Anybody ever deal with......?

[Joanna]

[

Oh come on...haven't you heard about the Sea Monkeys renaissance...

 

 

I did not know about this! Thanks, Chrom!

 

Even more proof that the ads haven't expired!

 

For the rest: just because something is technically illegal, doesn't mean that PO workers are aware or won't let you slide things through. At my PO, they don't seem to care about comics being sent media mail. I still ship comics BPM if asked for a low price shipping alternative because I don't want them confiscated down the line. It's happened. I think Lighthouse or Donut had this happen. So why take chances? Better to follow the letter of the rules and be safe. Unless the comic has no advertising at all, it doesn't qualify for media mail, regardless of age. I'm not saying this isn't stupid, or they should be allowed, just saying how it is.

 

-- Joanna

[fantastic_four]

Shipping comics via media mail is illegal.

 

Don't you mean against postal regulations? The post office isn't a branch of the government anymore, although they do still have strangely esoteric ties to it. I can't imagine shipping an item via the wrong service would qualify as a misdemeanor unless the item itself was somehow illegal (drugs, anthrax, etc).

[FlyingDonut]

For crying out loud. 50 posts. Just ship it priority! Flat rate priority mail is $3.85! MANY people on this board have gotten stuff from me. Ever had a problem?

[Joanna]

Shipping comics via media mail is illegal.

 

Don't you mean against postal regulations? The post office isn't a branch of the government anymore, although they do still have strangely esoteric ties to it. I can't imagine shipping an item via the wrong service would qualify as a misdemeanor unless the item itself was somehow illegal (drugs, anthrax, etc).

 

I used the word because the others had. Yes, against postal regulations.

[Warlord]

Shipping comics via media mail is illegal.

 

Don't you mean against postal regulations? The post office isn't a branch of the government anymore, although they do still have strangely esoteric ties to it. I can't imagine shipping an item via the wrong service would qualify as a misdemeanor unless the item itself was somehow illegal (drugs, anthrax, etc).

 

I used the word because the others had. Yes, against postal regulations.

 

Please post a link to something on the USPS web site that says that media mail can't include comics, or a specific descriptionof what kinds of items (specifically I'm interested in this "advertising" issue) are not allowed in media mail. Thanks.

 

 

[Darthdiesel]

This might help on media mail

 

 

although it depends on how one interprets "Advertising restrictions apply"

[Darthdiesel]

Some more about the types of books allowed via media mail

 

a. Books, including books issued to supplement other books of at least eight printed pages, consisting wholly of reading matter or scholarly bibliography, or reading matter with incidental blank spaces for notations and containing no advertising matter other than incidental announcements of books. Advertising includes paid advertising and the publishers’ own advertising in display, classified, or editorial style.

[Proverbs22_2]

Not to go off on a rant, and not to change the subject too much, but what really ticks me off about some ebay sellers is that they allow you to purchase insurance (you know, the $1.10 first $50, $1 per $50 thereafter, or some approximation thereof) on ebay purchases, and oftentimes I pay the extra $$ and it arrives UNINSURED. A few times I've asked what the deal was, and I've gotten pretty much every answer in the book: my mistake, did you indicate it in your payment?, my neighbor's son ships for me and must have kept the $$ and I'm sure going to have a hard talk with him, my business insurance would cover any claims (would they?), my wife mailed it and didn't know, etc. And I've never gotten a penny back. What do you guys think about that? Am I making too big a deal about this? I'm still working on trying to settle up with one guy I bought from where it was "lost in the mail", but I paid extra for insurance. Been going on awhile. Always puts off my emails, says he's done everything he can on his side, then later admits he hasn't even checked his records for an insurance receipt, you know the drill.

 

Anyway, I didn't go off on a rant, did I??

 

Good luck to all.

 

On the other hand, there's me:

 

I had a friend of mine ship some stuff off for me, as he does regularly. Any of the parcels that require insurance are always clearly marked, in code, on the outside of the package, in a place that won't cause confusion to the Post Office. We do this ALL THE TIME...

 

Well on this particular occasion, he fails to look at the packages (there are two to the same address. Too many books for me to pack in one mailer without the possibility of damaging the stuff, when adding my cardboard or plastic-card), and ships them uninsured.

 

A few days later, the buyer contacts me, and notified me that NEITHER of the packages has arrived. WHAT AN AMAZING COINCIDENCE!

 

I find it hard to believe that BOTH packages were lost in the mail, period. What happened, I'm sure, is that like you, this guy looked at the sticker, got pissed, and hosed me off...

 

Still, this guy DID pay for the insurance that Chris neglected to purchase, so what did I do?

 

I PAID THE GUY for the books that he purchased, the shipping and the insurance that he paid for, as well, because I have a reputation to protect...

 

What I won't do, however, is ever ask Chris to take anything to the Post Office for me again...

[panhandlefool]

Tough situation on your part. But unfortunately, the buyer did buy insurance, and you had no way to tell if it did indeed arrive or not. I understand this isn't your situation, but I wonder why these people who purposely pocket the insurance money (whether it be just to pocket it, or they are indeed self-insuring) don't at least fork out the extra 35 cents for delivery confirmation. At least that way someone couldn't claim it never arrived. Then the only issues would be regarding damage in shipping, which could be controlled to a large degree thru the quality of the seller's packaging. I think delivery confirm is available only on Priority Mail - not Media mail. And let's not walk down the "media mail" road again...

 

Good luck to all.