Pitney Bowes Shutting Down

[WittyWiseDesigns]

I'm incredibly concerned. I just read that Pitney Bowes filed for bankruptcy and will be ceasing operations by 2025. This presents a major issue for sticker sellers as we ship our stickers using the Etsy letter mail option, which uses Pitney Bowes for tracking. 

Has Etsy addressed this or provided any alternatives. As sellers we are required to ship using tracking, and it's not possible for us to sell a $5 sticker and use a bubble mailer or flat rate shipping option that would be more than the cost of the sticker itself. If we ship via regular stamps with no tracking, that means we would essentially never qualify for star seller again. I'm concerned that this could ultimately have a negative effect on our stores. Does anyone have any insight or alternatives. More importantly, why hasn't Etsy already addressed this?!?

[sweetgrassprints]

good point.  I wish there was a solution.  I will not be able ship stickers for $4.

[Adorabilities]

More importantly, why hasn't Etsy already addressed this?!?

Because it hasn't happened yet. Ground Advantage replaced First Class and Parcel Select over a year ago, and they still haven't gotten around to adjusting all of the shipping profiles to correct that. 

I sell supplies, which cannot be shipped with a stamp, and can tell you that people will spend $5 shipping on a $5 item. Of course it's better to be able to ship flat items with stamps, but if the worst happens (no more letters with tracking) then you shouldn't lose all of your sales. 

[Adorabilities]

Hopefully they will be able to find an alternative. One would be to partner with letter-track, which offers a tracking service similar to PB. It's not free, though. (It's also not currently accepted as legitimate tracking here.)

[AnchorRoadVintage]

Wow.  Hopefully some other entity steps up to the plate. I send probably 30% of my items that way. 

ETA: it looks like it’s not PB itself but their global shipping division, which does not affect domestic letter mail. 

[BagmakerSupply]

@WittyWiseDesigns: According to official reports, Pitney Bowes is NOT ceasing operations, it is merely selling off a money losing eCommerce subsidiary and plans to continue in its core business - postage and postage meters. https://www.investorrelations.pitneybowes.com/news-releases/news-release-details/pitney-bowes-announ...

[PrimFun]

Etsy will just look for another source or Pitney Bowes will be bought out by someone or they will reorganize and come out stronger.  Just because they file bankruptcy does not mean they will go away.  Often businesses file in order to reorganize.

[moonbeamgifts]

Perhaps one of the two new shipping options that Etsy suddenly brought on board this week will have a solution?