The PRC has accepted the Complaint filed yesterday. The Docket for the complaint is C2012-1. The Docket was established on 3/15/2012.

This is the first significant step in getting the Post Office to cease its predatory and unfair enhancement of the PO Box service.

We have presented a logical, reasonable, and legal argument against the USPS’ subterfuge to close down the family businesses that make up the retail shipping community. We expect the USPS to bring down the full power and resources on us to defeat this complaint, but with your help we are confident we will win.

The following organizations have joined the Complaint:

ASSOCIATED MAIL AND PARCEL CENTERS
PAKMAIL
PARCEL PLUS/KWIK COPY BUSINESS CENTERS
POSTAL CONNECTIONS
POSTNET
RETAIL SHIPPING ASSOCIATES
SAFE SHIP
THE INDEPENDENT COALITION OF FRANCHISE OWNERS
THE MAIL BOX STORES
THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF RETAIL SHIP CENTERS
TOTAL CHOICE SHIPPING
YESS STORES

We will be asking you send comments to the PRC in support of the Complaint. A sample letter will be posted on  www.fightformympc.com.  If you plan on establishing a Permanent Account for online submittals, you should send the application in soon.

The PRC would like everybody to set up a Permanent Account.  A Temporary Account is set up if you want to file a comment immediately.  The PRC suggests strongly that you follow the Temporary Account up with a mailed in application for a Permanent Account.  If you have trouble, they will walk you through it.

PRC Account Procedures

Temporary Account

A temporary account can be obtained online immediately. It may only be used to file a notice of intervention or a comment that has been solicited by the Commission. It expires after 10 days. A temporary account holder who intends to participate in a proceeding on an ongoing basis is urged to apply for a permanent account as soon as possible.
Apply Online

Permanent Account (Principal & Agent)

A permanent account is required to submit most documents in Commission proceedings. It is also required if the applicant desires status as a Principal Account Holder or Agent Account Holder. A permanent account holder must confirm that he or she is authorized to represent the participant indicated on the document filed and must warrant that all documents filed under the account are authentic and accurate.

A completed application for a permanent account must be mailed or hand delivered to:
Secretary of the Commission
Attn: Docket Section
901 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20268

After acceptance by the Secretary, the applicant will receive an email with a username and a temporary password. Upon receipt, the applicant should immediately access the Filing Online Profile Page and select a permanent password. Users who are converting from temporary to permanent accounts will receive a message confirming the change in their account status. They should continue to use the username and password they initially selected.

Download a PDF of the Permanent Application.

We as individual stores have agreements with the three major carriers that could be seen as a partnership.  But occasionally a carrier, with its internal, competing fiefdoms, violates the spirit of the contract, creating an adversarial relationship by competing with us.  One department, by doing its job supports our businesses, while another department by doing its job, competes with us.

These departments, internal to an organization, also appear to be competing against each other.  Such is just the nature of large organizations.

Speaking with Postmaster General Patrick Donahue last year, he emphasized the value of retail partners like USPS Approved Shippers by calling them, along with Contract Postal Units, Village Post Offices, and other affiliates, essential partners to the survival to the USPS.  These replacement Postal outlets have the verbal support of the Postmaster General and his Executive Team.

So why has the USPS seen fit to imperil these very businesses by directly competing with the local neighborhood shipping stores?  The USPS has offered the following services to PO Box renters who have boxes in the designated Competitive List areas:

• Offering Post Office Box renters the use of the Post Office street address for Post Office Box addressing.
• Offering Post Office Box renters email notification of mail delivery.
• Offering Post Office Box renters the use of the “#” designation.
• Offering Post Office Box renters to receive packages from private carriers.
• Allowing Post Office renters the use of Change of Address Forms allowing the USPS to forward renters mail at no charge.
• And, eventually, the only address that will get mail on Saturday.

On the USPS’ entry into the express market, Fred Smith from FedEx said:

“The problem with the USPS’s vain attempts to compete … is that there is not a shred of evidence that its entry into the field serves any public interests. There are, to be sure, important interests worthy of consideration, primarily those of postal workers and the postal family. However, a convincing argument has yet to be made to show that the public interest requires the Postal Service to use its monopoly … to gain an advantage in a service that can be and is being provided more efficiently by private enterprise. Moreover, it is noteworthy that these private companies, with which the USPS seeks to compete, pay taxes while the USPS does not; purchase license plates for vehicles, which the USPS does not; and, unlike the USPS, must comply with zoning restrictions and pay fees and other charges; are subject to customs laws; and are constrained by a host of government-imposed burdens.”

Unfair competition – that is the essence of the argument of stopping the USPS from adding the mail receiving enhancements that have been enjoyed by the customers of Commercial Mail Receiving Agents.  No sales tax collected, no property taxes, no gas taxes, no license plates, no local codes or regulations to follow, and a $100,000,000 marketing budget allows the USPS advantages beyond comprehension.

