From the USPS website:
http://www.usps.com/communications/news/welcome.htm
NO RATE INCREASE THIS YEAR. USPS Public Affairs and Communications VP Azeezaly Jaffer confirms there will be no USPS rate increase this year. “First-Class postage, 37 cents, will not increase this year. It did not increase last year either, nor the year before,” Jaffer said in a response to a recent editorial in the Uintah Basin Standard. Jaffer explained the lengthy rate-setting process through the independent Postal Rate Commission will not allow for price changes in 2005.
Saturday, January 22, 2005
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
ZIP, City & Phone Lookup
The following FREE ZIP, City & Phone Lookup tool is very useful, see below for a list of results it offers:
http://www.melissadata.com/lookups/zipcityphone.asp
Results for ZIP Code
AM, FM & TV - Campaign Contributors - Carrier Routes - City Demographics - Climate - ZIP - Demographics - Income Tax - Labor Statistics - Nearest Mailing House - NonProfits - Public Schools - Streets in ZIP
*State
*Type of ZIP Code
*USPS Preferred City Name
*Dunn & Bradstreet Businesses in ZIP
*Population (2000) of ZIP
*USPS Residential Deliveries in ZIP
*USPS Business Deliveries in ZIP
*Area Code
*Time Zone (Local Time)
*County Name (FIPS)County Seat
*In-Out Flow Economy Demographics
*Earthquake Hazard
*Available Maps
*Single ZIP Code
http://www.melissadata.com/lookups/zipcityphone.asp
Results for ZIP Code
AM, FM & TV - Campaign Contributors - Carrier Routes - City Demographics - Climate - ZIP - Demographics - Income Tax - Labor Statistics - Nearest Mailing House - NonProfits - Public Schools - Streets in ZIP
*State
*Type of ZIP Code
*USPS Preferred City Name
*Dunn & Bradstreet Businesses in ZIP
*Population (2000) of ZIP
*USPS Residential Deliveries in ZIP
*USPS Business Deliveries in ZIP
*Area Code
*Time Zone (Local Time)
*County Name (FIPS)County Seat
*In-Out Flow Economy Demographics
*Earthquake Hazard
*Available Maps
*Single ZIP Code
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Through rain and sleet (but not big snow piles)
Through rain and sleet (but not big snow piles)
By David Nelson
The Herald Journal
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6832281/
Postal Service stops delivery at some mailboxes Since Jan. 8, Jerry Jorgenson of Logan has seen UPS delivery drivers, garbage trucks and snowplows make the rounds through his west Logan neighborhood.
He hasn't, however, seen any letters, bills or advertisements make their way into to his white mailbox, nor has he heard from the Postal Service about why nothing has arrived.
"All these other people manage to get their jobs done in the snow," Jorgenson said, standing next to the box emblazoned with his last name and sticking out of a 3-foot-deep pile of packed snow just off the sidewalk.
Jorgenson is not alone, as mailboxes at hundreds of Cache Valley residences were blocked by snow this week. And just like Jorgenson, many people called their local post offices wondering where their mail was.
"Even if it's junk, they want it," said Matthew Adams, carrier supervisor at the Logan post office, where two overflowing trays of mail sit on the floor labeled "Boxes are down/snow blockages" with a black marker.
Adams said the Postal Service can't afford to alert every customer who may have mail service postponed after a snowstorm. Safety is the priority for rural drivers, he said, and decisions about whether to deliver mail are left to individual drivers when they make the rounds among the piles of snow shoveled from driveways, sidewalks and streets.
He urged customers to help make carriers' jobs easier by keeping paths to mailboxes or doors clear. He said residents can use their judgment to determine whether mail will arrive or not.
"If you can drive up and get mail out of your box, then we can drive up and put mail in it. That's one of the best indicators," said Adams.
Adams estimated that at least 40 rural customers served by the Logan office had their mail stored at the downtown office this week because of snow blockages. Other Cache Valley communities reported similar problems for rural drivers, including Richmond, which held mail for about a dozen customers, and Hyrum, which was unable to reach the mailboxes of roughly 100 residents by truck.
"To have to hop out for every box, there's no way they can finish in time," said Sue Tibbetts, a clerk at the Hyrum Post Office, who said some days this week the mail didn't arrive until nearly 5 p.m. on rural routes because of snow-related delays.
Tibbetts said some residents actually called the post office to request their mail be held when the storm hit, although she also experienced phone calls similar to those Adams has been receiving all week. Adams said Saturday's mail will be delivered by hand to customers with inaccessible boxes, with a reminder that the blockage must be removed by Tuesday to resume service.
