Denmark to stop delivering letters soon....

[aja8888]

Yikes! Hope this doesn't spread to the U.S.! Actually, their country is very digitized and mailed letters are going away Denmark's state-run postal service, PostNord, is to end all letter deliveries at the end of 2025, citing a 90% decline in letter volumes since the start of the century.

Denmark's postal service to stop delivering letters


The decision brings to an end 400 years of the company's letter service. Denmark's 1,500 post boxes will start to disappear from the start of June.

Transport Minister Thomas Danielsen sought to reassure Danes, saying letters would still be sent and received as "there is a free market for both letters and parcels".

Postal services across Europe are grappling with the decline in letter volumes. Germany's Deutsche Post said on Thursday it was axing 8,000 jobs, in what it called a "socially responsible manner".

Deutsche Post has 187,000 employees and staff representatives said they feared more cuts were to come.

 

[Koolau]

I can't seem to open that site.

I've mentioned that DW mails over 500 greeting cards per year. I don't think she's the only one who still sends greeting cards, based on what Hallmark is still able to charge for them.

Every time I go to USPS, I have to wait in line to do any business. So, though USPS is struggling to make ends meet, I'd be surprised to see it go away any time soon.

The USA is different than other countries, though similar forces are at w*rk. It's clear that change must be recognized and dealt with - even in the Post Office.

 

[disneysteve]

US first class mail volume has also dropped around 90% which is why USPS has been struggling. The vast majority of their work today is junk mail and packages, except they were never set up to be a package carrier. UPS, FedEx, and Amazon are.

 

[aja8888]

Link is fixed now.

 

[Jerry1]

I think the Post Office should considered limited delivery to one or two days per week. As mentioned, most of what we receive is junk mail. It's actually very sad when you think about it, it's really just a stream of waste from the produce of the junk mail, through the Post Office delivery system to end up in my recycle bin and ultimately, the waste/recycle system. Rinse and repeat. It's a waste that really should be eliminated. One thing that really irritates me is when, after I've order something online, the company sends me a catalog. What the heck, I found you online to place my first order, do you really think I need a physical catalog?

 

[Koolau]

US first class mail volume has also dropped around 90% which is why USPS has been struggling. The vast majority of their work today is junk mail and packages, except they were never set up to be a package carrier. UPS, FedEx, and Amazon are.

That's interesting. I actually find that USPS package service is cheaper and often as fast as the Package Giants. Maybe that's because I live so far from anywhere. That seems to favor USPS since 5000 miles costs the same as 100 miles. They seem to have long-distance package service to/from Hawaii pretty well nailed down. We certainly always have aircraft flying to and from the mainland and I'm guessing USPS gets first dibs on any extra room in the shipping hold.

I don't know if the Package Companies offer refunds for late packages, but I know from experience that USPS does.

Heh, heh, DW is doing her part to keep USPS 1st class letter mail in business. It's her "mission" - sending well wishes, condolences, "thinking of you," sick-and-shut-in greetings. So much better than a text or even a phone call in her humble opinion. Not my thing, but I'm glad to spring for the postage.

I always buy 500 or 1000 stamps whenever USPS announces another rate hike.

 

[silvor]

I think the Post Office should considered limited delivery to one or two days per week. As mentioned, most of what we receive is junk mail. It's actually very sad when you think about it, it's really just a stream of waste from the produce of the junk mail, through the Post Office delivery system to end up in my recycle bin and ultimately, the waste/recycle system. Rinse and repeat. It's a waste that really should be eliminated. One thing that really irritates me is when, after I've order something online, the company sends me a catalog. What the heck, I found you online to place my first order, do you really think I need a physical catalog?

I agree. But remember the uproar when they wanted to cut ONE day several years back?

 

[Koolau]

I think the Post Office should considered limited delivery to one or two days per week. As mentioned, most of what we receive is junk mail. It's actually very sad when you think about it, it's really just a stream of waste from the produce of the junk mail, through the Post Office delivery system to end up in my recycle bin and ultimately, the waste/recycle system. Rinse and repeat. It's a waste that really should be eliminated. One thing that really irritates me is when, after I've order something online, the company sends me a catalog. What the heck, I found you online to place my first order, do you really think I need a physical catalog?

I don't know about others but (for things I usually buy) I LIKE having a catalog. I hate looking up stuff on line when I could just have a nice catalog to browse. The Costco catalogs are my favorites. I buy from them all the time and when they advertise "specials" I really enjoy going through their fliers.