Even if the above advantages of the USPS are tempered with the inefficiencies of unions, bureaucracy, PRC, Congressional regulation, and a monopoly mentality, the USPS still has an unfair competitive playing field with FedEx and UPS.  But let these behemoths battle it out amongst themselves.  Their armies are large are fairly balanced.

On the other hand, the USPS is now attacking the foundation of American economics.

When the USPS unleashes its firepower on the local mom and pop, independent family businesses, it’s the US Government versus the family and that’s wrong.

When the USPS uses its labor, which is paid for by postage, to move and deliver private carrier packages, to subsidize these businesses by consolidating their delivery stops, returning undeliverable packages, and communicating delivery information to the private carriers’ customers, that’s wrong.

When the USPS, who regulates Commercial Mail Receiving Agents, does not allow them to use the USPS Change of Address system for their customers, but allow the use of that system for PO Box customers, that’s wrong.

To claim financial reasons to implement five-day delivery for Private Mail Boxes, but service the PO Boxes on Saturday, that’s wrong.

Competing with the businesses you regulate is unethical, unfair, and corrupt.

Now we fight.  We fight with everything we have.  We will be commenting on the Docket we created on the PRC site.  We will be writing letters to our Congressmen during an election year.  We will be writing letters to the House and Senate leadership.  And we will travel to Washington DC to confront the responsible people.

We cannot do this alone.  We will need your help.  Although we have other organizations willing to sign complaints, wars are expensive and signatures do not buy ammo.   If you are not an AMPC Member, join us at the Classic Level; if you are not a Classic Level Member, upgrade, if you are a Classic Member, renew.  This will become a fight for our existence, our survival, and the basis for our businesses.

Join the fight at www.ampc.org.

Keep informed at http://fightformympc.wordpress.com/

AMPC currently has a complaint out for review with multiple major groups in this industry. We have requested their signature to the document so we can submit it as one joint industry. We have signatures and/or commitments from:

The Mailbox Stores
ICED (Parcel Plus / Kwik Kopy Business Center Franchisor)
NARSC
RSA

We expect to hear from a couple more of the franchisors soon. Regardless, we will submit the complaint on February 2nd.

We have been in constant contact with the PRC and pushing them for a timeline on assigning a public rep and case. As soon as we have that, we will share it.

Shawn Dykes of Mail Movers sent me some information from the National Association of Presort Mailers (NAPM), who are also in opposition to the enhancements, in particular the use of a Street Address. They are bringing up their concerns with MTAC (Mailer’s Technical Advisory Council). AMPC is a member of the Parcel Shippers Association (PSA), which has a representative on this Council. We’ve reached out to both the PSA and the NAPM on this. We’ve heard back from some contacts on the MTAC and will be sending our complaint information to them as well as some contact at the Post Office.

Depending on timelines and progress with the PRC, we are looking at several options for our next steps. We will keep you up to date on the progress of these efforts.

We knew that when the USPS requested that some PO Boxes be placed on their Competitive Price List it was not just to test higher prices.  It was the beginning of a government assault on the Private Mail Box business and that Commercial Mail receiving Agents (CMRAs) were their target.  AMPC, along with individual stores and other related organizations supported the effort to warn the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) that, although the mail and parcel industry could not object to prices going up for PO Boxes, enhancements to the the PO Box services must be put to public comment before implementation.

The PRC agreed with AMPC and other commenters.  From Order No. 473:

“if the Postal Service proposed to offer ancillary services to P.O. Box Service, those issues would be addressed in future proceedings.”

In a desperate attempt to cover mismanagement, the USPS managers have been assigned the task of getting new revenue no matter how it may affect the private sector economy.  The latest attempt is to allow ancillary services such as email notification, the use of the Post Office street addresses, acceptance of private carrier packages, the use of the  “#”  address designation.

Moreover, as a direct affront to the regulations that are imposed on CMRAs, the USPS will allow the use of the Change of Address forms and processes for former PO Box renters.

Customer Agreement for PO Box Services

USPS letter introducing new PO Box Services

This effort to use the tax and marketing advantages of the United State Postal Service to attack the livelihood of hard working families is un-American at the least and illegal  in its implementation.

We need the help of individual shipping stores to fight this battle.  Begin by joining us, now.   We will keep you informed of our progress and let you know when and how to take action against this government takeover of your business.

We cannot let the Postal Service steal our mail box customers.

The likelihood that the Congress will address the financial difficulties facing the U.S. Postal Service increased significantly as four key Senators who are leaders on postal issues joined behind a single piece of legislation. And, this group includes both Democrats (Lieberman and Carper) and Republicans (Collins and Brown).