If the snow has already frozen around boxes on rural routes, Adams said residents can use creativity to get mail delivered on time. He recommended customers extend pieces of wood from their roadside boxes and leave buckets on the end. And then, he said, "do the drive-by test," or check whether mail trucks can make the delivery.
"Look at where your carrier comes from," said Adams. "If he can't walk that route, you probably won't get your mail."
By David Nelson
The Herald Journal
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6832281/
Postal Service stops delivery at some mailboxes Since Jan. 8, Jerry Jorgenson of Logan has seen UPS delivery drivers, garbage trucks and snowplows make the rounds through his west Logan neighborhood.
He hasn't, however, seen any letters, bills or advertisements make their way into to his white mailbox, nor has he heard from the Postal Service about why nothing has arrived.
"All these other people manage to get their jobs done in the snow," Jorgenson said, standing next to the box emblazoned with his last name and sticking out of a 3-foot-deep pile of packed snow just off the sidewalk.
Jorgenson is not alone, as mailboxes at hundreds of Cache Valley residences were blocked by snow this week. And just like Jorgenson, many people called their local post offices wondering where their mail was.
"Even if it's junk, they want it," said Matthew Adams, carrier supervisor at the Logan post office, where two overflowing trays of mail sit on the floor labeled "Boxes are down/snow blockages" with a black marker.
Adams said the Postal Service can't afford to alert every customer who may have mail service postponed after a snowstorm. Safety is the priority for rural drivers, he said, and decisions about whether to deliver mail are left to individual drivers when they make the rounds among the piles of snow shoveled from driveways, sidewalks and streets.
He urged customers to help make carriers' jobs easier by keeping paths to mailboxes or doors clear. He said residents can use their judgment to determine whether mail will arrive or not.
"If you can drive up and get mail out of your box, then we can drive up and put mail in it. That's one of the best indicators," said Adams.
Adams estimated that at least 40 rural customers served by the Logan office had their mail stored at the downtown office this week because of snow blockages. Other Cache Valley communities reported similar problems for rural drivers, including Richmond, which held mail for about a dozen customers, and Hyrum, which was unable to reach the mailboxes of roughly 100 residents by truck.
"To have to hop out for every box, there's no way they can finish in time," said Sue Tibbetts, a clerk at the Hyrum Post Office, who said some days this week the mail didn't arrive until nearly 5 p.m. on rural routes because of snow-related delays.
Tibbetts said some residents actually called the post office to request their mail be held when the storm hit, although she also experienced phone calls similar to those Adams has been receiving all week. Adams said Saturday's mail will be delivered by hand to customers with inaccessible boxes, with a reminder that the blockage must be removed by Tuesday to resume service.
If the snow has already frozen around boxes on rural routes, Adams said residents can use creativity to get mail delivered on time. He recommended customers extend pieces of wood from their roadside boxes and leave buckets on the end. And then, he said, "do the drive-by test," or check whether mail trucks can make the delivery.
"Look at where your carrier comes from," said Adams. "If he can't walk that route, you probably won't get your mail."
Monday, January 17, 2005
Confirm a U.S. address, get ZIP+4 code, area code, time zone, county, address type, street detail and more.
This looks like a GREAT FREE Tool! Gives you so much information, maybe a little too much, but a great tool especially for web based business to confirm a questionable address before shipping.
Confirm any U.S. address and get the ZIP+4 code, area code, time zone, county, address type, street detail and much more. : -----> http://www.melissadata.com/Lookups/addressverify.asp
Here is the Canadian version: Verify Canadian addresses. Get the Postal Code, time zone and area code. ---> http://www.melissadata.com/Lookups/canadianaddressverify.asp
Confirm any U.S. address and get the ZIP+4 code, area code, time zone, county, address type, street detail and much more. : -----> http://www.melissadata.com/Lookups/addressverify.asp
Here is the Canadian version: Verify Canadian addresses. Get the Postal Code, time zone and area code. ---> http://www.melissadata.com/Lookups/canadianaddressverify.asp
Sunday, January 16, 2005
USPS Phone Number Directory Lookup
Sometime in mid 2004, we noticed the USPS (United States Postal Sevice) stopped giving out phone numbers for individual Post Offices, via their website, www.usps.com . Also, they are no longer listed in local phone directories and phone books. Now you get a toll free number to a call center. When we called that toll free number we were told they do not give out phone numbers to the post offices now becuase of security reasons. For some reason some searches from their "Locate a Post Office" tool on their website now do give phone information, but some searches do not.
If you need a phone number for a post office, local or across the country try these websites:
USPS - Find a Post Office Tool - http://www.mapsonus.com/db/USPS/
A free search tool from Melissa Data - http://www.melissadata.com/lookups/NearPostOffice.asp
This information comes in handy when having questions about a particular service they offer, or if they are holding a package for pickup, you can call to schedule a redelivery attempt. Just to name a few.
