PSA: Flash cards are not considered media mail.

[Desert Rat]

A $4 media mail package turned into a $12.87 package because flash cards along with the foreign language curriculum aren't media.

 

I am so flipping angry right now.

 

The wonderful (sarcasm there) man at the post office said I'm not allowed to put the post-it note thanking the buyer for the purchase. No notes, no letters. "That's the regulation, Dear. (DEAR )(*&*^%)" I said, "That doesn't mean it's right."

 

So, be warned. I learned the very, very hard way.

[Mom0012]

Get a copy of the post office's regulations for media mail. Unless something has very recently changed, they are considered media mail. Not that that is going to make you happier about what happened, but it may save you aggravation in the future.

[Desert Rat]

They are very recently changed. :( Books, cds, dvds only. No notes, pictures, a letter with the dvd, nothing. I'm still upset. I'm trying to calm myself down, but it's not working much. I think I should have waited to talk with one of the females on staff. Or, if I had been a man, it would have gone better. Which makes me even angrier.

[Tenaj]

According to their website, media mail must be "educational materials". I've never had any problem at all with flashcards.

[Ohdanigirl]

According to their website, media mail must be "educational materials". I've never had any problem at all with flashcards.

I don't understand why flash cards would not be seen as educational material. :confused:

[LaughingCat]

FWIW the no note thing is not new - it's been in effect for a number of years anyway.

[NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too]

That sucks! I would advise you to go to a different Post Office. I've never had my boxes opened for inspection. I usually write the product name on the lower corner of the box, i.e, "Workbooks" or "Singapore Math" and leave it at that. I tell the Post Office folks that I'm a homeschooler sending another homeschooler curriculum. I've used the same PO for years and they are happy to help me.

[Desert Rat]

FWIW the no note thing is not new - it's been in effect for a number of years anyway.

 

Ok. But it is still silly. Do they have postal scales that can measure a post it note? **off to see if it registers on mine.

[Desert Rat]

That sucks! I would advise you to go to a different Post Office. I've never had my boxes opened for inspection. I usually write the product name on the lower corner of the box, i.e, "Workbooks" or "Singapore Math" and leave it at that. I tell the Post Office folks that I'm a homeschooler sending another homeschooler curriculum. I've used the same PO for years and they are happy to help me.

 

I had it open when I approached the counter! I always do. I would have sent it flat rate otherwise. I have had no luck at any of the 4 in my area. They are all horrible. I'm discouraged, I guess. And silly rules make me angry. I was going to say righteously indignant, but I don't know if I'm using that right.

[Wabi Sabi]

Can you include an invoice or receipt with media mail? And perhaps a quick "thank you" could be jotted down on said receipt...?

[applethyme]

Is there a postal sub station in your area? My mom lives in an area with a horrible post office but the hardware store up the road is a postal sub station and they are wonderful.

[Desert Rat]

Can you include an invoice or receipt with media mail? And perhaps a quick "thank you" could be jotted down on said receipt...?

 

My understanding is no.

 

I think I'll just you the flat rate boxes from home now (I print my own labels at home for my eBay and etsy sales) and bump my price up a bit to make up for it. Media mail is a hassle. I think the PO is intentionally making it that way so people won't use it. If so, just get rid of it all together.

 

I think this is turning into a pat my back, JAWM post. :). I have a clear understanding why people go postal now.

 

On a funny note, I told my mom about all the 'Dears' the man used, and she said, 'I'm so sorry, sweetheart.' LOL she never calls me pet names.

[milovany]

From their website:

 

Content Standards for Media Mail: Qualified Items

a. Books, including books issued to supplement other books, of at least eight printed pages, consisting wholly of reading matter or scholarly bibliography, or reading matter with incidental blank spaces for notations and containing no advertising matter other than incidental announcements of books. Advertising includes paid advertising and the publishers' own advertising in display, classified, or editorial style.

b. Printed music, whether in bound or sheet form.

d. Sound recordings, including incidental announcements of recordings and guides or scripts prepared solely for use with such recordings. Video recordings and player piano rolls are classified as sound recordings.

f. Printed educational reference charts designed to instruct or train individuals for improving or developing their capabilities. Each chart must be a single printed sheet of information designed for educational reference. The information on the chart, which may be printed on one or both sides of the sheet, must be conveyed primarily by graphs, diagrams, tables, or other nonnarrative matter. An educational reference chart is normally but not necessarily devoted to one subject. A chart on which the information is conveyed primarily by textual matter in a narrative form does not qualify as a printed educational reference chart for mailing at the Media Mail prices even if it includes graphs, diagrams, or tables. Examples of qualifying charts include maps produced primarily for educational reference, tables of mathematical or scientific equations, noun declensions or verb conjugations used in the study of languages, periodic table of elements, botanical or zoological tables, and other tables used in the study of science.

h. Computer-readable media containing prerecorded information and guides or scripts prepared solely for use with such media.

