USPS Media Mail

G6

Um, I just found out the USPS rifles through media mail, meaning they have the authority to open any packages they feel like to see if what's in there "qualifies" as media mail.

Technically, I think a pack of tarot cards in a deck and book set qualifies as media mail. Plus, any tarot pack with an LWB technically is a deck and book set. Furthermore, I think it could be argued that tarot cards in general sans LWB or full blown companion book are "educational" materials.

Anyone else have thoughts on this topic?
 

Yelell

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.


That's what the website says, along with specifically excluding comic books. I can't see tarot cards qualifying- more like playing cards and sold by companies like US games. The LWB is more like game instructions in that way. I don't see it fitting the criteria. I hate media mail in any event. The only 2 things I have ever had lost in the mail were books through media mail. :mad: Is it much cheaper to send a deck that way? I don't know, I 've never tried. Some decks I have bought have come that way, though.
 

G6

Yelell said:
Media Mail rates are limited to the items listed below:
Books (at least 8 pages).

Printed educational reference charts.

That's what the website says, along with specifically excluding comic books. I can't see tarot cards qualifying- more like playing cards and sold by companies like US games. The LWB is more like game instructions in that way. I don't see it fitting the criteria. I hate media mail in any event. The only 2 things I have ever had lost in the mail were books through media mail. :mad: Is it much cheaper to send a deck that way? I don't know, I 've never tried. Some decks I have bought have come that way, though.
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At least 8 pages. Most LWBs are more than 8 pages. Arguably tarot could be considered 78 reference charts too.

Yes, Media Mail is half as much as Flat Rate Priority, BUT I do agree since the USPS has license to do as they please with Media Mail, which I didn't know until today, it seems a less attractive option.

Why are comic books excluded? Were they deemed frivolous entertainment?
 

Yelell

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?
 

G6

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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That's interesting. I guess they equate comic books with magazines that both are heavily subsidized by advertising/corporate sponsorship. They don't consider though that people mailing them are likely average folks that are collectors for the most part not the initial publisher that sends them out. They should amend their rule to account for that distinction.

I don't know that a First Class bubble mailer works out cheaper than Flat Rate because decks are so heavy. Plus does First Class come with tracking or is that extra?
 

jolie_amethyst

Media mail tracking is also significantly less consistent than Priority--which is sometimes a little flaky too, but media mail is worse. Had a deck + book arrive today that never did actually show up in online tracking.

Given the option as a buyer, I will ALWAYS go priority. And as a seller, I'd also go priority, it's a good deal faster usually and I want to be able to keep a good eye on it as it travels to its destination. And while we might argue that Tarot is educational, it's really at the USPS' discretion whether or not to agree. I wouldn't want to take the chance of a package arriving at my buyer's doorstep tagged postage due, nor pay any fines the USPS wants to levy against me for "abusing" the system. A deck + book set would probably pass inspection, but a deck + LWB I could see being questioned.
 

Yelell

goldenVI said:
That's interesting. I guess they equate comic books with magazines that both are heavily subsidized by advertising/corporate sponsorship. They don't consider though that people mailing them are likely average folks that are collectors for the most part not the initial publisher that sends them out. They should amend their rule to account for that distinction.

I don't know that a First Class bubble mailer works out cheaper than Flat Rate because decks are so heavy. Plus does First Class come with tracking or is that extra?
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When in was in college I worked in the library, and books were sent between libraries through the usps by book rate, which is now media mail. It allowed libraries to share materials affordably, which may have been the primary reason book rate existed to begin with. What I'm saying is, I would guess collectors aren't their primary concern for media mail? The reason I mention first class bubble mailer is, I believe 2 decks I got fairly recently (not internationally) came that way. They had tracking, including the old english tarot I got off amazon just because someone was selling it for maybe $1.50 + $3.99 shipping. I figured it couldn't have cost very much to send?
 

G6

jolie_amethyst said:
Media mail tracking is also significantly less consistent than Priority--which is sometimes a little flaky too, but media mail is worse. Had a deck + book arrive today that never did actually show up in online tracking.

Given the option as a buyer, I will ALWAYS go priority. And as a seller, I'd also go priority, it's a good deal faster usually and I want to be able to keep a good eye on it as it travels to its destination. And while we might argue that Tarot is educational, it's really at the USPS' discretion whether or not to agree. I wouldn't want to take the chance of a package arriving at my buyer's doorstep tagged postage due, nor pay any fines the USPS wants to levy against me for "abusing" the system. A deck + book set would probably pass inspection, but a deck + LWB I could see being questioned.
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Yes, this is a good point, they do seem to not track the progress of media mail very well. One I'm waiting on hasn't updated in three days. I'm hoping they're backed up from the holiday and it'll just show up tomorrow, lol! :)

Agree about the postage due, but I think they send it back to the originator instead of making the receiver pay the postage due, so then you have to start over again paying for postage. Have you had one show up at your doorstep that you had to pay the additional postage?
 

jolie_amethyst

goldenVI said:
Yes, this is a good point, they do seem to not track the progress of media mail very well. One I'm waiting on hasn't updated in three days. I'm hoping they're backed up from the holiday and it'll just show up tomorrow, lol! :)

Agree about the postage due, but I think they send it back to the originator instead of making the receiver pay the postage due, so then you have to start over again paying for postage. Have you had one show up at your doorstep that you had to pay the additional postage?
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Not in media mail, because I so rarely get it. But yes, typically they attempt delivery, with one of the little orange "pick up at post office" notices left if no one is home to pay up. Though I did have one last year who left the package with a small printed envelope to leave the cash in the mailbox the next day. But that was a postal person who knew if I wasn't answering the door and my car was visible, I was too sick to open the door. Our current one is new, and I expect I'd get the notice to go get it from the PO instead.

One time I had a box delivered with about $45 postage due. The ebay seller had used the wrong rate box, putting a sticker over the zone and thinking that was OK. The USPS disagreed, and charged accordingly--far more than had she sent is regular priority mail. That was a bit of a mess to straighten out.
 
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