TriX wrote:
So, are you saying that because the USPS has low rates compared to FedX or UPS (for both national and international packages) that they are somehow hurting American entrepreneurs (who have to ship products also). Please explain to me how that discriminates against American small business.
The USPS allows a 'novice' seller in China and other countries to post listings for items they do not stock. When they make a sale, they go nearby and get the item, put it in a piece of plastic or paper and put that in something big enough for a label to go on the outside. They ship it to a 'freight consolidator' who puts this envelope or package in a sea freight container. The loaded container is put on a ship, destination - a sea port in the USA. When the container arrives in the USA, it is put on a trailer and hauled to a USPS distribution center where the contents are sorted by address. The USPS delivers the item to the residence of the USA purchaser. I have seen items sold from China for $ 0.99 including free shipping. (The seller is buying the item, paying seller fees/commissions, packing it, shipping the item to the USA via the USPS and still making a 'profit' at a selling price as low as $ 0.99.)
It costs me $ 3+ to $4+ to ship a package from a USA address to a USA address. I cannot compete with Chinese (or other foreign sellers) who get a 'sweet' deal from the USPS that is not available to USA based sellers.
The things with fantastic low prices sold on ebay, amazon, etc. are coming from China and will come from other countries at the same low shipping costs. This destroys all levels of retail sellers within the USA.
Several years ago I contacted a Chinese factory to buy a simple 'bangle bracelet' - a fashion jewelry item to sell in quantity at a low price. The factory replied with 11 different prices for the same item, depending upon the quality I was willing to purchase! When you see something 'cheap' on ebay or amazon and you buy it, if you aren't happy when it arrives, you complain to get your money back - or you simply throw it away and forget about it. (The cost to ship a return from the USA to China will be many times the value of the item.)
Think about that if you look for 'cheap' items supplied by foreign sellers. ebay and amazon and walmart encourage a competition for visibility of item listings based upon price, not quality. Whoever wins the 'selling price war' can do it with a slightly or greatly lower quality item that costs them less.
I could give many more examples, up to and including "military grade" (supposedly made to "mil-spec" requirements) repair and replacement items. Or drugs, cosmetics, baby formula, etc. You forgot about the baby formula shipped direct from China that contained a cheaper carcinogen to thicken the milk instead of the 'safe' ones used by all reputable international companies? And then put in a printed package that looks like a USA branded item? (In third world countries, people will see packages in their retail stores of USA and european company branded items offered at low prices. The item looks like the brand name whatever, but does usually indicate that it was made in China. Sometimes you can tell by poor quality printing, spelling, etc. It's fake, made to look like the 'brand name' item.)
Good things can come from Chinese factories. But, there are no controls of what comes into the USA in these sea freight containers (no inspections when they arrive and no customs duty collected by our government of the USA - you are also 'paying' for that!).