With all of the news on the post office likely defaulting, etc., and not seeing any new shops this month, I'm wondering if they won't be doing them anymore. The only ones I see on the board are remote locations that never got done. Anybody out there getting new P.O. shops?

I certainly would not be in a panic. Ever since the PO became an 'independent corporation' "to gain the efficiency of private businesses" it has done little but raise rates on First Class mail and decrease services. They want to eliminate Saturday delivery now as a cost cutting measure yet I have received no mail in my mailbox for months on Wednesday or Saturday, so as far as I can tell they have already de facto cut services.

Not to wallow in "the good old days", but I remember as a child the postman delivering twice a day to the homes in our neighborhood and the postal rate was 3 cents. During the holidays there might be as many as 6 deliveries per day to the house, each with a handful of Christmas Cards. We probably sent out 500-700 cards and received about the same in return. Many included a once a year bit of correspondence from old friends capsulating the news of the year of births, deaths, special events and plans for the coming year. People wrote letters! Of course as rates went up we wrote fewer letters, sent fewer cards and have embraced email, unlimited long distance and on line bill pay. The Post Office has lost almost all of my business. I have options so I don't need to pay their ever increasing prices for a stamp.

I know of no country in the world that does not have a government or quasi-governmental postal system. It is pretty much a requirement that there be an 'uncorruptable' messenger to deliver official notices. So I don't see the Post Office closing their doors--no matter how poor the service and expensive the price tag. And of course my answer to their fiscal problems is to raise the rates on the bulk mail that jams my mailbox and goes directly to the recycling bin. We have 'no call' lists for land line telephones, perhaps the same should be instituted for mail solicitations. And if bulk rate was higher we would probably not have received a dozen or more copies of the SAME Medicare Supplement brochure in the past week because senders would be a little more discriminating in how much of what they put out there.

As for the shops, I'm sure they will continue.

I'm seeing a lot of post office shops in my area. I've never done them. Are they fairly easy?

The post office shops are fairly easy and quick. Just follow all the guidelines.

I just did one yesterday. There were several posted, so I think they are still shopping.

Deb



SpyGirl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> With all of the news on the post office likely
> defaulting, etc., and not seeing any new shops
> this month, I'm wondering if they won't be doing
> them anymore. The only ones I see on the board are
> remote locations that never got done. Anybody out
> there getting new P.O. shops?

I have done quite a few, however I do only scenario A or D nothing else. I know B is not much different from the other 2, But c is a completely out of my area I won't do it.

I've done close to 100 po shops - I really like em! Helps fill my route when traveling. And my kids or my nieces love to get mail!

I haven't seen new ones pop up for September either. I actually haven't seen a lot if september shops in general for any of my "usual" clients.

Hopefully the po ones will be back soon!

Good use for those- I sent a care package to a nursing home resident last week. I found out the mailman personally carried it to the ladies lunch table. What a thrill for the whole room! Some days it takes so little but the reward is so great for others. What did I send- puzzle magazines! Enough for all to share.

I am still doing them.

I just don't do the Scenarios C.

I am sorry $40 is a lot harder to come by. B/c of the recent earthquake and tornado in my area, there is more needy people close to me than to venture out a pre-postal care package.

Has the clerk ever looked at your return address funny? I use a po box at home but the zip is always different. How do you guys deal with that?

CYBERJF Say legal papers, never questioned.

They've only asked once. I told them I was traveling for work and was sending something home for my kids as a surprise.

I just wondered if the return address was a giveaway for the workers that you were a shopper.

I love to do the post office shops. I pick out a variety of people who may like a little "cheering up" gift and load the box with goodies tailored to the recipient's tates. They only changed the guidelines slightly, now instead of a pound minimum weight you have to be sure it's at least 1 lb 2 oz. I won't do scenario C, the dimensional packages I just can't afford to do plus the cost of the box itself here is prohibitive since you must buy a bundle of them at $65 here.

I've done tons, but they've never questioned the addresses. The offices are usually somewhat busy so they just slap on the postage and get it done.

