Postal charges

What a hassle. I mail a lot of stuff around, I suppose roughly 70% to the home market and 30% to Europe and USA. Prior to Christmas US postal charges were raised and I didn't want to raise my own because it just seemed so expensive and I'm sure some potential buyers must think I'm ripping off. Anyway I had to increase them eventually and now I've got to adjust our home charges because Royal Mail increased theirs and now we've got the additional problems being caused by Brexit, with EU countries imposing taxes on packages which the buyer gets confronted with or they don't get the goods. It's a bit of a mess.

The problem first came to light for me when my local Post Office told me we now needed to put customs declarations on all mail sent to EU countries. Then I got an order for stuff from the Netherlands and the buyer asked me to put a low value on the forms to avoid him being charged VAT. Now I don't mind doing that at all but what about if you've mis-stated the value and the package gets opened by Customs, who gets into trouble? If anyone? So who takes the risk. I don't know, apparently taxes only become payable over a certain value.
 
For now, until carriers get their act together and explain clearly how additional charges are levied, I'm just going to state a low nominal value on the paperwork and hope that recipients understand that the value stated not being the same as the amount paid is for their benefit:)

Stay safe.

Have a good week.

Ronnie
xx

I'm blaming Donald

Even if he isn't actually to blame. And I don't know the name of whoever heads up the US mail system anyway, so Donald will do.   

I'm ranting about the terrible increase in UK-US postal charges which have been imposed by Royal Mail since the beginning of this month. About 60% has been added, that's pretty steep and will obviously impact users both sides of the pond. Royal Mail say they have had to impose the increases and that they are not making a penny of extra profit from them.

Apparently it's partly down to the shortage of transatlantic passenger flights (which used to carry a lot of letters and light mail) since covid came about so paying higher charges for freight flights but mostly it's because of the US mail service changing its terms of business and charging a much higher price for the 'last mile' part of the delivery, which is the most expensive part for all mail service providers. I understand increases are affecting charges in the opposite direction too so US to UK is now more costly.

I send stuff to the US quite often, I don't make any profit on postage and never have, but I can't absorb this ridiculous increase although I have done so far. I checked out alternative carriers to try and cut costs but there aren't any good options. Royal Mail do a super economy 'service', which is admittedly cheap, but it takes up to 42 days to arrive and I don't think that's acceptable to people who have 'matters to attend to', although I might offer it as an option.  

All I need now is for the brexit nonsense to cause increases in charges to the EU at the end of the year! I'm not saying that will happen but who knows.

I was moaning to P about it, he just said I should put up prices and that was that. When I brought it up again later in the day and asked his advice on incentivising somehow to ameliorate the possible decrease in sales, he just said run the increases for a few months first and see what happens, no point looking for solutions until there's data to go on. I could see it was subject closed as far as he was concerned so I suppose I'll make the necessary price adjustments and wait and see.

Rant over:)
Stay safe. Have a good week.

Ronnie
xx