USPS First-Class Mail Parcel option missing at checkout

I just noticed that the USPS First-Class Mail Parcel option is missing at checkout on our website. I know last year (2012) in January the USPS during their price increase changed the First-Class Mail Package to First-Class Mail Parcel and for that reason the option disappeared from our carts. We had to go in and change the name manually in /catalog/model/shipping/usps.php

They just changed the prices again and I'm wondering if my disappearance of the First-Class Mail Parcel option at checkout is due to something they've done and haven't announced yet.

My last order with First-Class Mail Parcel was two days ago - Feb 12, 2013. It must have disappeared between then and now. It is activated in the shipping module. I tried to activate all of the First-Class options - nothing showed. But, Priority and Express are showing fine.

I was wondering if anyone else has noticed this on their website. If, yes, how did you fix it?

Never mind. Fixed... for now.

I got a tip via PM that all First-Class is up to 13 ounces and I went in to check again. There was no option to check for weight/change weight. So couldn't do anything about that. Interesting thing thought, there is a drop-down that''s set to pounds (and it must stay in "pounds", it says) and I changed that to ounces, saved, and then back to pounds and all of a sudden the First-Class Mail Parcel appeared.

Very strange.. At least I can't explain it. May be cache issue.. Or it could have been something USPS were doing temporarily and restored back to normal... I'll probably never know..

Alright. First-Class Mail Parcel disappeared again. Couldn't make it show up this time. Emailed USPS and (a couple of days later of course) I got an email saying this:

"..The reason that you are not seeing First-Class Mail Parcel is because that service is no longer available as of January 27, 2013. The new service replaced First-Class Mail Parcel is Standard Post so now that has changed your coding of your web site. Your third party Open Cart will need to update your coding and update the information to now include Standard Post."

The same game again. We went through this in the beginning of 2012 when they made a change to this shipping option (they slightly changed the name if I remember it was First-Class Mail Post instead of Parcel) and our OCarts stopped showing First-Class domestic option during check out.

Back then the solution was to change the name to the new one in a couple of files (the solution was here viewtopic.php?f=20&t=50037#p237915). I want to believe that this time the solution will be the same - edit these two files to reflect the new name "Standard Post". Nonetheless, I will wait a couple of days to see if I'll get any replies to this with any other opinions/advice on how to address this USPS update.

subscribed for resolution
also it seems that the Priority mail option is WAAAAY over priced.
We sell only 1 type of good on our site, when we ship via ebay and such priority is about $10, onthe website its pulling up $34

The Priority shipping is priced about right on our website. It may be a good idea to email USPS and have them check out Webtools account and see if everything is working correctly on their side.

Were you guys able to find a solution to the First Class Mail issue? Bg-foxx, seems like you were on to something. What did you do kevtheirish?

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ponch329 wrote:Were you guys able to find a solution to the First Class Mail issue? Bg-foxx, seems like you were on to something. What did you do kevtheirish?

I THINK I have my pricing issue worked out, for some reason immed AFTER I called USPS, the issue resolved itself. I literally didnt touch ANYTHING on my end... o well...

Wish I could be more help