[0xddd]

How do these companies perform compared to the USPS? Just knowing that they're privatized without any mention of customer satisfaction, cost, or other comparative metrics doesn't say much about whether it's a good idea. (I don't believe anyone's main contention is that it's "novel")

[bhupy]

I think it's certainly worth comparing which model produces more superior outcomes. We ought to compare the per capita expenditure, and the median delivery time.

But also regardless of which is better, why is it all-or-nothing? Why can't UPS/Amazon/FedEx/DHL ALSO co-exist with the USPS? Today, they are prohibited from delivering any first class mail to a mailbox, by law.

[vinay427]

I think that would be fine if they also gave a mandate to deliver letters at a fixed price regardless of destination. Otherwise, USPS gets left being forced to serve costly and inaccessible rural destinations while private companies don't bother serving those customers or charge far higher rates there.

[chrisseaton]

The Royal Mail will usually deliver a letter anywhere in the country next-day for a 76p. Can't really ask for more than that in my opinion.