Question
Pulled from another board -- pretty sure the source has his facts straight. According to source, this will soon be implemented.
SO -- if you need to get a download of your Half listings or copy them in some other manner, now is the time before some end up PURGED.... nothing like having books stored that aren't listed!
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Proper Category Listing
Items must be listed by the ISBN or UPC code printed onto the product by the manufacturer. It is not appropriate to use the seller description fields to describe a product different from the ISBN and item description already provided by Half.com. For items that do not have an ISBN or UPC code, or do not otherwise have a category on Half.com, we recommend you consider listing such items on eBay.
The following items cannot be listed on Half.com. Please contact eBay for more information regarding whether listing these items is permissible on the eBay site.
-International edition books and textbooks
-Book club edition books
-Uncorrected proofs
-Advanced reading copies of books
-Screener copies of movies
-Out of print books without an ISBN
-Brail books
-Promotional music CDs
-Cassette, LP, 8Track music formats
-Music club CDs such as BMG
Items that cannot be listed on either eBay or Half.com
-Teachers editions, instructors editions, annotated instructors editions or review copies of textbooks
Q. My item doesn’t have an ISBN/UPC code. Can I still list it?
A. No. Items must be listed by the ISBN or UPC code printed onto the product by the manufacturer. For items that do not have an ISBN or UPC code, we recommend you consider listing such items on eBay. For more information, see the Proper Category Listings policy.
Answer
Yes, the info is correct. Posted at Ebay, Half board:
http://forums.ebay.com/db1/thread.js...1559 40324225
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Book club editions? Woah, they will have to spend some heavy duty time cleaning up those.
Braille? Is that how they spell it now? Okay, I'll bite, why no Braille books? Because you can ship them for free and they can't handle that?
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you can ship braille books for free?
I don't list on half anymore anyway, but book club editions are of inferier quality most of the time. There's one book club that sends first edition books that I was a member of, but they stopped sending me stuff long time ago. Much of the BCE I've had you could see the print on the other side of the pages and were hard to read that way. Plus the font was really tiny.
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Most of the stuff on that list is no different than most other sites. But I have to say I'd not heard of the BCE thing or the BMG music club thing or the Braille one.
Wonder how they plan to police that? Are they trying to say the ISBNs aren't the same?
Answer
5.0 Free Matter for the Blind and Other Physically Handicapped Persons
5.1 Basic Information
5.1.1 General
Subject to the standards below, matter may be entered free of postage if mailed by or for the use of blind or other persons who cannot read or use conventionally printed materials due to a physical handicap. The provisions of 5.0 apply to domestic mail only.
5.1.2 Mail Classification
Matter mailed free under this standard is not considered part of any particular class of mail and is not protected against postal inspection. This matter is treated as First-Class Mail for the exclusive purposes of determining appropriate standards for processing and delivery and for handling if undeliverable.
5.1.3 Eligibility
The following persons are considered to be blind or unable to read or use conventionally printed material due to a physical handicap for purposes of this section:
a. Certified participants in the Library of Congress National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS).
b. Blind persons whose visual acuity, as determined by competent authority, is 20/200 or less in the better eye with correcting lenses, or whose widest diameter of visual field subtends angular distance no greater than 20 degrees.
c. Other physically handicapped persons certified by competent authority as meeting one or more of the following conditions:
1. Having a visual disability, with correction and regardless of optical measurement, that prevents the reading of standard printed material.
2. Being unable to read or unable to use standard printed material as a result of physical limitations.
3. Having a reading disability resulting from organic dysfunction and of sufficient severity to prevent their reading printed material in a normal manner.
4. Meeting the requirements of eligibility resulting from a degenerative, variable disease that renders them unable to read or use conventional printed material because of impaired eyesight or other physical factors. These persons are eligible during the time in which they are certified by a competent authority as unable to read or use conventional materials.
d. Eligible participants must be residents of the United States, including the several states, territories, insular possessions, and the District of Columbia, or American citizens domiciled abroad.
