Media mail excluded due to listing error (wrong category) -- Global Shipping sale

[seely7]

Not overly pressing, as there's an obvious solution, but I'm just wondering if there are other options:

I listed a motorcycle shop manual, which qualifies for Media Mail, per the USPS website.  However, I brain cramped (totally my mistake; I realize that) and used the wrong category, and chose one that eBay now says doesn't qualify for Media Mail (heads up, eBay:  a warning when I listed it would have been helpful):  when I go to print the shipping label,  though Media Mail says "Buyer Selected", it's blurred out on my screen, can't be selected, and eBay has checked off the "Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope" option.  The book will not fit in a Flat Rate mailer, fwiw.  Just to make things a bit more interesting, though based on threads I've already read, I don't think it actually matters, this is an international sale using the Global Shipping Program.  

The obvious solution is just to ship it Priority and eat the difference ($5-$6) and file under "Lesson Learned:  Things I'll be more careful about in the future".  

However, I'm thinking I could also just bring it to the PO and pay out of pocket, but having not done Media Mail at the PO in many years, I'm not sure whether tracking is an option, and I definitely need a tracking number.

And if I do so, will that cause issues?  Does eBay *expect* me to send it Priority, or was that just a default they have to prevent people from abusing Media Mail?

Anyone have a similar experience and words of wisdom?  

[nobody*s_perfect · Accepted solution]

All USPS package postage, both retail and online,  automatically includes tracking (formerly known as delivery confirmation) at no additional charge.

The flat rate envelope just showed up as the default because the chosen service wasn't available; eBay didn't actually decide that was what you should use to ship.

Media Mail costs the same at the PO counter as it does when purchased through eBay.

You can purchase MM postage online through PayPal at www.PayPal.com/shipnow

[seely7]

Thank you very much!  I knew that "Click and Ship" at the USPS website would provide tracking, but they don't sell Media Mail labels.  I didn't realize I could purchase one through Paypal.  Very helpful. Thank you.  

[nobody*s_perfect]

You're welcome.

FYI, Click N Ship charges retail prices, so even if you're purchasing postage for one of the services they do offer, such as Priority, it will be cheaper through PayPal.

[seely7]

Yes, I'm aware that Click and Ship is more expensive; I use it for shipping packages to my children, but if Paypal is cheaper, I'll go that route IF I can get it to like me, and currently I can't.

My problem?  It insists on having a physical address and will not allow me to proceed until I enter one, not a PO box.  I'm in a rural area, and we have no mail receptacle at my physical address (which is in a different town), so I'm hesitant to use it as a return address on anything because it wouldn't get to me if there were some reason for the PO to use it.  

[thebackroad]

Does anyone know ...

a.  Is there is a list on eBay of the categories where Media Mail is a valid option or how to determine this for a given category?  There are a lot of items that do validly qualify for USPS Media Mail and where a lot of categories could be applicable to a given item but not deemed valid for Media Mail by eBay.

b. Has it been submitted as an issue to be fixed that there is no warning in eBay when listing Media Mail as a shipping option in an "invalid" category ? When the listing is submitted to eBay, there is a message that defines USPS Media Mail requirements but nowhere does it say that you won't be able to ship this item using Media Mail via eBay. And of course eBay allows the buyer to choose the option and then you find out when trying to print the shipping label.  While the seller can do their own labeling or use a third party to pay for shipping and produce a label, I think many of us might just change the category if we understood that Media Mail is NOT A VALID EBAY SHIPPING OPTION for the category we've chosen when submitting the listing.

[southern*sweet*tea]

Media Mail is only offered for label printing in the books and CD/DVD categories.   That's it.  If you list in any other category you can still  ship Media Mail, but you will have to  ship using another online postage provider such as Pirateship, stamps.com, Paypal, etc., 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.