 

 

NOTE: I'd put flashcards under F.

[Desert Rat]

From their website:

 

Content Standards for Media Mail: Qualified Items

a. Books, including books issued to supplement other books, of at least eight printed pages, consisting wholly of reading matter or scholarly bibliography, or reading matter with incidental blank spaces for notations and containing no advertising matter other than incidental announcements of books. Advertising includes paid advertising and the publishers' own advertising in display, classified, or editorial style.

b. Printed music, whether in bound or sheet form.

d. Sound recordings, including incidental announcements of recordings and guides or scripts prepared solely for use with such recordings. Video recordings and player piano rolls are classified as sound recordings.

f. Printed educational reference charts designed to instruct or train individuals for improving or developing their capabilities. Each chart must be a single printed sheet of information designed for educational reference. The information on the chart, which may be printed on one or both sides of the sheet, must be conveyed primarily by graphs, diagrams, tables, or other nonnarrative matter. An educational reference chart is normally but not necessarily devoted to one subject. A chart on which the information is conveyed primarily by textual matter in a narrative form does not qualify as a printed educational reference chart for mailing at the Media Mail prices even if it includes graphs, diagrams, or tables. Examples of qualifying charts include maps produced primarily for educational reference, tables of mathematical or scientific equations, noun declensions or verb conjugations used in the study of languages, periodic table of elements, botanical or zoological tables, and other tables used in the study of science.

h. Computer-readable media containing prerecorded information and guides or scripts prepared solely for use with such media.

 

 

 

 

NOTE: I'd put flashcards under F.

 

 

Except they are not on a single piece of paper. I got it. No more media mail for me! Thanks for posting.

[milovany]

Got it. No more medial mail for me.

 

Why? I posted that to show that I believe flashcards and foreign language curriculum should be fine (depending on what the curriculum is made up of). Their own website says "educational materials."

 

ETA -- Each flashcard is on a separate piece of paper with non-narrative text. I'd still do it.

[QueenCat]

Can you include an invoice or receipt with media mail? And perhaps a quick "thank you" could be jotted down on said receipt...?

 

 

They allow invoices/receipts but no other correspondence. Honestly, I'm surprised that media mail even exists. Why should these materials be considered differently than other packages? Perhaps one of the reasons the p.o. is in financial trouble...

[LaughingCat]

Actually invoices are allowed just not personal notes. Here is the usps site on media mail.

 

ETA: I see other posters beat me to it :D

[plansrme]

Whew! What a relief that all those player piano rolls I mail out are still legal.

 

Terri

[stripe]

I think I'll just you the flat rate boxes from home now (I print my own labels at home for my eBay and etsy sales) and bump my price up a bit to make up for it. Media mail is a hassle. I think the PO is intentionally making it that way so people won't use it. If so, just get rid of it all together.

If you ask me, they are becoming so difficult, they are going to ensure no one uses them for anything!

 

The purpose of book rate/media mail was "to encourage the flow of educational materials through the mail" ( http://pe.usps.com/text/csr/PS-334.htm ).

 

They allow invoices/receipts but no other correspondence. Honestly, I'm surprised that media mail even exists. Why should these materials be considered differently than other packages? Perhaps one of the reasons the p.o. is in financial trouble...

I believe Congress mandates media mail.

 

Bound, printed matter is much cheaper than media mail. This is how magazines are sent. It's not media mail that's driving the PO out of business. Nor is it free material sent to the blind or whatever, Actually if you read their website, package services are UP while letters are down. They will still be delivering packages on Saturdays come August. The internet has helped, with all the online ordering.

[Tammyla]

That stinks, and I still can't understand the no post-it note thing myself, but I've had them insist it be removed or pay for a letter.

 

I've also been told by my post office that enclosing a card with a package (such as a b-day) is also a no-no when mailing 1st class. I did argue that flat-rate was advertised as if it fits, it ships. At my local po, the person working the window can vary from lovely to dreadful; some are just plain nice and others seem to want to spread their misery around no matter how nice, patient or understanding you are.

 

I'll close with the fact that I have issues with the po. My m-i-l worked for them for only 13 years and retired with a very nice retirement package :confused1: . Maybe my m-i-l clouds my judgment a little.

[Abbeygurl4]

A $4 media mail package turned into a $12.87 package because flash cards along with the foreign language curriculum aren't media.

 

I am so flipping angry right now.

 

The wonderful (sarcasm there) man at the post office said I'm not allowed to put the post-it note thanking the buyer for the purchase. No notes, no letters. "That's the regulation, Dear. (DEAR )(*&*^%)" I said, "That doesn't mean it's right."