If you need a phone number for a post office, local or across the country try these websites:
USPS - Find a Post Office Tool - http://www.mapsonus.com/db/USPS/
A free search tool from Melissa Data - http://www.melissadata.com/lookups/NearPostOffice.asp
This information comes in handy when having questions about a particular service they offer, or if they are holding a package for pickup, you can call to schedule a redelivery attempt. Just to name a few.
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Flat Rate Boxes from the USPS - Can save you money in postage!
Before using these flat rate boxes, be sure you need to by checking the rates here --> http://www.coolebaytools.com/postal_rates.html
http://www.usps.com/communications/news/press/2004/pr04_072.htm
U.S. POSTAL SERVICE BUILDS A BETTER PARCEL WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Postal Service will soon provide customers with more shipping options just in time for the holiday mailing season. Using Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes, customers will be able to mail packages — regardless of the parcels' weight or destination — for just $7.70 each. The Governors of the Postal Service approved this new Priority Mail option as a two-year test, and it will be available Nov. 20, 2004 at most Post Offices and online at USPS.com. The new boxes don't have to be weighed, and there are no zone chart and rate calculations required.Customers can get the value of Priority Mail in two convenient shapes at one consistent price. "Services that are easy to access and simple to use provide real value for our customers," said Stephen M. Kearney, Vice President of Pricing and Classification for the U.S. Postal Service."We look forward to testing the convenience of flat-rate pricing for Priority Mail packages, especially among small businesses and consumers."The Priority Mail Flat-Rate boxes are available in two shapes: 11-7/8 inches x 3-3/8 inches x 13-5/8 inches (ideal for garments, board games, books and other relatively thin items) and 11 inches x 8-1/2 inches x 5-1/2 inches (perfect for shoes, model cars and taller items.)Kearney said knowing the $7.70 price in advance should help customers ship packages quickly and easily, making the boxes very convenient for the upcoming holiday season.He noted that paying the flat-rate Priority Mail box postage also is simple and convenient. The price is $7.70 regardless of the weight or destination. For the ultimate convenience, customers can use Click-N-Ship, offered online though USPS.com, to print a shipping label and pay the $7.70 postage, and use Carrier Pickup online notification to let their Post Office know they have a package to be collected when their letter carrier delivers their mail the following day. Customers can also affix two $3.85 Jefferson Memorial stamps, use a postage meter indicia or any combination of U.S. postage stamps."The new flat-rate box options for Priority Mail are as simple as one-two-three," offered Kearney. "One consistent price, two conveniently-sized boxes, and three words that sum it all up - Quick, Easy, Convenient."
http://www.usps.com/communications/news/press/2004/pr04_072.htm
U.S. POSTAL SERVICE BUILDS A BETTER PARCEL WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Postal Service will soon provide customers with more shipping options just in time for the holiday mailing season. Using Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes, customers will be able to mail packages — regardless of the parcels' weight or destination — for just $7.70 each. The Governors of the Postal Service approved this new Priority Mail option as a two-year test, and it will be available Nov. 20, 2004 at most Post Offices and online at USPS.com. The new boxes don't have to be weighed, and there are no zone chart and rate calculations required.Customers can get the value of Priority Mail in two convenient shapes at one consistent price. "Services that are easy to access and simple to use provide real value for our customers," said Stephen M. Kearney, Vice President of Pricing and Classification for the U.S. Postal Service."We look forward to testing the convenience of flat-rate pricing for Priority Mail packages, especially among small businesses and consumers."The Priority Mail Flat-Rate boxes are available in two shapes: 11-7/8 inches x 3-3/8 inches x 13-5/8 inches (ideal for garments, board games, books and other relatively thin items) and 11 inches x 8-1/2 inches x 5-1/2 inches (perfect for shoes, model cars and taller items.)Kearney said knowing the $7.70 price in advance should help customers ship packages quickly and easily, making the boxes very convenient for the upcoming holiday season.He noted that paying the flat-rate Priority Mail box postage also is simple and convenient. The price is $7.70 regardless of the weight or destination. For the ultimate convenience, customers can use Click-N-Ship, offered online though USPS.com, to print a shipping label and pay the $7.70 postage, and use Carrier Pickup online notification to let their Post Office know they have a package to be collected when their letter carrier delivers their mail the following day. Customers can also affix two $3.85 Jefferson Memorial stamps, use a postage meter indicia or any combination of U.S. postage stamps."The new flat-rate box options for Priority Mail are as simple as one-two-three," offered Kearney. "One consistent price, two conveniently-sized boxes, and three words that sum it all up - Quick, Easy, Convenient."
