Had a Medai Mail shipment opened for inspection.

[dopy02]

 

why pay $10 to ship a $13 slab? Doesn't make sense to me.

 

A 1092/1095 combo is my preferred method of shipping slabs.

 

 

Yes

 

I like the 1097/1095 combo

[8milemax]

I have now send out well over two hundred media mail packages. From Arizons, Nevada and NY. Only two have been opened. One was declared ineligible because I had thrown in a deck of cards as a freebie( I kiid you not). This is the second one.

So I guess you are ok with cheating the post office?

[Dr Chaos]

Media mail should be done away with. I'm sorry but it's a losing policy that just furthers the post offices' looming bankruptcy. Plus it's confusing and arbitrarily enforced.

 

However, if someone demanded that I ship them a comic media mail I would.

 

 

Sure media mail is the problem. The free healthcare for life and guaranteed 8% return on employee pensions has nothing to do with it.

[HugeRosen]

 

I've used media maid a couple times but not often. The PO seems to be cool with me. I told them it was comic books and they didn't care. If you are sending between 1-3 comics between two cardboard pieces, it should be under the weight limit for first class mail, which costs about .50 cents more than media mail. So if you have someone who is shipping you one or two comics and is using media mail, they are cheap as mess for not springing for the extra .50 cents. And first class mail normally arrives just as fast as priority mail. Maybe an extra day.

[8milemax]

Media mail should be done away with. I'm sorry but it's a losing policy that just furthers the post offices' looming bankruptcy. Plus it's confusing and arbitrarily enforced.

 

However, if someone demanded that I ship them a comic media mail I would.

 

 

Sure media mail is the problem. The free healthcare for life and guaranteed 8% return on employee pensions has nothing to do with it.

 

Really? Please do research before you post garbage like this. Here's the main reason why the P.O is having problems.

 

At the heart of the matter is a 2006 Congressional mandate put on the US Postal Service contained in the “Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006” to pre-fund healthcare benefits of future retirees, a 75 year liability over a 10 year period. No other agency or corporation is required to do this. This provision costs the Postal Service $5.5 billion a year.

 

Link

 

 

[Dr Chaos]

Media mail should be done away with. I'm sorry but it's a losing policy that just furthers the post offices' looming bankruptcy. Plus it's confusing and arbitrarily enforced.

 

However, if someone demanded that I ship them a comic media mail I would.

 

 

Sure media mail is the problem. The free healthcare for life and guaranteed 8% return on employee pensions has nothing to do with it.

 

Really? Please do research before you post garbage like this. Here's the main reason why the P.O is having problems.

 

At the heart of the matter is a 2006 Congressional mandate put on the US Postal Service contained in the “Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006” to pre-fund healthcare benefits of future retirees, a 75 year liability over a 10 year period. No other agency or corporation is required to do this. This provision costs the Postal Service $5.5 billion a year.

 

Link

 

 

 

I said that employee health care and pension benefits were the reason that the postal service is going broke. After telling me not to post such garbage, you provide a link confirming that the post office is indeed going broke because they have to prefund these expenses.

 

Media Mail is not the reason that the post office is losing money and your post included evidence to back that up.

 

 

[8milemax]

Media mail should be done away with. I'm sorry but it's a losing policy that just furthers the post offices' looming bankruptcy. Plus it's confusing and arbitrarily enforced.

 

However, if someone demanded that I ship them a comic media mail I would.

 

 

Sure media mail is the problem. The free healthcare for life and guaranteed 8% return on employee pensions has nothing to do with it.

 

Really? Please do research before you post garbage like this. Here's the main reason why the P.O is having problems.

 

At the heart of the matter is a 2006 Congressional mandate put on the US Postal Service contained in the “Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006” to pre-fund healthcare benefits of future retirees, a 75 year liability over a 10 year period. No other agency or corporation is required to do this. This provision costs the Postal Service $5.5 billion a year.

 

Link

 

 

I said that employee health care and pension benefits were the reason that the postal service is going broke. After telling me not to post such garbage, you provide a link confirming that the post office is indeed going broke because they have to prefund these expenses.

 

Media Mail is not the reason that the post office is losing money and your post included evidence to back that up.

 

I guess you don't know how to read, congress past the law that mandated it. USPS is the only agency that has to do this, if congress lifted this act the P.O would be in good shape. But people shipping stuff that is not MM is cheating the P.O.

[comicstock]

But people shipping stuff that is not MM is cheating the P.O.

 

Then I guess the Post Office should spend a little more time educating their workers on what IS eligible for Media Mail. And while they are at it, change the name 'Media Mail' to something else. Comic books, paperback books, hardcover books, pulps, etc. are all forms of 'Media' the last I heard.

