Media mail

[sandiegolinda]

Media mail cannot have advertising per the post office regulations.  I was told by my post office they were going to start cracking down on this.  Do others not know of the regulation, because they are mailing magazines w/ads via media mail.  I can't compete with them, as I don't want the Feds down on me or ebay......heck, they might send the Internal Rev after me next!!!! Joking of course, I do pay my taxes.

[rschissler]

I'd love to see the USPS start cracking down on it.  If at the  retail counter, open the package right there to see if it really qualifies.  If label printed from home and dropped off, inspect package at initial scan, and if in violation return to sender for insufficient postage.  A few of these brought to light, and the cheaters would get the message.

[sockmonkeydave]

@sandiegolinda

You would think there should be a time limit...

I have mags from the 1940's, and older...

most of the ads are for out of business companys.

And do my old National Geographic need to go in the adult area.

We live in a crazy world...

[sandiegolinda]

I wonder if ebay has ever put this reg into all their instructions.  Being new at this I do find their tips, etc. helpful, but I haven't come across it yet.  They could get a penalty for not having it in writing on the site I would think.   I think I will stop trying to sell mags on line, not worth it, unless I can find a less expensive way.

[mam98031]

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@sockmonkeydave wrote:

@sandiegolinda

You would think there should be a time limit...

I have mags from the 1940's, and older...

most of the ads are for out of business companys.

And do my old National Geographic need to go in the adult area.

We live in a crazy world...

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There is or there was.  But I haven't looked into it for awhile.  A couple of years ago they changed the requirements for media mail rather dramatically.  

Media Mail Service

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.

We would need to read the other clauses from the DMM referred to in the above explanation to see if they are still exempt.

[mam98031]

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@sandiegolinda wrote:

Media mail cannot have advertising per the post office regulations.  I was told by my post office they were going to start cracking down on this.  Do others not know of the regulation, because they are mailing magazines w/ads via media mail.  I can't compete with them, as I don't want the Feds down on me or ebay......heck, they might send the Internal Rev after me next!!!! Joking of course, I do pay my taxes.

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Good, it is long overdue.  I've had sellers on Ebay ship me stuff via media mail that had no business being shipped that class.  I'd politely tell them after I received the item and they flat did not care.  I of course do not buy from those sellers anymore, but there are lots of sellers that do it.  And until they get penalized for doing so, they aren't about to stop.

[buyselljack2016]

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@sandiegolinda wrote:

I wonder if ebay has ever put this reg into all their instructions.  Being new at this I do find their tips, etc. helpful, but I haven't come across it yet.  They could get a penalty for not having it in writing on the site I would think.   I think I will stop trying to sell mags on line, not worth it, unless I can find a less expensive way.

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Not eBays job to provide that info.

Your responsibility as a shipper to follow the rules of the service provider that you choose to use.

[sandiegolinda]

Wow, this was what I was looking for. I find it difficult to look up anything on the USPS site as they come up with a whole page of references and you have to guess which one is the correct one....or maybe it is just me...brain gets a little slower as i age 😞

[sandiegolinda]

HEY, may not be ebay's JOB, but they are charging us for shipping so they could at least help us with the rules and regs. I AM FOLLOWING THE REG. , just can't figure out why they don't disclose it! Or do they, maybe I'm missing it.

[retrose1]

If it has ads or if it is promoting a brand - i.e. a Rachel Ray cookbook, it can not go media.

My PO rips open dropped of Media packages to see what is in there.  There was one seller that got busted abusing media and their address is all over the branches and I was behind her when she tried to pass off a blender as Media.  She isn't selling anymore.

[buyselljack2016]

eBay is a "venue" buying and selling.

They have restrictions on what you can sell, but again it is up to you as a seller to comply with the rules of the "shipping service" Not trying to be mean, just the way it is.

[mam98031]

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@sandiegolinda wrote:
HEY, may not be ebay's JOB, but they are charging us for shipping so they could at least help us with the rules and regs. I AM FOLLOWING THE REG. , just can't figure out why they don't disclose it! Or do they, maybe I'm missing it.

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Sellers need to take responsibility for this.  Ebay provides us with a service.  It is our job to act responsibly and with good intentions.  It is also our job as sellers to know the rules.

Here is a little more info.

https://pe.usps.com/Archive/PDF/DMMArchive20050106/173.pdf

[readabouthorses]

This was provided a few years ago to all the Post Offices so they would be aware of what can and can't be sent Media Mail without having to plow through all the regulations in the big book.

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

This does say that Cookbooks can be sent Media Mail but I guess some of the "advertising" cookbooks cannot.

[readabouthorses]

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@sandiegolinda wrote:

Media mail cannot have advertising per the post office regulations.  I was told by my post office they were going to start cracking down on this.  Do others not know of the regulation, because they are mailing magazines w/ads via media mail.  I can't compete with them, as I don't want the Feds down on me or ebay......heck, they might send the Internal Rev after me next!!!! Joking of course, I do pay my taxes.

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I've had sellers tell me that their PO clerks told them it was perfectly OK to send magazines by Media Mail. Now I notice some of the magazine sellers are just choosing the Economy Mail option without selecting a mail class so no way to tell if they are abusing MM or not.

At my old PO it got so bad that they had a sign in the lobby that all items being sent MM needed to be presented opened for inspection. There were a few eBay sellers bringing stuff in and sending everything MM.

[partial*eclipse]

@mam98031

The DMM link that you provided is to an archived version from 2005.  The content standards for MM haven't changed, but the prices sure have!  And so have many regulations.  Here's a link to the current version of the DMM:

https://pe.usps.com/DMM300