Bye Bye Saturday delivery

[CeeKay]

The USPS has officially submitted a plan to end Saturday delivery.. I guess it has to be approved but I cannot see any reason why they wouldn't. So it looks like mail delivery on Saturday is going to go the way of the evening newspaper

[Suitably Ironic Moniker]

That sucks, but I've been overseas for a few years anyway and my post office already closes on Saturday.

[Isgrimnur]

Can we kick this into effect this week so no one gets their iPad until next Monday?

[Teggy]

I read another article that said to do this is essentially the beginning of the end of the USPS. Once people can't rely on Saturday delivery, they will start using other businesses more often or using more e-mail etc., which will further diminish revenues, leading to even fewer delivery days and eventually nothing. It was an interesting argument.

Ah, here it is: http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/03/21/greene.mail.five.days/index.html

[farley2k]

Yeah people will start shipping their letters via UPS...oh wait they don't deliver on Saturday....they will use FedEX - what is their minimum charge to come to my house to pick up letter? 

While I don't know if this will help I don't think removing Saturday delivery will cause people to go to somebody else.

[LoneStarSpur]

The only things we get from USPS are bills and spam and a couple of catalogs that we can live without for a weekend.

If it will save money, I'm all for it.

[Laner]

A government program is broke?  Shocking.

I'm amused at USPS' current push for flat rate shipping boxes.  Unless you're shipping Osmium on a regular basis, or really hate taking the time to weigh for proper postage, the flat rate boxes are a bad deal.

[Default]

They've been floating that for twenty years. It requires an act of congress to eliminate Saturday delivery, so we'll see when, or if they get around to it.
One of the reasons the PO's debtload is so high is because we are prefunding the retirement system. It's the only part of the government who has to do that. It's yet another hidden tax.


Imagine the Navy having to pay for all those guys in service, and having to operate under the assumption that they will all be lifers.

[Brendan]

A government program is broke?  Shocking.

1.  The post office is not tax-payer funded, and hasn't been since the 80s.  First class mail is declining in volume because of the internet, so their revenues are decreasing commensurately, but they are even more efficient with delivery.
2.  They have an "affordable universal service" obligation which prevents them from just, y'know, raising their rates to cover their costs - that's so that people in tiny-ass rural towns still get mail and aren't dropped (like the airlines).  I suppose you may not value the ability to reliably send mail to anywhere in the country, but I guarantee you that's not the case for many Americans.

[Ironrod]

It will weaken their competitiveness against UPS for parcel delivery by a little bit. Right now, USPS Priority Mail is cheaper for most destinations and less likely to arrive damaged than UPS Ground...and Saturday delivery almost always gives them the edge in speed. Losing Saturday delivery negates the USPS speed advantage for orders placed during the latter half of a week.

I guess Express Mail will still be delivered 7 days a week, so they still have the advantage over 2nd Day and Next Day Air.

Apart from parcels, I will miss Saturday delivery only for Netflix disks.

I'm amused at USPS' current push for flat rate shipping boxes.  Unless you're shipping Osmium on a regular basis, or really hate taking the time to weigh for proper postage, the flat rate boxes are a bad deal.

The small FRB costs the same as or less than regular priority mail in most cases, although it's more expensive than First Class Parcel rates and only a little faster. The medium and large FRBs are indeed usually more expensive than non-flat rate boxes.

[Tebunker]

the large FRB saved me though when I had to mail a 35 plus lb package to Monkeyfinger. I had that box jammed to the gills with a 360 and tons of extra stuff. If I had sent it first class or another method it would've cost me about $5 more than the FRB. So there are some advantages and disadvantages.

[KC]

Oh no, what about my Netflix deliveries!

[Thin_J]

Oh no, what about my Netflix deliveries!

This was the only thought I had about it. That and my pay stub from work won't show up until the following monday now.

[Octavious230]

Oh damn I didn't think about netflix. That blows but otherwise I don't see it mattering. I get something useful in the mail about once a month.

[Default]

Apart from parcels, I will miss Saturday delivery only for Netflix disks.

As a customer, you wouldn't miss it, but as a business, you'd prefer it, correct? A lot of people can't make it to the PO by five, so often times, they'll have it redelivered on Saturday. And, as you mentioned, quicker delivery, which makes your business look better to your customer.

[MonkeyFinger]

the large FRB saved me though when I had to mail a 35 plus lb package to Monkeyfinger. I had that box jammed to the gills with a 360 and tons of extra stuff. If I had sent it first class or another method it would've cost me about $5 more than the FRB. So there are some advantages and disadvantages.

I can testify to that! Tebunker has some mad Sokoban skills, there wasn't a stitch in the way of spare space in that thing. 

[Gratch]

Oh no, what about my Netflix deliveries!

An interesting article about how this change could be disastrous for Netflix.

[Ironrod]

Apart from parcels, I will miss Saturday delivery only for Netflix disks.

As a customer, you wouldn't miss it, but as a business, you'd prefer it, correct? A lot of people can't make it to the PO by five, so often times, they'll have it redelivered on Saturday. And, as you mentioned, quicker delivery, which makes your business look better to your customer.

Exactly. Saturday package delivery is a competitive advantage that they should not give up. Nobody seems to care much about getting their junk mail and bills six days, though.

[hitbyambulance]

i'm an avid letter writer - i send mail to friends and strangers from all over the world. writing paper notes to people and getting creative with the envelope and postcard whitespace, and including small presents is way better than email. not getting these on Saturday would be a bummer  

and don't many of us order items from the likes of amazon, newegg, gogamer/goozex/etc and trade games on here or other forums? getting stuff on saturday is fun.

[Huw the Poo]

i send mail to friends and strangers from all over the world

Nice idea!  I think I'll try that.