I just had a seller on Ebay tell me the post office doesn't accept records for media mail

Every single thing I have seen says records are OK for media mail. I have to think he just wants me to foot the bill for insurance so he says only priority. In all fairness to him he did say priority shipping in the auction before I won it. But to say his post office says you can't ship records that way surely has to be a lie no?

 

100% false. Records are media mail. Just put one in the mail last week.

 

MEDIA MAIL SERVICE

The USPS absolutely will ship vinyl records as Media Mail. They are under the "sound recordings" category.

I have shipped hundreds of LP's using USPS Media Mail.

 

Maybe he figures it's easier to lie to you about USPS rules that to argue with you about shipping according to the terms of the listing you bid on?

 

My guess is he wanted to get some extra money by charging you more than what the USPS would charge him for shipping the LP to you. To do so, he changed the shipping method to priority as most people are familiar with the price for Media Mail.

 

Is this guy from Ohio? Just had this happen on ebay!

 

YES!! I just mailed one last Friday.

Whoever was working that counter that day needs to be informed by his supervisor that vinyl records classify as media mail.

 

FWIW, I've had post office clerks challenge me when I've tried to mail records as Media Mail on two occasions. One of them went into a lecture on how the media has to be educational in content in order to qualify for the MM rate.

After the second time, I printed out the postal service rules regarding Media Mail so I would be ready the next time it came up. Of course, I haven't been challenged since.

Not saying the seller is right, but it does happen occasionally (and wrongfully).

 

Just more proof that everyone who works at the post office is an alien.

 

His post office must be located here:

 

I'm siding with the seller. If he listed priority mail in the ad then he shouldn't have to explain it after the fact. Maybe he found it easier dealing with buyers with a white lie than arguing about postage that was stated upfront.

 

Gentlemen:

I too have seen this. For years I sold records via media mail out of Los Angeles without incident, but when I moved to a much smaller area a few years back, the guy in the little local post office scratched his head when I brought in a prepaid media mail LP for shipping. He looked at the media mail requirements posted on the wall, and fair enough, it did not list "vinyl records" as permitted contents. I insisted, and he called for the postmaster. She sided with me, and he reluctantly accepted my package. Every time I go back with a record to mail and this same clerk happens to be at the counter, he seethes and invariably says the same thing: "I still don't understand how records that you are obviously sending out for a profit qualify as media mail."

 

He wants to be the PO hero.

 

It is true that some USPS clerks go out of their ways to be difficult. I had one refuse a package I was trying to send because there were markings on the outside of the box that were neither my address or the intended recipient's address. I had reused an Amazon box so it had a large barcode on the side and various Amazon smiles and other markings. The clerk insisted that I had to buy mailing tape or a dark marker to cover all of these markings. I had previously reused many similar boxes without incident, so this took me totally by surprise.

As to the USPS Media Mail rules not specifically mentioning vinyl, that's probably because they were last updated at a time when vinyl sales were at their lowest. It's obvious from the list of permitted items that vinyl should be included since cds and dvds are listed and nothing in the regulation indicates that only educational and/or not-for-profit materials are acceptable.

 

There is a difference between a "lie" and being misinformed. I suggest you treat this person as misinformed.
If you care to change the mailing situation with this person you should send him the proper information concerning USPS and media mail regulations.
Otherwise let it go, pay the small extra freight, and get your LP.

 

I see his point. I ship records via media mail all the time and you can also insure them but it is usually only a little more to go first class.

 

At my local P.O. they refer to one guy like this as "Postmaster Junior" as they .

 

It sounds like the "for profit" part is what he was disagreeing with, not necessarily the vinyl part.

Perhaps he was mistaking Media Mail for Library Mail, which is supposed to be for educational materials only. Both of those, along with some other categories of mail, used all be classified as 4th class mail which might cause some confusion.

 

Why didn't you ask him about switching to Media Mail before bidding on the item ? Those were part of his terms.

 

Media Mail service is intended for educational materials. Postal workers who claim that are correct. We are fortunate that the US Postal Service considers sound recordings, like LP's and CD's, to qualify as "educational materials".





Here are the official guidelines (I have bolded some sections applying to vinyl):

MEDIA MAIL SERVICE

Media Mail shipping is a cost-effective way to send educational materials. This service has restrictions on the type of media that can be shipped. Media Mail rates are limited to the items listed below:

Books (at least 8 pages).
Sound recordings and video recordings, such as CDs and DVDs.
Play scripts and manuscripts for books, periodicals, and music.
Printed music.
Computer-readable media containing prerecorded information and guides or scripts prepared solely for use with such media.
Sixteen millimeter or narrower width films.
Printed objective test materials and their accessories.
Printed educational reference charts.
Loose-leaf pages and their binders consisting of medical information for distribution to doctors, hospitals, medical schools, and medical students.
Media - printed music, sound recordings, periodicals, CDs, DVDs, and books.

Media Mail packages may not contain advertising. Comic books do not meet this standard. Books may contain incidental announcements of other books and sound recordings may contain incidental announcements of other sound recordings. In accordance with standards in the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), Section 170, Media Mail packages must have a delivery address and the sender’s return address and are subject to inspection by the Postal Service™. Upon such inspection, matter not eligible for the Media Mail rate may be assessed at the proper price and sent to the recipient postage due, or the sender may be contacted for additional postage.
For more information about Media Mail service, please visit www.usps.com or call 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777). Complete explanations of qualified items can be found in the DMM.
PSN 7610-07-000-4037
Notice 121, October 2012

MEDIA MAIL SERVICE

 

End of story! Pay the man his priority shipping and next time if you want to change the shipping method then ask before you bid, not after you win. That is really lame. The seller knows you have the negative feedback option so he wants to mollify you even though you are as wrong as wrong can be.

I have to think you put him in an awkward position and now you are blaming the victim.

 

As always, learning something new from you every day, Tom. I use Media Mail all the time but never knew the full details of its intended purpose.

 

Yep, I've had postal clerks come up with all sorts of items that are banned from Media Mail that are 100% eligible.

 

A few years back I purchased a roll of shipping tape at the PO. Returned the next day to mail a book using the tape on a new box (not reused). The postal clerk told me the tape did not meet USPS criteria. I told her I purchased here yesterday !!!

I had a seller on ebay charge first class and I received the box and it said partial post

 

lol. So what happened? Did they let it go?

I wonder what criteria has to be present for tape to pass the USPS test.