Trump vs. Amazon

[Hawkmoon]

http://www.newser.com/story/257294/trump-rips-into-amazon-scam-again.html

President Trump thinks Amazon should pay what it actually costs the USPS to deliver their packages. I happen to agree.

The USPS is losing money. Not long ago the USPS was seriously considering ending Saturday delivery of mail as a way of reducing costs. Currently, I see USPS rural delivery trucks flitting around my town on Sundays. A week or two ago I had a package from Amazon delivered on a Sunday. No other mail -- the driver was just running around to deliver packages for Amazon.

Why? I'm certain the USPS lost money on the package I received on a Sunday, That shouldn't be allowed.

[Ben]

I was originally in agreement with the "Amazon is getting a free ride" thing, but am now waiting for more information. Either CBO or OMB were running numbers that the package delivery is actually helping USPS out. It's letters and mailings (both the price charged and the ever lessening amount) that are the draw down. Supposedly even with the cheap rates Amazon gets, which seem similar to what UPS and Fedex charge big corps, the volume is making up for it.

The larger issues seems to be that USPS cannot keep up with the deficit from retirement and other benefits. As  I recall, whenever we got benefit info when I was with gov, USPS almost always had a separate, and sweeter deal.

Anyway, I have backed off Amazon for now until more hard data comes in.

[MechAg94]

I would just say I don't think Amazon should get a rate below cost or even at cost.  However, I don't know what that number is or what Amazon pays.  I also don't know who else gets too low rates which would also be bad.

[French G.]

Ought to be Trump vs. the postal service. Sell it, buy out the retirement plan one time for existing employees.

[dogmush]

From the article:

The AP fact-checks Trump's claims and finds that "Trump is misrepresenting Amazon's record on taxes, the U.S. Postal Service's financial situation and the contract that has the post office deliver some Amazon orders. Federal regulators have found that contract to be profitable for the Postal Service."

Do we have any reason to doubt the regulators conclusion that the contract is profitable?  Lots of folks like to throw shade, but I didn't see any numbers on Twitter.

[Jamisjockey]

Ought to be Trump vs. the postal service. Sell it, buy out the retirement plan one time for existing employees.

Absolutely.  Time to catch up with the digital times, snail mail is going the way of the dinosaur. 

[KD5NRH]

Since 2006, USPS has been setting its own rates, under Executive Branch oversight.  If they set the rates for big shippers too low, it's their own fault.  If the Postal Regulatory Commission made them set the rates too low, then the President needs to take that up with his own people.

[KD5NRH]

Absolutely.  Time to catch up with the digital times, snail mail is going the way of the dinosaur.  

This.  Aside from greeting cards and the occasional bit of state or Federal government correspondence that could only be handled in person or by mail, I'm not sure when was the last time I put a stamp on a #10 envelope.  Priority flat rate rocks for stuff that fits the small or medium boxes, but letters are somewhat of a luxury item these days.
 For the cards, I'd gladly pay $1 each for a more reliable service with tracking, (current tracked/receipt prices are a holdover from when it had to be done manually, whereas it's a simple scan-and-done process now) especially if some other customizations were offered, like delaying delivery to a specific date (Christmas might suck for the delivery crews, but I hate sending cards a week or more early to make sure they won't be late, then getting a "thanks for the card" message 3-7 days before the person's birthday when it makes the trip faster) or better quality forwarding services.

[TommyGunn]

Trump may be right that Amazon is getting a bit of a free ride with the USPS,  but he's wrong if he's said Amazon doesn't pay taxes.

[lupinus]

USPS agreed to a rate, I fail to see the problem with this. I also highly doubt they're loosing money on the deal.

Keep in mind also the vast majority of packages USPS delivers for Amazon aren't going through they're pipeline. UPS or FedEx is handling the logistics of carrying it around until it makes it to the local postal office that sorts for your area and sends it to your local post office for final delivery. Which you're already on their route anyway so why the heck not get a cut if the shipping costs when all they have to essentially do is sort it and have it fill some otherwise empty space in the delivery vehicle.

I generally keep up with the tracking on my packages, and I order a fair amount from Amazon, unless it was leaving one of their nearby distribution center I can't remember the last time it started off is USPS hands, and even then it seems like it was pretty rare. And most all of my packages have final delivery handled by the USPS   

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[DittoHead]

It’s hard to think of a more pointlessly destructive act of presidential jawboning in our history. The online retailer is a jewel of our market economy that has delivered more choice and convenience at a lower cost.

The backdrop for Trump’s animosity is that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post, which, like much of the major media, is unrelentingly hostile to the president. The bias of the Post is nothing new, nor should it be taken out on the underlying business of its owner.

I'm a regular Amazon customer and I know people who work for Amazon, seems like a great company to me. Attacking Amazon is just dumb when his real beef is with the Post.

[Pb]

I wish Trump would use anti-monopoly regs to dismantle google.

[Scout26]

USPS agreed to a rate, I fail to see the problem with this. I also highly doubt they're loosing money on the deal.

Keep in mind also the vast majority of packages USPS delivers for Amazon aren't going through they're pipeline. UPS or FedEx is handling the logistics of carrying it around until it makes it to the local postal office that sorts for your area and sends it to your local post office for final delivery. Which you're already on their route anyway so why the heck not get a cut if the shipping costs when all they have to essentially do is sort it and have it fill some otherwise empty space in the delivery vehicle.

I generally keep up with the tracking on my packages, and I order a fair amount from Amazon, unless it was leaving one of their nearby distribution center I can't remember the last time it started off is USPS hands, and even then it seems like it was pretty rare. And most all of my packages have final delivery handled by the USPS   

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

Some go through the UPS and Fedex pipeline to the USPS via Smartpost.  Most Non-Prime shipments go standard first-class or priority mail. 

