Thank god I haven’t had that happen yet. I’ve had Amazon give above-and-beyond customer service twice recently. They gave me discounts and credits I wasn’t even asking for. I hope it doesn’t go down the drain but I suppose at some point it’s bound to happen.
USPS negotiates rates with companies that engage in bulk transactions at scale. The claim that Amazon is ripping off the USPS is... well that's "fake news":
> [Amazons] rates are kept under wraps. That said, we do know the Amazon deal is at least a break-even venture.
> That’s because the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act made it illegal for USPS to price parcel delivery below its cost.
I didn't read it as "Amazon is ripping off the USPS" but rather "Amazon is benefiting from the USPS needing to deliver everywhere in the US, even places where UPS wouldn't deliver".
I live three blocks from the post office, my grandma lives 25 miles and down a dirt road from her nearest post office. It's hard to argue that my deliveries cost the same as hers, yet we pay the same price for postage.
--edit: I hold no opinion either way on the subject, just clarifying based on what I understood from reading it.
"Amazon is benefiting from the postal service's reliable, universal delivery" seems like one of those stock phrases we tout out as to why investing in infrastructure is a good idea.
My understanding is that this argument is not a particularly good one.
I may be incorrect, but my understanding is that while Amazon pays a discounted rate, this is the same as any other bulk shipper for USPS, and in fact, without Amazon, many routes would not be profitable for USPS without Amazon.