Media Mail

[coolcollectablestuff123]

So looking for some input. I have been selling on line for over 10 years & had this issue years ago & now it has started again since the post office has double there prices over the past year or so making shipping cost sky rocket. Now they are opening up Media Mail & sending back the magazines again. Years back I had a lawyer send me the legal definition of Media Mail & said there was no law or rule that said a magazine was not media. I know everyone ships magazines as media mail but now our local post office is going to return them. Does anyone have any answers on this matter as a legal matter. Obviously soon as we double the shipping cost on them they will stop selling with the 10's of thousands of sellers still using media mail. I think the only fair market is if either we all get to use it or no one does. Anyone with any answers out there ??????

[orangehound]

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@tools* wrote:

The one magazine that comes to mind that can be shipped by Media Mail is Consumer Reports, because it contains no advertising. There are probably others.

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If I recall, Consumer Reports contains advertising for other Consumer Reports products (e.g., Annual Buyer's Guide) ... if so, it would not be allowed.

[galfam]

Media mail has been raised and I have found that on some items  it is cheaper to send 1st class . So I check cost both ways before I list with free shipping or give the option of media or 1st class if they are paying . I haven't listed anything that qualifies for media in a while or I would give an example

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@galfam wrote: ... I have found that on some items  it is cheaper to send 1st class . ...

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The current postage cost to ship up to 1 pound via Media Mail is $2.80.  

The only First Class packages that would ship for less are those weighing no more than 4 ounces and going to Zones 1 - 4 (they'd cost $2.74 - $2.78).

[go-bad-chicken]

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@7606dennis wrote:

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@go-bad-chicken wrote:

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@coolcollectablestuff123 wrote:

So looking for some input. I have been selling on line for over 10 years & had this issue years ago & now it has started again since the post office has double there prices over the past year or so making shipping cost sky rocket. Now they are opening up Media Mail & sending back the magazines again. Years back I had a lawyer send me the legal definition of Media Mail & said there was no law or rule that said a magazine was not media. I know everyone ships magazines as media mail but now our local post office is going to return them. Does anyone have any answers on this matter as a legal matter. Obviously soon as we double the shipping cost on them they will stop selling with the 10's of thousands of sellers still using media mail. I think the only fair market is if either we all get to use it or no one does. Anyone with any answers out there ??????

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YOU CAN SHIP MAGAZINES AND COMIC BOOKS VIA USPS MEDIA MAIL! The solution is real simple and does not require a lawyer in order to get it done. So here is what you do. Get yourself a nice pair of scissors and cut out all of those ads. 

Problem solved, money saved, easy peasy.

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Actually, I don't believe that your solution is viable since the items would still be classed as periodicals which are not eligible for the Media Mail service. 

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My response to the OP was meant to be a light hearted joke.

Would cutting out all of the questionable advertising in a magazine qualify it for Media Mail? I truly have no idea. I have never tried. I have always shipped all of my magazines via either 1st Class or Priority.

[go-bad-chicken]

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@orangehound wrote:

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@7606dennis wrote:

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@go-bad-chicken wrote:

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YOU CAN SHIP MAGAZINES AND COMIC BOOKS VIA USPS MEDIA MAIL! The solution is real simple and does not require a lawyer in order to get it done. So here is what you do. Get yourself a nice pair of scissors and cut out all of those ads. 

Problem solved, money saved, easy peasy.

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(Although I think go-bad-chicken's response was actually a tongue-in-cheek joke).

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Yes VERY TONGUE-IN-CHEEK.

[nc-daydreamer]

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@soh.maryl wrote:

And we also probably should thank you because your experience in and knowledge of your job and USPS rules has enabled you to offer much information here.  Thank you again.

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WOW!! Thank you so much @soh.maryl !! Those are some of the kindest words anyone has said to me in years!! Your confidence means more to me than I can say. I also respect all you do - and you 'do it' all so well!! 

[coolcollectablestuff123]

Actually We over pack everything. Hard corners triple wrapped with air pillows or peanuts & still they smash stuff into pieces. Even the post office officials that have looked at the items can't understand the damage. I do get they can't list everything that they won't except as media but as far as magazines it's the largest amount of media on the planet & the only reason they tell me it's not included is because someone along the way paid for & add in the magazine. That never changed it from not being media. Either way it still sucks that they are going after a handful of small businesses but not shut down the guys send thousands of them a month. It's just a way to pick & choose who can use it. There are 10's of thousands of listings of magazines all over ebay & amazon with media mail option only for shipping. I spent the whole weekend switching my shipping over to priority & I went from 50 or so sales of magazines to 1. Thanks again everyone for the replys

[emerald_door]

I think there are a lot of people who don't understand Media Mail.  I once received an ASQ from a potential buyer who wanted me to ship a large, heavy book along with some lightweight fabric.  I had to inform her that the fabric couldn't go in the MM package and shipping them together, by another method, would cost more than shipping them separately.  

She then wanted me to drive about 40 minutes to deliver them to her.  That did not happen.