USPS - "We lose money on every package shipment, but make it up in volume."

[Ben]

I'm a regular Amazon customer and I know people who work for Amazon, seems like a great company to me. Attacking Amazon is just dumb when his real beef is with the Post.

I think he focuses on Amazon vs USPS partially because he can actually capture an audience on both sides of the aisle. He can get the "big bad corporation*" politicians and the "small government, stop wasting tax dollars" people into the same room for different reasons.

* I agree that Trump's beef should really be with USPS. At the same time, while generally being a free market guy, I have also been leaning in the same direction as BTR regarding Amazon, Google, etc.  getting a little too big and powerful for comfort. I don't necessarily mind "big" monopoly-wise, but I get really concerned with big corporations having too much power.

[makattak]

I have no problems with Amazon. While I can't be sure (because GOVERNMENT) that the Postal Service isn't getting a raw deal, I doubt that they are.

Now, related to current boycott issues: as far as I can tell, Mr. Bezos is a raging leftist. (Well, maybe not raging.)

However, on Amazon, I see very little reflecting that. (Every now and then I see "conservative" fake reviews stripped while "liberal' ones stand.)

I'm fairly certain he knows his position is precarious and if he seriously angers half his customer base, Walmart is going to eat his lunch.

He can be as liberal as he wants personally. He can even turn the Washington Post into Pravda for the Potomac.

As long as Amazon isn't, I'll keep using them.

[TommyGunn]

Bezos liberal? Oh yea.

If Amazon itself is .... why do they have so much gun stuff for me to order?   

[KD5NRH]

Read from bottom to top: USPS is apparently trying to show that they can be worse than the slow boat from China.


In Transit to Next Facility
Apr-05-2018, 00:00 AM

Departed USPS Regional Facility
Apr-04-2018, 02:56 AM, SAN BERNARDINO CA DISTRIBUTION CENTER

Departed USPS Regional Facility
Apr-04-2018, 00:50 AM, MORENO VALLEY CA DISTRIBUTION CENTER

Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
Apr-03-2018, 16:38 PM, MORENO VALLEY CA DISTRIBUTION CENTER

In Transit to Next Facility
Apr-03-2018, 00:00 AM

Departed USPS Regional Facility
Apr-02-2018, 10:41 AM, SAN BERNARDINO CA DISTRIBUTION CENTER

In Transit to Next Facility
Apr-01-2018, 00:00 AM

In Transit to Next Facility
Mar-31-2018, 00:00 AM

In Transit to Next Facility
Mar-30-2018, 00:00 AM

Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
Mar-29-2018, 11:02 AM, SAN BERNARDINO CA DISTRIBUTION CENTER

Processed Through Facility
Mar-26-2018, 04:36 AM, ISC LOS ANGELES CA (USPS)

Origin Post is Preparing Shipment
Processed Through Facility
Mar-21-2018, 15:24 PM, SUZHOU EMS

[BlueStarLizzard]

Bezos liberal? Oh yea.

If Amazon itself is .... why do they have so much gun stuff for me to order?   

So far, Amazon (the company) seems to be staying neutral, which is why they will continue to sell just about anything. Including gun stuff... As long as there are buyers. I'm betting if they saw a significant drop in gun related purchases, they would jump on the libtard bandwagon.

So keep buying gun stuff on Amazon. 

[Pb]

Bezos liberal? Oh yea.

If Amazon itself is .... why do they have so much gun stuff for me to order?   

Bezos is supposedly libertarianish or something.

[Hawkmoon]

Read from bottom to top: USPS is apparently trying to show that they can be worse than the slow boat from China.


In Transit to Next Facility
Apr-05-2018, 00:00 AM

Departed USPS Regional Facility
Apr-04-2018, 02:56 AM, SAN BERNARDINO CA DISTRIBUTION CENTER

Departed USPS Regional Facility
Apr-04-2018, 00:50 AM, MORENO VALLEY CA DISTRIBUTION CENTER

Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
Apr-03-2018, 16:38 PM, MORENO VALLEY CA DISTRIBUTION CENTER

In Transit to Next Facility
Apr-03-2018, 00:00 AM

Departed USPS Regional Facility
Apr-02-2018, 10:41 AM, SAN BERNARDINO CA DISTRIBUTION CENTER

In Transit to Next Facility
Apr-01-2018, 00:00 AM

In Transit to Next Facility
Mar-31-2018, 00:00 AM

In Transit to Next Facility
Mar-30-2018, 00:00 AM

Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
Mar-29-2018, 11:02 AM, SAN BERNARDINO CA DISTRIBUTION CENTER

Processed Through Facility
Mar-26-2018, 04:36 AM, ISC LOS ANGELES CA (USPS)

Origin Post is Preparing Shipment
Processed Through Facility
Mar-21-2018, 15:24 PM, SUZHOU EMS

Do slow boats from China typically return to port a week after setting sail?

[KD5NRH]

Do slow boats from China typically return to port a week after setting sail?

It gets better; this morning it went back to the main LA distribution center again.  5 days to cross the frickin' Pacific, and it's been orbiting SoCal ever since.  Best I can envision, they've sent out a small launch, and coolies are digging a canal to Texas.

[MechAg94]

I once had a UPS package make a 3 day side trip.  I live near Houston.  The package stopped in Dallas, made a short trip to a smaller town an hour from Dallas, went back to Dallas the next day, and then continued to Houston.  I assume it got misdirected and was nearly put on a truck before someone realized the location was completely wrong. 

Most of my issues with USPS have been when the local delivery person getting addresses mixed up.  The man with the same house number the next street over has my cell phone number.  We put bags on each other's door occasionally.