Following reports of hoverboard fires around the country, the U.S. Postal Service will only ship the recreational gizmos by ground transportation, slower than other services.

Hoverboards are skateboards without wheels, first depicted in the films Back To The Future Part II and Back To The Future Part III. In real life, they are self-balancing scooters with wheels at each end of the board.

On Wednesday, December 16, 2015, the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a stern warning about hoverboards, and said it is investigating the problem “to find the root cause of the fire hazard, how much of a risk it might present, and to provide consumers with answers as soon as possible.”

“Every consumer who is riding a hoverboard, who purchased one to give as a gift during the holidays, or who is thinking about buying one deserves to know if there is a safety defect.”

Later in the day, the USPS announced the restrictions:

[press release]
2016 regulated postage stamp rates to remain at current levels

OTTAWA, Dec 16, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ – Consumer-facing regulated postage stamp rates will not increase in January 2016.

Increases previously announced in July 2015 will not proceed pending a Government of Canada review of Canada Post, as outlined in the mandate letter for the Minister of Public Services and Procurement. As a result, the current rates for Domestic Lettermail, U.S. and International Letter-post items (letters, cards and postcards destined for the United States and other international destinations) and Domestic Registered Mail will remain in effect for 2016.

PermanentTM stamps for Domestic Lettermail items weighing 30 grams or less will remain at the current rate of $0.85 when purchased in a booklet, coil or pane. The price of a single stamp will remain $1.00.

The regulated postage stamp rates impacted by this decision are largely geared to consumers because they apply to regular letters, cards and postcards. Non-regulated rates for items like parcels, direct mail and large-volume mailings of letters will continue to see competitive rate changes take effect in early 2016.

Canada Post estimates the average Canadian household purchases approximately two postage stamps per month while the typical small business purchases fewer than 250 postage stamps per year.

[press release]
Post Offices Open Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve Many Will Close Early Dec. 24, Collection Box Mail May Be Collected Earlier

WASHINGTON – Post Offices nationwide will be open Christmas Eve, Thursday, Dec. 24, but many will shorten retail lobby hours and close at noon. Post Offices will be open regular hours on New Year’s Eve. Mail delivery will be unaffected.

Revised hours will be posted at each Post Office, and commercial customers are asked to check with their business mail entry units for specific information about holiday hours of operation. Blue collection boxes having final collection times before 12 p.m. will not be affected. However, boxes with final collection times scheduled after 12 p.m. may be picked up early. Therefore, mail should be deposited into these mailboxes by 12 p.m. for early pickup on Dec. 24 and Dec. 31. Customers requiring postal services later on Christmas Eve are encouraged to contact their local Post Office. Customers also may call 1.800.ASK.USPS for additional information.

Areas where Post Offices may have different hours from this schedule will issue local media announcements specific to their locations. Post Offices will be closed Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. Only Priority Mail Express will be delivered on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. All Post Offices will be open and regular mail delivery will resume Dec. 26 and Jan. 2.

Additional holiday information can be found at usps.com/holidaynews. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.”

[press release]
Postal Service’s Holiday-Themed Stamps Available at usps.com

WASHINGTON — The Postal Service has more than a billion Holiday themed stamps in stock from previous years, and has printed 800 million more to help Americans celebrate this year’s holiday season. Customers may purchase them now at usps.com/shop at this link or by calling 1-800-STAMP24 (1-800-782-6724).

“This is an exciting time of year when Americans share greetings with family, friends and loved ones,” said Postal Service Stamp Services Acting Director Mary-Anne Penner. “Our vast assortment of holiday-themed stamps are sure to fit everyone’s needs. And by ordering them online, you can save a trip to the Post Office.”

Here’s an alphabetical list of stamps available this year: A Charlie Brown Christmas; Geometric Snowflakes; Gingerbread Houses; Hanukkah; Holiday Baubles; Holy Family; Kwanzaa; Madonna of the Candelabra by Raphael; Neon Celebrate!; Poinsettia; Virgin and Child by Jan Gossaert; and, Winter Fun.

In response to a VSC query, “Rudolph, item 680404, is still available by phone at SFS (1800STAMP-24).”

[press release]
World’s Largest Post Office Does More Business Than Post Offices in Top Five Media Markets Combined
Usps.com Sales Eclipse $1 Billion

WASHINGTON — Customers are always at the front of the line at this Post Office that never closes. With a click of the mouse customers can conveniently ship from their homes to any location by scheduling a next-day package pickup — saving a trip to the Post Office.

During fiscal 2015 (Oct. 1, 2014-Sept. 30, 2015) usps.com generated more than $1 billion in sales — a major milestone for the 15-year-old site. The sales exceeded that of all Post Offices combined in the following media markets: New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Dallas.

“We’re everywhere so you can be anywhere,” said U.S. Postal Service Acting Chief Marketing and Sales Officer Jim Cochrane. “With usps.com, your Post Office is as close as your desktop or smartphone, so doing business with us is fast and convenient during this busy holiday season and all year long. Our dedicated employees are ready to serve customers with prompt service at nearly 32,000 Post Offices nationwide. We also provide convenient access at more than 70,000 grocery stores, drug stores, office supply stores, ATMs and other locations where customers can buy stamps and other postal products.”

Usps.com can provide virtually any service offered at a brick-and-mortar Post Office.

• Track Packages — My USPS is an easier way to receive updates for incoming packages with real-time delivery notifications which are available within a few minutes of the delivery scan for select packages. My USPS filters updates for all incoming packages in one central dashboard, which is accessible on mobile devices and desktop computers.
• Purchase Shipping and Mailing Supplies — Visit the Postal Store to purchase the Charlie Brown Forever stamps and other stamps to use for the holiday season, and order free shipping supplies, including boxes.
• Schedule a Free Package Pickup — Schedule a Pickup, and a carrier will get the package during regular delivery. Multiple pickups can be requested once an account is created on usps.com.
• Ship Packages — Consumers can use Click-N-Ship as a stress-free tool to pay and print postage for holiday gifts from a mobile device or desktop computer. Sign up to start creating shipping labels and pay for the postage online.
• Hold Mail — Going away? Take advantage of the Request Hold Mail Service. All your mail is kept safely at the local Post Office until you return.
• Forward Mail — For a fee, mail can be held, packaged, and shipped weekly by Priority Mail using Premium Forward Service.
• Ship Internationally — Depending upon the type of service selected, save money off retail prices when printing a shipping label from home. Use the built-in address form to transfer information into country-specific customs forms.
• Calculate Postage — The postage price calculator provides estimates for sending packages, domestically or internationally.

Customers can do all of this — all from the comfort of their homes — by going to usps.com, or downloading USPS Mobile on iOS or Android devices. These services can be accessed with the tap of a finger.

Customers can complete the steps to change an address on the USPS mobile app by simply clicking on the Change of Address icon. This convenient feature for USPS Mobile customers is in addition to others, including: USPS Tracking, My USPS, Ship Online, Buy Stamps, Find a Post Office Location, Calculate (or Look Up) Prices, ZIP Codes, Schedule a Pickup and Hold Mail.

Delivering for the Holidays
The Postal Service expects to deliver more than 15.5 billion cards, letters, flats, and packages during the 2015 holiday season. In addition, USPS is projecting that approximately 600 million packages will be delivered between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve — an increase of 10.5 percent over last year’s volume.

In time for the holidays, the Postal Service is offering real-time delivery notifications. Customers who sign up for alerts at My USPS will receive an email or text notification for select packages within a few minutes of the delivery scan.

For additional news and updates throughout the season, visit the USPS Holiday Newsroom.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.