Stamps.com

disneyjoe7

Ok, I'm not a happy camper about this. I'm looking for another company to do business with. The plan I'm in now is something like this (can't remember all the terms as I never exceded the limit) I'm paying $4.49 and I pay for the postage. I send out like 6 letters / bills in the mail a month. So this new fee I would need to send 43 letters / bill a month to break even. See E-mail below.


Dear XXXXXX,

We are writing to inform you about an important change to your Stamps.com service plan. We are in the process of discontinuing our Simple Plan™. Customers currently using the Simple Plan™ will be automatically moved to the Power Plan™.

This change in your service will be effective Thursday, April 28, 2005. The new monthly service fee for your Power Plan™ account will be a flat $15.99 per month. Pursuant to your normal monthly billing cycle, you will receive your first charge at the new rate on Saturday, May 28, 2005.


As a Power Plan™ customer, you will receive benefits not available to Simple Plan™ customers. You will be able to:

· Print unlimited postage with one flat monthly fee
· Hide the postage amount on your shipping labels
· Save money with 10% discount over USPS insurance rates

We appreciate your business and are committed to providing you with a great service. We have worked hard to bring many new features to the Stamps.com service. With Stamps.com, now you can:

· Print NetStamps™ and use them just like regular stamps
· Print shipping labels on 8.5” x 11” plain paper
· Insure packages online without any forms or Post Office™ visits
· Free Delivery Confirmation™ service on Priority Mail®
· Send shipment notification emails to your package recipients
· And much more!

Thank you for being a valued Stamps.com customer. We look forward to providing you with the best online mailing and shipping solution.

This email is strictly informational; please do not reply to this email.

Sincerely,
The Stamps.com Team

danger boy

thats a big increase in price. kinda like Epay just did. Sucks man.

The convience of Stamps.com is great. but man you sure pay for that in the end.

I'd rather spend some time at the post office instead. my time isn't that valuable. ha ha ha.

disneyjoe7

Dangerboy,

You know what I'm really going to miss is the barcode on any address I send out. I believe this alone makes it cool as most letters / bill get there in a couble days vs. 3 / 4 days.

disneyjoe7

Also get the line Unlimited Postage. So if I was sending 6 a month out I paid $4.49 plus $.37 for each letter, for $2.22 + $4.49 = $6.71. Under new plan $15.99 then nothing, but lets do this 6 for $15.99 = $2.67 per letter vs. $6.71 = $1.18 :eek:

Ok this thinking is really making me think. $1.18 per letter vs. time in post office, buy stamps, cranking stereo, driving with windows down....... Now going to $2.71 this is starting to make my head hurt.


Way to much to think about.


Later.


Edited for grammer, just not enough sleep

bobman1235

I'm confused... what is the point of this service again? You can go to USPS.com and buy stamps for the price of... stamps, plus a dollar for shipping (which always amused me). So you pay like 5 bucks plus the cost of stamps for this service (or significanly more now) so you can print your OWN stamps?

I'm not knocking it, just never heard of the service, and don't understand the point.

disneyjoe7

Stamps.com is a service that will print my return address, your address (adding a barcode to your address) alone with the postage due. This barcode is what I think is really cool as I can print a letter / bill and it will get to "Boston" in 2 days. If hand written that can take like 3 or 4 days, the post office automated machines must speed these barcoded letters faster then it can read the hand written ones. I've been an users for 5 yrs now, but I see maybe since they started business.

bobman1235

Ahhh, I see. That's a pretty neat service. Don't understand why they decided to screw their customers over - seems like the kind of thing that has ZERO overhead for the company.

disneyjoe7

I think they are hurting for cash, check there site out www.stamps.com you will see they quote been in service since 1999 but see that they have 300k users. Not many, and like I said been with them for 5 - 6 years so I'm a royal customer if one out of 300k. They did offer both service grades, but I don't really like the other / only one now, and if they screwed say 50-150k users just how long did you think they are going to hang in there?