 

[Koolau]

I agree. But remember the uproar when they wanted to cut ONE day several years back?

And now USPS is delivering packages on Sunday!

 

[disneysteve]

That's interesting. I actually find that USPS package service is cheaper and often as fast as the Package Giants.

For sure. I ship all of my ebay sales with USPS Ground Advantage. The rates and service can't be beat.

But think about how they get delivered vs UPS/FedEx/Amazon. Those companies do nothing but package delivery. They don't have to go out and walk a route and visit every single house every single day everywhere in the US. They just drive from house to house and only stop at ones that have a package that day. USPS is way more labor intensive and time consuming. They might have one carrier just servicing a good size neighborhood but UPS might have one driver servicing an entire small town.

 

[Koolau]

For sure. I ship all of my ebay sales with USPS Ground Advantage. The rates and service can't be beat.

But think about how they get delivered vs UPS/FedEx/Amazon. Those companies do nothing but package delivery. They don't have to go out and walk a route and visit every single house every single day everywhere in the US. They just drive from house to house and only stop at ones that have a package that day. USPS is way more labor intensive and time consuming. They might have one carrier just servicing a good size neighborhood but UPS might have one driver servicing an entire small town.

Yeah, yesterday I saw the "Prime" guy on the elevator. He had one of those "Laundry basket" carts full of packages just for our building. I had no idea!

 

[athena53]

I think the Post Office should considered limited delivery to one or two days per week. As mentioned, most of what we receive is junk mail.

I'd be good with that. I have a PO Box because of mail thefts in my area and one or two visits a week are plenty for me, especially with Informed Delivery. And yes, most of what I get is thrown out before I leave. I do take credit-card related junk mail home to shred. A major part of their problems (an overly strict pension funding requirement is the main one) is that junk mail gets subsidized.

 

[Aerides]

If the USPS jacked up the rates of Marketing and Media mail (junk), perhaps they could do far better, while keeping the consumer rates economical.

There is no better deal that USPS for small packet service or priority mail going cross country. And despite the complaint of errors, they eclipse the other services in volume every day.

Not to mention they deliver to all addresses. UPS and FedEx are happy to charge competitive rates if they can slow-boat their shipments and hand off to the local USPS for last-mile delivery.

Rural folks (seen by most carriers as a profit/loss failure) would feel the impacts for more than those of us that can spot 2-3 big carrier trucks going past our homes every day.

 

[Qs Laptop]

For sure. I ship all of my ebay sales with USPS Ground Advantage. The rates and service can't be beat.

There is no better deal that USPS for small packet service or priority mail going cross country. And despite the complaint of errors, they eclipse the other services in volume every day.

Don't want to derail this thread but I will say that if you are a frequent shipper and have a third party authorized UPS shipper account you can beat USPS rates on anything over 16 ounces. Yes, even if you use a third party US mail service like Pirate Ship. It's tough to beat USPS ground advantage if shipping is under 1 lb., otherwise it is beatable.

As far as what the USPS should do in the future to assure survival, I agree with Jerry1.

 

[UpQuark]

One thing that really irritates me is when, after I've order something online, the company sends me a catalog. What the heck, I found you online to place my first order, do you really think I need a physical catalog?

I once had a job with a company that mailed out catalogs and at one of our company meetings someone asked why we were mailing out catalogs when the vast majority of our sales were from our online site, and the answer was that when they had tried reducing catalog mailings the online sales went down.

 

[Aerides]

Don't want to derail this thread but I will say that if you are a frequent shipper and have a third party authorized UPS shipper account you can beat USPS rates on anything over 16 ounces. Yes, even if you use a third party US mail service like Pirate Ship. It's tough to beat USPS ground advantage if shipping is under 1 lb., otherwise it is beatable.

As far as what the USPS should do in the future to assure survival, I agree with Jerry1.

Yes, but 99% of my shipments are 4-8oz.

 

[disneysteve]

I once had a job with a company that mailed out catalogs and at one of our company meetings someone asked why we were mailing out catalogs when the vast majority of our sales were from our online site, and the answer was that when they had tried reducing catalog mailings the online sales went down.

That makes sense. Receiving a physical catalog puts it on the customer’s mind. They can browse and see things they might want and then go online to order them. My wife gets several yarn catalogs from online companies she buys from she has never ordered from the catalog.

