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Sellers Video Games Can not go Media Mail


zach1845

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I posted this over at Nintendoage where I spend alot of time..But anyway, I Sell alot on ebay and it seems that most sellers are shipping video games Media Mail. Numerous times I have had to pay the difference when sellers ship this way as they randomly open media mail to check for items that dont belong. So when you are selling an item make sure to charge enough for it to be sent first class, parcel post, or priority.

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I was just thinking about this a few days ago when I saw some items on ebay saying they were shipping via Media Mail. Unfortunately, it seems to me that the majority of people who don't know this, you won't find here. They're casual listers on ebay.

 

Media Mail is extremely restrictive. You can't have a letter or even a note in the package with the book/tape/CD. You also technically cannot send magazines via Media Mail since they contain advertisements. I got a talking to once by the local Postmaster for a box of Compute! magazines. I told him that most of the companies are out of business, and it's historical info now, not advertising, and he said it didn't matter and "don't let me catch you doing it again!". Anyway, yes, I agree, this is a very real issue.

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Huh. While I've never sent anything Media Mail, this really suprises me. I mean, to me, the name "Media Mail" implies a method of mailing media. A game cartridge is just as much "media" as a CD, a book or a record. Actually, to tell you the truth, video game cartridges would be higher on my list of things I consider media than books would be.

 

-Ian

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I have had a few items arrived media mail with postage due.

 

I have even had big businesses send me game systems media mail. There is a lot of abuse. No wonder the postal service lost billions of dollars last year.

 

Doesn't help when they are dishing out big time money to all of the postal workers and higher ups... Thats where I have a problem. My stupid mailman probably even makes more money (and benefits) than I do and the retard leaves packages on my steps that end up blowing into mud puddles (luckily they were only game cases). I have little respect for the mailmen around my area.

 

As for the media mail, that sucks. I haven't been hit yet, but I've heard a lot of stories of people who have. I'd say just ship it back and then file paypal dispute. Especially if you paid on feebay for the shipping and the seller pulls a stunt like that...

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Huh. While I've never sent anything Media Mail, this really suprises me. I mean, to me, the name "Media Mail" implies a method of mailing media. A game cartridge is just as much "media" as a CD, a book or a record. Actually, to tell you the truth, video game cartridges would be higher on my list of things I consider media than books would be.

 

-Ian

 

I agree. IIRC, game cartridges used to be okay, but they changed the rule. There was a thread around here about it just in the past year. I've seen tons of people on ebay say they're going to ship systems, monitors, whole computers via Media Mail, and I just have to wonder about these people's comprehension or logic skills, because I just can't in any way think how they can justify that as media. I guess they weren't around when it used to be called "Book Rate".

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I agree. IIRC, game cartridges used to be okay, but they changed the rule.

 

Which, is odd - since, if they have a rule of "no video games", then they really ought to say "no video games". Here's what the USPS website has to say about Media Mail:

 

Media Mail® service is a cost efficient way to mail books, sound recordings, recorded video tapes, printed music, and recorded computer-readable media (such as CDs, DVDs, and diskettes). Media Mail can not contain advertising except for incidental announcements of books. The maximum weight for Media Mail is 70 lbs.

 

And video game cartridges, to me, fall under the category of "computer-readable media". The last time I had anything shipped to me media mail was quite a while ago - a guy sent me a large box full of nine-track computer tapes (heavy suckers).

 

Like all government-related substances, USPS seems to go out of their way to enforce rules that aren't stated clearly, and describe things in the most ambiguous manner possible.

 

But yeah, if the post office is being jerks about shipping video game media as media mail, then I guess just avoid it. Priority is actually fairly affordable in many cases. Or, Fed-Ex.

 

-Ian

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This is the old thread I was thinking of:

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=128378

 

And here is a quote from POSTAL BULLETIN 22115 (11-13-03):

 

"What is Media Mail Service?

Media Mail service is a subclass of Package Services.

It generally is used for books of at least 8 pages (bound

or unbound), 16mm or narrower film, printed music,

printed test materials, video and sound recordings, play

scripts, printed educational charts, loose-leaf pages

and binders consisting of medical information, and computer-

readable media. Rates are based on weight and

size. Note: Video tapes with advertising and video

game cartridges, for example, cannot be mailed at Media

Mail rates."

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And here is a quote from POSTAL BULLETIN 22115 (11-13-03):

 

Ah. Pity that this information doesn't seem to exist with the rest of the rules on the USPS website. Again, another poorly defined, poorly documented regulation. If you want your customers to abide by your rules, you must make the rules known upfront. Casual searching of the USPS website does not turn up this nugget of information. Yeah, I'm sure if you dug far enough, you could find it. But that's hardly the point. If a customer has something they wish to mail Media Mail, they think to simply check the website to see if it's allowed. They're not going to spend an hour going deeper, once they find the previously quoted text.

 

As for people trying to send systems or computers Media Mail, well, that's just plain stupidity on their part. It's not a grey area, it's specifically not allowed. But, here again, the note on the website should really include that Media Mail is for Media ONLY - and not for related items. Not "Media Mail is generally used for books of greater than 8 pages..." I can also sorta see the logic "Well, if records can go Media Mail, then why not a record player? That's related to media".

 

-Ian

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Why have media mail at all? Does media mail get any more special treatment then first class? Does it ship faster?

 

Why isn't there one price based on weight and or size for unusual objects with the differences being how fast the shipping is. Why have this grey area? If you are shipping a package of novels that weigh 5 pounds or a bunch of games or anything else that weighs 5 pounds and you want it there in a few days it should cost the same, just as any same size package you want overnight should cost the same.

 

What exactly is the point of media mail?

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What exactly is the point of media mail?

 

It's cheaper, and a fair bit slower. Also, the pricing is much simpler - shipping an item that weighs one pound costs exactly the same, regardless of "zone". If they'd just simplify the pricing structure, and perhaps lower it a bit - they could easily do away with Media Mail all together.

 

It's to make shipping books more affordable. It was originally called "book rate" - but then got expanded to cover things like records and tapes.

 

-Ian

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Oh, I don't know. Isn't the hard drive "media?" :ponder:

 

Well, the hard drive contains media, or I guess you could say it's a medium for media...? But, they consider cartridges to be hardware according to the info I found, so I think they would consider a hard drive to be hardware as well.

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