Media Mail Fraud

[jerzee908]

How about not having Media Mail as an option in the comic book and magazine categories?

An overwhelming majority of comic book listings and magazines have Media Mail being used as a shipping method.  This is against Media Mail rules.

I occasionally sell magazines and some comics from time to time and I'm at a disadvantage for following the rules.

[nobody*s_perfect]

I agree. And eBay clearly could block sellers from offering MM in their listings, since  they block sellers from purchasing MM postage labels in so many categories.

[jerzee908]

 "since  they block sellers from purchasing MM postage labels in so many categories."

Do they?  I had no idea?  Do you have an example as to what categories they block sellers from purchasing MM postage?  The only time I've been using Media Mail lately is for records and have never received a message to not use Media Mail (I'm also following the rules for MM).

[nobody*s_perfect]

That's odd, because record are eligible for MM!  

I have no direct experience with this block, but on these discussion boards over recent years there has been a steady stream of complaints from sellers of items that would be eligible for MM but were listed in categories where most items are not, such as a book about collectibles being listed in a Collectibles category.  I thought that recently there had also been complaints from sellers of comics and magazines, but perhaps not.

[susanb1872]

Yes-I can give you an example. I occasionally sell McDonald's Happy Meal Toys which are books or tapes and I have listed them in the "Toys/Fast Food" category. But when I go to print a label it does not allow me to select MM. To get around this I just buy the label at the PO since these items do qualify for MM. It is discouraging to sell magazines and comic books and not be able to select MM but is the PO rule.

[jerzee908]

Maybe I wrote it the wrong way, but I'm not having any issues with using Media Mail shipping records.

I understand what you are saying.  I have some automotive repair books that I plan on listing in the eBay Motors category, so I will see if they allow me to use Media Mail as a shipping option.

[jerzee908]

"It is discouraging to sell magazines and comic books and not be able to select MM but is the PO rule."

I agree and I don't fully understand why they have the rules they do.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@jerzee908 wrote:

Maybe I wrote it the wrong way, but I'm not having any issues with using Media Mail shipping records.....

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I misread your original post.  Of course there should be no problem purchasing MM labels for records, and I'm glad to hear that there's no problem.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@jerzee908 wrote:

"It is discouraging to sell magazines and comic books and not be able to select MM but is the PO rule."

I agree and I don't fully understand why they have the rules they do.

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Magazines and comics almost always have advertising, which would make them ineligible for MM.  Also, they usually have been "entered as periodicals" which is USPS jargon for proving their eligibility to be mailed at a rate that's even cheaper than Media Mail when they were originally mailed by the publishers.

Here's the Domestic Mail Manual section on eligibility for Media Mail:

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

[retro_entertainment_collectibles]

Media Mail is now be highly scrutinized by the USPS.  No media mail can contain advertising and thus Magazines and Comic Books do not qualify.   If you ship media mail at you're own risk I can tell you first hand items may get there, may not.  At a much lesser site than eBay I was peddling old educational software which I've in hand.  Once in a while I run into issues mainly due to confusion or so I was told about media mail standards.  On a few occasions I was basically forced to pay Priority Mail rate after customer receive postage due at Priority Rates.

A few times items came back near instantly with "Rejected Media Mail" stamped on the parcel(s) and no, you cant recover funds.  I've had two back in June that simply disappeared, told they went to the USPS Recovery Center or were destroyed, one of which was $60.  

I know some postal workers, I used to be on the Postal Community Council some years back.  I was told that with the latest change in Ground Advantage much more has and is changing inside the USPS as they attempt to meet their stated goal to Congress of being profitable within basically 6 years left.  I was told do not use media mail for anything but movies, bound books (paperback or hardcover) or music CD's media mail anything else might go awry as they are ramping up security and in doing so also parcel inspections.

It's likely all parcels may soon be subject to random inspection especially with what's now exploded in the Middle East.  I was told considerably more but I'm not going to throw any of that stuff out into the public at this point but there very very likely of the next two/three years going to see significant changes in the mail system.

[12345jamesstamps]

Yes, media mail takes longer to receive but not a big deal if seller & buyer understands it.

I don't use eBay shipping labels so I guess I don't understand.

I use USPS without a problem sending such items...and I usually walk my items in a post office to mail them.

I guess its using eBay shipping labels which can be the problem.

Young but using old fashion system of walking my items to be mailed in a post office using media mail.

[retro_entertainment_collectibles]

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@12345jamesstamps wrote:

Yes, media mail takes longer to receive but not a big deal if seller & buyer understands it.

I don't use eBay shipping labels so I guess I don't understand.

I use USPS without a problem sending such items...and I usually walk my items in a post office to mail them.

I guess its using eBay shipping labels which can be the problem.

Young but using old fashion system of walking my items to be mailed in a post office using media mail.

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The times is a changin' LOL.

I walk all my parcels in to and have known the clerk for well over 15 years, doesn't matter.  The USPS is working towards centralized routing and inspection of parcels, thats part of the consolidation of USPS shipping services.  In part its due to what I said previously them working to run in the green vs red but another arm of it are the freighters.  UPS does lots of the USPS ground freighting and FedEx does lots of the Priority Freighting and those entities are yippin' about services abuses.  Nothing to do with eBay labels albeit I suppose might send up some flares?

You're likely just using envelopes sorta same way when my dad collected get stuff on Approval Services.  Speaking of that?  Imagine that today?  Trusting folks "do the right thing."

I've bunches of educational software titles that I've not put out here at eBay as my free listing #'s are finite and I've plenty to still fill not to even mention console video games.  Towards those here I worry about scammers and aside from that, the sales here wax and wane like a breeze.  So FB Marketplace has been better to zoom it through.  I'd put all that stuff up here but like I said, numerous issues.  Cant segregate anything properly for folks viewing.  So they hit "See all items" and would get a mish mosh and storefronts they dont promote or upsell to in listings and the categorization and complete lack of discount capable structure based on anything categorized storefront makes things painful.

But, on deaf ears...  I've outlined concepts here several times figuring maybe get some contact with eBay management saying, "Hey... Can you expand upon some of these concepts?"  I'm a software engineer, concept expansions, hindsight, foresight, vision all are part of the title especially for those like me who came up through Home Computer / Engineering infancy before standards even existed.

[inhawaii]

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@jerzee908 wrote:

I occasionally sell magazines and some comics from time to time and I'm at a disadvantage for following the rules.

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You will always be at a disadvantage for following the rules ...... on ebay and in life.

I'm glad you made the right decision.

[12345jamesstamps]

I depend on the clerks of the USPS on how to mail my packages or big envelopes.

I don't want anything returned due to a problem.

I never used Facebook...can you imagine ?

Just a one kid operation who uses the gym more than eBay...LOL

I have been in contact with the "young" who eBay use. Meaning they are hired as a try on for almost nothing $ and have to produce. I feel sorry for the young who must come up with ideas as such.

Not hard to run into them in San Francisco where I live...LOL

[lux.ra_14]

Somewhat related issue: Sold a book in the books category today with free Media shipping and no other option offered. Went to print the label, and eBay had pre-filled Priority instead at double the price. I was able to change it back to MM, but I almost didn't notice.

Anyone else with this issue? Again, this is a regular book listed in the books category. Not a comic or anything else prohibited. I double-checked my listing to make sure Priority wasn't offered, and it only showed Economy shipping.