 

[RunningBum]

For sure. I ship all of my ebay sales with USPS Ground Advantage. The rates and service can't be beat.

But think about how they get delivered vs UPS/FedEx/Amazon. Those companies do nothing but package delivery. They don't have to go out and walk a route and visit every single house every single day everywhere in the US. They just drive from house to house and only stop at ones that have a package that day. USPS is way more labor intensive and time consuming. They might have one carrier just servicing a good size neighborhood but UPS might have one driver servicing an entire small town.

I did a lot of buying and selling of sports cards last year, and used USPS (via Pirate Ship) almost exclusively. Price couldn't be beat even when shipping 100-200 cards.

USPS doesn't actually visit every single house. We have a large enclosed kiosk for our community, probably 300-500 mailboxes, and probably 75-100 package lockers of various size. The carrier parks and spends quite a while here, maybe an hour or more. The previous house I had also had a neighborhood kiosk, with maybe 50 boxes. I think most newer neighborhoods are that way. If people aren't willing to cut the number of days they get mail, I think USPS should build kiosks in more neighborhoods and stop home delivery in most areas.

 

[Walt34]

One thing that really irritates me is when, after I've order something online, the company sends me a catalog. What the heck, I found you online to place my first order, do you really think I need a physical catalog?

I'm another one who likes paper catalogs, even if when I order I'm going to do it online. They're more portable than a desktop PC (I don't use a phone for browsing) and easier to put down and pick up right where I left off. And especially if it's hobby or tool related!

Those of us "of a certain age" remember drooling over the Sears tool catalog, and in the R/C world, the Tower Hobbies catalog was the equivalent.

 

[Midpack]

90% of our mail is junk, so they could deliver once or twice a week for me. If that forced more people to use online or other services, I’m all for it. Some people cling to daily delivery, but that might change if we all paid what it actually costs for USPS service. They’ve had losses year after year since 2007, including the years after the chart below (the accelerated unfunded pension charges in 2016, that’s not a cause anymore). Even though they receive almost no funds from Fed revenue, they’re not permitted to set their own pricing. And they work at a huge disadvantage compared to the commercial package services, as they’re the only ones who have to deliver letter/junk mail.

 

[OldShooter]

The post office's major problem is that that it has 535 chief executive officers, few of whom have ever managed even a one-car parade. There is huge pressure for low rates from commercial mailers' lobbyists and huge pressure to keep small and uneconomic post offices open as the only thing holding small towns together.

There is little opportunity for sensible management practices with all those CEOs helping run the place. Probably it will get worse as we see Postmaster Louis DeJoy headed for the hills ahead of the rumors that Trump wants to take over.

Switch subject slightly, I have had good luck with pirateship.com, who offer discounts on multiple carriers.

 

[folivier]

Here at our mountain cabin the PO only delivers Monday, Wed., and Friday. And the local PO that is 15 miles and 30 minutes away is only open for 4 hours M-F and 3 hours on Saturday.
Most of the mail we get here and at our condo is junk mail. Occasionally we'll get a bill from the doctor's office who can't seem to figure out how to do online payments. Or our election ballots. The rest is junk. All of our other business is done online, if we want a hard copy we'll print it out.
I could understand cutting home delivery down to 2 or 3 days/week. Businesses might need more.
And BTW our mail carrier at the cabin and the condo frequently puts mail in the wrong box.

 

[Ronstar]

Even though I'm sending 2 letters via USPS tomorrow, I wish that USPS would follow the Danes' lead, or at least get out of the package delivering business. I finally got a package more than 2 weeks after being shipped from New York. Sat in the Indianapolis hub (black hole according to our post office) for 11 days.

 

[Stormy Kromer]

If I could worry about the mail service in Denmark I'd be the luckiest person I know.

 

[Koolau]

Don't want to derail this thread but I will say that if you are a frequent shipper and have a third party authorized UPS shipper account you can beat USPS rates on anything over 16 ounces. Yes, even if you use a third party US mail service like Pirate Ship. It's tough to beat USPS ground advantage if shipping is under 1 lb., otherwise it is beatable.

As far as what the USPS should do in the future to assure survival, I agree with Jerry1.

Is that true even for long-distance shipping (crossing several "zones?") I only ship UPS when I'm supplied a prepaid shipping label (I think that's how I returned a 2-week heart monitor) so I don't even know what it costs to ship UPS to the mainland.