We don't compete with the post office. It is a service we provide. I do not sell stamps at all. I do meter first class and priority mail. I pay the post office to pick my mail up. I do not receive a better rate than anyone else that uses the post office. I markup the postal rates. My customers know that. On the other hand UPS competes with me for the same client.
UPS mandates what my rates are. I can not change them. UPS then charges different rates on the internet. The post office still charges the same rate whether it is on the website or their counter. UPS counters are different than the internet rates.
Here is the difference between what I am mandated to charge for shipping and how UPS undercuts me for shipping via the interent.
Next Day Air is 11% difference
2 Day Air is 24% difference
Ground is 27% difference.
UPS in the article in the Wall Street Journal this week says that there is only a 5% difference in the rates. If you go to UPS's website you can do the math for yourself. So who is lying here? The UPS Stores or UPS?
Now this does not take into consideration that UPS has access to our customer databases and took from them the names and addresses of our customers. These customers were approached by UPS account representatives and enticed into their own shipping account. Thus cutting me out of selling UPS services to servicing UPS customers with out fair and equitable compensation. You see I get a whole dollar for servicing UPS account holders.
UPS has been caught doing the things I have written about. We received a letter from a Jerry Drisdaldi about how this was never suppose to happen and how sorry they were. Did they compensate the stores for this loss? No. Did they offer better shipping rates to us? No. You know what they told us? They said we need to start focusing on Document Services because shipping will not support our business.

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Hey I bought a pack and ship business. I did not buy a Pip Printing franchise I bought a UPS Store franchise. Do you think people go to Pip Printing to ship their items or do they go there to print their documents?
So do you go to The UPS Store to print your documents or do you go there to ship your items?
Do you see where the rub is? This is called bait and switch.
Now to add insult to injury UPS after they get these folks to switch from retail customers to UPS account holders they offer them a 15% discount in my store. You know the store that I own. The store that I paid cold hard cash for. UPS uses our money and investments to better their bottom line with out any consideration for the franchisees and their bottom line. You see when it is all said and done to keep the doors open and the lights on you have got to make a profit. Vendors want their money including the checks I send to UPS and none of those checks that pay to keep the lights on and the doors open say UPS on them. They have my name.
I pay UPS a royalty fee which is a percentage of my Adjusted Gross to them for having a sign that says The UPS Store. They did not pay for the sign I did. They do not pay for the computers, mailboxes, carpet, counters, the trash cans, utilities, insurance or the employees. I do.
Do I think I would do better without UPS? I know I would be a lot happier and I would be in control of my business.