It's been a little while since I posted anything, but I have tons of stuff from my grandfather's second wife that's piled up in my study and it must go.
Especially the Singapore Bird china. YEE.
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.
Great story about the Bulldog Box Guardian.
Can old postcards be sent via Media Mail?
It's not new. All but first class mail can be opened for postal inspection to insure the proper rate has been paid.
First class includes, priority and express mail and can not be opened
except by the Postal Inspection Service after they obtain a warrant from a federal judge.
Postal folks are quite paranoid about the sanctity of first class mail.
Maybe it's not paranoia though, the Postal Inspectors do watch and run sting operations.
Opening first class mail is a federal felony.
Here is from the USPS web site: "If there is probable cause to believe the contents of a First-Class Mail letter or parcel violate federal law, Postal Inspectors can obtain a search warrant to open the mailpiece. Other classes of mail do not contain private correspondence, and therefore may be opened without a warrant" I always thought they could open packages not sent by 1st Class. What appears to be new is that they seem to going to be checking some packages. If not then why would my postal software start giving me a warning that they could do this and if I didn't follow the rules the Post Office could force them to close my account. Seems to me something new happened to make my software company start warning users about it. Seems to me that the Post Office may have informed them that they would be doing inspections of Media Mail packages. Not all of them but spot checking. I not really concerned about it as I only send what is allowed by Media Mail. I have a postal license and I don't want to lose it.
My mother keeps begging me to send in my stories to Reader's Digest. I think I will follow her advice and send one in this week. However, I they require the stories to be under 100 words (Life In These United States).
Yeah. Definitely BEGINNER'S LUCK! It was the FIRST book I bought on my own to sell on eBay. And I didn't even know what I was doing. If the seller had asked for $2, I wouldn't have even bought the book. Oh, and it was in MINT condition. First Edition, First Printing.
There's nothing new. If the window clerk thinks it's not really media mail they can inspect it.
It's likely your software vendor has started warning their customers as though it's
a change in USPS policy rather than to say, "Oops we forgot to tell you."
Media mail is a subset of the mail class "package services" which used to be called 4th class.
Media mail is only for books, 16mm or narrower width films, printed music,
educational testing material, sound or video recordings, piano rolls, etc.
Regarding an earlier posting about an invoice not being allowed.
That is not correct. One invoice is allowed either inside the package or
in a marked envelope attached to the outside.
The invoice must relate solely to that mailed matter.
No, but they can be sent in a parcel post package.
I sell antique photos that are smaller than postcards - I sandwich them between pieces of cardboard and stick them into a small padded envelope - I can mail anywhere in the US for 47 cents. Non-machinable Fist Class Mail.
Good one.
Your method will cause your mailpiece to be considered "suspicious" and guarantee further attention.
Since 9/11 this is taken rather seriously.
The Inspection Service might X-ray the package or just move it to a field and destroy it.
They'll attempt to contact the sender first.
See my post #68, last paragraph.
ASA, I was just repeating what I was told. Apparently, some of the clerks are also confused. And, when I go to mail them, they ask me if there is an invoice inside. I usually say I don't know; I'm just mailing the packages.
F* that. Ship it UPS or Fed Ex. worth a couple of extra bucks, and UPS, and FEDEx, are both faster.
If that is true, start buying stock in UPS.
It is definately slower. I ordered something via media mail awhile back and it took close to 4 weeks. I was in contact with the seller - I KNOW when they shipped. It was very strange. I really think USPS purposely slows it down just because it is media mail.
Another time I was the seller - it was a notebook of christmas crafts. The USPS clerk went over and over the description. I patiently disagreeded that a notebook was a BOOK ... finally I told her to open it, look at it, and reseal it in front of me. That's when she relented with a "well NEXT time... blah blah blah". What a pain in the neck. What should have been a VERY quick transaction took 15 minutes.
DMM E710.1.5
An invoice, whether it also serves as a bill, may be placed either inside a Package Services piece or in an envelope marked "Invoice Enclosed" and attached to the outside of the piece if the invoice relates solely to the matter with which it is mailed.
It was not a book and should have been mailed as parcel post.
The rate for 1 lb media mail is $1.42 and for a similar 1 lb machinable
parcel post package the postage would be between $2.81 & $3.75.
In an attempt to scam the Postal Service out of between $1.39 & $2.33
you held up the other people in line for 15 minutes?
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