Regards,
mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999
@sandiegolinda Below is the most recent Media Mail explanation I found earlier this year even though it is dated for 2008 it was off the USPS web site. What is NOT on that list BUT we confirmed with the local Post Office is that LPs, 45s, 33s and 78s (records) qualify as Media Mail ... their description reflects newer mediums like CDs and DVDs. I think what the USPS is really after is the violators who ship items that are absolutely not Media ... like clothing items you can fold and pack to look like a book box or something like that. One of the clerks said they had a Media Mail package once that rattled ... so they opened it (shipper was NOT present) and found a book but also a small board game ... they relabled it postage due and sent it on its way. We've advised them that they are more then welcome to open any package we ship BUT we absolutely must be present to insure that when it is resealed it does NOT look tampered with because Buyers can claim it was tampered with and we could lose the item and our money ... they were surprised with that but took it to heart.
Media Mail® service has special eligibility requirements for permissible contents. 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.
- Playscripts 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.
Media Mail Packages may not contain advertising except that 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 300) 173.3.2, Media Mail Packages 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 rate and sent to the recipient postage due, or the sender may be contacted for additional postage (DMM 604.8.1).
For more information about Media Mail service, please visit www.usps.com or call 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777). Complete explanations of qualified items may be found in DMM 173.3.2.
Notice 121
July 2008
PSN 7610-07-000-4037
@muttlymob wrote:I'm not sure why you felt the need to state how long you have been on Ebay,
Possibly to relay that in all the years she has been on eBay she has not seen any change in the rules for advertising in media mail? In that case, it would make a difference if it were 1999 or say, 2015 or another more recent year. Because it means the rules have not changed in a long time. Nothing to do with who has been here longer.
In my (slightly lesser) years of staying informed on media mail regs I also have seen no change in the DMM on age of advertising in media mail.
Since the DMM is a federal document any changes must be recorded. Likely those records could be found going back for years, if not decades.
Maybe so, but why? I post with my selling ID. All they had to do was look and they can see if I'm an experienced Ebayer and/or how long I've been here. I never assume when someone uses a posting ID that they aren't a seasoned seller. That would be silly. Some people are just more comfortable being anonymous.
Whether I'm right or I'm wrong about the DMM, it really doesn't matter. It has no bearing on what we deal with today. If it makes things better or smoother on this thread, just disregard my remarks pertaining to it. I just don't think it is a big deal.
@partial*eclipse wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:
... I'm not sure why you felt the need to state how long you have been on Ebay ... .Because you said, "There use to be, a long time ago" and I wanted to clarify how long ago I started shipping eBay stuff, including books and magazines.
I never questioned how long you have been on Ebay.
@lookng2015 wrote:
Well dvds & CDs CAN ship MM and most of those wouldn't be considered 'educational" in the USPS sense.
The word "educational" is a very subjective word.
I ask this because I'm not aware of the answer: Does USPS define Educational? If so, what is their definition.
All the pattern books I sell that have a minimum of 8 pages are eligible for MM because they are deemed educational. Reading books can be educational as they help you to learn to read, read better, etc. There is a broad range of ways to define "educational".
You may be right, I'm just wondering if you can direct us to USPS's definition of the word.
@duchess-at-speakeasy wrote:The Media Mail rules about advertising and periodicals have been in place for decades -- even when the class of mail was Book Rate and later Special 4th Class Book Rate. Old or new, periodicals are not allowed. No recent changes. I have been actively selling books and other publications since 1987 -- the rules are still the same.
I think you are confusing Media Mail eligibility with eBay's rules about selling CURRENT catalogs or directories from which products still can be ordered. Consumer magazines, even those published this year, are not part of this eBay directive because the magazine publisher is not selling the advertised products.
Oh, and many small books and magazines -- with or without advertising -- can be sent via First Class Mail - Parcel and First Class Package Service. Maximum weights are 13 oz. and 15.999 oz., respectively. Usually, a club or church-produced recipe book weighs less than 1 lb., as do booklets or pamphlets of any kind.
~~C~~
No, as I've said a few times. What I said has nothing to do with what is currently going on with Ebay and/or USPS.
With that said, yet again, I apologize for the concern I quite obviously caused some of the posters. Please just consider me wrong and move on. It just isn't worth all this. It has nothing to do with anything that has happened here or with USPS in years. It is a non issue, so just ignor what I said please.
There are too many things to list that can ship FCP. Pretty much anything can ship FCP if it qualifies in weight and size. It isn't restricted like MM is.
