UPDATE: Deflection Standards

The USPS has notified Brown Printing Company they will be publishing an internal news letter this month to all of their Bulk Mail Entry employees instructing them to be proactive with feedback to any mailer of not only flats that fail deflection (aka droop) but those flats that come close to not meeting the standards.

The Postal Service intends to have a "deflection standard communication blitz" and provide feedback to those mailers who either minimally meet standards or who fail deflection.

All catalogers and publications will be encouraged to contact their local Mailpiece Design Analyst [Link] for help in meeting the standard.

Remember, the penalty for noncompliant mailpieces takes effect October 3rd. Click here for more information on the basic deflection standards.

ACS Download Changes

All users of Address Correction Service (ACS) who pull their information from the RIBBS website need to be aware of an upcoming policy change. Beginning on Monday, August 16, all ACS Fulfillment files older than 95 days will be deleted. Subsequent ACS fulfillment files will automatically be deleted after 95 days as well. Please plan accordingly.

Rate Increase Will Hurt USPS

USPS Seeks Dismissal of Pricing Protest

a war of words has started between the USPS and the Affordable Mail Alliance (AMA). Saying the Affordable Mail Alliance made “manifestly misleading comparisons” and advanced a “strained and fatally flawed interpretation” of existing law, the U.S. Postal Service issued a press release asking the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) to deny an alliance request to dismiss the Postal Service’s current pricing request. It states, “The Commission should refuse the Alliance’s invitation to ‘go through the looking glass,’ deny the motion and proceed to a consideration of whether the Postal Service’s requested rate increases are ‘reasonable, equitable and necessary.”

The Postal Service filed recommended price changes with the Postal Regulatory Commission on July 6th, providing data and evidence that “exceptional and extraordinary circumstances” exist, allowing the Postal Service to seek prices above the current 0.6 percent Consumer Price Index cap. The AMA last week asked the PRC to deny the request. The Postal Service motion lists a number of mistakes, misrepresentations and misinformation with the AMA’s request.

Source: USPS & AMA

Bill Introduces 12 Postal Holidays

Congressman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), introduced HR 5919, a bill that would grant USPS Postmaster General the authority to implement up to twelve “postal holidays” per year in order to reduce USPS operating costs. According to the bill, the Postmaster General would select days in which delivered mail volume is historically lower than normal.

By reducing the number of delivery days, USPS will be able to achieve savings by reducing work hours. Congressman Chaffetz states, “While my bill will help to reform its dire financial situation, there is no silver bullet that will solve the Postal Service’s financial problems. Postal holidays are one of many steps needed to reform the Postal System.

Source: Postal Reporter