What do you think about postal stamps @ 2 for a dollar ?

Question

Is the cost of stamps reflecting the cost of the postal system ? How much should stamps cost us for first class ? If the stamps I buy are currently .39 then how come I still get a mass of junk mail ? Are junk mailers not paying there .39 to sent me there trash ? How soon will stamps be 2 for $1 ?

Answer 1

Junk mailers get a discount called "bulk mail". It truly is a hassle. Stamps will cost 50c when the Postal Service decides to raise the price. I think we still get a good deal for our money.
Someone will trudge through the rain, ice, snow,
in 0 degrees and 100 degrees and deliver it to anywhere in the U.S. for only 39c, and they're
not using your gasoline! Ya gotta luv it!

Answer 2

The cost of stamps is much less than the actual cost of delivering mail, especially with the rise in gas prices recently. Currently, the government heavily subsidizes the postal system. This year, it's estimated to be about 1 billion. Next year, 2 billion. The year after, almost 4 billion.

If you take a look at the "competition," the cheapest version of UPS or Fedex (the ground version) costs on the order of dollars. It's probably slightly more reliable because they have the package tracking, but even if they did away with that, the cost wouldn't go down that much.

Junk mail people get a bulk discount with the post office. It's around 15-25 cents each, depending on a lot of conditions.

Stamps will never be 50 cents, if you don't want them to be. The post office is going to start offering "forever" stamps from now on. The next rate hike is going to be soon to 42 cents. From then on, those stamps that you will last "forever." So, if you buy a ton of 42 cent stamps, and the rate goes up to 45 cents, the post office will still accept the 42 cent stamps and mail your letter. This will work even if the rates go up past 50 cents, as long as you still have your stash of 42 cent stamps.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2006/05/03/post_office_looking_to_boost_stamp_prices/?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+News

Answer 3

You already mentioned *one* of my reasons why I wouldn't tolerate such a large hike in the price of postage without really big changes for the better, but I may as well list them all since you asked so nicely (*lol* yeah right....postal employee anyone?).

--Junk mail. If stamps went up to $ .50 next year, I would insist that junk mail and *especially all those credit card solitications I get with my *NAME* on them that I have to *manually shred* to avoid ID theft* end up all, I say ALL going the way of the Dodo, meaning gone, extinct, history, as in NO MORE.

--First class mail would have to be much much more reliable than what it is now....this past month alone, I nearly got a late fee to one of my credit card payments, not from anything I did, but because the Postal Service saw fit to lag behind on bills I sent out on a Saturday. As in a bill payment that normally got sent in four days took eight....

--I would have to be able to trust both the machines in the system and the competence of mail handlers....I have a buddy in the UK who has sent me a few parcels, ok...? And every time a parcel of his goes through New Jersey, the package gets *massively* damaged, to the point of uselessness. My UK buddy sent me an $800-plus *suit* in the mail for a Christmas present that got totally shredded at the New Jersey post office, and all I got was a "Sorry!" sticker on the remains of my package.

"Sorry!" is the tip of the iceberg you stupid sadistic apes. Learn how to handle your damn stinking parcels you inbred pinhead brain dead zombie wannabes!

--And finally....if the price went up that damn much, I am sorry, the Postal Service would *have to* join the rest of the human race in the 21st century, and at least be open some hours seven days a week, if not closer to 24/7...not all of us operate on banker's hours you know, not even *banks* operate on those hours, *lol*.

Just my ten cents, my two cents is free....

Answer 4

The junk mailers send mail at bulk or presorted rates, they are getting a big discount.

The price of stamps will go up soon enough. When I was a child, first class postage was 4¢

Answer 5

Well you know what I think? Its frickin ridiculous that the US government can allot the US postal services MILLIONS of dollars to do frickin ridiculous things, like, oh i dont know....how about....sponsoring Lance Armstrong or cars in NASCAR! Thats why we have to keep paying more...to pay for endorsements.