• STOP Unwanted Junk Mail

    // themailboxballard // Shipping News, usps No Responses

    usps-logo-oldThe holidays are fast approaching, and with them all the uninvited catalogs and advertisements piling up in your mailbox!

    Stop unwanted junk mail by using the FREE opt-out service provided through the City of Seattle and Catalog Choice.  Just go to www.seattle.gov/stopjunkmail, click on the big green button, and sign up with Catalog Choice.

    Then each time you’re bugged by unwanted junk mail, go to the site, enter the company name and stop that junk mail.  You can also use the site to stop phone books.

    A small investment in time can save you a lot more in the long run.  The average person in the U.S. spends 8 months in a lifetime dealing with junk mail. (don’t ask me to find the source on that lovely statistic)  That’s a lot of wasted time, not to mention all the wasted trees, water and energy that go into making unwanted mail.

    Save time and help the environment by joining more than 27,000 Seattle residents and businesses already using the FREE service.

    You can also find lots of invaluable information at

    www.seattle.gov/util/reducereuse.

  • USPS to change delivery schedule

    // themailboxballard // usps No Responses

    The United States Postal Service announced yesterday that it is slimming down its delivery schedule, potentially opening up new market share for UPS (NYSE: UPS  ) and FedEx(NYSE: FDX ) to put their stamps on. Here’s what you need to know:

    The detail
    In a press release issued yesterday, the USPS announced that, starting in August, it will no longer offer Saturday mail delivery. The move comes as part of a larger movement to cut costs at USPS, which has been in dire financial straits since 2006.

    Weekday-only deliveries are not a new idea, but what’s more surprising about the announcement is what it doesn’t include: packages. According to the USPS, package delivery demand is soaring even as mail deliveries crumble.

    More at The Motley Fool

  • USPS Announces Rate Changes

    // themailboxballard // usps No Responses

    Effective January 27, 2013 the United States Postal Service will be increaseing the rates for all classes of mail including an increase in a First Class stamp from .45 to .46 cents.

    Price changes for the following domestic services: Express Mail®, Priority Mail®, and Parcel Select®. Add-on services like signature confirmation will see a price change as well. Find specific details per service type here. The Shipping Calculator and eBay Labels will be updated to reflect these changes—please make sure your shipping costs reflect these new rates, as well.

    Parcel Post® will no longer be available for purchase through eBay Labels as of January 27. A replacement service akin to Parcel Post will be available via eBay Labels in March.

     

    Other details of the rate change can be found at www.usps.com