Royal Mail price increases for parcels to USA from 1 July 2020

Mayday

News from the Royal Mail re: parcels to the USA: "From 1 July 2020 we will be increasing the prices of our parcel services to the USA and introducing a new World Zone 3. There are no changes to letter and large letter prices."

View or download a copy now. These prices are effective from 1 July 2020.

https://www.royalmail.com/prices2020

soolin

There’s a thread about this now on the community boards, it looks like the prices are increasing considerably in some areas. There’s also talk that large letters are going to have restricted use with most items, regardless of size, needing to go as a parcel.

Currently I’m not shipping overseas at all (except for Ireland where I haven’t had any issues at all). I am seriously thinking of leaving my listings UK and IR only and using GSP for the rest. 

Spoonie_Turtle

Well, damn. Most of the market for my occasional private selling is in the US and they are already put off by high postage (never mind the fact that for us to buy from the US was more expensive than for them to buy from the UK *rolls eyes*) and this won't help. RM's reasoning is completely understandable though.

Pierre_De_Grenoble

I send a fair amount to the States that goes by small parcel up to 500g.
now It costs £10.06 and it will be £15.18.  that's an increase of approx. 50% I could be wrong but the cynic in me thinks that this is more of an attempt by RM to grab the most profit from its most used routes, as I suspect that there will still be extra margin for RM after paying their increased costs.

custardy

Pierre_De_Grenoble said:

I send a fair amount to the States that goes by small parcel up to 500g.
now It costs £10.06 and it will be £15.18.  that's an increase of approx. 50% I could be wrong but the cynic in me thinks that this is more of an attempt by RM to grab the most profit from its most used routes, as I suspect that there will still be extra margin for RM after paying their increased costs.

Well if this is the case,I dont see where else the cost can go but the sender

"An increase of more than 100% in the fees the US Postal Service (USPS) charges for the ‘last mile’ delivery of international mail"

misterthrifty

Currently I’m not shipping overseas at all (except for Ireland where I haven’t had any issues at all). I am seriously thinking of leaving my listings UK and IR only and using GSP for the rest. 

I'm trying to work out a way to amend my listings for this price increase  but each one is priced individually so it will take a long time. I didn't realise that you can use GSP just for certain countries, am I able to just use it to send to the USA and if so how do I do that?

TIA

soolin

Just bumping this as it is catching out a lot of people on other sites. It's really unclear what or who is affected- but it does look like all small parcels have now increased significantly in cost. For example an untracked uninsured (well up to £20 only) 1.9 kg small parcel to the US is now £29.41. Tracked is only a little more though at £31.21

Pierre_De_Grenoble

The biggest price increase is that a standard large letter item (upto 250 grams) was £5.30 and now has to go as small parcel @ £9.84.
I rang a friend who does not follow internet fora and he knew nothing about it. Even my local post office knew nothing about it until less than a week beforehand.

soolin

Pierre_De_Grenoble said:

The biggest price increase is that a standard large letter item (upto 250 grams) was £5.30 and now has to go as small parcel @ £9.84.
I rang a friend who does not follow internet fora and he knew nothing about it. Even my local post office knew nothing about it until less than a week beforehand.

This is where the confusion lies, large letters are still available and can be purchased over the counter or online - the change to small parcels appears to be only for those using a business account with RM and even then I'm not sure

https://www.royalmail.com/price-finder

large letter up to 250g to Zone 3 USA currently shows as £5.30.

Pierre_De_Grenoble

soolin said:

This is where the confusion lies, large letters are still available and can be purchased over the counter or online - the change to small parcels appears to be only for those using a business account with RM and even then I'm not sure

https://www.royalmail.com/price-finder

large letter up to 250g to Zone 3 USA currently shows as £5.30.

I believe that a large letter has to be just that, a letter or a photograph or similar. anything else has to go as a small parcel. I'm sure I've seen that and that the rate applies to all users and not just business accounts.
I'll ask them in my local just what their "memo" says and come back with their answer. Perhaps Custardy can give a definitive answer.

Spoonie_Turtle

Pierre_De_Grenoble said:

soolin said:

This is where the confusion lies, large letters are still available and can be purchased over the counter or online - the change to small parcels appears to be only for those using a business account with RM and even then I'm not sure

https://www.royalmail.com/price-finder

large letter up to 250g to Zone 3 USA currently shows as £5.30.

I believe that a large letter has to be just that, a letter or a photograph or similar. anything else has to go as a small parcel. I'm sure I've seen that and that the rate applies to all users and not just business accounts.
I'll ask them in my local just what their "memo" says and come back with their answer. Perhaps Custardy can give a definitive answer.

The online, public price finder still has LL options for USA - £5.30 for 101-250g.