IMPORTANT SHIPPING UPDATE - AUGUST 2023

As part of the July 9th 2023 Rate Change, USPS merged First Class Package, USPS Retail Ground, and Parcel Select Ground under one combined Ground Advantage name.

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Ground Advantage is advertised like so, based on various articles and the official USPS public release statements. Here is one example from a July 10th, 2023 USPS media release:

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USPS Ground Advantage Key Features

• Packages delivered in 2-5 business days across the continental United States.

• Free package pickup service at home or in-office.

• Business customers can use USPS Ground Advantage return service as a convenient option for customers who need to send items back.

• $100 insurance included on USPS Ground Advantage and USPS Ground Advantage Return packages. Customers can purchase up to $5,000 in additional coverage.

• To bring USPS Ground Advantage to market, the Postal Service is launching an integrated marketing campaign through the fall leveraging Direct Mail, digital, search, social and radio to reach every American business.

Where to Find USPS Ground Advantage

• Available now wherever customers ship from including all 34,000 Post Offices or on Click-N-Ship. 

• USPS Ground Advantage is available for shippers of all sizes who want reliable domestic ground shipping to all 50 states, PO Boxes, APOs FPOs, DPOs, U.S. military bases, territories, and Freely Associated States.

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It is essentially advertised as having almost the same shipping times, albeit slightly slower, and very similar shipping rates as the prior USPS First-Class package. Lots of hyperbolic words are used, describing the new service as "packages in 2-5 business days", "simple", "game changer", and "reliable".

However, what these multiple media releases fail to mention is a crucial portion that affects my business, as I am based in an "an offshore location" (Guam):

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[Previously], the Postal Service indicated that current FCPS (First-Class Package Service) offshore service standards would be applied to all USPS Ground Advantage parcels; that is, that all USPS Ground Advantage parcels, including those originating from and those destinating to offshore locations (e.g., Alaska and Hawaii), would receive a service standard of 2-5 days.

Based on further review and assessment of customer needs and operational feasibility, when the new USPS Ground Advantage product is implemented on July 9, 2023, the Postal Service now intends to retain, for parcels that: (1) weigh 1 pound and above, and (2) originate from or destinate to offshore locations, the service standards currently assigned to RG and PSG parcels originating from or destinating to offshore locations. PRC Legal Notice filed April 2023

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Essentially, packages under 16 oz (or 1 lbs / 0.45 kg) will be able to be shipped through air, similar to the old First-Class service. Packages over 1 lbs using Ground Advantage will be sent through ocean cargo freight, leaving a gaping wait hole of 6+ weeks to arrive from Guam to the US mainland, including Hawaii. Due to the (respectfully, outdated) Jones Act of 1920, this will affect international orders as well.

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Most of your products are below 1 lbs, so why the concern?

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When it comes to machine sorting, there's never a guarantee. There is, and always has been, room for error. However, when it came to USPS First-Class, no matter the weight, packages were always sent through air. With Ground Advantage, the machine now has to sort through whether the packages get sent by air or sea. This leaves a larger room for error, especially when the Post Office becomes backlogged and overcrowded (e.g. during natural disasters, holiday seasons, etc).

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While most Ground packages will be received within 7-10 days from Guam to other US locations, there is now a possibility the package may accidentally get sent through cargo, meaning there is a chance your Ground Advantage package may take 6+ weeks to arrive.

Possibly more if you are ordering from an international country. This error in sorting has already happened to my shop with some orders, and I have taken steps to address it with each customer affected. Because of this, necessary adjustments to my refund and replacement policies will be made to account for orders using Ground Advantage if they do not arrive in the initial expected time period.

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With the removal of First-Class as an option for Guam, your only options to order packages now are either Ground or Priority Mail. Priority Mail guarantees arrival by air. The downside is it costs more than before, the prices up to $7.64-$10.07+ USD based on your location. For international orders, prices remain the same as of now.

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As disappointed as I am with this very impactful change, my opinion doesn't matter and won't change the new USPS policies and shipping service. All I can do now is work around it and hope I can continue to find moderate prosperity as a small online shop who has tried to keep things reasonably affordable. I hope to continue to provide new content in the future regardless of the ongoing changes to services I rely on. Thank you for reading, and for your support over the last year.