USPS Media Mail

I used media mail to send donated books to someone. It went well but they opened the box in front of me to inspect that everything in it qualified for the cheaper media mail rates. Then the postal worker sealed it with a different kind of tape showing that it had already been inspected.

I don't believe it was eligible to be tracked. I prefer tracking if I paid for or someone paid me for an item.

EmpressArwen said:

I used media mail to send donated books to someone. It went well but they opened the box in front of me to inspect that everything in it qualified for the cheaper media mail rates. Then the postal worker sealed it with a different kind of tape showing that it had already been inspected.

I don't believe it was eligible to be tracked. I prefer tracking if I paid for or someone paid me for an item.

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Media Mail comes with tracking included now. It's printed on the receipt.

Yelell said:

Hmm. It says

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.

I'm not a comic book fan, guess they have a lot of ads? Cheaper than priority, I'm not surprised. How about a first class bubble mailer I wonder?

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I read this differently than you did. In saying "comic books do not meet this standard" I took it to be referring to the first sentence which says, "may not contain advertising". If it were referring to the fact that comic books weren't allowed to be sent, I think it would have been worded differently. Did you ask someone? I'd be interested to know why comic books would be excluded. After all, the term "books" even if they're comic books does include them as being acceptable.

gregory said:

Jeannette from tarotgarden posted years ago that decks alone do NOT qualify and that they have been told this VERY firmly several times when they tried to get a ruling that would allow them. But sets do.

http://www.tarotforum.net/showpost.php?p=611743&postcount=51

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Yes, I vividly remember this conversation. There has to be a book as part of the package. It makes sense to me.

As a buyer, I'll gladly pay for Priority any day over slower or less well handled methods.

I actually did buy a very low priced "lot" of Llwelllyn tarot deck & book sets from an eBay seller, years ago, that came by Media Mail. I was surprised when the package arrived, as it wasn't really something I'd consider a "package." No big box -- just the deck sets shrinkwrapped in clear wrapping, atop a long piece of cardboard. The contents were fine, but the set boxes were dinged, as you might imagine.

Do not use Media Mail! Some Post Office employees will use these stupid rules to open packages, remove the contents, whatever it is, and send you an empty envelope! There is virtually no oversight and absolutely no tracking.

I once received an empty package where once the only thing inside had been a book. No book, just asbestos lining falling out all over my front porch and living room floor.

Possible Solution

firecatpickles said:

Do not use Media Mail! Some Post Office employees will use these stupid rules to open packages, remove the contents, whatever it is, and send you an empty envelope! There is virtually no oversight and absolutely no tracking.

I once received an empty package where once the only thing inside had been a book. No book, just asbestos lining falling out all over my front porch and living room floor.

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I had read somewhere that a USPS counter person inspected one and stamped it at the counter that it was inspected. I wonder if this is the way to go with Media Mail to ask for it to be inspected with you there at the counter and stamped pre-inspected to avoid the rifling of your package elsewhere.

There is a huge difference in price between Media Mail and Priority if it cannot be shipped in the smallest Flat Rate Box.

goldenVI said:

I had read somewhere that a USPS counter person inspected one and stamped it at the counter that it was inspected. I wonder if this is the way to go with Media Mail to ask for it to be inspected with you there at the counter and stamped pre-inspected to avoid the rifling of your package elsewhere.

There is a huge difference in price between Media Mail and Priority if it cannot be shipped in the smallest Flat Rate Box.

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They may do that for you at the counter, but it is still subject to inspection at any time during its route.

I had noticed an increase in tampering the worse the US economy got, too. People are just plain dishonest, IMHO.

Most people who buy tarot and have it shipped are more than willing to pay the extra postage

bonebeach said:

I'm POSITIVE I've gotten comic books via media mail, not once, but repeatedly. I don't see why the ad thing would be an issue, unless they mean that single issue comics aren't allowed, which I could see (and I've never tried ordering because ugh, single issues are a pain). Like glam mags, they have a lot of ads.

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I'm not sure that the advertising thing refers to ads that are actually in the printed material? It may, but it also refers to advertising from the seller. That's how it was explained to me by a postal worker. And even a simple note that says "Thank you for your purchase" is considered advertising in that context, disqualifying it for media mail. The only thing allowed is an invoice or packing slip.

Laura Borealis said:

I'm not sure that the advertising thing refers to ads that are actually in the printed material? It may, but it also refers to advertising from the seller. That's how it was explained to me by a postal worker. And even a simple note that says "Thank you for your purchase" is considered advertising in that context, disqualifying it for media mail. The only thing allowed is an invoice or packing slip.

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Oh wow, seriously?! No note?

firecatpickles said:

They may do that for you at the counter, but it is still subject to inspection at any time during its route.

I had noticed an increase in tampering the worse the US economy got, too. People are just plain dishonest, IMHO.

Most people who buy tarot and have it shipped are more than willing to pay the extra postage

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So it's a waste of time in your opinion. Yes, maybe just offering different postal rates/methods is the way to go for the trade thread, but for online marketplace you have to pick one to build into your pricing.

P.S. Some people have good character they are just harder to find. ;-)