stamps.com - Jean Moore msg

[Luminita]

Dear Jean and Dear All

Related to stamps.com - since I used the service for over 2 years, I can say a few things from that experience.

1. It is extremely convenient to be able to print postage when you the user want to do it. 
2. stamps.com "service" - meaning the technological software that connects from the user's computer to the intelligence the postoffice described in terms of business rules - is still not working properly, and it has unexpected glitches.
3. the post office is trying different business models, to see which one fits better. stamps.com has a monthly subscription, regardless of much volume of business is completed. endicia.com has no subscription, but less discount when printing postage.
4. the service is designed modular, but the hardware is not always have seamless integration, hence another area where things can go wrong
5. once printed on the printer, the label can jam, but the value of its face is taken from the balance of the account. Then you have to request a refunt, and that takes 3 weeks. If it happens to a large batch of postage with high face value - you whole entire account is basically useless. I mean like hundreds of dollars look like they are spent, when in fact you are waiting for a refund.
6. the notification to a destinee in endicia.com goes out as soon as a postage label is printed if that individual is subscribed to the post office notification. And if the label goes wrong during printing, the destinee gets notified each and every time something changes. a nightmare of notifications that are not needed. The design of the system still needs more work, test, etc.
7. It is easy to keep accounting using such a system.
8. it can be accessible on the internet by anyone with an account. We are now experiencing that.
9. recently I used endicia.com heavily, and the service to connect still runs through stamps.com, I have no idea how they are intermixed since I don't look at the code, but refunds for misprinted labels came both from stamps.com and endicia.com, even though I only have an endicia account. 
10. the volume I worked with was heavy, so hanginig for 3-4 weeks to get $600 refunded was not a good situation
11. it helped with international paperwork, but it is not seamless, I still had to go to the post office to square away some of the quirks.
12. sending contents that need to be insured for more than $50 is also a problem, stamps.com makes you sign your life away that you are sending a valuable item. And it charges a lot.
13. it saves time for a small operation, hands down
14. it is not quite there yet, still needs rework on some of its aspects.
15. for me - the next step will be integration of the ordering system to the fulfillment system, and that is the part where I hope to make most gains. Person orders on line, types all the info, system places order, creates cust in endicia.com and prints label based on the order contents. At this point is where the true savings come into play being realized.

Since Arnold had the main account - I was not part of any negotiations with stamps.com, I only resolved some of the technical problems that came into existence when I used an iOS for my platform. Even today, the services on the iOS do not work the same, and they are meant for a Windows computer. 

All this was and is my experience with stamps.com and endicia.com hope it helps for you to see that only competitioin would make this type of service available in a convenient way, work being done only once. Type in an order, address, and everything else should be created by the system from that point on. We are not there, and the physical item that needs postal services still needs to be kitted correctly. 

We are on the way to get there.

Regards,
Luminita
Message: 1
Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2022 11:09:08 -0400
From: Jean Moore <jean-moore@atlanticbb.net>
To: pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net
Subject: [pbs] Mailing BX/SX via Stamps.com
Message-ID: <dbeebc65-f0ed-3bc1-dcff-c6da3509b2c6@atlanticbb.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed
The use of <stamps.com> it seems to me, undercuts one of the US's oldest 
government functions. (Yes, I know they are a licensed "partner."}? 
After the initial 4-week trial, it costs $17.99 per month membership. 
Unless PBS does enough mailings to take advantage of their discounted 
label printing, etc., it is a scam. I strongly disapprove. My 2cents' 
worth. --Jean Moore