Media mail no longer works for me

[bozworth99]

I sell vintage and antique magazines, books and posters on ebay and have listed each one for Media Mail postage. Over the past 6 months when a buyer selects the Media Mail listed in the ad, it automatically shifts over to Parcel Post. When the usual postage for an item under 14 oz. used to be $3.34, it is now $6.78! I have tried to find a work-around to make it Media Mail once again but nothing works. I have tried calling ebay about 15 times and ANY type of mailing request goes into auto texting or auto audio with no solution! Does anyone have a similar experience and solution? My items are very inexpensive so this hurts a lot!

[kalyoth]

I shipped 2 media mail today so it does still function at least for me. In regards to "it shifts over to parcel post" is that at point of shipping or when ur creating your listing & are defining postage carrier? I ask because, the carrier type is tied into the listing category programmed by ebay & the category might not be defined to allow media mail carrier service. I had also thought the dimensions, but Media Mail is quite generous for printed material.

[1786davycrockett]

Magazines and posters are not allowed under USPS Media mail -- check the USPS regulations.

[redmodelt]

"I sell vintage and antique magazines" Does not matter how old they are, you cannot use Media Mail to send them. Anything sent Media Mail can be opened for inspection and additional fees can be charged if does not qualify for that rate. 

While Media Mail may show in some categories such as collectables, it can only be bought through eBay, for example books, that are sold in books not collectables. You can still buy Media Mail postage for books at the Post Office or some of the other on line services if listed in non-qualifying categories.

[ebooksdiva]

Media Mail 

Magazines and Posters don’t qualify for media mail 

MEDIA MAIL SERVICE

Media Mail shipping is a cost-effective way to send educational materials. This service has restrictions on the type of media that can be shipped. Media Mail rates are limited to the items listed below:

• Books (at least 8 pages).
• Sound recordings and video recordings, such as CDs and DVDs.
• Play scripts and manuscripts for books, periodicals, and music.
• Printed music.
• Computer-readable media containing prerecorded information and guides or scripts prepared solely for use with such media.
• Sixteen millimeter or narrower width films.
• Printed objective test materials and their accessories.
• Printed educational reference charts.
• Loose-leaf pages and their binders consisting of medical information for distribution to doctors, hospitals, medical schools, and medical students.
•  

Media Mail packages may not contain advertising. Comic books do not meet this standard. Books may contain incidental announcements of other books and sound recordings may contain incidental announcements of other sound recordings. In accordance with standards in the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), Section 170, Media Mail packages must have a delivery address and the sender’s return address and are subject to inspection by the Postal Service™. Upon such inspection, matter not eligible for the Media Mail rate may be assessed at the proper price and sent to the recipient postage due, or the sender may be contacted for additional postage.

[wastingtime101]

---

@bozworth99 wrote:

I sell vintage and antique magazines, books and posters on ebay and have listed each one for Media Mail postage.

---

As others said @bozworth99, books typically qualify, but magazines and posters have never qualified. You've been putting yourself at risk if you've been abusing media mail for non-qualifying items.

Here's a quick reference chart that outlines what is and isn't allowed: USPS Media Mail Guidelines 

[nobody*s_perfect · Accepted solution]

---

@bozworth99 wrote:

I sell vintage and antique magazines, books and posters on ebay and have listed each one for Media Mail postage. Over the past 6 months when a buyer selects the Media Mail listed in the ad, it automatically shifts over to Parcel Post. When the usual postage for an item under 14 oz. used to be $3.34, it is now $6.78! ...

---

As noted in the other posts, magazines and posters aren't eligible for MM.  eBay has been fine-tuning access to shipping labels for ineligible items, based mostly on which category or sub-category they are listed in. This block on access to MM postage has been extended to ineligible sub-categories within the broader Books main category.

USPS increased postage rates on January 22; the postage cost for one pound via MM is now is $3.65, so you won't be finding shipping for $3.34 even for eligible items.  

BUT for items that are up to 15.99 ounces, you can mail as First Class packages at a lower rate than you'd pay for Parcel Select Ground postage.  If the shipping calculator in your listings is set to the default retail pricing (rather than charging the discounted online eBay rate) then weights over 13 ounces will be bumped up to Parcel Select or Priorty Mail. The very simple workaround is to enter 13 ounce as the package weight when you set up the listing.

[1786davycrockett]

At some point in 2022, eBay started cracking down on sellers abusing the regulations for USPS Media Mail -- and deservedly so:  In the past, I've noticed USPS Media being listed not only for magazines and comic books; but also for automobile parts, playing cards, pottery, dolls and other toys, tools, kitchen gadgets -- even a bicycle!

Lotsa USPS Media cheats out there. . ..