Pretty please, add another option besides Media Mail

[airsheep]

Media Mail takes forever to me.  Big sellers shave a few pennies off by shipping books Media Mail, which adds up, but they wrap in flimsy plastic or paper envelopes that often get banged up en route.  Then the books vanish into sorting centers, where they languish for weeks before going on, if they manage to get out at all.  Smaller sellers usually treat the books better, but Media Mail delivery is still measured in geologic time.

Many books can be sent first class, and I would happily pay an extra buck or two to get it in a couple of weeks rather than months.  Please give me the option to pay a bit more for better service.

[1786davycrockett]

If you contact a seller before committing to the sale of a book, that you will gladly pay the additional cost for USPS First Class mail, the seller may agree.  However, if the book is over one pound, the shipping cost jumps dramatically, and the book (or books) may have to be shipped via USPS Priority.  Will you be willing to pay that much for faster shipping, rather than USPS Media?

Since shipping costs have risen big-time on January 27, USPS First Class has become VERY expensive for shipping packages, while USPS Media rate has risen only a few cents.  So many sellers are attempting to save their customers some extra money by shipping USPS Media, rather than the new USPS First Class rates, which may now be TWICE as much since January 27.

Bottom line -- check with the sellers for special USPS First Class treatment.

[airsheep]

I'm in Hawaii. My choices are expensive first class or Priority, or Media Mail that either takes forever or gets lost.  I don't think First Class, especially for a standard paperback, could be that horrible.

[dtexley3 · Accepted solution]

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@airsheep wrote:

I'm in Hawaii. My choices are expensive first class or Priority, or Media Mail that either takes forever or gets lost.  I don't think First Class, especially for a standard paperback, could be that horrible.

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First Class Package can only be used for items under 1 lb so not all paperbacks will qualify.  Yes, Media mail to Hawaii takes a long time.  There's no other shipping option (besides Priority) available in most cases.  Lobby your congresspeople to have USPS create a new shipping class is about your only option.

[disneyshopper]

Hawaii is probably zone 8 for most sellers.  Therefore, if buyer is being charged retail counter rates, s/he could pay $9.30 for a 15.99 ounce first class package.

[glgenterprise]

My free shipping option is aleays going to be media mail for books. The price differential is such that I can't offer free shipping any other way.

That being said, most of my items have other, faster buyer paid shipping options, but I'm not sure how obvious that is to a buyer, especially someone using the mobile app.

I'm always open to alternative shipping methods at the buyer's expense if they contact me prior to purchase.