USPs has some weird obligation to pay upfront pensions etc for 70 yrs - I don't really understand it,but it seems that they don't just function as a normal business ,having to make a profit by taking in more money than their costs,but they have this massive (government applied) cost of 70 yrs upfront of pensions.Still I can't help but thinking that a doubling in overseas rates when domestic rates have not risen anywhere near this(between 3% and 9% depending on which type of shipping is used) represents nothing more than price-gouging.With the US dollar low,many of us are buying from US sites and USPS as well as the other carriers have clearly noticed this and decided to cash in.I wonder if we all boycotted US sites whether the drop in business might make them see the error of their ways.One thing we should consider is using a US mailing service whereby the goods are sent to an american address and then sent on to us here in Australia at a much cheaper rate.As long as we continue to pay these outrageous shipping rates,USPS and the other carriers will continue to rip us off just as australian business have ripped us off for years for local purchases.Personally,I don't even buy anything from the states if the rate is too high.Today I noticed on my watch list a jacket with a shipping rate of $69 where the jacket itself was $70.Needless to say,I just deleted it from my watch list.
