Important: Significant Us->Overseas Postage Rate Increase As Of 1/27/2013

[boba]

Currently a single 45 packaged in a regular mailer with filler pads so that it weighs 5-6oz costs $6.90 to ship from the United States to the countries included in "group 5", sent as a first class international package. This is true for packages mailed at the post office ("retail") as well as packages printed at home using services like endicia, pitney-bowes, etc. ("commercial base").

This webpage lets you look up what "group" your country is in (click "first class international" as that is the mail class people generally use to send 45s and LPs):

https://ircalc.usps.com/CountryInformationLookup.aspx

Note that the UK, Germany, Ireland, Sweden, France, Italy, etc. are in Group 5. Australia is group 3.

this webpage shows the new rate sheets effective as of 1/27/2013:

https://www.usps.com/new-prices.htm#3

the relevant section is First-Class Package International Service. If you open up the rate sheet for "Commercial Base" you will see that for zones 3,4, and 5, the cost of a 6 oz package will be $11.48 to mail. If you open up the "Retail" rate sheet, you will see that a cost of a 6 oz package will be $12.75 to mail. Again, the commercial base prices are generally used by higher volume sellers who invest in a scale and postage service for their home; the retail prices are the prices people who take packages to the post office to ship pay.

IF YOU DON'T WANT TO PROCESS ALL THIS INFORMATION, HERE IS THE SUMMARY:

As of January 27th, 45s that currently cost $7 to ship from the US to overseas will now cost $11.50 or $12.75, not including any packaging or handling, depending on what type of service the seller has.

[Guest alivus]

Hm sad news, Bob. Postage rate increased almost on 70 percent.

[Dave Pinch]

more expense for the buyer..not gonna be worth buyin cheap 45`s from the states now

[kevinsoulman]

PRE INCREASE I KNOW BUT I JUST GOT A 45 IN A JIFFY BAG WITH THREE CARDBOARD SLEEVES COST TO POST $5.34 FROM FAYETTE CITY BY USPS

WHERE DOES THAT FIT IN WITH THE $6.90 BRACKET.

KEV

[Mike Lofthouse]

I guess it won't make much difference on big ticket items but it will be the end of the road I would think for buyers of cheap items like myself.

How much will an LP be out of interest Bob? You already get landed for VAT and handling if you buy one for >$25

[Britmusicsoulfan]

Bob,

I went in and selected the spreadsheet for first class mail international parcels and looked at that rate sheet and didn't see much of a difference in current rates. I guess waiting to see will be what I need to do.

[Britmusicsoulfan]

Hi All,

I just checked the USPS website and found this information, which is encouraging. It looks like there will finally be delivery confirmation for international parcels, which I have been perplexed for years why this options never existed unless using express mail.

First-Class Package International Service

Effective January 27, 2013, the Postal Service is transferring First-Class Mail International packages and rolls from the market dominant (Mailing Services) product list to the competitive (Shipping Services) product list and renaming it First-Class Package International Serviceâ„¢ (FCPIS). The same mailing requirements such as price groups, maximum value, and weight limits apply.

The pricing structure for FCPIS will be more simplified in that there will be one price of $6.55 for 1- to 2-ounces to anywhere in the world; 3- to 4-ounces within each country price group will have identical prices; and 5- to 8-ounces within each country group will have identical prices. New for January 2013, free electronic USPS Delivery Confirmation International offers scan events for customers using select software or online tools.

[boba]

PRE INCREASE I KNOW BUT I JUST GOT A 45 IN A JIFFY BAG WITH THREE CARDBOARD SLEEVES COST TO POST $5.34 FROM FAYETTE CITY BY USPS

WHERE DOES THAT FIT IN WITH THE $6.90 BRACKET.

KEV

$5.34 is the current commercial base rate for 4oz. Standard packing in a 45 mailer is just over 5oz which means you have to use the 6oz rate. I would be surprised if something was packed well for 4oz. The seller might also have been close to 4 oz and cheated and gotten away with it (not unlikely).

[boba]

Bob,

I went in and selected the spreadsheet for first class mail international parcels and looked at that rate sheet and didn't see much of a difference in current rates. I guess waiting to see will be what I need to do.

