08-11-2017 10:44 PM - edited 08-11-2017 10:45 PM
Lol, I've seen sellers acknowledge this rule thru the decades, but always manage to justify that their "particular books" are exempt from this rule. As said, some ruin it for many.
08-11-2017 10:49 PM
08-11-2017 10:57 PM - edited 08-11-2017 11:00 PM
Yea, they have ads for the authors other books, for affiliate authors books, for any movies that may have been produced from the books, .... other books you might like if you like this one...
08-11-2017 11:06 PM - edited 08-11-2017 11:08 PM
There's this "incidental"
http://about.usps.com/notices/not121/not121.htmMedia Mail Service
Media Mail Packages may not contain advertising except that books may contain incidental announcements of other books
but the inside covers contain way beyond anything "incidental" to that particular author or book. I haven't found one in several decades that only mentions the author or related and not... the entire line that particular publishing house is wanting to push.... pages and pages of it.
08-11-2017 11:17 PM
Not asking to be pickey. I'm getting ready to list some books and cookbooks again. Got a nasty surprise 2 years ago. Vtg Betty Crocker cookbook could not ship media mail because it was in hardboard/3 ring binder... Paid 18.75 to ship a book because they turned down media mail because of the "format" of the book.
There's so much... I have 150 craft instruction manuals with patterns.... can't ship media because they contain advertising. Same with many other craft manuals and many vtg cookbooks that are brand oriented in their recipies and funded sponsors.
08-11-2017 11:53 PM
08-12-2017 01:50 AM
I have always shipped yearbooks as media mail. Now I see that's a no-no.
08-12-2017 04:18 AM
@stonevintage wrote:Not asking to be pickey. I'm getting ready to list some books and cookbooks again. Got a nasty surprise 2 years ago. Vtg Betty Crocker cookbook could not ship media mail because it was in hardboard/3 ring binder... Paid 18.75 to ship a book because they turned down media mail because of the "format" of the book.
There's so much... I have 150 craft instruction manuals with patterns.... can't ship media because they contain advertising. Same with many other craft manuals and many vtg cookbooks that are brand oriented in their recipies and funded sponsors.
As was said, cookbooks are now a no-no for Media as most are ads or are promoting a product. I have almost a thousand cookbooks or pamphlets, that does not make me happy but most pamphlets are under a pound anyway so FC is faster. Most cookbooks are part of a brand like Rachael Ray or promoting a restaurant so I can see it.
It's the sellers that are shipping their food processor media mail (that I watched a clerk catch red handed) that cause these problems for the rest of us.
08-12-2017 10:20 AM
Love this topic, Stone. Just had a dilemma of a 1928 catalog. Buyer from CA begged for shippng mercy. 17.00+ parcel select/priority - 4.00 media mail. What would you do?
08-12-2017 11:02 AM
Do you really believe that a postal employee is going to check for ads in a book?? I send any book media mail period. Magazines go first class or priority.
08-12-2017 11:07 AM
@poppyswag wrote:
... a dilemma of a 1928 catalog. Buyer from CA begged for shippng mercy. 17.00+ parcel select/priority - 4.00 media mail. What would you do?
I'd seee whether I could fit it into a Regional A box (cost $6.52 - $10.28).
You have it listed with Parcel Select Ground, which doesn't make sense to me since it would cost you less for Priority Mail.
08-12-2017 11:49 AM
Just listed a Sears catalog brick from the 80s and it fits nicely in a padded FR envelope.
08-12-2017 11:53 AM
The listing for poppy's catalog says, "Measures 13.25" to 9.25". 600 pages." So it's too big for a FRE.
08-12-2017 11:53 AM
@poppyswag wrote:Love this topic, Stone. Just had a dilemma of a 1928 catalog. Buyer from CA begged for shippng mercy. 17.00+ parcel select/priority - 4.00 media mail. What would you do?
As long as it is on eBay, I would compromise and give FedEx SmartPost as an option. That would probably cut the shipping cost down significantly and ultimately it would be treated as Parcel Select, The tradeoff would be a day or two extra transit time (depending on whether you take it to a FedEx location or drop it off at the post office.
08-12-2017 11:55 AM
The whole setup is crazy. Media should = paper products, newspapers, magazines, books, all of them. Just look up the definition. There is no division if media contains ads. But...USPS is not my circus so I follow the rules.