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

[youmechooz]

I ran into a ton of issues in my last sales thread in terms of media mail. I had 4 packages opened and assessed extra postage. I ended up reimbursing everyone's extra shipping cost to make sure there was no unhappy customers. I did give the option to ship the books via priority mail but at about double the shipping cost compared to media mail. Everyone of course went with the media option since the books were mostly dollar books and TPBs and sometimes it doesn't make sense to buy $20 in dollar books to just spend $13 to have them shipped.

 

I'm contemplating offering media mail shipping for larger low cost packages but at the buyers risk. I charge actual shipping cost so it doesn't matter to me if the person goes with Priority or media - I just don't want to offer a discounted shipping option to have to pay the extra if the package is inspected. Would an option which puts the risk on the buyers work or do you think it is an issue waiting to happen.

4 people? Wow. I have had that happen to me 1 time. Thousands upon thousands of packages sent media mail and only had it happen once. You ran a sales thread and it happened 4 times within that one thread. These odds are terrible. Not trying to say the buyers are lying, but did you get proof they had to pay?

 

I don't doubt that they all got assessed since they are all trustworthy buyers and I saw a couple of the postal notices. I think it was a couple postal employees at my local office. I lodged a couple complaints with them since they are complete insufficiently_thoughtful_persons. I can see them opening all of my packages to get back at me. I'll drop my package off at another post office to see if I get different results.

Yeah, the only way i see it happening that the 4 of your customers got busted, is because of your local branch. They opened it up and sent it asking for postage due. Find another post office.

[CAHokie]

1Cool trying to ship at his local comic shop.

 

[EvenInHisYouth]

More info: 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 senders 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.

 

As stated in other threads, this is a notice, written by someone at the USPS internally, that carries no authority.

 

The USPS regulations are contained in the Domestic Mail Manual, or "DMM", which contains the official regulations the USPS operates by.

 

In other words, if it's not in the DMM...it's not binding.

 

 

 

Define "no authority" and "not binding".

 

I'm sorry, but if postal employee #3,742 inspects your media mail package, and charges you more for shipping...seems like they have the authority, to cost you extra money.

 

That's binding enough for me, regardless of what the DMM says.

 

 

[fastballspecial]

Anytime I ship media, its at the buyers risk. They chooses their option, they take their chances. Just as I do, when I get stuff sent media.

 

I think as long as they are aware of it this is a pretty good summation.

 

However in a our whiny society currently I am sure someone will argue differently.

 

 

 

[fastballspecial]

My postmaster knows I ship comics and she never says anything. I think she likes the revenue coming to her branch. She even keeps boxes for me to use for shipping.

 

Definiltely no standard between postal branches.

 

I take care of any local employees I ship too as much as I can. They take care of me I take care of them. My local carrier goes out of her way for me as a result.

 

[01TheDude]

the level of service you get at a post office varies from one day to the next. Case in point, one day I am sending my stuff and put it on the counter like I normally do. The lady behind the counter starts yelling at me"are you sure you have the weight correct on that package?" I don't know what to think of that statement-- should have just left with the package instead of bothering with this stupid branch. Anyway-- I take the package and she weighs it and of course I have weighed it correctly. But now she starts asking twenty questions about the contents. It was very frustrating. I was sending text books to a dean of a college. They still opened up the media mail package and assessed a WHOPPING surcharge over one item in the box not being educational material. 95% of the box was books. One items was not. My question is why do these workers have such a bug up their asses about this stuff?

 

So I get over it and just deal with the postage.

 

So I make sure to stand in line the next time I go to drop something off that wont fit in their package drop. The person yells at me this time because I had pre-paid for my postage and that I was supposed to just put it on the counter and not take up their time--as that defeats the purpose of prepaid postage. I shake my head and just pray this package gets to its destination.

 

The very next time I come in-- I again try to put some small packages on the counter and OF COURSE-- get scolded for not standing in line.

 

WTF-- whoever manages this branch has ZERO control over how they handle their customers. You would think a post office would be excited to see people still mailing anything. NOPE. These people seem to find something wrong with however you do it. It is borderline insanity.

[RockMyAmadeus]

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

 

Because there's nothing wrong with shipping old comics via Media Mail....?

 

:shrug:

 

I see the irony in this but... the rules I have read for Media Mail prohibit monthlies from being shipped that way, even if they are old.

 

Trades, no question, ship em media mail, it is legal as far as I can tell.

 

If you read the rules on Media Mail, there are some gray areas for sure, but floppies is not one of them.

 

Both the letter and the spirit of the DMM regulation on Media Mail is to prevent current periodicals, which are distributed differently than regular mail, and which are paid for by advertising, from being mailed.

 

Back issues, of course, with expired ads don't meet those qualifications.

[RockMyAmadeus]

An "ad" that is expired is no longer an ad. If it doesn't advertise anything that can be purchased at the rates contained therein, it is not, BY DEFINITION, an "ad."

 

 

[01TheDude]

so wait-- I can't still get that 150 piece set of army soldiers for $1.99 any more

 

what a rip off!

