From what I can ascertain, there is no workaround as this is a permanent change. Paypal, Ebay, Amazon, and stamps.com have all made the change. The first class international package rate has been discontinued as of 1/21. The change gets triggered depending on how you categorize your package contents in the customs form. Before the change, anything you shipped fell in to what they called the "package/international flat" rate. Now, the only way you can get the previous rate is if you choose "document" as your package content. Anything else, including merchandise, gift, or commercial sample, kicks you to the new rate. Depending on where you're shipping, I've seen a rate change of up to 154% (4 oz to Netherlands, increased from $5.10 to $13.00). In other cases, the change was only 66% (8 oz to UK, increase from $8.00 to $13.30). The only way I see around this is if enough people complain and USPS changes their practice. This is absolutely absurd and will impact a lot of business. Everyone, including me, has gotten used to the annual increases of a few cents. That's called inflation and it's the cost of doing business. But to increase postage rates by 154%, with no warning that I ever received, is beyond the pale.
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