Question
Hi
I have a toy that comes with a VHS tape.
Do you think I send it media mail?
Answer
No--media mail wouldn't apply.
Answer
There are two reasons you shouldn't. One is, to qualify for media mail, everything in the box is supposed to be in the media category, not just one item.
Two, even though its a really cheap option, there's a reason why media mail is so cheap. I sell books, including cookbooks, many hardback, and they are shipped to me via media mail, and you ought to see how some of the boxes arrive, with rips and holes in them, crushed like a ton of bricks sat on them, etc. Every time I open a box, I hold my breath hoping the goods haven't been damaged by the extremely rough handling media mail packages have received. Whenever possible, I send them out via priority mail flat rate envelopes and boxes. If a customer specifically asks that I send it media mail I will, and I may turn off some potential customers because I don't offer it up front as an option, but media mail sucks.
I've only sent a handful of items I sell via media mail (because they were too large for the flat rate envelopes) and already, one went AWOL for over three weeks. It was only going from California to Texas, I paid for delivery confirmation and everything, and it took over three weeks. The post office sent it to New Jersey where it sat for over a week, then finally to Texas, and even then, it didn't get found and delivered until days after I contacted the post office. They won't even look for it until its been missing for two weeks.
I tried calling every 800 number I could find on the USPS website, and the automated system kept insisting it couldn't understand me, couldn't hear me, it sure as heck wouldn't give me any information on my package (even with the delivery confirmation number) and no matter what I did, I couldn't get hold of a live body. So I had to email the USPS and wait several days for a response. Their response? We only look for the package if its been with us over 14 days, if it has, let us know. (Well, I'd already told them that in my original email, the package had been out 16 days at that point) So I had to wait several more days for a response to that message, by which time the package had actually been found and delivered. Trust me, the customer service sucks, even if you've paid extra for the delivery confirmation.
So, avoid media mail. Its more hassles than its worth. Luckily, my upset customer was a nice guy, who calmed down once I had proof (via the delivery confirmation number) that I had mailed the book the day after he bought it, and he could see for himself that it had been misdirected to New Jersey, and I contacted him every single day with an update on my progress (or lack thereof) in tracking the book. I spent *hours* trying to get the status of this one package, was that worth the shipping savings, particularly after the customer had to wait three weeks for his purchase? Heck no.
Answer
Thanks for the info.
Answer
Media Mail must contain only media(books,video,music,etc). Anything else in the package disqualifies it. Some posties will even tell you that a invoice disqualifies it but will back down if shown the USPS reg that says a packing list is OK.
I've shipped several thousand books media mail and have lost only one package in 5 years, most are delivered within a week, very few go longer than 2 weeks. Maybe it's just the luck of the draw. As a buyer I'd skip any auction listing priority mail, I wouldn't even click on the auction listing if the shipping on the search results page showed a priority price. JMO.
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I have used media mail for 6 years for books and have only had one package that was a problem. It went across the country twice before it got delivered but since the buyer and I had the DC information to look at,we had some nice chats and guesses on when it would actually arrive. I've been very happy with Media Mail and apparently the buyers are happy with the packaging. For the most part I do use boxes to mail in with the book inside a plastic bag and then wrapped in bubble wrap.
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It's rumored that Media Mail is being closed up in the future.
Answer
Originally Posted by Empires
It's rumored that Media Mail is being closed up in the future.
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As always, if you pack as though you believe that someone is going to drop a banker box full of textbooks (corner first) on top of your package, you won't be surprised when --it happens... and your customer will be in awe!
I hope Media Mail continues... it is a great service and a great way to offer affordable shipping for products that tend to be heavy AND generally GOOD FOR YOU (I'm thinking "literacy" here)!
Empires... What does the rumor-mill say about "Bound Printed Matter"? Would that be eliminated too? Or it's use expanded to include what we normally ship in Media Mail?
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I mailed a lot of packages on the 2/22 and the tracking says they are still in route.