posted on June 5, 2005 05:53:55 AM new
From my understanding, if the magazines contain advertisements you can't send them media mail. I tried once and my PO stopped me dead in my tracks. Did you know that if you can fit those in a flat rate box you can send them all for $7.70? I'm selling magazines now. Just packaged a 12 pound box of them and am sending them Priority Mail for $7.70!
Edited to add: From the PO website: Media Mail (Book Rate) Description
Used for books, film, manuscripts, printed music, printed test materials, sound recordings, play scripts, printed educational charts, loose-leaf pages and binders consisting of medical information, videotapes, and computer recorded media such as CD-ROMs and diskettes. Media Mail cannot contain advertising.
Cheryl
[ edited by CBlev65252 on Jun 5, 2005 05:55 AM ]
posted on June 6, 2005 07:12:35 AM new
I think they do fall under Bound Printed Material though. You might check the USPS definition.
The down side is that the p.o. will not return undeliverable BPM. So if there is some address or delivery problem, you never see the item again. I try to avoid media mail or BPM, if the item is special enough. The only item, in thousands of mailings, ever lost in the mail was sent media mail or BPM - I don't remember which.
posted on June 6, 2005 08:33:23 AM new
It's amazing the differences in answers you get from the post office. My parents in Las Vegas send international mail without a customs form if they use Global Priority under a pound. I wish I could do that there, that would save me a lot of time!
Most magazines would not qualify for media mail, as most contain advertising. Bound Printed Matter is comparable in price, but as someone said, the big difference is that undeliverable BPM packages will not come back to you (Media mail will come back to you, but postage due - OUCH!)
posted on June 6, 2005 10:35:28 AM new
I think the advertising they are referring to means that the sender can't include a catalog or flyers of current products for sale. I've never had any problems sending old magazines media mail.
posted on June 6, 2005 10:55:01 AM new
Wrong Jake - And just because you haven't had a problem doesn't mean it isn't against the rules! That's a pretty stupid defense. That's like saying you are cheating on your taxes, but it is ok because you've never been caught...
The magazines themselves cannot contain advertisements. Before I started selling all the mags I'm selling, I made sure I wasn't violating any of their rules. Magazines with ads in them cannot be sent media mail. Sheesh, no wonder they keep raising the rates.
posted on June 6, 2005 01:08:16 PM new
I really think you guys are wrong. They don't get into details of what type of advertising. The periodical rate is for magazines, but that would be current ones sent by the publisher. Bound printed matter is mainly for catalogs.
The only way to get the correct answer would be directly from the Postmaster General, but then he might not even know.
Remember these classes of mail were set years ago, and its doubtful that anyone was even mailing old magazines back then.
posted on June 6, 2005 01:41:13 PM new
Thanks for the responses so far. I just got home and noticed the local PO left me an abrupt message saying no way to 1930's magazines being shipped Media Mail, nor Bound Printed Matter. I find it interesting that nobody there really knew without making several phone calls over the weekend. The only methods allowed are the higher priced means, like Parcel Post (expensive coast to coast!), First Class, Priority Mail, etc. This is after different Postmasters gave me the ok to ship old magazines Media Mail, advertisements or not. I guess they feared I was gonna order the 1932 Charles Atlas Bodybuilding Course for only 99 cents and three boxtops or something. So unfortunately, this will definitely cause me to change my combined shipping policy.
posted on June 6, 2005 02:23:49 PM new
I think Jake is probably correct, in that the rule means no advertisements such as catalogs or flyers shall be included in the package with the items being mailed. The way it is written, it could be interpreted either way, and obviously is by different clerks and even postmasters. The corporate logo for Sony on a floppy disk, or Maxell on the cover of a video tape could be considered advertising and disqualify those items. The same goes for any wording or pictures on a CD or DVD. I'm sure most of us have at one time or another received an installation CD from AOL. Take a close look at the package it comes in. It's nothing but one solid advertisement on both sides trying to appeal to potential customers. Yet there is never anything enclosed inside, except for their logo on the label, that could be considered advertising.
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
I spoke to three different post offices on this and they all gave me the same answer. If the magazine you are sending contains advertising within its pages, it cannot go media mail. I again asked my postal carrier today who also gave me that same answer. So, I'm confident that Jake is mistaken and ebayvet and I are correct. At any rate, better safe than sorry.
Like I said, I just sent out two 12 pound packages containing magazines Priority Mail flat rate. They cost my bidders $7.70 each and they were quite delighted by it.
Sparkz
A logo on a disk is not the type of advertising they are referring to. An author's name is in a book, manuscript and printed music. Could that not be considered advertising as well? The author is advertising his or her name. You could get really technical on this one.
Go ahead and send it Media Mail, but if that package is randomly checked by the postal service and it's found to contain something that's not supposed to be sent Media Mail, who's going to pay for it? It will probably be your buyer unless the PO decides to return the package to you postage due.
posted on June 6, 2005 03:16:15 PM new
Many times we sent old magazines, they always went media mail ... advice of our post master ... unless they ended up being expenive magazines, then we'd send 'em priorty because we wanted to.
If it comes down to it, I don't think anyone would need to go to jail or be fined hugely if something like this happened .......
and BOTTOM line is YES, you ask many postal offices a same question and you get many different answers, (and they each seem to act like they know what they're saying is God's truth).
posted on June 6, 2005 03:19:39 PM new
Cheryl...I agree that one could get very techincal on this provision. Especially previews on comercially recorded videotapes and commercials on home recorded tapes. It's virtually impossible to find any media that doesn't have something on it that could be considered advertising by a purist. The rule is veguely worded and is long overdue on clarification.
I just wonder how many of the advertisements in a 30's magazine would be considered a legitimate advertisement today? If any of the companies are still in business, I wonder if they are offering the advertised products in the exact same styles at the same prices today. A six pack of Coca Cola for 30 cents in 1935 would be an ad. Today, it would be considered a joke
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
posted on June 6, 2005 03:34:32 PM newI just wonder how many of the advertisements in a 30's magazine would be considered a legitimate advertisement today? If any of the companies are still in business, I wonder if they are offering the advertised products in the exact same styles at the same prices today. A six pack of Coca Cola for 30 cents in 1935 would be an ad. Today, it would be considered a joke
Sparkz, I think you are leaning more to the correct verbage of the provision. I always thought it was considered advertising that was solitious? And in my opinion your above quote takes that right off the page for it. A 30ties magazine is a collectable printed document. It has nothing to do with current advertising. imo
posted on June 6, 2005 04:46:00 PM new
Don't you just love the old ads? I have old Northern and Swan soap ads framed in my bathroom. Both products are still being made. They say nothing about price. IMO, the old ads made you want to go out and buy something more than the new ones do.
