The Postal Service’s press release announcing mail processing plant closures next year neglected to mention it would eliminate all overnight delivery service for single-piece First-Class Mail. After the change, if an individual wants something delivered overnight in their local area, they will have to upgrade to Priority Mail, which will start at $5.75 this September. That’s a huge price increase from 49 cents.
The next mail processing cut we’ll likely see is First-Class Mail processing on Saturdays should city and rural carriers no longer pick up or deliver First-Class mail on Saturdays.
The Postal Service has aggressively advertised and expanded Priority Mail at the expense of First-Class Mail. Overnight delivery of First-Class Mail up to 13 ounces is a tremendous bargain. Why have zero marketing dollars been spent on promoting First-Class Mail?
Email, cell phone, landline, public CC video monitoring… In today’s unprecedented commonality of privacy intrusion perpetrated by foreign, criminal and even government elements, the First Class letter/flat remains the single most secure means of communication between seperate, private citizens. This is a highly marketable statement in today’s environment.