posted on March 23, 2001 04:19:37 AM new
Has anyone had trouble with media mail at the post office? I was mailing quilting books and painting books and the post office said they were not books, and could not be mailed media mail, do you believe this??? I looked it up on there web site and it says "books containing 8 pages or more", now you tell me. Well they sent back 2 of more packages and left a note saying to the the counter. Has anyone else had this problem?
posted on March 23, 2001 07:34:41 AM newChar I mail about 100 books a week - some are quilting and pattern books. The majority of them are sent by media mail. If your post office doesn't think they're books what do they think they are? I'd complain LOUDLY if I were you.
posted on March 23, 2001 11:39:15 AM new
Just to let you know I do go to the post office today and talked with Post Master and she said there was no advertising, which mine did not but they said it has to be "wholly reading material", who knows what that means, every book has pictures, illustrations,etc.They did say I could use Bound Printed Matter. Does anyone know anything about it? I am going to take this further to regional office and get it in writing as there opinons.
posted on March 23, 2001 11:46:56 AM new
It seems that every single individual in the entire US postal system has their own specific interpretation of the rules. At my local post office, they will not allow you to insure any item mailed in a #10 envelope, because "you cannot insure a letter, and anything mailed in a #10 envelope is a letter". Arghhh.
Well, now, they don't have to worry about it at all- I insure through U-PIC.
posted on March 23, 2001 12:08:52 PM new
Media Mail (Book Rate)
Description
Generally used for books (at least eight pages), film (16 mm or narrower), printed music, printed test materials, sound recordings, play scripts, printed educational charts, loose-leaf pages and binders consisting of medical information, and computer-readable media. Advertising restrictions apply.
*******************************************
Bound Printed Matter
Description
The maximum weight for Bound Printed Matter is 15 pounds. Rates are based on the weight of the piece and the zone (distance from origin to destination ZIP Code). Packages must measure 108 inches or less in combined length and girth.
Mark each package "Bound Printed Matter" in the postage area.
Bound Printed Matter must:
a. Consist of advertising, promotional, directory, or editorial material (or any combination of such material).
b. Be securely bound by permanent fastenings such as staples, spiral binding, glue, or stitching. Looseleaf binders and similar fastenings are not considered permanent.
c. Consist of sheets of which at least 90% are imprinted by any process other than handwriting or typewriting with words, letters, characters, figures, or images (or any combination of them).
d. Not have the nature of personal correspondence.
e. Not be stationery, such as pads of blank printed forms.
Bound Printed Matter Single-Piece Rates
This was taken off the USPS.gov web site.I doesn't make it really clear except for one fact...if they say you can't have any advertising in it then they will collect more money, initially on the package and then on the zone!! How clever....free boxes for priority mail (you are paying one way or the other.)
edited to add: Now here is a question...if the magazines are 20 to 40 years old how can they use their advertising gimmick...
the ads are strictly historical not commercial in value...what do you think
posted on March 23, 2001 12:18:24 PM new
If the website says you can send film or sound recordings which is definitly not a book or printed readable material, its ridiculus you cannot send pattern books.
I would print out that website section and show it to your postmaster. [email protected]
posted on March 23, 2001 12:21:05 PM new
In future, simply state that you are mailing books. Period. That way bozos like this have nothing to create their own little rules for.
