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.
uhhh yes it was a book - a book of instructions of crafts. Yup - I held up the line.. sorry it was the principle of the thing. It was media - paper/binding - granted it was of a looseleaf variety -but a book with a copyright nonetheless.
You didn't specify that last posting. Here's the official word
Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
Media Mail
Qualified Items
DMM E713.1.1a.
Books, including books issued to supplement other books of at least eight printed pages, consisting wholly of reading matter
or scholarly bibliography, or reading matter with incidental blank spaces for notations
and containing no advertising matter other than incidental announcements of books.
Advertising includes paid advertising and the publishers own advertising in display,
classified, or editorial style.
If the package is insured and then damaged in transit, the invoice can be used to prove the insured value of the package.
How do you protect the book from getting damaged in a thin envelope like that?
I use Media Mail to ship bulk boxes of 30 CDs to my distributor. Cost is a little over $0.16 per CD. Excellent price. Snail's pace, to be sure. So far the USPS has not had a beef with me. The only contents in the box are 30 CDs. No correspondence or literature of any kind.
ya - I realized that when I reread the post - which is why I included "instructions" in the second 1/2 - and it was clear of any advertising... laugh... It was clearly a book of instructions... anyway she FINALLY believed me... it was a very weird conversation indeed - actually she never did try to get me to go with parcel post - she kept going over the requirements for media mail. It was as though she was not sure what the requirements entailed. It was truly enough for me not to offer media mail again - too much hassle.
That's a good thing for me, as it is my job to help them and customers with these obscure little regulations.
NOT the thin paper envelope. I mean the cardboard FLAT RATE Priority Mail envelope. Remember, it has to say "Flat Rate."
Who are you with?
The USPS always reserves the right to open Media Mail. I send audio cassetes and course manuals by media mail, no problem, for a few years now. Never been asked to open it.
Media Mail can't include correspondence. I usually send the order form in a 1st class envelope seperately, or email it, or just let it slide entirely.
USPS
Headquarters?
No, Greater Michigan District.
What the hell???
This says to me that the Postal Service is desperate for money, with their severe drop in revenue due to the Internet and online banking.
It also shows that senior management in Headquarters in Washington DC has shit for brains.
Don't throw those free AOL cd's out! They make beautiful suncatchers in the garden. I hot glue them together, shiny side out, punch a hole in the top and hang them from tree branches. Strobe effect when sun hits them.
They also make good 300 yard rifle targets.
The only problem is remembering to hold off center a little
otherwise all the bullets go though the hole.
bump
Does anyone know, when shipping media mail, can I just write media mail on the pkg instead of having the postmaster use the red stamp? What are my alternatives to going to the post office each time I ship?
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