USPS rate increase next week!

I wouldn't be a very good customer service and sales clerk for the USPS if I didn't remind all of you that the postal rates are increasing on May 14th. A first class stamp will increase to 41 cents along with some other major changes in our products, rates and services. No, I'm not getting a raise this year either. This rate increase is directly related to the costs of fuel over the past year. Each 1 cent rise in fuel prices equals a $1 million additional expediture increase for the USPS. Transportation (and fuel) is the second biggest expense for the USPS.

Packages will be subject to shape-weight-distance pricing (just like the UPS guys in the big brown trucks). So if you're going to mail a large or odd shaped package, you will end up paying more because of its size and shape but also rated at a heavier weight due to the amount of space it will take up in the planes when shipping. (It's all very complicated to explain in detail and luckily our POS computers at work will figure this stuff out for us). The best way to avoid and surcharges is to use our Priority Mail supplies and boxes

Speaking of our supplies, you can now use our Priority Mail supplies/boxes to ship outside the USA! That's a good thing and will most likely increase our foreign mail volumes. There will no longer be any "surface" mail (aka slow and cheap; up to two months for delivery) overseas. That's a great thing for us because we often hear so many complaints about the mail overseas.

Email me if you have more questions. ric@thelevetts.com