As eBay and its seller community know, we need a strong, stable postal system to power ecommerce. Affordable and efficient shipping options are critical for eBay sellers to remain competitive.

Recently the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) – the government agency that oversees Postal Service rate changes – began a review of the rules that determine how the USPS manages its costs. Unfortunately, some in the mailing industry were lobbying the PRC to set a higher price floor for package delivery so that the Postal Service would be forced to increase package delivery rates. So we did something about it.

In February we launched a petition to give eBay customers an opportunity to make their voices heard on this subject. Over 30,000 eBay community members signed the petition asking the PRC to keep postal prices low and eliminate requirements that the USPS increase package shipping prices to cover “institutional” costs. The petition was closed on March 2, and filed with the PRC for consideration as it determines whether or not to make changes to pricing requirements for package delivery.

Additionally, eBay filed separate comments with the PRC on March 20, reinforcing the significance of the petition and urging the Commission to support policies that promote steadiness in USPS products and operations.

We will continue to keep you informed of important postal policies via eBay Main Street. And the eBay Government Relations team will continue to advocate for fair and reasonable shipping policies for our buyers and sellers.