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The postal service is badly mismanaged. Forty years ago, [#permalink]
 31 Oct 2006, 08:22
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The postal service is badly mismanaged. Forty years ago, first-class letter delivery cost only three cents. Since then, the price has increased nearly tenfold, with an actual decrease in the speed and reliability of service.
Each of the following statements, if true, would tend to weaken the argument above EXCEPT:
(A) The volume of mail handled by the postal service has increased dramatically over the last forty years.
(B) Unprecedented increases in the cost of fuel for trucks and planes have put severe upward pressures on postal delivery costs.
(C) Private delivery services usually charge more than does the postal service for comparable delivery charges.
(D) The average delivery time for a first-class letter four decades ago was actually slightly longer than it is today.
(E) The average level of consumer prices overall has increased more than 300 percent over the last forty years.
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Manager
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C is my answer. It seems to be out of scope so it does't really weaken the argument.
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Director
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Yes C
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One more C
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One more C
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Re: CR: Price increases [#permalink]
31 Oct 2006, 12:22
ak_idc wrote: The postal service is badly mismanaged. Forty years ago, first-class letter delivery cost only three cents. Since then, the price has increased nearly tenfold, with an actual decrease in the speed and reliability of service.
Each of the following statements, if true, would tend to weaken the argument above EXCEPT:
(A) The volume of mail handled by the postal service has increased dramatically over the last forty years.
(B) Unprecedented increases in the cost of fuel for trucks and planes have put severe upward pressures on postal delivery costs.
(C) Private delivery services usually charge more than does the postal service for comparable delivery charges.
(D) The average delivery time for a first-class letter four decades ago was actually slightly longer than it is today.
(E) The average level of consumer prices overall has increased more than 300 percent over the last forty years.
D for me.
C actually weakens the argument by saying that the Postal Deliv service is NOT so costly after all because the Pvt ones are even costlier.
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Manager
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C from me.
Comparision between private delivery services and postal services is outside the scope of the argument.
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C for me.
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Manager
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C for me 2
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Director
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C or E
I prefer E because even though average inflation is about 3 fold postal office went up 10 fold.
E
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Re: CR: Price increases [#permalink]
01 Nov 2006, 21:55
dwivedys wrote: ak_idc wrote: The postal service is badly mismanaged. Forty years ago, first-class letter delivery cost only three cents. Since then, the price has increased nearly tenfold, with an actual decrease in the speed and reliability of service.
Each of the following statements, if true, would tend to weaken the argument above EXCEPT:
(A) The volume of mail handled by the postal service has increased dramatically over the last forty years.
(B) Unprecedented increases in the cost of fuel for trucks and planes have put severe upward pressures on postal delivery costs.
(C) Private delivery services usually charge more than does the postal service for comparable delivery charges.
(D) The average delivery time for a first-class letter four decades ago was actually slightly longer than it is today.
(E) The average level of consumer prices overall has increased more than 300 percent over the last forty years. D for me. C actually weakens the argument by saying that the Postal Deliv service is NOT so costly after all because the Pvt ones are even costlier. Battling b/w C and D. Went with D for the same reasons mentioned above. Eager to see the OA
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dwivedys wrote: ak_idc wrote: The postal service is badly mismanaged. Forty years ago, first-class letter delivery cost only three cents. Since then, the price has increased nearly tenfold, with an actual decrease in the speed and reliability of service.
Each of the following statements, if true, would tend to weaken the argument above EXCEPT:
(A) The volume of mail handled by the postal service has increased dramatically over the last forty years.
(B) Unprecedented increases in the cost of fuel for trucks and planes have put severe upward pressures on postal delivery costs.
(C) Private delivery services usually charge more than does the postal service for comparable delivery charges.
(D) The average delivery time for a first-class letter four decades ago was actually slightly longer than it is today.
(E) The average level of consumer prices overall has increased more than 300 percent over the last forty years. D for me. C actually weakens the argument by saying that the Postal Deliv service is NOT so costly after all because the Pvt ones are even costlier. Battling b/w C and D. Went with D for the same reasons mentioned above. Eager to see the OA
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Even I marked C. But the OA is E.
Possible reasons:
In C we are comparing apples to oranges.
E is perhaps talking abt the main issue. That is price. The consumer prices increased by only 300%. Where as postal service prices increased 10 times. This shows that postal services are mismanaged.
E is not weakening conclusion in the argument. No?
I am not happy with my reasons, however 
Sorry Guys..No OE. I found this question in CR 1000.
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it is an except question, so I think C is a better answer.
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Guys...The OA is wrong in this case. Ans HAS to be C, not E.
In our question:
increase in postal rates(10 fold) < increase in other consumer prices(300 fold).
Thus, postal services are NOT mismanaged => argument IS weakened. OUT
I found a very simillar question here:
http://www.gmatclub.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=14630&sid=d8dff3b00feb756a2344e137a06f2bf6
Look at the numbers for the price increase very carefully.
Here:
increase in postal rates (7 fold) > increase in other consumer prices (4 fold)
Thus, postal services ARE mismanaged => argument is NOT weakened.
In this case, it's the right answer.
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kripalkavi wrote: Guys...The OA is wrong in this case. Ans HAS to be C, not E. In our question: increase in postal rates(10 fold) < increase in other consumer prices(300 fold). Thus, postal services are NOT mismanaged => argument IS weakened. OUTI found a very simillar question here: http://www.gmatclub.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=14630&sid=d8dff3b00feb756a2344e137a06f2bf6Look at the numbers for the price increase very carefully. Here: increase in postal rates (7 fold) > increase in other consumer prices (4 fold) Thus, postal services ARE mismanaged => argument is NOT weakened.
In this case, it's the right answer.Kripal, it is 3 fold
So anwer is E. 
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ak_idc wrote: kripalkavi wrote: Guys...The OA is wrong in this case. Ans HAS to be C, not E. In our question: increase in postal rates(10 fold) < increase in other consumer prices(300 fold). Thus, postal services are NOT mismanaged => argument IS weakened. OUTI found a very simillar question here: http://www.gmatclub.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=14630&sid=d8dff3b00feb756a2344e137a06f2bf6Look at the numbers for the price increase very carefully. Here: increase in postal rates (7 fold) > increase in other consumer prices (4 fold) Thus, postal services ARE mismanaged => argument is NOT weakened.
In this case, it's the right answer.Kripal, it is 3 fold So anwer is E. Shoot!  all my painstaking research down the drain! Really should read more closely. Thanks ak_idc
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should be E....
Though postal charges increased 10 fold which is 900% compared to 300% increase in the standard of living the service levels didnt pick up as much to justify the steep increase in postal services over the years
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