New Year, new postage prices

Hoddie

Had a nasty surprise on Saturday when I shipped an order at the post office, being told that the cost had increased by €1.80 - an incredible 21% increase. Worse, when checking other prices, the cost to ship an un-tracked parcel from Belgium to the UK had increased by an insane 72% - from €8.70 to €15 - and to the USA by an unfathomable 118% - from €8.70 to €19.

They were quick to point out that you can now ship 2kg for this price rather than the previous 350g, but that's cold comfort when most orders fit under the old rate and even the next rate up (1kg) used to be €13.05.

Tracked shipping to the USA now starts at €49.20 - previously €14.76 - a 233% increase. Absurdly, insurance costs an additional €3 on top.

I decided to stop shipping outside the EU just before Christmas, was spending too long filling in customs forms, but was intending to re-start again some time this month. Don't think I'll bother!

I'm in a good position in that I can negotiate with various shipping providers for better pricing, but not every seller will be quite so fortunate. The prices will starve many small businesses of orders. Apparently in Belgium the online selling boom isn't something we want to be part of.

Papa Pearson

Not sure of the actual percentage increase, but it went up here in the U.S. too. They are trying to crush small business all over the world.

Calibrick

WOW the increase in your country, @hoddie, is insane! I promise not to whine about the US postal increases anymore... the USPS Board of Governors would never allow increases to that degree (233%???? Businesses here would riot... or they'd move to UPS or Fedex, or some other competitor). So sorry to hear this. :-(

nita_rae

> and to the USA by an unfathomable 118% - from €8.70 to €19

So I looked at a USA package going to Belgium.

First-Class Package International Service—Commercial Base (Belgium is in price group 9)
1-8 oz (1-226 gms) $16.53 (€14.59)
9-32 oz (227-906 gms) $27.98 (€24.70)
33-48 oz (907-1359 gms) $45.17 (€39.88)
49-64 oz (1360-1813 gms) $60.99 (€53.84)

Those include Electronic USPS Delivery Confirmation® International.

Prices at a USPS retail counter are $1-$4 higher (for similar service).

One_Click_Off

This insane price increase happened here about 3 to 4 years ago. Before, remembering “when’, anything that fit in an envelope went at regular First Class rates. THEN…there was a template at the postal window- it has a quarter inch width groove that an envelope can post at that first class envelope rate BUT now cannot have anything rigid (read “LEGO plate”) when handled. That bumped all of our padded and unpadded envelopes up to the then new parcel rates- something like a Manila small envelope that was .52 USD then priced at 3.25 USD. That created the difference for the last few years where an international seller could post to the US at their envelope rate which was far cheaper than we could send within the US. Looks like they are just now adjusting to the new weight plus bulk audit that happened here a while back. It comes with automatic tracking so….yay?…