The world's mail service has gone to hell in a handbag. Largely killed off by modern technology where messages can now be transmitted instantaneously by text, email, facebook, twitter and a myriad of others, the old mail delivery system simply cannot compete.

But hang on a minute...how do you send a set of trading cards from one side of the world to the other? Having an emailed image of your cards is quite nice but can hardly compete with the real thing can it? You can't handle or put away in a ring binder an electronic image can you?
So until someone can come up with an alternative we are stuck with snail mail for the transmission of items.
Which brings me to my current state of frustration.
Because of falling revenue the NZ Post, like I suspect many mail services around the world, has done, has looked at it's falling revenue and said "Lets only deliver four days a week and also bump up the cost of mailing a letter! That will get back our lost revenue!" Yeah, right, great thinking Batman.
It must be the same in Australia. I recently bought two promos off Ebay from Australia. Airmail between our two countries has always been 3-5 days. This letter took three weeks to get to me by airmail. I might point out that we average around 10-12 flights a day from Australia!!
I am still waiting for a parcel of cards from America. They were sent 3 months ago. If they were sent on the back of a three legged elephant with Alzheimers travelling via Paris, Kazakhstan and Sarawak they would have been here a month ago. If they were sent by a dyslexic carrier pidgeon on Valium they would have been here by now.
Intead my cards are lying forgotten under the kitchen table of the Ballycatdangle (pop.13) Post Office in Southern Ireland, undelivered because the Postmaster doesn't have a clue where New Zealand is.

I despair.

Yeah, right, great thinking Batman
Don't blame me!

International shipments aside, it seems its sometimes hard enough to get mail from people right here in the USA.
INHO I think the post office is given a bad rap. Overall I think they are the best thing in the world next to poptarts and TV. Where else can go to send a real letter for 44 cents anywhere in the country? UPS? Granted there are some people who cant seem to manage sending a couple cards ya paid a few bucks for now and then. But overall I love the post office. It is an American Instition with a long interesting history and I think they should be commended. If they truly did die wed be in real trouble as a culture as well as a society. Giving up our core values is going to be the death of us.
A little side note to all those ebay shoppers who want United Staes cards for cheap. CONSIDER PRIORITY MAIL. Most sellers will offer it, and its worth it in the long run to pay a little extra for better postal service.

quote:

Originally posted by peterc:

INHO I think the post office is given a bad rap. Overall I think they are the best thing in the world next to poptarts and TV. Where else can go to send a real letter for 44 cents anywhere in the country? UPS? It is an American Instition with a long interesting history and I think they should be commended. If they truly did die wed be in real trouble as a culture as well as a society.

The Postal Service isn't dead, but it sure is sick. If you believe management they are bleeding money and can not continue to operate at this level of service. They are talking about stopping Saturday delivery and closing sorting centers, so that First Class mail will take 1 - 2 days longer. After that they will probably raise the cost of a stamp again, everyone seems to expect more money for less work.

Here in the UK the prices went up in Apr, and boy did they increase them!!

The cost for sending a base set within the UK went up by 73% (and that does not include the cost of envelope / supplies), while even a single card was increased 18%. You can imagine that international shipping got stung as well.
And the reason given for these increases, to maintain the postal service....and combat falling revenue

Rant over...

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:
The Postal Service isn't dead, but it sure is sick. If you believe management they are bleeding money and can not continue to operate at this level of service. They are talking about stopping Saturday delivery and closing sorting centers, so that First Class mail will take 1 - 2 days longer. After that they will probably raise the cost of a stamp again, everyone seems to expect more money for less work.

I can't believe you actually have Saturday deliveries (and is it true that you leave out the letters for the postal staff to pick up?). We have deliveries only on weekdays but sorting and transport from one city to another happens pretty much continuously so it's still pretty quick. Also, to mail a letter, you take it to a post office or drop it (stamped) in a box.

quote:

Originally posted by tangent:

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:
The Postal Service isn't dead, but it sure is sick. If you believe management they are bleeding money and can not continue to operate at this level of service. They are talking about stopping Saturday delivery and closing sorting centers, so that First Class mail will take 1 - 2 days longer. After that they will probably raise the cost of a stamp again, everyone seems to expect more money for less work.

I can't believe you actually have Saturday deliveries (and is it true that you leave out the letters for the postal staff to pick up?). We have deliveries only on weekdays but sorting and transport from one city to another happens pretty much continuously so it's still pretty quick. Also, to mail a letter, you take it to a post office or drop it (stamped) in a box.

Funny how we assume that certain things are just the same in the UK and Australia as in the US. We do indeed have home mail deliveries 6 days a week, but the Post Office has shorter hours on Saturday. We have to take mail to postal boxes on the street, although the mail carriers will pick up mail from old ladies, they don't encourage it. I usually drop my mail right at the Post Office because there's one near by and it saves a day in transit.

By in large the postal service here is very good, a few things can get lost anywhere. I have a lot of respect for the postal workers, just not management. If they planned the system better they could save money and could stop threatening to lay off thousands, which is what they are doing now. Looking for a government bail out no doubt.

Last year the cost of my small PO Box was $67.00, this year $94.00 for the whole year. And when it rains out, the letter carrier carries the mail in their hand and deliver it soaking wet to my apartment. My NSU is saved in it's baggie.

quote:

Originally posted by tangent:
I can't believe you actually have Saturday deliveries (and is it true that you leave out the letters for the postal staff to pick up?).

For anyone who has a mailbox at their front door or near the driveway, yes, the postal carrier will pick up letters and packages. You just put them in the mailbox, flip an attached flag to an upright position, and the carrier knows you have mail in the box that needs to be picked up. I put lightweight packages in a plastic bag and hang them from the flag. (And, no, I'm not an old lady!) If a box is heavy, I'll take it to the post office. When I lived in apartments, there was usually a mail slot for outgoing mail next to the locked mailboxes for residents.