eBay

jerzee908 · ‎10-20-2023

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.

jerzee908 · ‎10-20-2023

When I started selling on eBay over 20 years ago the first thing I did was familiarize myself with the Post Office rules and regulations and their pricing so I wouldn't get burned. I ALWAYS included tracking even when it wasn't mandatory on here (I'm a firm believer of CYA in life.).

I should of been clearer that I do understand that comics and magazines with ads do not qualify for Media Mail, but I do not understand as to why they have the rules (Example: Why does a comic book from the 60's with an old Coke ad not qualify for Media Mail, but if you have a comic book novel from the same time with no ads, it does qualify.......long story short, what difference do the ads make?). In any case, it is their rules and if I want to do business with them, I have to follow THEIR rules.

I'm only using Media Mail for books and records these days. I ship my records in a box that is clearly the shape of a record and write "Music Record" on the box. Knock on wood I haven't had any issues. If the record is north of $50, I'll use Priority Mail.

retro_entertainment_collectibles · ‎10-20-2023

@inhawaii wrote:
@jerzee908 wrote:
I occasionally sell magazines and some comics from time to time and I'm at a disadvantage for following the rules.
You will always be at a disadvantage for following the rules ...... on ebay and in life.
I'm glad you made the right decision.

Rather PiezoMystic yes?

yuzuha · ‎10-20-2023

@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.

I can understand why it's allowed in the comics category because graphic novels are eligible to be shipped via Media Mail. Not sure why they would allow it for magazines, though, since those are ineligible by definition.

1786davycrockett · ‎10-20-2023

@yuzuha

"I can understand why it's allowed in the comics category because graphic novels are eligible to be shipped via Media Mail. Not sure why they would allow it for magazines, though, since those are ineligible by definition."

Comic books are NOT the same as graphic novels, since comic books are "periodicals" (that is, published frequently, and occasionally available via subscription mail), and ALWAYS including advertising; while graphic novels are generally "one-shots" (and generally not available as subscriber mail) and published WITHOUT advertising.

And it doesn't matter how OLD the advertising may have been -- these were still published at one time according to postal service periodical regulations regarding mailed advertising.

gamersbaystore · ‎10-20-2023

Media Mail is blocked in the video games category. I don't see why they can't apply this to the comic books category as well.

gamersbaystore · ‎10-20-2023

The trick to not having your packages get hung up with media mail is to never ship these items in a box if you can help it.

The reality is the postal service trusts no one. If you ship media mail with a box, they will set it aside to be inspected, and it can sit waiting in a warehouse for that inspection for weeks on end.

If I ship DVD's in a box, it often takes weeks to be delivered, sometimes over a month. If I ship them in a bubble mailer, they're delivered in a few days.

I only ship with a box if they're buying like 5 or 6 DVDs, anything less and I try and stick to bubble mailers.

lux.ra_14 · ‎10-21-2023

@gamersbaystore wrote:
The trick to not having your packages get hung up with media mail is to never ship these items in a box if you can help it.

The reality is the postal service trusts no one. If you ship media mail with a box, they will set it aside to be inspected, and it can sit waiting in a warehouse for that inspection for weeks on end.

I've been a bookseller since the 1990s and ship almost exclusively in boxes. Never had the experience that you're describing of packages being held up for inspection. If anything, MM delivery times have only improved in recent years.

I never violate MM rules, but I think there's undue hype about packages being inspected. The simple fact is MM volume is way too big for anything other than spot checks. That's not to say anyone should break or bend the rules, but the chances of inspection are relatively small.

gamersbaystore · ‎10-22-2023

Well thats not been my experience, and I've shipped well over a thousand DVDs here with media mail.

fern*wood · ‎10-22-2023

I'm frankly surprised they don't just eliminate this abused method altogether . They claim to be all about cost cutting.

natoman777 · ‎10-22-2023

I understand your point, but eBay and USPS both must not care since it is allowed. I do not sell comics so I don't have a dog in this fight. I would assume the extra $1 or $2 would decrease sales so both don't care. Again, if they truly cared they would stop it. If you list a church hymnal as sheet music, which it is not, you are not allowed to send it media. So you have to list them as books. They do NOT have any advertisements, they are hardcover.

lux.ra_14 · ‎10-22-2023

@fern*wood wrote:
I'm frankly surprised they don't just eliminate this abused method altogether . They claim to be all about cost cutting.

The free Priority supplies are routinely abused, but I've never heard anyone say Priority should be eliminated.

A special lore seems to have developed around Media Mail, but I would wager that Priority abuse costs USPS much more every year.

And media shipping is no longer so cheap that it's a magnet for cheaters. Rates have risen significantly and continue to go up. I shipped five books from NY to VA on Friday via Pirateship. Priority cost me about 60 cents more than MM would have.

fern*wood · ‎10-22-2023

I'm still surprised it hasn't been eliminated. What is the additional cost to USPS to inspect a percentage of the mailings? I also wonder just how "educational" all the media mailings are, since that's why this was started to begin with.

Priority supplies could be eliminated too due to cheaters, but at least they cost more to help cover their cost.

readabouthorses · ‎10-22-2023

They just need to make Media Mail a permit based shipping option just like Bound Printed Matter.

wastingtime101 · ‎10-22-2023

@jerzee908 wrote:
How about not having Media Mail as an option in the comic book and magazine categories?

A couple years ago eBay merged comic books and graphic novels into the same category. You're supposed to ID graphic novels via item specifics. eBay can't block MM in the comic books category without hurting graphic novel sellers because graphic novels do qualify for MM.

eBay doesn't block sellers from offering MM in magazines, but it does block sellers from purchasing MM labels for magazines. If eBay set the block at the listing level, the cheaters woulod just select generic economy service and set a flat rate then ship MM anyway. Being blocked from buying the label is probably the best you're going to see for the time being.

GLORIOUS!