August 31, 06

NEWS / New UPS store improves services, but at a cost for students via P.O. boxes

New UPS store improves services, but at a cost for students via P.O. boxes
By Genavee Brown
Contributing writer

August 31, 2006

After opening last January, the new UPS store on campus is starting its first full year of operation with a laundry list of services and conveniences that can guarantee students (and parents) quicker and safer mailing services. However, these improvements come at the cost of a price increase for individual student P.O. boxes.

???There??™s been a slight increase in the price [for P.O. boxes],??? said Kristina Nicholas, the branch manager at the UPS Store.

???It comes with all of the new services that we??™ve started offering, including taking, holding and organizing packages from UPS, DHL and FedEx.???

According to Hank Kronbach, owner of the store, the old post office did not accept all packages, which were left outside dorm rooms instead of signed in and held at the office.

For an off-campus student to keep their P.O. box at the UPS store there??™s a cost of $75 a year (also available for a six-month period at half the price). This is a rise by about $20 from last year, according to Nicholas.

In comparison, the Winston-Salem Post Office, on Patterson Avenue, charges $72 for a year rental for a similar sized box, but also has smaller boxes available for as low as $40 a year.

The rise of box prices applies to on campus students as well. As residential students are required to have an on-campus P.O. box, the cost is lumped in with their other housing costs, making the rise much less noticeable for many students.

???It??™s the exact same price for all students,??? said Nicholas. ???When you live off campus, it??™s just a much more direct cost, and some students decide they don??™t want the service since they??™ve got another place to have things sent.???

The UPS store has brought to students several conveniences which weren??™t offered before the change. The move-in and move-out services are offered to help students who move from long distances.

The move-in service allows students to ship their personal items up to a month in advance. The items are held for them and then delivered to the correct dorm on the move-in day. Move-out services include shipping personal items home and even storing items you won??™t need over the summer in a climate controlled warehouse.

The post office also offers services standard to UPS stores across the country, such as color copies, passports, notary public and packaging supplies. Ensuring safe and efficient delivery, all items shipped from the store receive a tracking number, as well as a free $100 insurance policy in case it is damaged or lost.

While the USPS office only accepted checks and cash, the new UPS stores has opened up the options to credit cards and Deacon Dollars as well.

Editor in Chief Dave Chace contributed to this article.

Tags: notary public, notary,