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Pitney Blows vs USPS vs ??

visual_rockavisual_rocka 52 Posts
edited July 2006 in Strut Central
Alright. We have been getting raped by Pitney Bowes for postage printing machine, scales, fees, etc for a couple of years basically all because the USPS site doesnt allow you to print Letter Post, Media, and countless other staples of the International record shipping game off of their site. I cant pay (or charge) 18.50 to send one 12" single to Italy, or $8.50 to mail 2 45s to my guy in Chicago, so what are we supposed to be doing??I suppose I should state that we ship approx 60 parcels a week out. We are from the USA. We sell on Gemm, ebay, private site, etc.. and obviously must offer 'competitive' shipping rates for our European/Asian customers.We dont have the time to go to the post office 3 x a week which is why we started this bullshit w/ Pitney in the first place. Basically, the Pitney stuff allows you to print postage based on weight, checking w/ the USPS site for various applicable rates. Of course they will tell you what these various rates are, but when you try to use their site to print these, the options thin to mostly just the really expensive ones. I am at the point where I would pay somebody to come up here and figure out the best system for us. Any advice??Muchos Gracias.

  Comments

  • Jonny_PaycheckJonny_Paycheck 17,825 Posts
    I was considering getting Pitney Bowes for that very same reason. So you are saying it does not let you use the requested/best method of shipping?

    I use 1st Class Letter, Priority, Media Mail, and International Airmail. On rare occasion I use registered airmail. Can it not do these simple things?
  • visual_rockavisual_rocka 52 Posts
    No, you can do it all w/ Pitney. They will just tax your ass for the privilige. And you won't have delivery confirm which is free w/ the USPS site.

    The really sad thing, and the reason Im bringing this to the board, is that if USPS's site would just offer a few more options (not just the rate quotes, but the ability to print them as paid postage off the site) you wouldnt need Pitney Bowes at all. Now, that might not seem like too big of a deal, but I just got done paying Pitney $1000 for 'fees' for the last few months AND the USPS site is SOOOOO close to being an option. They just dont give you 'letter' post options, just 'parcel' post. and no Media either.

    Johnny, looks like you are (or soon maybe) in the same boat as lotusland.
  • Jonny_PaycheckJonny_Paycheck 17,825 Posts
    Yeah definitely. Weird though the p.b. salesman I talked to was saying ~$50/mo plus postage. What are the other "fees"?
  • kidinquisitivekidinquisitive 1,627 Posts
    If you guys don't have time to go to the post office yourself it almost seems like it would make more sense to pay someone to do it for you, it would probably be 3 or 4 hours of work a week for them. That would also cut out the time you spend weighing packages, printing postage labels, etc?
  • visual_rockavisual_rocka 52 Posts
    Yeah definitely. Weird though the p.b. salesman I talked to was saying ~$50/mo plus postage. What are the other "fees"?

    dude, i should just scan in one of my bills. its fucking silly. its like if you add $50 postage to your machine you get charged $10 to do it. total shit. especially considering that usps could make these few updates and put pitney's ass cold out of business.

    to kidinquisitive:

    not a bad idea! postage is ruining my otherwise no-work workdays in the record game.
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