5.1.4 Certifying Authority
For purposes of this standard:
a. The postmaster may extend the free matter privilege to an individual recipient based on personal knowledge of the individual's eligibility.
b. In cases of blindness, visual impairment, or physical limitations, "competent authority" is defined to include doctors of medicine; doctors of osteopathy; ophthalmologists; optometrists; registered nurses; therapists; and professional staff of hospitals, institutions, and public or private welfare agencies (e.g., social workers, caseworkers, counselors, rehabilitation teachers, and superintendents). In the absence of any of these, certification may be made by professional librarians or by any person whose competence under specific circumstances is acceptable to the Library of Congress (see 36 CFR 701.10(b)(2)(i)).
c. In the case of reading disability from organic dysfunction, "competent authority" is defined as doctors of medicine and doctors of osteopathy.
5.1.5 Qualifying Individuals
The USPS may require individuals claiming entitlement to the free matter privilege to furnish evidence of eligibility consistent with the standards in 5.1.3 and 5.1.4, or verify by other means that the recipients are eligible to receive free matter.
5.2 Matter Sent To Blind or Other Physically Handicapped Persons
5.2.1 Acceptable Matter
Subject to 5.2.2, this matter may be mailed free:
a. Reading matter in braille or 14-point or larger sightsaving type and musical scores.
b. Sound reproductions.
c. Paper, records, tapes, and other material for the production of reading matter, musical scores, or sound reproductions.
d. Reproducers or parts of them for sound reproductions.
e. Braille writers, typewriters, educational or other materials or devices, or parts thereof, used for writing by, or designed or adapted for use of, a blind person or a person who has a physical impairment as described in 5.1.3.
5.2.2 Conditions
The matter listed in 5.2.1 must meet these conditions:
a. The matter must be for the use of a blind or other physically handicapped person.
b. Either no charge, rental, subscription, or other fee is required for this matter; or, if required, may not exceed the cost of the item.
c. The matter may be opened and inspected by the USPS.
d. The matter contains no advertising. Advertising is defined as:
1. All material of which a valuable consideration is paid, accepted, or promised, that calls attention to something to get people to buy it, sell it, seek it, or support it.
2. Reading matter or other material of which an advertising rate is charged.
3. Articles, items, and notices in the form of reading matter inserted by custom or understanding that textual matter is to be inserted for the advertiser or the advertiser's products in which a display advertisement appears.
4. An organization's advertisement of its own services or issues, or any other business of the publisher, whether in display advertising or reading matter.
5.2.3 Letters From Sighted Individuals
Letters prepared in any form by sighted individuals, to be sent to a blind or other physically handicapped person, or empty shipping materials for mailing matter described in this section, may not be sent free and must bear the full applicable postage.
5.3 Matter Sent By Blind or Other Physically Handicapped Persons
5.3.1 Acceptable Letters
Only letters in braille or in 14-point or larger sightsaving type or in the form of sound recordings, and containing no advertising, may be mailed free, and only if unsealed and sent by a blind or other physically handicapped person as described in 5.1.3.
5.3.2 Other Letters
Letters that are handwritten, or printed or typed in a type size smaller than 14 points, may not be sent free. These letters must bear the full applicable postage.
5.4 Preparation
5.4.1 Basic Standards
All matter mailed under this standard:
a. Must be marked "Free Matter for the Blind or Handicapped" in the upper right corner of the address side.
b. Must meet the minimum and maximum dimensions in 601.1.0.
c. Is subject to the mailability standards in 601.8.0 through 601.11.0 in Mailability.
5.4.2 Extra Services
Insurance is the only extra service that can be added to mail sent under this standard. The fee for insurance must be paid by the sender.
http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/703.htm#wp1113979
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I think they are going to run auto-bots... wondering if they are working on it now and that is why the auto-mail has gone haywire again.
Course, a bot will only work if Book Club, BCE or some such is stated. Expect there will be more blank descriptions.
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So you can mail audio books free?
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Yes, if they are being sent to a blind person. All the packages must be marked Matter for the Blind, if the mailman knows that the person receiving it is not blind you will get in trouble.