First Class Large Envelope

[pollmille-5]

I notice the option of First Class Large Envelope as an option for shipping but it isn’t showing up consistently. I have several things that are under the 13 oz. Limit and it’s a cheaper option than media mail. Any ideas why it isn’t currently showing up for me?

[tobaccocardyahoo]

It is not a tracked service, so it is unlikely to be shown without requesting all shipping methods.

It has no INR protection.

I see you may be using it to ship magazines which are not eligible for media mail. But you also seem to be shipping magazines by media mail.

[nobody*s_perfect]

If you can't find Large Envelope on the list of shipping options when setting up your listing, one workaround would be to select flat-rate shipping rather than calculated, and choose generic "Standard" shipping. Remember that in addition to being not over 13 ounces, to be mailed as a flat a package must be flexible and not over 3/4 inch thick. Most magazines would qualify.

[pollmille-5]

It is showing up as option when I list.  Buyer pays the $1.63.  When I go to print label, it is isn't listed as option.  I see every option there except the one I picked.  Therefore I have to pick the ground or media mail, which is over $4.00.  

[pollmille-5]

I have my old professional journals for sale and while the word magazine is in title, it is not a magazine.  It is strictly music journal with accompanying CD.  If I have actual magazines or catalogs listed with media mail, it is unintentional. 

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@pollmille-5 wrote:

It is showing up as option when I list.  Buyer pays the $1.63.  When I go to print label, it is isn't listed as option....

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Oh, I thought you meant it wasn't available when you were setting up a listing ("it isn’t showing up consistently").

First Class flat (AKA Large envelope) is never available when purchasing eBay shipping labels, and never has been.  eBay only offers labels for packages, probably because they believe that buyers want tracking, with the exception of the special eBay "standard" envelope which sort-of has tracking. If you want to ship as a First Class flat, you have to go to the PO or just put stamps on it.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@pollmille-5 wrote:

I have my old professional journals for sale and while the word magazine is in title, it is not a magazine.  It is strictly music journal ...

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Periodicals are ineligible for MM, whether they are called magazines or journals.

[wastingtime101]

I can see why there is confusion on those items, because they say "resource magazine" however they are educational guides for teachers.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/285827392081

Not sure why seller is calling them "journals" on this discussion thread.

[nobody*s_perfect]

Educational or otherwise, they are periodicals: Note that at the bottom of the cover it states "Volume 14 Number 4, March/April 2004".  The bottom of the second image shows the annual subscription rates.  Items eligible to be mailed at the periodicals rate are not eligible for Media Mail.

[wastingtime101]

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@nobody*s_perfect wrote:

Items eligible to be mailed at the periodicals rate are not eligible for Media Mail.

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That item does not qualify for the periodical rate because of the CD.

At its core MM is for educational materials and this is a bit different from a "regular" magazine so I'm just saying I understand why a product like this causes confusion when someone is trying to figure out which service is applicable.

Ultimately I believe the no magazines rule applies, regardless of the teaching aid aspect, and the item should ship Ground Adv. The CD by itself would qualify for MM but the magazine disqualifies it.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@wastingtime101 wrote:

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@nobody*s_perfect wrote:

Items eligible to be mailed at the periodicals rate are not eligible for Media Mail.

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That item does not qualify for the periodical rate because of the CD.....

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Ah, I didn't know about the CD/periodical rule, but now i've found it in the DMM. Thanks for the heads-up. To get back to the original question: An item with a CD inside wouldn't be flexible enough to be mailed as a flat.

Remember, the term "Educational" appears in only 2 of the 9 categories of items eligible for MM.  All the other categories, such as books and movies, can be as trashy as you like.

Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service Domestic Mail Manual > 100 Retail Mail Letters, Cards, Flats, and Parcels > 170 Retail MailMedia Mail and Library Mail

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4.0 Content Standards for Media Mail

4.1 Qualified Items

Only these items may be mailed at the Media Mail prices:

1. Books, including books issued to supplement other books, of at least eight printed pages, consisting wholly of reading matter or scholarly bibliography, or reading matter with incidental blank spaces for notations and containing no advertising matter other than incidental announcements of books. Advertising includes paid advertising and the publishers‘ own advertising in display, classified, or editorial style.
2. 16-millimeter or narrower width films, which must be positive prints in final form for viewing, and catalogs of such films of 24 pages or more (at least 22 of which are printed). Films and film catalogs sent to or from commercial theaters do not qualify for the Media Mail price.
3. Printed music, whether in bound or sheet form.
4. Printed objective test materials and their accessories used by or on behalf of educational institutions to test ability, aptitude, achievement, interests, and other mental and personal qualities with or without answers, test scores, or identifying information recorded thereon in writing or by mark.
5. Sound recordings, including incidental announcements of recordings and guides or scripts prepared solely for use with such recordings. Video recordings and player piano rolls are classified as sound recordings.
6. Playscripts and manuscripts for books, periodicals, and music.
7. Printed educational reference charts designed to instruct or train individuals for improving or developing their capabilities. Each chart must be a single printed sheet of information designed for educational reference. The information on the chart, which may be printed on one or both sides of the sheet, must be conveyed primarily by graphs, diagrams, tables, or other nonnarrative matter. An educational reference chart is normally but not necessarily devoted to one subject. A chart on which the information is conveyed primarily by textual matter in a narrative form does not qualify as a printed educational reference chart for mailing at the Media Mail prices even if it includes graphs, diagrams, or tables. Examples of qualifying charts include maps produced primarily for educational reference, tables of mathematical or scientific equations, noun declensions or verb conjugations used in the study of languages, periodic table of elements, botanical or zoological tables, and other tables used in the study of science.
8. Loose-leaf pages and their binders consisting of medical information for distribution to doctors, hospitals, medical schools, and medical students.
9. Computer-readable media containing prerecorded information and guides or scripts prepared solely for use with such media.