Media Mail shipping. Allowed in listing but not available when I'm paying for postage.

[1madjack]

For years I have been selling instructional pool/billiards videos. The DVD's are self produced and there is not a high profit margin. If I sell a DVD for $8 the buyer generally is not going to want to pay $4.50 to $8.50 for shipping. ebay allows me to set Media Mail as a shipping option and allows the buyer to chose this option, and charges them for that. However, I do not get this option when printing the shipping label. First Class is the next cheapest option. If I use that I lose $1.79 on each sale. My only option is to pay for postage myself. The Post Office does not allow media mail postage to be purchased online, so I have to drive to the Post Office to pay for and ship the DVD. Then I have to send the tracking info to the buyer. (Not a clickable link). When I first started selling, Media Mail was a viable option. Then the option disappeared from the listing page. Then it came back, but with the above mention problems. I have called customer support several times. The agents are very supportive, but nothing gets done. Not allowing Media Mail appears to be an arbitrary decision based on the category: Sporting Goods>Indoor Games>Billiards> Other Billiards.    

[lamber9347]

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@1madjack wrote:

<snip> Not allowing Media Mail appears to be an arbitrary decision based on the category: Sporting Goods>Indoor Games>Billiards> Other Billiards.    

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You have the answer right there. There has been too much abuse of sellers using media mail in the past, the rates for MM are actually increasing in July. Now eBay limits which categories it is available for. If you list in books than you still have the option. Best of luck to you....

[1786davycrockett]

Since USPS does include DVDs as Media, it is entirely legal to list them as media (but not as "books").

[itscalledapostingid]

You can purchase the Media Mail labels from many online postage vendors.

[southern*sweet*tea]

eBay has limited Media Mail to the books and media categories - books, CDs and DVDs - to help stop abuse of Media Mail. If your books or recorded media are listed in any other category, such as collectibles, you will not be able to choose Media Mail as a shipping option.

You can still ship Media Mail, but you can't print an eBay label. You will have to ship using another online postage provider such as Pirateship or Paypal, or ship over the counter at the Post Office. If you do this, be sure to enter the tracking number into the transaction after you ship.

To do that go to your sold items.  To the right of the item sold you'll see a link to add tracking. Click that and enter the tracking number.

[varebelrose]

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@1madjack wrote:

...The Post Office does not allow media mail postage to be purchased online...

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Sure they do, you can buy it here (if the item was in the right category), or Pirateship, or Paypal. I'm sure there are other online options as well.

[varebelrose]

"...If you list in books than you still have the option..."

Correct, but there is nothing wrong with listing media items in other categories, especially niche items that relate to collectables, hobbys, sports, history, games, etc. Many of these categories even specifically have sub-cats for these items. This is 100% eBay 's screw-up when they did this.

[johnnies_garage]

I had the same issue, and I noticed that Ebay does not discount Media Mail shipping, so I just went to the Post Office, and they charged me the same price.

[wastingtime101]

eBay allows sellers to offer a wide range of shipping services through their listings, but they don't offer every one of those services through their label purchase page @1madjack.

A few examples include:
- Retail Ground (a retail service available exclusively at USPS retail locations)
- Parcel Select (currently available through eBay labels only to Top Rated Sellers, but can be purchased through any other online shipping provider that offers USPS)
- Media Mail (can only be purchased through eBay for select categories due to how much the service is abused. An item might qualify for MM even though eBay labels doesn't offer it for that category, but you can purchase it through any other online shipping provider that offers USPS or at the retail counter)
- Letter/Flat service (it's an untracked USPS First Class service which is the likely reason eBay doesn't offer it through their label platform)

The system will typically default to the first shipping option on the list (often Priority Flat Rate Envelope). You can purchase an alternate service through eBay, but if you want to purchase a label for the one designated on the listing then you can go to pirateship.com or to paypal.com/shipnow

Another time you'll see the shipping method default is when the listing is set up for First Class, but the buyer purchases multiples and exceeds the weight limit for FC. The system will default to another method, typically Priority Mail flat rate envelope.

[1madjack]

This is still a problem with ebay. This is a simple, single item listing. If I can list it with Media Mail shipping there is no logical reason ebay should not allow me to print the label. Every time I list I click a disclaimer acknowledging that I understand the restrictions involved. ebay has no liability. If this is such a challenge with ebay all they need to do is either allow the label to be printed, or add an "Instructional Materials" sub category.  ebay Motors has this option, as well as Spas and Hot Tubs. Etc, Etc.  I believe most people find my DVD's while browsing the Billiards or Pool category, not while actually searching for the item, or while starting in the books, movies & music categories. In order to capture that search category I would have to pay for an additional sub-category.  

[1madjack]

How would you purchase it through Paypal. The problem isn't purchasing the postage, but printing it. If i go to my USPS account Media Mail is not an option. Still requires a trip to the Post Office, as opposed to putting it in a collection box close to my home..

[nobody*s_perfect]

You can purchase a postage label for Media Mail (and print it) through PayPal; go to www.PayPal.com/shipnow .

USPS Click N Ship offers a very limited selection of services.  ANY other online postage provider is a better choice.

[varebelrose]

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@1madjack wrote:

How would you purchase it through Paypal. The problem isn't purchasing the postage, but printing it.

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You print it exactly the same as you would a label you bought on eBay...

[wastingtime101]

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@1madjack wrote:

How would you purchase it through Paypal. The problem isn't purchasing the postage, but printing it. If i go to my USPS account Media Mail is not an option. Still requires a trip to the Post Office, as opposed to putting it in a collection box close to my home..

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I posted 2 different options above in post 9 - one includes a link to PayPal's shipping page and another to a shipper service that will link with your eBay account (if you want to link to pull in buyers' info, but you don't have to).