Nice service, looks to me they needed more users. Maybe they need to spend a little in advertising first.

petrym

I looked at this a while back and couldn't figure out why this isn't next to free after a one-time setup charge and equipment... I can see how the different printer interfaces require support, but $16 a month? That's ridiculous! :mad:

petrym

I'm betting they're trying to scare off the casual user like disneyjoe7 and focus on the big fish.

disneyjoe7

Originally posted by petrym
I'm betting they're trying to scare off the casual user like disneyjoe7 and focus on the big fish.

Hope they have lots of big fish out of 300000 users, since we have many hits here and no one heard of them.


:rolleyes:

danger boy

dj7,

i like the barcode on my stamps as well. I agree.. my mailings seem to arrive a day or two faster as well. I'm like you.. just a casual user. It's going to be tough to justify paying $15 per month. that's not worth it for how little stamps I print out.

It says you will now pay the flat fee.. and be able to print out unlimted amount of stamps per month? This isn't very clear to me... what do you think they mean with this? so for $15 a month.. i can print like 300 stamps and only have to pay the $15 fee? I doubt that.

disneyjoe7

Well I'm thinking I need 43 to break even, does this include packages also? I've used this for the Polk Cable demo program.

If not I'm starting a Pen Pal program any takers?

RobXant

If you go and buy your own stamps, Microsoft Word will print the barcode (it's called 'postcode', I think) when you print an envelope.

Isn't this what you guys are talking about? Not as hip, but it'll get you the faster service...

dkg999

As long as you have the correct ZIP and ZIP+4 code for the address, the first automatic mail sorter the letter/package goes thru will spray the correct barcode. MS-WORD and other software apps will, using the correct font, print the barcode for you. Some software such as those from Melissa Data or Postal Soft will also print the advanced barcode, which will help your letter get to the destination delivery unit (DDU) faster. I always wondered if Stamps.com would make it. 300,000 users isn't a lot for their business model to survive on.

disneyjoe7

Originally posted by dkg999
I always wondered if Stamps.com would make it. 300,000 users isn't a lot for their business model to survive on.

300,000 users isn't many given they been in business since 1999. But I think this will be their last year I can't justify that price for the convenience, it's a little dishearten that this is the only game in town. Just need to burn up $14 I have on balance with them, before I tell them off.

danger boy

well if disneyjoe7 and I leave. that will only leave them with 299,998 customers.

disneyjoe7

Originally posted by RobXant
If you go and buy your own stamps, Microsoft Word will print the barcode (it's called 'postcode', I think) when you print an envelope.

Isn't this what you guys are talking about? Not as hip, but it'll get you the faster service...

Thanks for the tip, I checked it out works pretty well. Not as sweet / intergrated, but it's free so it cool that way.

disneyjoe7

Originally posted by danger boy
well if disneyjoe7 and I leave. That will only leave them with 299,998 customers.

Danger Boy,

From that movie War Games..... Want to Play?



I've checked my Stamps.com I have on balance $8.95 to burn up. I thinking it would be cool to check our theories on this "Address Barcode" thing. So I am thinking 3 things to try together sending this to each other.

1.) Sending a letter the "Old way" Stamps.com with all its glory zip+4 in all.

2.) Sending a letter the "New way" by word Envelopes and letters, using all its glory zip+4, bar code all of it.

3.) Sending a letter the "New way" same as above, but using just zip no barcode no zip+4.

danger boy

Steve,

I lilke your idea. try it out and see what the results are.

disneyjoe7

Al,

I got mail.... But believe this I got all of them. Came Thursday march 17 my should be there today march 18 or Saturday march 19th.

I find it interesting that it all came together, but I don't really know how to really check this mail letters speed. Do you think the mail computers see one then it will do the other because it remember the first one? Then if send them in other mailboxes then you don't know really why one letter got there first.

I know for sure I done with Stamps.com. I will be using Word letter with a regular stamp. If I need the zip+4 will go to USPS.com first for this information. Also will be using this USPS.com for click & ship for any boxes I need to ship. Not as sweet as Stamps.com, but it's cheaper that’s for sure.

BTW there is a way to do envelopes without the Stamps.com printing the stamp in Word.

danger boy

i'll be on the look out for your letters. I"m leaving town friday after work. so i'll either get them Fri or sat.