If you still use or rely on snail mail you better factor in a 5 day delivery window, and if they are saying 5 it will probably be 7-10 days. Great strategy - we suck really bad so let's suck even worse, that will save us!


https://www.cbsnews.com/news/m...b7e&linkId=134045304

Mail delivery slowdown: USPS to slow delivery starting October 1

Mail delivery for many Americans will slow starting on Friday, part of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's blueprint for overhauling the U.S. Postal Service in order to slash costs. But critics say the slower delivery standards could cause problems such as late bill delivery while more broadly undermining the public's faith in the USPS.

Almost 4 of 10 pieces of first-class mail will see slower delivery, according to Paul Steidler, senior fellow at the Lexington Institute and an expert on the postal service. That "means mail delivery will be slower than in the 1970s," he said, calling DeJoy's plan "disastrous."

Starting tomorrow, the postal service's current three-day delivery standard for first-class mail — letters, bills, tax documents and the like — will drop to delivery anywhere within the U.S. within five days. In other words, Americans should now expect that letters and other mail could take up to five days to reach their destinations, and vice versa.

The USPS will continue to have a two-day delivery standard for single-piece first-class mail traveling within a local area, a USPS spokeswoman said, adding that the postal service has improved its delivery standards in 2021.

"The postal service has shown steady improvements for all first-class mail, marketing and periodical mail categories over the last seven months," she said in an email to CBS MoneyWatch. "We have worked tirelessly to overcome challenges from recent storms and continue to recruit thousands of employees for the upcoming holiday peak season."

But critics like Steidler say people in rural areas, the disabled and the elderly will feel the effects of the new mail delivery standards. "It's the least fortunate who will be hurt hardest by this," he said. "Everything in American society is getting faster, it seems, except for the mail delivery — which is now going to get slower."

It's possible that people who are paying their bills by mail and not prepared for the change could incur late fees, for instance, if their checks don't arrive on time. Others may face longer delivery times for important documents such as tax forms or passports. The change could further undermine customers' faith in the U.S. Postal Service, which took a hit in 2020 when delivery delays snarled everything from prescription medication to election ballots, experts say.

$160 billion projected loss
The USPS contends that its 10-year plan is necessary to erase a projected $160 billion loss over the next decade. The effort aims to boost revenue through expanded parcel delivery and postage hikes, with the latest postage increase having gone into effect in August.

But the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), the federal regulator that oversees the USPS, earlier this year questioned if the postal service's plan to slow delivery standards would save money.

"Reducing service will only discourage use of the U.S. Mail, which is not a formula for long-term financial health and stability," said Christopher W. Shaw, the author of the forthcoming book "First Class: The U.S. Postal Service, Democracy and the Corporate Threat," in an emailed statement.

Slower delivery for Western states
Among the regions that will feel the greatest impact are Western states like California and Nevada, as well as Florida, according to a Washington Post analysis of the USPS delivery changes earlier this year. Other pockets across the nation will also suffer from slower delivery times, according to an analysis from Steve Hutkins, a retired New York University professor who runs a blog called Save the Post Office.

Earlier this year, a group of 21 state attorneys general asked the PRC to reject the USPS' plan to slow deliveries, calling it a "misguided effort" that would harm election mail and mailings of essential documents such as passports. They also said the slowdown would have a disproportionate impact on the elderly, rural residents and the disabled.

The USPS on Monday said consumers should expect "a day or two of transit time" added for some first-class mail and magazines "traveling the greatest distances."

"We'll make better use of our trucks and existing surface network to move the mail, relying less on costly air transportation," the agency said in a statement. "By improving service reliability and increasing efficiency, we can keep costs at reasonable levels and help keep postage rates affordable for our customers."

That might help the USPS' bottom line, but consumers should be aware that their mail could take longer to reach their destinations — and that the change is permanent, unless Congress gets involved or attorneys general sue the USPS, experts said.

"When you reduce standards you perpetuate a vicious downward cycle," Steidler said. "You tell people you can take your time delivering it. It causes people to lose confidence in the mail."

I didnt know the could get any slower...

quote:

Originally posted by Captain Morgan:
I didnt know the could get any slower...

Yeah, what's slower than a snail?

