How to ship via Media Mail and make it a viable shipping option?

[theVisitor]

No...I'm sure the box was not opened. I suspect the size of the boxes (both of which were previously used and had FRAGILE printed in huge letters) set them off.

 

--Phil

[DavidTheDavid]

I don't want anyone to send me a comic via Media Mail.

 

Please, just don't.

 

Doing so means that you are willing to risk what is now my comic being opened by the post office. Some PO workers are awesome, some don't give a damn. But it's my comic now--I paid for it. Don't take that risk with my comic to save a buck.

 

Use First Class or Priority, package it well, ship it soon, and make us both happy.

 

Now if you are sending me a tpb or Marvel Masterworks, sure, Media Mail, just pass on the savings to me. I'm the one paying shipping costs after all. That said I don't paying up to a $1 extra for "handling". If you are like me, you reuse a lot shipping materials, but you also buy shipping tape, buy comic mailers, buy magazine-sized comic bags to hold comics, buy bubble wrap, and I can understand offsetting that cost.

[CatskillMike]

If you ship comics media mail, you would fall into the same conundrum as the discussion shows in the probation section about personal paypal. Just sayin'

[paperheart]

If you ship comics media mail, you would fall into the same conundrum as the discussion shows in the probation section about personal paypal. Just sayin'

 

i already said the same

[ItsJustRyan]

I received a slab yesterday that was shipped media mail...

 

 

And, they underpaid USPS for that even.

[jsilverjanet]

Was it cracked?

[EC ed]

I agree with the previous couple of posts...I won't ship comics via media mail, and I won't buy from sellers who ship comics via media mail.

 

But, back on point with this (which doesn't involve comics, but rather, a book):

 

I mailed two IDW EC Comics Artist's Editions via Media Mail on Wednesday. They were back on my doorstop the next day.Attached was a copy of 3.0 Content and Standards for Media Mail. Books are clearly allowable. They didn't even bother to open then box to see what it was. They just assumed that the box was so large that it could not comply to Media Mail regulations. Has this happened to anyone else?

 

The key question is whether this book contained advertisements. If not, it should qualify for media mail, should it not?

 

[vane]

It's worth standing in line for no other reason than to make sure they are scanned in and a receipt is provided.

 

The local post office located a couple of blocks from me refuse to give me a scan receipt from an online paid postal label. They're argument is...if you pay a postal label online you don't need to stand in line. Just drop it off on the counter. BUT my argument is...if I drop off the package on the counter without getting a scan receive receipt, the package can be lost or stolen between here (Post Office) to the main shipping dock. AND the USPS will never honor the insurance I paid for because it would show on their system that I never came into the post office.

 

I ended up going to another post office that gives scanned receipts, but it was out of my way.

[vane]

I finally had to stop shipping comics via media mail about a year ago. Too many packages getting charged extra because the comics weren't allowed. And they will charge you either the cost for Parcel Post or Priority, their call. I think all those inspections were done at the destination post offices.

 

I actually prefer to send via priority on ebay because of the tracking and insurance. Trying to get people to pay for that has been a whole different matter. I think a lot of my auctions have been passed on because of the priority charge. The price for the medium box is insane, but it's the only way to ship large stacks of comics.

 

 

I didn't know about this Media Mail situation. I just recently sent a media package to a boardie here. Luckily he got the books undamaged. Maybe the postal workers didn't check my package because I used magazine mailer boxes using allot of industrial tape. Or I just got lucky. Now I going to have to revised my shipping description in my sales thread.

[1Cool]

I agree with the previous couple of posts...I won't ship comics via media mail, and I won't buy from sellers who ship comics via media mail.

 

But, back on point with this (which doesn't involve comics, but rather, a book):

 

I mailed two IDW EC Comics Artist's Editions via Media Mail on Wednesday. They were back on my doorstop the next day.Attached was a copy of 3.0 Content and Standards for Media Mail. Books are clearly allowable. They didn't even bother to open then box to see what it was. They just assumed that the box was so large that it could not comply to Media Mail regulations. Has this happened to anyone else?

 

The key question is whether this book contained advertisements. If not, it should qualify for media mail, should it not?

 

I hate shipping stuff via Media Mail but some sets of low price books are impossible to sell due to the shipping prices of Priority Mail. I'd love to sell 30 $1 books and have them pay $11 for Medium Flat Rate but the buyers dry up unless you can offer $5 media shipping for the 30 $1 books.

[EC ed]

I hate shipping stuff via Media Mail but some sets of low price books are impossible to sell due to the shipping prices of Priority Mail. I'd love to sell 30 $1 books and have them pay $11 for Medium Flat Rate but the buyers dry up unless you can offer $5 media shipping for the 30 $1 books.

 

I get it. If you aren't willing to violate USPS regulations and have postal customers at large subsidize your comic selling (and their comic buying) activities through higher general postal rates, buyers will move on to the next seller in line who is willing to do so.

 

[jcjames]

why don't you just do the right thing and quit shipping comics media mail? :shrug:

FPNI.

 

 

[1Cool]

I hate shipping stuff via Media Mail but some sets of low price books are impossible to sell due to the shipping prices of Priority Mail. I'd love to sell 30 $1 books and have them pay $11 for Medium Flat Rate but the buyers dry up unless you can offer $5 media shipping for the 30 $1 books.

 

I get it. If you aren't willing to violate USPS regulations and have postal customers at large subsidize your comic selling (and their comic buying) activities through higher general postal rates, buyers will move on to the next seller in line who is willing to do so.