Titled “The 21st Century Postal Service Act,”  it would provide substantial financial relief by rebating  more than $6 BILLION in pension over-payments – part of which is to be used as incentive money to cut the workforce by 100,000. Even better, it would restructure the statutory retiree health insurance pre-funding schedule saving the Postal Service almost $5 BILLION annually, authorize it to leave the Federal Employee Health program and negotiate its own health insurance program.  The Postmaster General believes this would lead to substantial savings. Finally, the bill would reform the Federal workers’ compensation program which experts also say would reduce USPS costs.

The bill also would prevent the Postal Service from eliminating Saturday delivery for at least two years, after which a Postal Regulatory Committee review would assess whether enough efficiency improvements have been made to justify the further need to cut costs by moving to five day per week delivery.

It includes language to encourage contract rates (NSAs), and would encourage the Postal Service to phase out door delivery in favor of centralized delivery (cluster boxes).

The bill includes a number of measures related to the USPS effort to reduce the size of its infrastructure through plant and post office closures and consolidations, but the red tape it appears to apply in the manner of required studies, hearings, and appeals could actually slow the ongoing network optimization effort.

Key Provisions for Mail & Parcel Centers

Limitations on Five-Day Delivery

The bill would prohibit the Postal Service from implementing its plan to eliminate Saturday delivery for at least two years. The implementation could only move forward if the following conditions are met: 1) the Postal Service identifies customers who may be affected disproportionately by five-day delivery and develops remedies; 2) the Postal Service makes full use of its authorities under current law and the new authorities and mandates included in this bill to increase revenue and reduce costs; and 3) after implementing all other savings options, the Postal Service determines that a five-day schedule is still necessary to achieve sustainability. Once that decision is made, and demonstrated through careful financial analysis, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) would review the Postal Service’s financial situation, projections, and the adequacy of the savings initiatives already implemented in order to determine whether the implementation of five-day delivery is financially necessary. The Postal Service would not be able to implement a five-day schedule unless the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) has found that the Comptroller General has made a determination that doing so is financially necessary.

Streamlining Delivery

Under current practices, postal customers who don’t rent post office boxes receive delivery in a number of ways: some receive mail at their door while others receive it in mail boxes at their curb or at centrally-located stations at the end of their block or in a residential building. The bill would authorize the Postal Service, where feasible, to deliver to curbside, sidewalk, or centralized mailboxes rather than to door delivery points no later than 2015. This change could save the Postal Service billions every year.

Retail service standards

The bill would require the Postal Service to develop service standards to guarantee customers a certain level of access to retail services, whether at a post office or an alternative to a post office. The Postal Service must develop the standard, in consultation with the PRC, based on factors such as geography, population, and the availability of transportation. Communities concerned that a proposed closure violates a standard could challenge the proposal before the PRC.

The State of Play

Congress is moving toward dealing with the postal situation. This bipartisan Senate bill, coupled with the Issa/Ross bill (H.R. 2309) which was recently approved by a House Committee, mean all of the key postal legislators have now weighed in and are pushing for action. But, there is a long way to go, and the leading House and Senate bills differ in significant and politically important ways. The Postal Service issued a release thanking the Senators for their work, and many in the mailing industry have applauded this latest action.

The Postal Service will stay solvent and in business, although the road will be a bit rocky for a while.

For a two-page chart showing the holiday schedules and guaranteed delivery policies of the carriers, click on the image below:

Who is EquaShip?

EquaShip is a new shipping company that is offering Mail & Parcel Centers an alternative hybrid shipping system that combines the software of EquaShip, the logistics of Blue Package Delivery with the last mile delivery to every address in the US by the United State Postal Service.

The advantage to Mail & Parcel Centers is a lower domestic ground shipping rate alternative that is trackable and insurable.  Using EquaShip will lower your domestic ground shipping costs and make it easy to delight customers who are looking to reduce their shipping costs.

Some  Advantages:

No pickup fees
No residential surcharges
No fuel surcharges
No extended area surcharges
No delivery intercept charges
No return package shipping charges
No tiers
No EquaShip carrier stores
The public is not invited to ship with EquaShip
Rates from 25% to 50% lower than other carrier published rates

EquaShip calls itself “The Fourth Carrier,” a game-changing alternative to UPS, FedEx and the US Postal Service.  The three giants are certainly among America’s strongest brands, collectively hauling some three billion parcels a year, and doing a great job of it.  Those parcels represent 10% of the GDP – and growing – given the ever-increasing popularity of internet shopping.

EquaShip is building a national delivery network by linking together Blue Package Delivery and the USPS.  Targeting the smaller shipper, EquaShip requires no contracts or volume minimums.

Blue Package is a large package consolidator that serves Amazon merchants.  Blue Package enters over one million packages a day into the Postal Service.  They need additional drop point across the country for the merchants to drop their packages for Blue Package pickup.  EquaShip wants to ship its packages through those drop points.