 

So, be warned. I learned the very, very hard way.

 

 

 

I was going to post about this same issue! Every time I've mailed something media rate I get the third degree. The last time I went the guy was a real jerk! I had a heavy package and I leaned it on the edge of the counter and he said "I didn't call you up here. I'm not taking anyone right now". I really wanted to say, "Hello mister, I don't think you should bite the hand that feeds you." I just said I was sorry and backed up.

 

It's just getting ridiculous at the PO.

[*Michelle*]

 

I've also been told by my post office that enclosing a card with a package (such as a b-day) is also a no-no when mailing 1st class.

 

Are you kidding me?!?!

[Hen]

I was going to post about this same issue! Every time I've mailed something media rate I get the third degree. The last time I went the guy was a real jerk! I had a heavy package and I leaned it on the edge of the counter and he said "I didn't call you up here. I'm not taking anyone right now". I really wanted to say, "Hello mister, I don't think you should bite the hand that feeds you." I just said I was sorry and backed up.

 

It's just getting ridiculous at the PO.

 

yeah, I kind of feel like we have to do an honor dance/routine like Harry Potter approaching the hippogriff. - approach slowly, bow low, place our package/offering in front of them and then slowly back away, waiting for it to be deemed acceptable...

 

I sent out some curriculum I sold, and I had the reader's guides in a flexible 3 ring binder. I tied myself up in knots trying to decide if the binder would make it forbidden or not. I got different opinions online. I didn't want to put all the papers in there loose, you know? I ended up sticking address labels on everything incase the post office ripped it open.

 

I agree with another poster that I get the feeling they are trying to discourage us from using media mail at all. For any really expensive sets I've sold, I've paid way more and used UPS for piece of mind.

[Desert Rat]

Why? I posted that to show that I believe flashcards and foreign language curriculum should be fine (depending on what the curriculum is made up of). Their own website says "educational materials."

 

ETA -- Each flashcard is on a separate piece of paper with non-narrative text. I'd still do it.

 

 

I'm sorry! I was replying before work and didn't make myself clear. I'm home now and can explain the "Got it." I meant it's kinda clear as mud. I took "piece of paper" to mean standard size. So flash cards don't count. I didn't mean to be snappy. :)

 

 

I was going to post about this same issue! Every time I've mailed something media rate I get the third degree. The last time I went the guy was a real jerk! I had a heavy package and I leaned it on the edge of the counter and he said "I didn't call you up here. I'm not taking anyone right now". I really wanted to say, "Hello mister, I don't think you should bite the hand that feeds you." I just said I was sorry and backed up.

 

It's just getting ridiculous at the PO.

 

 

Yeah, I'm gonna try Craigslist and our local homeschool group for curriculum. The sad thing is that all my experiences have been positive except for the stupid post office. I'm over it now, thanks to some cleaning therapy. :)

[justasque]

To be fair, I *constantly* get stuff mailed illegally from eBay sellers. First class in inside-out Priority boxes covered in brown paper, Media Mail for things that clearly aren't (clothes), etc. It ticks me off every time. So I don't blame the PO for being suspicious. I'd like to think that most folks are honest, but my experience says that a significant minority are not.

[milovany]

Agreeing. I have to educate my follow direct sales representatives *regularly* that our catalogs are NOT media mail. Other reps will ask on our FB group how much it costs to ship a catalog, and some will sometimes say, "Use medial mail -- it's cheaper." I'll post that it's a no-no and that it hurts people who sell books for a living. Some care, some don't.

[LucyStoner]

 

 

They allow invoices/receipts but no other correspondence. Honestly, I'm surprised that media mail even exists. Why should these materials be considered differently than other packages? Perhaps one of the reasons the p.o. is in financial trouble...

 

Media mail has nothing to do with the Post Office's financial issues. The largest part of their issues are email, social media, shifting advertising techniques, and mainly ELECTRONIC BILL PAY. Volume used to be large enough to sustain the delivery infrastructure. Now their infrastructure is way too large for their volume. When I first set up housekeeping I needed 1/2 a book of stamps per month to pay my bills and send a few notes a month. Now? Last week was the first time I bought stamps for my personal use in well over 3 years, excepting special holiday stamps. I had been working on the same roll of 100 stamps since 2009 or so and I send more mail on average than many others in my demographic. Add in congressional strictures on their operations and staffing levels and it's honestly a wonder they are still open. Things have changed and aren't changing back.

[klmama]

Wow, I'm sorry so many of you have such a hard time at the post office! Our staff is almost universally friendly and kind, even when lines are long and people are clueless. I don't know where they found such a bunch of patient souls.