I don't know what rate sheet you selected, there is nothing on that page that says "first class mail international parcels". The one I am specifically referring to says "First-Class Package International Serviceâ„¢". Here is a direct link to commercial base:

https://www.usps.com/2013/shipping/fcpis-com-base.xls

here is a link to retail:

https://www.usps.com/2013/shipping/fcpis-retail.xls

which did you look at?

[boba]

Hi All,

I just checked the USPS website and found this information, which is encouraging. It looks like there will finally be delivery confirmation for international parcels, which I have been perplexed for years why this options never existed unless using express mail.

First-Class Package International Service

Effective January 27, 2013, the Postal Service is transferring First-Class Mail International packages and rolls from the market dominant (Mailing Services) product list to the competitive (Shipping Services) product list and renaming it First-Class Package International Serviceâ„¢ (FCPIS). The same mailing requirements such as price groups, maximum value, and weight limits apply.

The pricing structure for FCPIS will be more simplified in that there will be one price of $6.55 for 1- to 2-ounces to anywhere in the world; 3- to 4-ounces within each country price group will have identical prices; and 5- to 8-ounces within each country group will have identical prices. New for January 2013, free electronic USPS Delivery Confirmation International offers scan events for customers using select software or online tools.

Note that I used the "FCPIS" rate sheet. Also note that it specifically says $6.55 for 1 to 2 ounces and records packed correctly are just under 6 oz.

[Roburt]

Bob,

Are internal US rates increasing by a similar % .......

...my son has just bought a place in Florida & seems I'll be spending much of every winter there in future.

So can take advantage of US rates for P&P plus buy stuff (books, CD's) from US Amazon (always cheaper for US sourced stuff than buying from same people via UK Amazon).

[Hammersoul]

looks like buying lp`s is gonna be pointless unless there rare or mega cheap from the U.s. from 2013 .

Bob,have the postal companies given reasons for higher cost/ i.e fuel prices etc?

[Chalky]

looks like buying lp`s is gonna be pointless unless there rare or mega cheap from the U.s. from 2013 .

Bob,have the postal companies given reasons for higher cost/ i.e fuel prices etc?

Probably still be cheaper to get an Lp from the US than it is a UK dealer, you only have to look at Discogs to see the price differential between a foreign dealer, even Europe and a UK dealer.

[Hammersoul]

Probably still be cheaper to get an Lp from the US than it is a UK dealer, you only have to look at Discogs to see the price differential between a foreign dealer, even Europe and a UK dealer.

It`s 50/50 at mo,i find u.s sellers are cheaper to buy without post but unless you do bulk orders,can work out more expensive sometimes.I have ways round that,downside is i have to buy mint or sealed to save hassle cos i won`t see lp`s for sometimes 3/4 months after buying it.

Discogs have a lot of uk sellers and your right,some of em there postage is way over priced.I buy off sellers either i know,do fair priced postage or live /work in London ,i meet them at workplace/home or in one case,at a bus station in Waterloo(he was a bus driver lol).

Like yourself,i work in Transport so am very good at working out distribution etc.

[JOE TORQUAY]

i wonder do they still do surface mail in canada ??

if so canadian sellers with LP's and maybe 45s are going to get more business in future,

detroit sellers could post in canada if they want to keep uk customers,joe.

ps, be interesting to see what those usa sellers who charge way over the odds on postage are going to do now ??

[boba]

looks like buying lp`s is gonna be pointless unless there rare or mega cheap from the U.s. from 2013 .

Bob,have the postal companies given reasons for higher cost/ i.e fuel prices etc?

The US postal service is in crisis, not because of basic cost increases but because of much larger systematic problems related to pensions, etc. There are threats of it shutting down. I don't know if this change was done specifically in response to that or not though.

[Tiberius]

The big problem with this increase for the average buyer in UK is that in theory, as the amount paid for postage is one of the factors used to calculate import vat, it will push many more purchases over the import vat thresholds, so you will incur more frequent charges for import vat, and of course Royal Mail will then charge £8 handling on top.

Looking forward to many more "import duty" threads.......

[boba]

If 45s are packed as "flats" there is a much smaller rate increase. That involves packing them in those crappy envelope style mailers that are popular in the UK. That is not a safe way to send packages overseas. One thing that might happen is a compromise in packaging / safety in order to get lower rates (e.g. a few inserts in a bubble mailer is definitely not safe compared to a real mailer). Maybe UK buyers will start experiencing the breakage rates that I experience from uk sellers...