[RockMyAmadeus]

More info: 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 senders 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.

 

As stated in other threads, this is a notice, written by someone at the USPS internally, that carries no authority.

 

The USPS regulations are contained in the Domestic Mail Manual, or "DMM", which contains the official regulations the USPS operates by.

 

In other words, if it's not in the DMM...it's not binding.

 

 

 

Define "no authority" and "not binding".

 

I'm sorry, but if postal employee #3,742 inspects your media mail package, and charges you more for shipping...seems like they have the authority, to cost you extra money.

 

That's binding enough for me, regardless of what the DMM says.

 

 

You mean, postal employees never do things they don't have the authority to do....?

 

 

No one bothers to fight it, but it is a winnable fight.

[RockMyAmadeus]

so wait-- I can't still get that 150 piece set of army soldiers for $1.99 any more

 

what a rip off!

 

I know, right!??

[SquareChaos]

An "ad" that is expired is no longer an ad. If it doesn't advertise anything that can be purchased at the rates contained therein, it is not, BY DEFINITION, an "ad."

 

 

This fits in well with our other conversation.

 

Anyway... the blurb I posted clearly excludes comics. I am not sure on your "higher authority" argument, I feel I have to accept their explicit text on the website. It leaves no wiggle room. Further, it clearly does not fit in to the wording of their definiton of a book, ads or not.

 

I wish I could ship my comics media, but I feel this is pretty cut and dried unless they revisit the interpretation on the site.

[RockMyAmadeus]

An "ad" that is expired is no longer an ad. If it doesn't advertise anything that can be purchased at the rates contained therein, it is not, BY DEFINITION, an "ad."

 

 

This fits in well with our other conversation.

 

Anyway... the blurb I posted clearly excludes comics. I am not sure on your "higher authority" argument, I feel I have to accept their explicit text on the website. It leaves no wiggle room. Further, it clearly does not fit in to the wording of their definiton of a book, ads or not.

 

It's not just a "higher authority"...the notice has no authority.

 

It's like a judge telling you the BAC legal limit is now .02. Is he in a position of authority? Of course. Is it codified? Nope. Does that judge have the authority to make that decision? Nope.

 

I wish I could ship my comics media, but I feel this is pretty cut and dried unless they revisit the interpretation on the site.

 

But "without a purchase" is grey....?

 

[EvenInHisYouth]

More info: 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 senders 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.

 

As stated in other threads, this is a notice, written by someone at the USPS internally, that carries no authority.

 

The USPS regulations are contained in the Domestic Mail Manual, or "DMM", which contains the official regulations the USPS operates by.

 

In other words, if it's not in the DMM...it's not binding.

 

 

 

Define "no authority" and "not binding".

 

I'm sorry, but if postal employee #3,742 inspects your media mail package, and charges you more for shipping...seems like they have the authority, to cost you extra money.

 

That's binding enough for me, regardless of what the DMM says.

 

 

You mean, postal employees never do things they don't have the authority to do....?

 

 

No one bothers to fight it, but it is a winnable fight.

 

 

This is the response I was hoping for.

 

How would you win that fight?

[Big.Mike]

Hey 1cool, you can only send trades by media mail.

My Post Office in Dixon here, took up my fight with them to their higher ups.

And basically, if there is an add in the comic, the comic does not

meet the media mail requirements.

Does not matter how old the add is.

 

I also brought it up with CA Senator Fienstein.

 

and I am still getting her junk mail,

 

 

[Aces]

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

The WNY area is one of the worst.

In the last few years they started a policy of opening every single media package and inspecting it (I don't know if they do or just say that to scare people).

Comic books get a zero tolerance policy.

 

 

[lizards2]

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

The WNY area is one of the worst.

In the last few years they started a policy of opening every single media package and inspecting it (I don't know if they do or just say that to scare people).

Comic books get a zero tolerance policy.

 

I guess my point was, either accept the risk or don't use the service for what it is not intended to do.

[Aces]

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

The WNY area is one of the worst.

In the last few years they started a policy of opening every single media package and inspecting it (I don't know if they do or just say that to scare people).

Comic books get a zero tolerance policy.

 

I guess my point was, either accept the risk or don't use the service for what it is not intended to do.

Well my point was there is no risk.

100% you get caught and the buyer gets dinged for the extra shipping.

 

How it going lizard?

I just quoted your post because you're so scaly.

 

[lizards2]

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

The WNY area is one of the worst.

In the last few years they started a policy of opening every single media package and inspecting it (I don't know if they do or just say that to scare people).

Comic books get a zero tolerance policy.

 

I guess my point was, either accept the risk or don't use the service for what it is not intended to do.

Well my point was there is no risk.

100% you get caught and the buyer gets dinged for the extra shipping.

 

How it going lizard?

I just quoted your post because you're so scaly.

Good, good. I've been putting a ton of books away lately, grading and bagging, trying to get some organization in the cavern. Pulled out the JIM 89 you sold me last year today, as I have since upgraded with a sweet 7.0.

[Scturo]

Don't know if anyone knows, is it the post office where you drop off the box that inspects the package, or somewhere else?