Sloth Mail?
Pond Water Mail?

So they think what they were doing before October 1 was fast? LOL

If I mail a letter to my next door neighbor, it has to leave our post office, travel 120 miles by truck to Wichita, truck it back 120 miles to our post office to be delivered to my neighbor 3 days later, same for a PO BOX they can not cancel the postage and stuff it in the next PO Box. Common sense and USPS are not used in the same sentence.

quote:

Originally posted by Calif Phil:
If I mail a letter to my next door neighbor, it has to leave our post office, travel 120 miles by truck to Wichita, truck it back 120 miles to our post office to be delivered to my neighbor 3 days later, same for a PO BOX they can not cancel the postage and stuff it in the next PO Box. Common sense and USPS are not used in the same sentence.

When I lived in the states my local post office had a special mailbox for "in town" mail. I assume it's to bypass the lack of common sense you're describing.

If you ever saw the flow of a 1st class under 15 oz package your head would explode. It used to be next day delivery with state. now it could take longer than if you had walked it to the destination.

It seems that whenever a business starts to lose money, instead of taking the proper steps to correct it, they do the exact opposite.

Considering the volume of mail has probably been cut by 3/4 due to email, a slowdown is insane. I'll bet 99% of the mail I receive is junk mail. All of my real bills are paperless and are paid by automatic debit.

quote:

Originally posted by Hildur:

quote:

Originally posted by Calif Phil:
If I mail a letter to my next door neighbor, it has to leave our post office, travel 120 miles by truck to Wichita, truck it back 120 miles to our post office to be delivered to my neighbor 3 days later, same for a PO BOX they can not cancel the postage and stuff it in the next PO Box. Common sense and USPS are not used in the same sentence.

When I lived in the states my local post office had a special mailbox for "in town" mail. I assume it's to bypass the lack of common sense you're describing.

They did away with those several years ago. Now all mail has to go to regional sorting facilities. Makes no sense.

Franklin is spinning in his grave

At this rate why even bother having a postal service. Makes sense for a private start up to come in and show them how it’s done.

I wonder how much money the USPS brings in from delivering junk mail? I would be ok with mail every other day. 90% of my mail is junk/bulk mailings.

Why does my mailman need a $100 polyester button down uniform to stick junk mail in my mailbox? Why cant they wear a pair of shorts and a tshirt? I dont care if they wear rainbow colored Nike shoes. They dont need a postmaster approved all black shoe. Cut some of the uniforms to reduce costs.

Did you see the new Mercedes mail vans? My local mailman said they are absolute junk and will never last anywhere as long as those metal boxes trucks they replaced. But they did get a custom eagle head to replace the Mercedes logo in the grill.

So a Trump appointee "slows" down the mail. Maybe we need more ponies and fewer bi-pedals! What is going on here? More politics? Or is just simple incompetence?

I don't know how it can be slower. We receive mailings from the VA Employment Commission to my business and it averages 7-8 days. The VEC is only 90 miles away. ???????

They mentioned utilizing more ground transportation over air transportation. Do they get discounted rates for gas? Are higher gas prices influencing the shift to ground from air? Or is this one of the many shitty impacts of the Biden petro policies?

quote:

Originally posted by BamaJeepster:...
Yeah, what's slower than a snail?

Sloth Mail?
Pond Water Mail?

They don't call them "Forever Stamps" for nothing...

Yeah it will be slower and you can bet they will raise prices too.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
They mentioned utilizing more ground transportation over air transportation. Do they get discounted rates for gas? Are higher gas prices influencing the shift to ground from air? Or is this one of the many shitty impacts of the Biden petro policies?

None of the above.

Even since the advent of the Scaredemic passenger air travel has been greatly reduced. Turns out USPS piggy-backed on passenger air travel.

Do you really expect efficiency and effectiveness from a government operation?

Do away with USPS along with the IRS. Lower our national debt by cutting spending, I'm tired of being taxed more so they can waste more. USPS is abysmal. I mailed my city utility payment at the Post Office. The city has a PO box there. Somehow it got lost. My mail carrier routinely delivers my neighbors mail to me and mine to them. Shut it down, I'd pay more for some competence.