Here’s how it works:

You must first sign up as a drop point for Blue Package Delivery.  If Blue Package qualifies your store as a needed drop point, you will be sent an application to ship through EquaShip.

How do I Sign Up?

To learn more and apply for an account go  here

The EquaShip program for retail shipping is being offered exclusively through Associated Mail & Parcel Centers (AMPC), a trade organization that has been helping stores succeed for 30 years.  Stores do not have to be members of AMPC to participate in the program.  For more information on how AMPC supports the industry by meeting with USPS officials, carriers and vendors to put profitable programs together for its members see www.ampc.org.

Provide Postal Service financial relief and undertake reform.

The Administration recognizes the enormous value of the Postal Service (USPS) to the Nation’s commerce and communications, as well as the urgent need for reform to ensure its future viability. USPS faces a long-term, structural operating deficit that has been exacerbated by the precipitous drop in mail volume in the last few years due to the economic crisis and the continuing shift toward electronic communication.

Absent legislative intervention, USPS will be insolvent by the end of September 2011. Bold action is needed to ensure that USPS can continue to operate in the shorterm and achieve viability in the long-run.

To that end, the President is proposing a comprehensive reform package that would:

• Restructure Retiree Health Benefit pre-funding in order to reduce near-year Postal payments;
• Provide USPS with a two-year Federal Employees Retirement System employer contribution holiday to take into consideration the current $6.9 billion surplus in Postal contributions;
• Reduce USPS operating costs by giving USPS authority to reduce mail delivery from six days to five days;
• Allow USPS to offer non-postal products and increase collaboration with state and local governments; and
• Give USPS the ability to better align the costs of postage with the costs of mail delivery.

These reforms would provide USPS with over $20 billion in cash relief over the next several years and in total would reduce the federal deficit by more than $10 billion.

Absent from the reform package was the USPS proposal to reduce labor costs.

The Postal Service says the next price adjustment for all products will be January 22, 2012.

Although the infamous “exigency case” is still pending at the PRC after being returned by a Federal court for more consideration, the word from the Postal Service is that no matter how the PRC decides it, we understand the January 2012 price increase for market dominant products will be a normal “price cap” adjustment . The new prices for market dominant products will be announced around October 22 with an average increase in the 2.1-2.3 percent range (the expected change in the CPI).

Competitive product (Shipping Services) prices should be announced November 22. Remember, the Postal Service will introduce a new Shipping Service product, Commercial First-Class™ Package Service, that will replace the current First-Class Mail® commercial base and commercial plus parcel offerings in January. Except for Parcel Select Lightweight/Standard Mail Parcels, we expect price increases for Shipping Services products, including Parcel Select, to increase in the mid-single-digits (4-6 percent range) on average.

The Postal Service went public yesterday with more detail on its plans to close and consolidate plants and streamline its transportation network (Network Optimization). The proposal is intended to reduce network costs by as much as $3 billion annually. The proposal would affect First-Class Mail and Periodical service standards, eliminating overnight service standards and establishing more two-day service standards for these products.

The primary new information released yesterday is a list of nearly 250 plants that are under consideration for closing. This is early in a process that will extend at least through next March.

The recent press attention to the USPS financial situation and a more active push for solutions by the Postal Service, has spurred more interest both on Capitol Hill and within the Obama Administration which says it is working on a proposal to deal with the problems facing the Postal Service. At a recent Senate hearing, Postmaster General Donahoe described the financial situation and explained how he hoped to deal with it and put the Postal Service back in the black. He asked Congress to address the following core issues this year:

• Resolve the pre-funding of Retiree Health Benefits (RHB)

• Return the $6.9 billion overfunding of the USPS FERS pension obligation

• Grant the Postal Service the authority to determine delivery frequency (5-Day)

• Allow the Postal Service the flexibility to restructure its healthcare and pension systems

• Permit the streamlining of pricing and product development.

Without these requested changes the Postal Service projects that it will lose $16 billion in 2015. With the changes, the Postal Service says it would be able to reduce costs by $20 billion, allowing it to earn a profit in 2015. Any profit would be used to pay down debt and make necessary investments like new delivery vehicles.

Here’s a breakdown of the hoped for savings that would result from the changes:

• Sortation and Transportation – $3 billion

• Retail – $1.5 billion

• Delivery – $2 billion

• RHB Resolved – $5.5 billion

• Five-Day Delivery – $3 billion

• Benefits and Wages – $5 billion

These savings assume Congressional action, Network Optimization, and a huge reduction in head count.

There is a possibility that the House postal subcommittee could begin considering postal legislation next week, and the House and Senate leaders of the relevant postal committees are expected to meet next week to discuss possibilities. But, actual action on legislation is far from imminent.

Meanwhile, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has set up a postal reform section, replete with a countdown clock until default at the end of the month, on its website.