 

 

It sounds a lot worse of a crime when you word it like that. Remind me to never have you as my prosecutor if I ever get arrested.

[skypinkblu]

I agree with the previous couple of posts...I won't ship comics via media mail, and I won't buy from sellers who ship comics via media mail.

 

But, back on point with this (which doesn't involve comics, but rather, a book):

 

I mailed two IDW EC Comics Artist's Editions via Media Mail on Wednesday. They were back on my doorstop the next day.Attached was a copy of 3.0 Content and Standards for Media Mail. Books are clearly allowable. They didn't even bother to open then box to see what it was. They just assumed that the box was so large that it could not comply to Media Mail regulations. Has this happened to anyone else?

 

The key question is whether this book contained advertisements. If not, it should qualify for media mail, should it not?

 

I hate shipping stuff via Media Mail but some sets of low price books are impossible to sell due to the shipping prices of Priority Mail. I'd love to sell 30 $1 books and have them pay $11 for Medium Flat Rate but the buyers dry up unless you can offer $5 media shipping for the 30 $1 books.

 

I feel your pain, but if you try the regional boxes, it's not so bad. I just cover part of the cost, esp for the people in California and Oregon.

 

The part of my collection that I've been selling included lots of lower grade, less expensive groups..

[miraclemet]

But, back on point with this (which doesn't involve comics, but rather, a book):

 

I mailed two IDW EC Comics Artist's Editions via Media Mail on Wednesday. They were back on my doorstop the next day.Attached was a copy of 3.0 Content and Standards for Media Mail. Books are clearly allowable. They didn't even bother to open then box to see what it was. They just assumed that the box was so large that it could not comply to Media Mail regulations. Has this happened to anyone else?

 

The key question is whether this book contained advertisements. If not, it should qualify for media mail, should it not?

 

 

IDW Artist editions do not contain ANY advertisements, and comply with the media mail rules. I've shipped them media mail in the past and had no problems. Seems like someone saw the word "comic" and didnt bother looking/thinking further.

[theVisitor]

But, back on point with this (which doesn't involve comics, but rather, a book):

 

I mailed two IDW EC Comics Artist's Editions via Media Mail on Wednesday. They were back on my doorstop the next day.Attached was a copy of 3.0 Content and Standards for Media Mail. Books are clearly allowable. They didn't even bother to open then box to see what it was. They just assumed that the box was so large that it could not comply to Media Mail regulations. Has this happened to anyone else?

 

The key question is whether this book contained advertisements. If not, it should qualify for media mail, should it not?

 

 

IDW Artist editions do not contain ANY advertisements, and comply with the media mail rules. I've shipped them media mail in the past and had no problems. Seems like someone saw the word "comic" and didnt bother looking/thinking further.

 

But they didn't even bother to open the box and take a look at what was inside. They saw a very large box and just assumed that it not meet media mail regulations.

 

[skypinkblu]

But, back on point with this (which doesn't involve comics, but rather, a book):

 

I mailed two IDW EC Comics Artist's Editions via Media Mail on Wednesday. They were back on my doorstop the next day.Attached was a copy of 3.0 Content and Standards for Media Mail. Books are clearly allowable. They didn't even bother to open then box to see what it was. They just assumed that the box was so large that it could not comply to Media Mail regulations. Has this happened to anyone else?

 

The key question is whether this book contained advertisements. If not, it should qualify for media mail, should it not?

 

 

IDW Artist editions do not contain ANY advertisements, and comply with the media mail rules. I've shipped them media mail in the past and had no problems. Seems like someone saw the word "comic" and didnt bother looking/thinking further.

 

I think, and I wouldn't trust my memory...that there was a change last year or the year before. They never used to mention the word "comic" specifically as being excluded, but someone did post that in another thread.

 

[snowman28]

But, back on point with this (which doesn't involve comics, but rather, a book):

 

I mailed two IDW EC Comics Artist's Editions via Media Mail on Wednesday. They were back on my doorstop the next day.Attached was a copy of 3.0 Content and Standards for Media Mail. Books are clearly allowable. They didn't even bother to open then box to see what it was. They just assumed that the box was so large that it could not comply to Media Mail regulations. Has this happened to anyone else?

 

The key question is whether this book contained advertisements. If not, it should qualify for media mail, should it not?

 

 

IDW Artist editions do not contain ANY advertisements, and comply with the media mail rules. I've shipped them media mail in the past and had no problems. Seems like someone saw the word "comic" and didnt bother looking/thinking further.

 

But they didn't even bother to open the box and take a look at what was inside. They saw a very large box and just assumed that it not meet media mail regulations.

 

Take it to the post office and talk to one of the clerks. Seems to be an error on their part.

[skypinkblu]

Here it is, they specifically exclude them, it was not worded this way previously.

 

https://about.usps.com/notices/not121/not121_tech.htm

 

Media Mail packages may not contain advertising. Comic books do not meet this standard. Books may contain incidental announcements of other books and sound recordings may contain incidental announcements of other sound recordings. In accordance with standards in the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), Section 170, Media Mail packages must have a delivery address and the sender’s return address and are subject to inspection by the Postal Service™. Upon such inspection, matter not eligible for the Media Mail rate may be assessed at the proper price and sent to the recipient postage due, or the sender may be contacted for additional postage.

 

For more information about Media Mail service, please visit www.usps.com or call 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777). Complete explanations of qualified items can be found in the DMM.

 

PSN 7610-07-000-4037

 

Notice 121, October 2012

[newshane]

It's simple.

 

Don't use Media Mail to ship comics. It's breaking the rules and isn't allowed.