of FedEx.

"couldn't find Darwin" - President OBAMA visited us in 2011; elements of the US Seventh Fleet regularly visit; and the USS Peary has been stuck here since 1942 ...

A small ordinary envelope with a couple of coins and bubble-wrap around them (so it was a little puffy) to Canada was $1.30 on the average for me. I think it was $1.90 to Australia.