Comments on: Magazine shipping charge squeeze on eBay

By: Auction Typos

Auction Typos — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:00:33 +0000

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By: mbhunter

mbhunter — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 09:31:17 +0000

Just Sayin: Yes, they are flat-rate, but the postal service has detailed rules about how these are to be sealed. Specifically, they need to be sealed with the adhesive given with the envelope. I have gotten flat-rate envelopes with all kinds of tape on them, but just because one seller does it, and all of the intervening post offices don’t care, doesn’t mean that I can get away with it. Post offices can, and do, refuse to deliver packages that don’t follow the rules.

By: Just Sayin

Just Sayin — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 18:38:39 +0000

Aren’t the Priority Mail envelopes Flat Rate?

They used to be flat rate – and a seller once crammed 12 magazines into one of those envelopes! – did that change?

p.s. My favorite Priority Mail anecdote:

An eBay seller bought (from an individual hoarder) an enormous hoard (approx 2 million) “wheat” cents and the coins were shipped by the hoarder in Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes. The boxes weighed a ton (at 153 cents per pound, the coins weighed probably about 6 tons) but the shipping was super cheap!

By: Bob

Bob — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 21:28:09 +0000

I have talked to several postal employees and you are not allowed to ship magazines with advertising via media mail, regardless of when it was published. Some specialty magazines/issues don’t have ads, so they are magazine format, but are OK for media mail. It does make this a harder format to sell. One idea we do is to try to get bundled purchases (free or reduced shipping on the 2nd, 3rd item) but that is harder to set up on Amazon.

By: mag seller

mag seller — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 07:06:56 +0000

h. Consist of mailable matter that is neither mailed or required to be mailed as First-Class Mail nor entered as Periodicals (except as permitted under 3.2 or permitted or required under 707.7.9).

It seems to me that the Bound Printed Matter prohibition of magazines would depend on the definition of “entered as Periodicals.”

If a magazine title is no longer being published, is it “entered as Periodicals?”

What if it never had a Second-Class (Periodicals) mailing permit in the first place?

Did the BPM mailing standard change recently or have they always been that way? Ten years ago I was mailing a lot of old magazines at the BPM rate.

By: mbhunter

mbhunter — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 05:12:51 +0000

Money Beagle: Right. I always had reasonable shipping charges but they soon will force me to take a loss on the shipping. This just means more fees for them.

Jerry: Wow, that’s too bad. EBay’s interest is fees. I’ll play the game (lower my shipping) but I think it will hurt me because others don’t play by the rules.

Shawn: A brief advertisement for a related upcoming book (say for the next issue of the comic or for a complilation) is usually acceptable. An ad on every other page as is typical of many magazines is not.

Michele: That was my understanding too. One thing I’ve found about the USPS is that the rules are there, they may be subject to interpretation, and might not be enforced all the time. (I guess that’s true of just about anything.)

BTW your quilting books can be sent Media Mail I would think. As long as you have one method under the $5, you can have others over $5.

By: Shawn Levasseur

Shawn Levasseur — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 04:57:59 +0000

I would ask for a second opinion. Because I receive comic books from eBay sellers and get them via Media Mail all the time, and comic contain advertising.

By: Michele

Michele — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 03:41:15 +0000

I was told by my postal rep that it does not matter if the magazine is current or 50 years old, it cannot be sent by media mail.

I occasionally sell books on ebay but have not since the new rules took effect.

I have a lot of old quilting books that are oversized and some weigh 2 pounds or more. I cannot ship and properly package these books for less than $6 yet I am only allowed to offer them with $5 shipping. I get that ebay is trying to eliminate the sellers that sell dvds or books for a penny then charge 14.95 for shipping, and I commend them for that. Its a long time coming, but limiting casual sellers to this is going to send a lot of sellers away.

By: Shawn Levasseur

Shawn Levasseur — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 23:48:47 +0000

Are you sure that you still can’t use the media mail rate?

I think the prohibition on items with advertising is only to prevent the publisher from using the rate. Aftermarket collectable sales can still use the media mail rate.

By: Nancy C

Nancy C — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:37:56 +0000

Please check out ShipGooder.com for your next ebay shipment.There is no registration or cost for your inquiries and you will be given a range of price and service options.
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Regards,
Nancy C