REMINDER: USPS Closed Monday January 17, 2005
The United States Postal Service will be closed on Monday, January 17, 2005 in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday.No deliveries or pick ups will be made. All customer service counters also will be closed. See A full list of holidays that the USPS Observes by clicking the link below: http://usps.com/communications/news/uspscalendar.htm
UPS and FedEx will be Picking up and Delivering as usual.
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
eBay Fee Increase Coming Febuary 18 2005
We have just heard that ebay fees will be rising in early Febuary 2005. We have listed a few changes that will effect all sellers, but many more changes can be found on ebay's website at http://pages.ebay.com/help/announcement/1.html
*Ebay Stores subscription fees will be changed from $9.95 per month to $15.95 per month.
*Gallery fees will be raised from $0.25 to $0.35 per listing.
*10-day listings will be raised from $0.20 to $0.40 per listing.
*Ebay Stores FVF $0.01-$25 - 8% of the closing price
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stores: $9.95 to $15.95 (!) a 60% increase
Gallery: $ .25 to $ .35 a 40% increase
Final Value Fees: 5.25% to 8% a 50% increase
*Ebay Stores subscription fees will be changed from $9.95 per month to $15.95 per month.
*Gallery fees will be raised from $0.25 to $0.35 per listing.
*10-day listings will be raised from $0.20 to $0.40 per listing.
*Ebay Stores FVF $0.01-$25 - 8% of the closing price
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stores: $9.95 to $15.95 (!) a 60% increase
Gallery: $ .25 to $ .35 a 40% increase
Final Value Fees: 5.25% to 8% a 50% increase
Monday, January 10, 2005
FREE Tool Compares Shipping Rates from four Carriers
Free tool compares shipping rates from four different carriers including UPS, FedEx, USPS, and Airborne. You can choose to get rates for business or residential delivery. You enter the weight of the package, the from zip code and to zip code, then hit search. Results were served within 20 seconds when we tried.
The tool is called Quick Quote from Intershipper @ http://www.intershipper.com/Shipping/Intershipper/Website/MainPage.jsp?Page=QuickQuote
See below for the Carrier and Service that each search will include rates for:
Federal Express
FDX 2nd Day
Federal Express
FDX Express Saver
Federal Express
FDX First Overnight
Federal Express
FDX Priority Overnight
Federal Express
FDX Standard Overnight
Federal Express
FDX Ground
United Parcel Service
UPS 3 Day Select
United Parcel Service
UPS 2nd Day Air
United Parcel Service
UPS Next Day Air Saver
United Parcel Service
UPS Next Day Air
United Parcel Service
UPS Next Day Air Early AM
United Parcel Service
UPS Ground
U.S. Postal Service
USP Express Mail Addresses
U.S. Postal Service
USP Priority Mail
U.S. Postal Service
USP Ground Machine
DHL World Wide Express
DHL Overnight
AirBorne
AirBorne Overnight Air Express
AirBorne
AirBorne Next Afternoon
AirBorne
AirBorne 2nd Day
AirBorne
AirBorne Ground
The tool is called Quick Quote from Intershipper @ http://www.intershipper.com/Shipping/Intershipper/Website/MainPage.jsp?Page=QuickQuote
See below for the Carrier and Service that each search will include rates for:
Federal Express
FDX 2nd Day
Federal Express
FDX Express Saver
Federal Express
FDX First Overnight
Federal Express
FDX Priority Overnight
Federal Express
FDX Standard Overnight
Federal Express
FDX Ground
United Parcel Service
UPS 3 Day Select
United Parcel Service
UPS 2nd Day Air
United Parcel Service
UPS Next Day Air Saver
United Parcel Service
UPS Next Day Air
United Parcel Service
UPS Next Day Air Early AM
United Parcel Service
UPS Ground
U.S. Postal Service
USP Express Mail Addresses
U.S. Postal Service
USP Priority Mail
U.S. Postal Service
USP Ground Machine
DHL World Wide Express
DHL Overnight
AirBorne
AirBorne Overnight Air Express
AirBorne
AirBorne Next Afternoon
AirBorne
AirBorne 2nd Day
AirBorne
AirBorne Ground
Sunday, January 09, 2005
UPS Ground to AK, HI & PR available now.....
The first week of January, UPS started offering UPS Ground and lower rate options to customers in Alaska, Hawaii & Puerto Rico . According to UPS, shipping to these new destinations will require anywhere from 3-10 days. Rates can be calculated on the UPS website at www.ups.com . Some destinations will require a combination of services to make it to its final address.
For more information visit the www.ups.com
http://www.ups.com/content/us/en/resources/select/sending/services/ground.html
Here is an article by the Juneau Empire Online, see link to article below.
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/010905/sta_20050109010.shtml
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