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Deutsche Post: Postage costs to increase by ‘up to 400 percent’

The Local Germany
The Local Germany - [email protected]
Deutsche Post: Postage costs to increase by ‘up to 400 percent’
Photo: DPA

Small goods, such as CDs and DVDs, can no longer be sent as ordinary mail - while standard costs for cards, letters and postcards are expected to rise by five to ten cents on April 1st.

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Back in the closing days of last year, The Local brought you a list of everything that was set to change in Germany in 2019. 

Tip of the week: Everything you need to know about sending mail in Germany

While postal cost increases were not on the list, for anyone familiar with the German postage system further increases can only be assumed. As reported by Die Welt, the only way for German postage prices is up.

Only one month after the last cost increase - the cost for a package under five kilograms went up by 50 cents on January 1st - prices are set to rise again come April.

The cost of the standard postage stamp is expected to increase from the current 70 cents by either five or ten cents, Authorities have not yet announced an exact amount.

Package prices going up

Letters sent abroad through Deutsche Post will furthermore only be able to contain documents.

If they contain goods such as CDs or DVDs, they need to be sent as a package with Deutsche Post subsidy DHL, which could result in a cost increase of up to 400 percent, reported Die Welt.

There are also significant increases depending on the country in question. Costs to send packages to the US have increased considerably, with small packages now four times more expensive than they previously were, or €15.89.

Consequences of the increase

As has been reported by Welt, a consequence of the prices going up could be that people in Germany will end up keeping more unwanted goods they've ordered online - as the cost to return goods to China, the US and elsewhere abroad will be higher than the amount they originally spent on them. 

Deutsche Post says the price increase is necessary to keep up with costs. The Universal Postal Union, which represents 192 member countries, recommended an increase in the costs for sending goods via a letter. 

Not everyone is so happy with the decision. "Deutsche Post did not adequately communicate this new regulation and, in my opinion, deliberately hid it on its website," said Steffen Persiel, who runs the Paketda.de information portal which compares parcel senders.

The portal Campact.de has furthermore launched a petition against the price increases and collected several thousand signatures.

More packages being sent abroad

More and more goods being sent from abroad has also increased the costs locally. It is estimated that in 2018, more than 100 million small packages were sent from outside the EU to Germany last year.

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Although the price increases have been encouraged at an EU level, there are several other member countries who have so far indicated they will not be following suit.

Austria, Italy, Poland and Spain are among the countries who will not be complying, while the United Kingdom has also indicated it will continue to allow small goods to be sent by letter. 

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[email protected] 2019/02/05 12:01
I agree with Artemy. Someone should have proof-read this article. "regardless of the destination country, while now such packages....????"
[email protected] 2019/02/04 13:09
It would be nice to proofread the articles at least to avoid unfinished sentences. Also while it is not the case here spellchecking can be easily automated.

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