Radio shipped as Media Mail

[tonyfish82]

Can a object with "sound recording" on them be shipped media mail. For instance the object has memory and has songs on them.. Radio (with memory), laptops, PC, hard drives, Ipod, etc..?

USPS states that sound recording qualify as media mail but doesn't go into detailed as what host are acceptable for those recordings. Thanks. 

[japan-treazures]

@tonyfish82 

Here is the info on media mail right off the USPS website. Sound recordings are CD's and Tapes. I had a radio shipped to me media mail awhile back, I brought it to the USPS ofiicial attention and they told me it isn't considered media mail and took all the info off of the package. 

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.

For more information about Media Mail service, please visit www.usps.com or call 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777).

Hope this helps!

[1tuna]

I am unsure if this is how you want to ship or if you are a buyer,you cant send a radio by media mail but you already knew that .Radios do not qualify to be shipped I do not have to read the guide abouut media mail to know that

  everyone love a bit of conjecture so here is some

maybe hallmark greeting cards with a voice inside can be sent medial mail.I do not know but they are paper and have a sound chip,not sure if birthday cards are media mail

I have never used medil mail,what about the tube collectors that buy radios,do you think they feel shorted paying for somethig that maybe could have been shipped medial mail.

I think radio shippers do not get medial mail confused with what they sell

[tonyfish82]

As far as what I read so far radio can be shipped media mail, or anything that host sound recording. They give examples of host devices such as CD/DVD but doesn't exclude any host device that I have seen.

[nobody*s_perfect]

Those items are electronics with storage; they are not recordings. The "hosts" that are eligible would be vinyl records, CDs, etc.  Even player piano rolls are eligible. Here are a couple of references from USPS:

https://liteblue.usps.gov/news/link/2013/04apr/Media-Mail-Guidelines.htm

https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/173.htm#ep1113507

[a_c_green]

---

@tonyfish82 wrote:

As far as what I read so far radio can be shipped media mail, or anything that host sound recording.

---

Can you please give us the link to where you read that a radio is listed as valid for Media Mail?

Media (or the singular of "medium") refers to the material that stores the recording or other creative work: paper (books), film, piano rolls, CDs or videotapes (with recordings present, not blank), etc.

A radio is a playback device. It is not valid for shipping by Media Mail. Nor can you use Media Mail to ship bookshelves, film projectors, VCRs, Blu-ray players, etc.

[donsdetour]

---

@tonyfish82 wrote:

As far as what I read so far radio can be shipped media mail, or anything that host sound recording. They give examples of host devices such as CD/DVD but doesn't exclude any host device that I have seen.

---

Well if it is caught your buyer is going to have to pay the extra you tried to save, by ripping the USPS off.

Easy and fast righteous negative feedback to be received for it also . 

Don't bother to take the advice given here: go to your PO and ask them. They will set you straight .

[simba6]

I would not suggest it. For one, media mail is slow and hard on packages. The other issue is, if it's opened and inspected the inspector might not know the rules. You then get back billed or worse yet they try to collect at delivery. That would leave you with working it out with the postal service or an unhappy buyer.  Most postal workers don't know their own rules at all!

[nobody*s_perfect]

 "The other issue is, if it's opened and inspected the inspector might not know the rules. You then get back billed" 

@simba6  There will be Postage Due if the inspector DOES understand the rules.  

The package will follow the old procedures for Postage Due because the back-billing is only done for packages that are detected by the Automated Package Verification system. If the misuse is discovered while the package is still in the seller's region, it will be sent back to him for additional postage; otherwise, it will be delivered to the buyer with Postage Due as described by donsdetour.