Can Comics be shipped through the USPS as Media Rate

[tony5205]

Can anyone say definatively yes or no? Some clerks will accept packages for this rate and others say No...claim its "Magazines and has advertising" etc. Its been a crap shoot at the post offices I use and I'm tired of getting burnt on large shipments if I can in fact ship Media Rate. They end up using this other rate that maybe saves a dime called Printed Material but is a variable rate based on where its going by Zip Code so many times its about the same as First Class. Tonight at the 24/7 Post Office I figure it cost me an extra $40. I try to kkep my shipping cost to a minimum to my customers but its getting to be a losing proposition when the post office will not cooperate! Please advise and thanks for input Tony

[calm-mix]

No legit media mail for comics.

[readabouthorses]

https://liteblue.usps.gov/news/link/2013/04apr/Media-Mail-Guidelines.htm

[phbbbttt]

I just got a set of baseball cards that were shipped media mail.As long as people do **bleep** like that it's gonna make it harder & harder to do legit media shipping.Pretty soon it will get to the point they eliminate it all together.Seller made an extra 5 bucks on the deal & the PO lost about 2 or 3.

[chaosynergy]

NO, THEY CANNOT! Whoever is telling you prior to this reply is wrong. Per my USPS Postmaster (DIRECT COMMUNICATION) and the USPS WEBSITE Comics CANNOT ship Media Mail. The post office opens Media Mail packages for inspection. I had 2 Media Mail packages opened in front of me at the Post Office, and they were not the same PO, before shipping and 1 opened/returned to me because it had 'advertising' it. Since then, when I ship Media Mail, I leave the package open, show them what's inside, mark it on the front of the envelope what it contains (DVD, VHS, Book etc...) and once they've seen it, tape it up and let it go. PO just told me of an incident where a man brought in a box, claimed it was Media Mail, clerk said you could see through the open handled sections of the box it was clothing, man kept insisting, and they refused the package because it was clothing inside, not media. The following is PER THE USPS WEBSITE: "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." Additionally, ONLY the following can ship Media Mail: "This service has restrictions on the type of media that can be shipped. Media Mail rates are limited to the items listed below: Books (at least 8 pages). Sound recordings and video recordings, such as CDs and DVDs. Play scripts and manuscripts for books, periodicals, and music. Printed music. Computer-readable media containing prerecorded information and guides or scripts prepared solely for use with such media. Sixteen millimeter or narrower width films. Printed objective test materials and their accessories. Printed educational reference charts. Loose-leaf pages and their binders consisting of medical information for distribution to doctors, hospitals, medical schools, and medical students." FYI: Artwork also CANNOT ship Media Mail unless it is artwork for a 'book' and it use is for illustration. Art Prints CAN'T ship Media Mail unless it is artwork for a 'book' as use in illustration. Magazines CAN'T Media Mail as they contain advertisements. Sewing Patterns, although 'printed material' CANNOT ship Media Mail. The best thing to do if you have a question regarding whether your item can ship Media Mail is to call your local Post Master and speak directly with him.

[fun_comics9857]

That is true, it now specifically states comics can't be send via media mail. They have some advertising in them and they don't care how old the ad is (they also don't like comic books). A lady at the window the other week told me comics should be burned and wasn't good for me or anyone. Postmaster is getting really touchy about this and boxes are being opened. The post office makes around $70B (that's billion!) of revenues, but they can't save a dime.

Right now it would be risky going with Media mail. If recipient has to pay extra then they'll probably reflect it in their feedback.

[fun_comics9857]

Update: That was $65B (billion) for 2012. Still a lot of revenues, and they still can't save anything. Also have this pdf file from USPS:

2013: Madia mail rates

All boxes opened that do not contain media mail material will now be returned to sender with possible fines and other charges included. It doesn't mention anything about comics; so, I guess, the dabate is on again.  

[fun_comics9857]

Just won a comic last week that they send media mail and the post office said it was returned. I looked at my pay pal account and saw the refund too. Looks like that one got a checking from some USPS postmaster.

[willielilly]

Shipping comics media mail and doing drugs are the same thing. Just say no. Don't do it. Risk aint worth it.

[fun_comics9857]

Yes, you just never know what the post office will do. I also got to see an honest seller, just refunded my money and didn't give the 'lost in mail' storyline.

[mcabriel2010]

I ran into this this week after shipping comics via media mail for the last 10+ years. THey opened one of my boxes (random inspection?) and then sent me a letter that says the repackaged and sent postage due to the recipient with no way to ID the buyer so I can give them a heads up. Now I have to wait and hope the buyer contacts me before opening a case. Ther reasoning was as follows.

Media Mail service has special eligibility requirements for permissible contents. Media mail service is limited to the items below.

Books (at least 8 pages) -- They qualify for this one

Sound recordings and video recordings

Playscripts and manuscripts for books, periodicals and music.

Printed Music

Computer-reloadable media containing prerecorded information and guides or scripts prepared solely for use with such media.

Sixteen millimeter or narrower width film.

Printed objective test materials.

Printed educational reference charts.

Loose-leaf pages and thier binders consisting of medical information for distribution to doctor, hospital, medical school, and students.

It also says : Media mail may not contain advertising except that books may contain incidental announcements of other books.

And that is where they get you I guess. Although most of the comics I sell the advertising is for items that are obsolete or no longer exist. Thier guidelines are out dated and probably haven't changed since they were created but the only way they would ever change is if someone filed a class action and won whch would take forever.

[robot-hands]

Both yes and no.

It depends on the comic.

[fun_comics9857]

Mostly depends on the clerk behind the counter. When asked what was in the box, I simply replied 'comics.' The clerk said 'COMICS' and then I said comic-books, and the clerk usually said "Oh, ok." The package was usually accepted and went to its destination. Then in January 2012, an older looking clerk told my "NO COMIC BOOKS!" He said I could send it parcel or Priority. I left and went to another post office and they said the same thing. The clerks all said NO COMICS and I had to use other services. I haven't tried shipping anything in recent months. I don't see as many comics going Media Mail these days and most of them just say "economy'. Big sellers can now use Media Mail service and hide it from their customers - its an extra commercial service provided by stamps.com.

[fun_comics9857]

With graphic novels you can just say 'books'. They don't ever ask what kind of book it is. As long as it doesn't contain advertising; like magazines, etc. Media is going up 8.6% for non-commercial customers, so it is going to cost you either way.

[spirit_infusion]

It's pretty easy to argue that comic books are "educational material" as there are increasingly more comic book studies and graphic media studies departments popping up in english departments and humanities departments at the university level.  Some people devote their academic careers to studying comic books as a literary medium.  Afterall watchmen made TIME magazines top 100 novels of all time list.  Contrary to what your hardnosed pop might have told you, comic books are a bonafide form of literature, and literature has educational value and educational purpose regardless of whether or not people generally recognize it as such.  The only issue becomes the presence of advertisments that are in most comic issues.  My guess is if the advertisement is no longer valid then the comic could qualify media.  Hell, just say you are sending the book to a media scholar who needs the advertisement to do some cultural semiotics or something 

[spirit_infusion]

Media mail's standards are incoherent.  You should send email and letters to your postmasters to petition to get it changed or get the service dropped.