Incorrect Shipping Type?

[oszun-67]

Sold an empty box of a larger size. I put it in a bigger box to ship it. One of the options to ship it with Ebay was "media mail", since I was paying I chose that option. It took a while for it to get to the customer. When it did, USPS charged my customer $36 for shipping. He showed me a picture and USPS opened the package and said it shouldn't have been sent as media mail. Do I have any recourse through Ebay or even USPS?

[evry1nositswindy]

No recourse because you are 100% wrong.  Media mail is only for books, music, educational material.  If you misuse it, the USPS will charge your buyer the amount of  priority weight.  Depending on the size you could be hit with dimensional fees.  You need to read up on the USPS shipping types and use them correctly.  You need to refund your buyer for the shipping cost that you should have paid to begin with.

[nobody*s_perfect · Accepted solution]

Your empty box wasn't eligible for Media Mail.  USPS staff are allowed to open MM packages for inspection and your package was probably so light for it size, that it was suspect. 

[ms.rodriguez*]

LEARN to use the correct shipping method.  Media mail is very, very limited.   You will have to reimburse the buyer immediately.  Apologize to them .  Then apologize to them again and be grateful they do not post a negative.  Whenever you use MEDIA mail for non-media mail , that is theft of services and also a postal crime.

Media mail is very, very limited.  Do NOT assume if the item is something printed with pages , it can be shipped media mail either.  READ what can and can NOT be shipped media mail at the postal website,  www.usps.com .

[southern*sweet*tea]

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@nobody*s_perfect wrote:

Your empty box wasn't eligible for Media Mail.  USPS staff are allowed to open MM packages for inspection and your package was probably so light for it size, that it was suspect. 

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Yep.

Our old Postmaster (not sure if the new one does this) would open and inspect every single MM shipment.  We're a small PO so not a whole lot of MM packages to begin with.  He started doing that when some clown thought it would be a good idea to ship 40 pounds of metal auto parts MM.  When the guy plunked the box down on the counter he heard a metallic "clank".  Books don't clank when you plop the box down on the counter lol

[kensgiftshop]

@oszun-67 

No, it was your mistake, so you have to pay it.

[Anonymous]

I mean the name itself should have been a clue. How does an empty box qualify as "media"?