Posted on 06/15/2004 2:57:43 PM PDT by Gasshog
The clerk at my local Post Office gave me this bit of news today. It is also being talked about on the eBay Boards. USPS is going to open and check every bit of "Media mail" (used to be book rate) to make sure the packages dont contain anything that is not allowed by the regulations. Here is what the clerk told me today: At first they issued a notice that anyone with Media mail had to bring it in UNSEALED before that would accept it, then the clerk told me that they changed that directive so the clerks had to open the mail themselves. He told me that he had personally opened packages that day. And he still wasn't sure if that was the final directive...they may go to "checking" Media mail at the main Post Office (Louisville, KY).
I didn't find anything on the USPS website to support what he told me and I checked Google as well. The USPS latest News releases are strangely silent about this new invasion of people's privacy.
What everyone who is upset about this should do!!
Wrap your media mail REALLY GOOD... if you put that little item in 10-12 sucessively larger boxes and use a roll of tape to seal it all up, get the picture?
IF enough people will do this USPS will drop this nonsense pretty fast.
I ship books that I sell on eBay via media mail, and for fear of dampness, I wrap the holy hell out of 'em. (I warn the buyers that they'll have to go through several layers of plastic.) They're usually inside six or seven plastic bags, then a gallon Ziploc, and then the box. Now I'll get to put tape around each layer.
I don't understand. What is media mail? Books? CDs? What?
Ping!
It's what used to be called "book rate."
Beat you to it!
Yo PJ, whatcha think of this?
(steely)
Books, but not magazines.
CDs, but not ROM cartridges.
UPS ping. Cheaper as well.
Before long the USPS won't have anything to do but go to union meetings.
Our tax dollars at work....
Are we talking about Second Class Mail here? the rate for periodicals?
Good, maybe I can stop getting all the damn AOL trial disks. I have enough free minutes now to use AOL for the next ten years.
Considering the amount of mail the post office delivers I think this is hog wash. However, I send a email to someone with pretty good knowledge within USPS and will post his reply here....
I've used Media Mail to ship computer disks (i.e. floppies) and VHS/audio cassettes as well.
Pinging the wife unit since she sells some of her used books on eBay and half.com, and ships them Media Mail. The rates are actually quite reasonable and we've never had any trouble with the USPS.
}:-)4
A postal clerk I spoke to the other day said that when using media mail, we can't even include an invoice. I'm hoping that's wrong. I buy and sell books on eBay and amazon, and we need to include invoices. Sounds like they just want us to use the higher rates. (I do sometimes anyway, especially for rare books.)
I'd be worried about getting an empty envelope mailed to me. "Hmm! I like this book. Ummm! I need to set this aside to investigate in my spare time. Reseal the envelope and send it on its way."
Media mail is dirt cheap compared to anything else. I entered a 10 pound package from Ohio to California.
UPS Ground = $11.45.
USPS Parcel Post= $18.14
USPS Media Mail = $4.84
I can understand why they want to upsell to Parcel Post. $13+ for essentially the same service.
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