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What Now Qualifies For USPS Media Mail? (2016-09-28)

I've been selling on eBay for years, and have seen my contradictory information on this subject...both from eBay and the USPS.  From what I can find on the USPS website, this is the most current policy, dated: Notice 121, October 2012:  https://about.usps.com/notices/not121/not121_tech.htm

 

My main questions are about blank media, video games, and cases:

 

You used to be able to use Media Mail for video games, but that changed a few years ago.  Now, there is nothing about not being able to ship video games via Media Mail on the USPS website.  Is it now allowed again?

 

Second, I use Media Mail all the time to send blank media, such as VHS tapes, audio cassette tapes, DVD-R discs, etc.  Is blank media allowed?  It is obviously media, but is it disqualified because no info is recorded on that media?  Could I use Media Mail to ship a ream of 500 pages of blank white computer paper?

 

Third, what if I ship my media in a case?  Obviously, if I sent a movie DVD or soundtrack CD, I could also send that case it's in.  What if I send 10 Sony cassette tapes in a 10 pack zippered cassette tape case?  What if I send 24 VHS tapes in one of those old school VHS woodgrain boxes with drawers?  Could it be argued that those cases are, in fact, packing material protecting the media?  If the cases I sent the media in was cardboard, I don't think there'd be a question...the cardboard case could be shipped.  But I'm talking plastic, cloth, or wood.  Some of the stuff I'm talking about are in the attached pictures...are these allowed if filled with media? 

 

Last, if the above is allowed, then can I just send a box filled with empty CD jewel cases?  Are the cases only allowed if media is inside?  What about baseball cards?  They are a form of communication, with info printed on them, and maybe somewhat educational?  Or are the considered advertising?  This would be so much simpler if Media Mail just considered what the item is made of...paper, cardboard, DVD, video tape, etc. and the container that  holds it.

 

Any (well thought out) thoughts and (good) advice would be appreciated.

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What Now Qualifies For USPS Media Mail? (2016-09-28)


@finefatfly wrote:

.... My main questions are about blank media, video games, and cases:

 

You used to be able to use Media Mail for video games, but that changed a few years ago.  ...  I use Media Mail all the time to send blank media, such as VHS tapes, audio cassette tapes, DVD-R discs, etc.  Is blank media allowed? ...  a 10 pack zippered cassette tape case?  What if I send 24 VHS tapes in one of those old school VHS woodgrain boxes with drawers?  ...  can I just send a box filled with empty CD jewel cases?  Are the cases only allowed if media is inside?  What about baseball cards?  ....


None of those are eligible. The principle that covers most of your proposed workarounds is this: If an ineligible item is included in a package with eligible items, then the package is not eligible.  

 

Media eligibility is about content, not about the material the item is made of. There is no type of blank media that is eligible. Containers are eligible only if part of the item itself, such as the case for a set of all the seasons of a TV show that are marketed as a unit.

 

The link that you provided goes to a very consise summary. Here are a couple of other USPS publication resources that are more thorough regarding specifics about eligibility:

 

DMM, updated July 2016: http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/173.htm#1113509

 

USPS staff reference chart, 2013: https://liteblue.usps.gov/news/link/2013/04apr/Media-Mail-Guidelines.htm

 

Video game policy updated June 2014: http://pe.usps.com/text/csr/PS-334.htm

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What Now Qualifies For USPS Media Mail? (2016-09-28)

http://www.stamps.com/whitepapers/media-mail-rate-guide.pdf  AFAIK it's current

 

Empty cases do NOT qualify as Media Mail, since they do not contain recorded media.

 

Blank DVDs/CDs do NOT qualify as Media Mail, since they are blank. They do not contain recorded material.

 

Video games do NOT qualify as Media Mail if they contain a computer chip. I'm going to assume that most do.

 

If you have a DVD or CD that is contained in a case, yes you can ship the item in it's case.

 

10482690c5beb3df07e88dbc3f781f1c

 


I love you forever, Christie! Fly high, precious daughter 1/14/1987-12/20/2016
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What Now Qualifies For USPS Media Mail? (2016-09-28)


@finefatfly wrote:

.... My main questions are about blank media, video games, and cases:

 

You used to be able to use Media Mail for video games, but that changed a few years ago.  ...  I use Media Mail all the time to send blank media, such as VHS tapes, audio cassette tapes, DVD-R discs, etc.  Is blank media allowed? ...  a 10 pack zippered cassette tape case?  What if I send 24 VHS tapes in one of those old school VHS woodgrain boxes with drawers?  ...  can I just send a box filled with empty CD jewel cases?  Are the cases only allowed if media is inside?  What about baseball cards?  ....


None of those are eligible. The principle that covers most of your proposed workarounds is this: If an ineligible item is included in a package with eligible items, then the package is not eligible.  

 

Media eligibility is about content, not about the material the item is made of. There is no type of blank media that is eligible. Containers are eligible only if part of the item itself, such as the case for a set of all the seasons of a TV show that are marketed as a unit.

