U.S. Post Office International Shipping Adds Another Senseless Restriction. Email & Protest Today!
In response to the fact that a publisher from whom I order books from England discontinuing shipping to the U.S.: http://www.casperianbooks.com/blog/?p=96
I realize I spent way too long on this, but I was a bit irritated.
I understand that the U.S. Postal Service is suffering financially due to the rise of the internet as well as the global financial crisis, but the decision to reclassify international flat-rate postage as (in addition to the original requirement of under four pounds) having to be "completely flat" is not the solution. "Completely flat" is not only a subjective criterion but a costly one, considering that this forces the Post Office to sit out of the growing field of international shipping of books and other "non-flat" goods that are in heavy demand.
For example, over the past three years I have ordered multiple books from Casperian Books, a British publisher, and had these books shipped to me without problem from England to the U.S. using international flat-rate postage. However, due to the rigid redefinition of "flat-rate" shipping, in addition to the long ago dissolution of International media mail and economy (ocean) parcel service, this left the publisher with no choice but to discontinue shipping to the U.S., as Airmail Parcel costs more to ship than the cover price of the book itself.
What other options does the U.S. Postal Service offer for the international shipping of items like books, DVDs and CDs? If the goal of the Postal Service is to increase product demand and thus revenue, how does making it cost prohibitive for businesses to use the U.S. Postal Service offer a viable solution? Lastly, as a government institution that serves U.S. citizens, do you see a responsibility to provide affordable international shipping options for U.S. citizens and allies?
This may not seem like a big deal, but if you go overseas and need something shipped to you, or if you order anything outside of the U.S. or Canada, this change in shipping rates will effect you. I'm especially thinking of this because I plan to go to Japan in the Fall, but even if I wasn't, I'd be annoyed.
If you want to complain, the online complaint form is here. The applicable regulation is on this page-the part where it says you can’t include a bulky item (in this case books) to create a small box shape, even if the items otherwise fit the dimension and weight restrictions.
I realize I spent way too long on this, but I was a bit irritated.
I understand that the U.S. Postal Service is suffering financially due to the rise of the internet as well as the global financial crisis, but the decision to reclassify international flat-rate postage as (in addition to the original requirement of under four pounds) having to be "completely flat" is not the solution. "Completely flat" is not only a subjective criterion but a costly one, considering that this forces the Post Office to sit out of the growing field of international shipping of books and other "non-flat" goods that are in heavy demand.
For example, over the past three years I have ordered multiple books from Casperian Books, a British publisher, and had these books shipped to me without problem from England to the U.S. using international flat-rate postage. However, due to the rigid redefinition of "flat-rate" shipping, in addition to the long ago dissolution of International media mail and economy (ocean) parcel service, this left the publisher with no choice but to discontinue shipping to the U.S., as Airmail Parcel costs more to ship than the cover price of the book itself.
What other options does the U.S. Postal Service offer for the international shipping of items like books, DVDs and CDs? If the goal of the Postal Service is to increase product demand and thus revenue, how does making it cost prohibitive for businesses to use the U.S. Postal Service offer a viable solution? Lastly, as a government institution that serves U.S. citizens, do you see a responsibility to provide affordable international shipping options for U.S. citizens and allies?
This may not seem like a big deal, but if you go overseas and need something shipped to you, or if you order anything outside of the U.S. or Canada, this change in shipping rates will effect you. I'm especially thinking of this because I plan to go to Japan in the Fall, but even if I wasn't, I'd be annoyed.
If you want to complain, the online complaint form is here. The applicable regulation is on this page-the part where it says you can’t include a bulky item (in this case books) to create a small box shape, even if the items otherwise fit the dimension and weight restrictions.