As a postal employee, a heads up for all the vendors that use USPS services. New prices go in effect May12. Some rates will be less. For more info go to www.usps.com/price.

Didn't they just have new rates last month? Geez.

It's actually been some months back since the last increase. Some prices went up a little, others went down a little. I suppose it will be the same this time.

..............

I understand they plan to adjust prices annually from now on. It's been almost a year since the last adjustment. One of my regular mailling methods doubled in price last year so I complained loudly and often. It is now cheaper to mail that particular package to Canada than it is to mail it anywhere in the USA. We'll see if complaining does any good when the new prices come out.

Joe Douglas

The Flat Rate stuff increased much more recently, no? I know they just added a $13 flat rate box, which I use to ship Internationally for $50. Stamps just went up recently too, no?

I do know it is almost impossible to ship a 7'6 rod tube USPS, since they take the length + hieght + width + GIRTH. I can't even ship a 7' Bazooka tube with them without payin $128.

Billy Vivona Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> I do know it is almost impossible to ship a 7'6
> rod tube USPS, since they take the length + hieght
> + width + GIRTH. I can't even ship a 7' Bazooka
> tube with them without payin $128.


Which makes no sense at all considering that the hight and width comprise the girth.

Scott Sheets
www.smsrods.com

I've had more than one issue sending blanks by the postal service. I only ship them by UPS now . I compared prices with Fed Ex and they are both within a couple of dollars of each other, some going UPS's way and some going Fed Ex's way.

i always bought alot of rod building ,and fishing gear from the states(i live in australia).but have reduced my purchases because the shipping prices have gone up so much. its terrible reduced buying LOL

I've been uising the USPS for some time now because things tend to get where they are supposed to without being damaged. I sent 2 rods in a 3" pvc tube around 6' 8" long with insurance and tracking for $22.65. They may have rates of increase but at least you know about them before you go to send something. The other guys can change all they want and not have it "advertised on the news or radio" like the USPS, they'll just sneak it in when they ring you up.

And yet I have several examples of my own where the USPS has lost or damage my shipments. It seems they go out of their way to mess with long tubes. Thyey told one of mky customers that with the way we packed his rod, we were lucky it got there, much less that it had been busted and crushed along the way. Must be too much trouble for them, I guess.

UPS isn't much better lately on the long tubes. But I found a way to get the best for the least - I use a local shipper who compares rates across all possible shippers, and does my packing when I need it. I just drop the stuff off, get a quote to give to my customer (we NEVER charge handling, just actual shipping costs) and when I get the OK, they ship for me. And I've not had an incident since I started using them.

Uncle Russ
Calico Creek Rods

I have begun using DHL lately. They have a drop off center in a local Office Max. I get strange looks when I stroll in with 7' of PVC, but I typically only pay between $15-20 to ship anywhere in the US. If you have a DHL it is worth checking out.

Scott Sheets
www.smsrods.com