 

The link that you provided goes to a very consise summary. Here are a couple of other USPS publication resources that are more thorough regarding specifics about eligibility:

 

DMM, updated July 2016: http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/173.htm#1113509

 

USPS staff reference chart, 2013: https://liteblue.usps.gov/news/link/2013/04apr/Media-Mail-Guidelines.htm

 

Video game policy updated June 2014: http://pe.usps.com/text/csr/PS-334.htm

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What Now Qualifies For USPS Media Mail? (2016-09-28)

Thanks for the reply! This clears up some things, like the blank media and trading cards.

But, this brings up another question I forgot to ask about video games...modern video games (XBOX, PlayStation, Wii) are on CD or DVD discs. So that is media, correct? I get that vintage video games on cartridges contain a computer chip, so not Media Mail 😞

But this was from Stamps.com, dated 2014...and my link is from the USPS from 2012. Stamps.com is more current, but the USPS is, well...the USPS.

Who to believe, who to believe? I, and I'm sure many others, would like additional comments! Thanks to all interested in this topic!
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What Now Qualifies For USPS Media Mail? (2016-09-28)

More great info! One other thing I read while researching this. I could send a book to my college professor via Media Mail...no problem there, right? But if I included a 10 page book report on that book, it's disqualifies the whole package - not Media Mail. But If my 10 page book report was just a "I think you'll like this book" written on a post-it note, Media Mail is now OK? And yes, sorry...I nitpick and try to find loopholes for everything.
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What Now Qualifies For USPS Media Mail? (2016-09-28)


@finefatfly wrote:
...  another question I forgot to ask about video games...modern video games (XBOX, PlayStation, Wii) are on CD or DVD discs. So that is media, correct? ...

Did you read the customer support ruling? "in conclusion, video games, whether on CD-ROM, diskettes, or similar software, regardless of form, or playable systems including computers, do not meet the standards for Media Mail. "

 

Again: eligibiilty is based on content, not on the medium (e.g., paper, CD). Video games are not eligible regardlesss of format.  IMHO stamps.com's  reference to "computer chip" (which appears nowhere in any USPS document) only confuses the message. 

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What Now Qualifies For USPS Media Mail? (2016-09-28)

I'm calling these 3 links as the best solution. Thanks to all who posted.
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What Now Qualifies For USPS Media Mail? (2016-09-28)

Here's a handy cheat sheet with yes/no answers for a lot of items. (I believe it's still current.)

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

 

 

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What Now Qualifies For USPS Media Mail? (2016-09-28)

Yes, someone posted this link previously, and I do think it's the most useful guide to use. Very easy, yes/no answers.

But what really gets my goat is the pencil pushers in government probably wasted millions of $ figuring all this out, and then comes the constant enforcement of these policies.

Books, but not Activity Books, Graphic Novels of comic books, but not Comic Books, CDs and DVDs, but not CDs or DVDs with Video Games on them.

What a bunch of hooey...is the IRS running the Post Office now? If they didn't waste the time, effort, and money on this - and just mailed the stuff, it would cost less for everyone in the long run. A book is a book is a book, and a DVD is a DVD is a DVD...no matter what's in them.

And yes, I know shippers abuse the system, and mail things that aren't media. The Post Office wouldn't let me ship my collectible stone slabs of the Ten Commandments by Media Mail just because there are words written on them. But media is media...information stored on some format, able to be read or viewed by others with the right equipment - whether that equipment is a pair of glasses to read a book, or an XBOX to play a video game.

Maybe I'll start selling and shipping Crossword Puzzle and Sudoku books on eBay. Postal Worker's heads will explode at the USPS...it has words, but it's a puzzle? It's a book, but it has games? It has numbers, but it's not exactly educational... *POP* ...heads exploding in every town across the USA.

Anybody get the idea that I like to rant? And the government worker lifetime achievement award goes to the @$$h@t who came up with this: NOTE: Maps printed on pages of books are considered for postal purposes to be reading matter. Thus, a book that is devoted to maps and which has at least eight printed pages and contains no advertising matter, could qualify to be mailed at the Media Mail rates of postage.

Here's your gold watch...time to retire. You are never going to top that. You've done your country a great service. Fare thee well.
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What Now Qualifies For USPS Media Mail? (2016-09-28)

You'd rather they go back to the 1930s when it was books only?

The distinction between comic books and graphic novels is because most comics contain advertising. Granted, there are a lot that don't, but it's just easier to exclude them as a class.
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What Now Qualifies For USPS Media Mail? (2016-09-28)


@will54 wrote:
... The distinction between comic books and graphic novels is because most comics contain advertising....

They are excluded because they are periodicals.  USPS has a special discounted postage rate that publishers use for periodicals, and once a publication has been "entered as a periodical" it is not eligible for MM.  Even ad-free periodicals (e.g., Highlights for kids) are not eligible for MM.

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What Now Qualifies For USPS Media Mail? (2016-09-28)

So, what about floppy disks?

Do they qualify as Media Mail?

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What Now Qualifies For USPS Media Mail? (2016-09-28)

 DVDs, CDs and their ancestor types of discs are eligible. Blank discs, no.

 

 "Computer-readable media containing prerecorded information"

 

http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/173.htm#ep1113509

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What Now Qualifies For USPS Media Mail? (2016-09-28)

Hello Everyone,

 

Due to the age of the thread, it has been closed to further replies.  Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.

 

Thanks for understanding!

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