Hi Frank:
While the lower rates remain, as Denton pointed out, there are severe
restrictions on getting insurance for some types of e-mail. I would imagine
that a dealer could generalize and say that a particular "service is
unavailable" if they are unable to insure their packages. For example, in
sending to The Netherlands, there is a $43 insurance limit and the package has
to be wrapped in brown paper, least the sender be willing to go with Global
Express Mail, which get handled by KLM air cargo and gets a customs going
over.
Caution: The International Rate Calculator at the USPS WWW site, outside of
the fact that it is typically down, has not not been programmed the same way
the little black computers at the post offices are programmed. In another
words, the International Rate Calculator will show that some combination of
shipping method and insurance is possible, but once you get to the post office
you will find that the combination isn't possible. The most typical reason
for this is the inability of the USPS to handle a package that has multiple
serial numbers (like a tracking number AND a insurance claim number).
Having said this, I must add that holiday service by the USPS was exemplary.
They contracted out Priority Mail and I know of numerous cases of hand
delivery to the door, even on Christmas Day (which was supposed to only be
available for Express Mail). One of my Chicago to Las Vegas Priority Mail
packages even arrived in Las Vegas the day it was mailed in Chicago. In
contrast, I am still waiting on United Parcel Service to deliver a package
sent the Monday before Christmas. And a neighbor has to wait till Jan. 4th
for redelivery on a UPS package containing a camera she bought for her
Christmas trip (now over). And she was face to face with the delivery man on
his 3rd attempt, but he never came back from the truck with her package.
Gary Reese
Las Vegas, NV
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