My mother in law lives in Northern California and they don't have a Dunkin Donuts out there (I know, here in CT I think we have a law that there has to be a Dunkin Donuts every 3 miles; as a matter of fact I think its a New England law); so I am constantly sending her bags of coffee and K-cups as well as the kids pictures, projects from school,etc.

FWIW I don't think that the post office is going anywhere.

Some area seemed to get a lot of bonused B shops late in Aug. My main areas have seen nothing recently though.

I don't think the post office will default. However, the employees in my area are so lazy. Wrong mail is constantly put in my box, or mail lost. I hope the post office goes to private sector.

I am always shopping online. Some of the places I shop, do not have free shipping both ways. The post office shops, have been coming in handy for returning items. In addition, my daughter lives out-of-state, and I am always sending her boxes.

I think that there is a big "overhaul" of the USPS that is due, same as the DMV. They need to be updated to begin with (why can't they have tracking like UPS and Fedex do? They scan the items for priority mail same as Mr UPS does and they are updated). Plus I can ship for less with USPS.

I love the postal shops! Hope to sign up for more soon, need to send my kids some stuff!

I have done two post office shops and my husband has done one. I did one yesterday. I know that there are more available in my area because my scheduler has contacted me asking me to do them. He also did tell me that a new round of shops will be starting soon. They are still out there. I'm glad that I live in a rural area so that they are easier to come by. They pay better than many and they are easy to do. I will always sign up for them. I like to wait for them to add on the bonuses, then I really smile!!!

cyberjf Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Has the clerk ever looked at your return address
> funny? I use a po box at home but the zip is
> always different. How do you guys deal with that?


I use an address in the town I am sending it from, or one closer by than where I live, because I have gotten funny looks, too.

Just to clarify, I am talking about the possibility of them defaulting on the payment they're to make of $5.5 billion to a retiree health benefits fund by the end of Sept. I wasn't concerned that they were closing down altogether, but I have heard that they likely will cut Saturday delivery and may eventually go to 3 days a week delivery. We all know they're in financial straits, so I just wondered if they might stop the shopping program as one more way to cut costs. And I still see no new shops in my area. Usually by this time of the month, there have been a bunch posted. I just think it seems odd.

[www.voanews.com]

Its very possible that the USPS contract with their MSC was just for one round of shops for each senario and thats it. I would find it hard to believe with all the financial issues they are having that they would all be shopped on a monthly rotation.

I'm not sure about that Brak, I think it all depends on the local market. A friend of mine in NYC gets them constantly.

I've done the same scenarios at the same locations multiple times. Hopefully the shops will show up again in October!

Brak Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Its very possible that the USPS contract with
> their MSC was just for one round of shops for each
> senario and thats it. I would find it hard to
> believe with all the financial issues they are
> having that they would all be shopped on a monthly
> rotation.

Nope, I've been doing these since they started last fall and I've done the same scenario multiples times at the same locations, so that couldn't be the problem. They are one of my bread and butter shops, and I'll really miss them if they stop. I have tons more stuff to mail out to my kids and grandkids, especially with the holidays coming up.

By requiring the clerks to first suggest priority or express, they are increasing profits. My take is, the shops ensure this suggestive selling of add-ons is engrained in employees' heads, bringing in more money.

does anyone know where I can get phone shops and online shops only where I dont have to leave the house

CharlesJ: They are intermingled with regular shops. You have to apply to dozens of companies and once in a while they have phone/internet shops.

I actually took a few C shops when they hit 20 bucks. I always used a 14x14x10 box and less than 1/2 the time do they charge me the Dim Weight rate. So the outlay is maybe $15 plus the box. Even when the correct weight is charged they were usually under $25. The biggest burden is buying and packaging food.

It also seems a pretty big give away shipping a huge insured with delivery confirmation 3lb. box to a food bank in Zone 5.

If I was in charge at Bare I would simply pay 3 or 4 shoppers to use their address and ask them to toss out the incoming packages. That would have to be cheaper than all the bonuses they pay to get the C shops done and the shoppers could ship newspapers or anything that weighs three pounds.