 

Really? Please do research before you post garbage like this. Here's the main reason why the P.O is having problems.

I did some additional research. The author of your article is Michael Monk who calls himself 'Progressive'. Kind of obvious to me who he is rooting for. Scott Walker and the majority of Wisconsin voters had the right idea...

[comicstock]

He did say though that if you want to get away with it is to use portial post instead of media mail because even though it takes one or two days longer and also goes by weight its cheaper to ship.

 

If that were true these days, we wouldn't be having this discussion.[/b]

[8milemax]

But people shipping stuff that is not MM is cheating the P.O.

 

Then I guess the Post Office should spend a little more time educating their workers on what IS eligible for Media Mail. And while they are at it, change the name 'Media Mail' to something else. Comic books, paperback books, hardcover books, pulps, etc. are all forms of 'Media' the last I heard.

 

Really? Please do research before you post garbage like this. Here's the main reason why the P.O is having problems.

I did some additional research. The author of your article is Michael Monk who calls himself 'Progressive'. Kind of obvious to me who he is rooting for. Scott Walker and the majority of Wisconsin voters had the right idea...

 

Do a search of postal bill 2006 and you will see thousands links to the same thing, I just posted the first one I saw. Its a fact that the bill that was past in 2006 is the reason why the P.O is going broke.

[jools&jim]

 

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: if comics are sent via Media Mail, both the buyer and seller are taking a risk that the package will be opened and rummaged through by people who don't care if they handle the contents carefully, and that the comics will not arrive in the grade they were in when they were sent. This is not complicated...

[Buzzetta]

TPBs should qualify as Media Mail...

 

I had my Calvin and Hobbes complete collection... you know that giant slipcase collection of every strip ever made delivered that way.

 

If that does not qualify as a comic then I do not know what does...

[comicstock]

TPBs should qualify as Media Mail...

 

I had my Calvin and Hobbes complete collection... you know that giant slipcase collection of every strip ever made delivered that way.

 

If that does not qualify as a comic then I do not know what does...

 

 

It's obvious that 96% of postal employees don't know either...

[Postal]

Media mail should be done away with. I'm sorry but it's a losing policy that just furthers the post offices' looming bankruptcy. Plus it's confusing and arbitrarily enforced.

 

However, if someone demanded that I ship them a comic media mail I would.

 

 

Sure media mail is the problem. The free healthcare for life and guaranteed 8% return on employee pensions has nothing to do with it.

.

 

Please point me in the right direction. I would like to find where this information is loacated. Because, I am employed by the USPS and would love to think this is somehow in my future.

[gradejunky]

I still don't get it, some books have ads in the back of them for other books. Why do they qualify?? Are magazines okay for Media Mail???

[Dr Chaos]

Media mail should be done away with. I'm sorry but it's a losing policy that just furthers the post offices' looming bankruptcy. Plus it's confusing and arbitrarily enforced.

 

However, if someone demanded that I ship them a comic media mail I would.

 

 

Sure media mail is the problem. The free healthcare for life and guaranteed 8% return on employee pensions has nothing to do with it.

.

 

Please point me in the right direction. I would like to find where this information is loacated. Because, I am employed by the USPS and would love to think this is somehow in my future.

 

The 8% is a guess based upon what NJ state employees get in their pensions. You might have more information about what the rate is but it is guaranteed by USPS and will be paid ultimately by USPS customers unless the post office is bailed out by the government (tax payers).

 

The following article does confirm that the postal worker's pension plan covers 85% of postal workers and is a defined benefit plan. In any defined benefit plan, the rate of return on the pension is fixed regardless of the market performance of any investment vehicle that the funds are invested in. The shortfall must come from increased postage rates or taxpayers. Recently, congress has required that 75% of these funds be prepaid which makes it very unlikely that the pensions will not be paid.

 

USPS Pension article

[FlyingDonut]

Media mail should be done away with. I'm sorry but it's a losing policy that just furthers the post offices' looming bankruptcy. Plus it's confusing and arbitrarily enforced.

 

However, if someone demanded that I ship them a comic media mail I would.

 

 

Sure media mail is the problem. The free healthcare for life and guaranteed 8% return on employee pensions has nothing to do with it.

 

Of course! Damn unions.

 

Universal service, the requirement to ship a first class envelope anywhere in the United States for the same price - regardless of the cost, and the inability of the USPS to market price their services have nothing to with it, I'm sure.

 

Let the USPS run a business like a business and they'd be just fine. Require it to provide one thing and then telling it that it can't charge the same way its competitors do is another.

[Postal]

Media mail should be done away with. I'm sorry but it's a losing policy that just furthers the post offices' looming bankruptcy. Plus it's confusing and arbitrarily enforced.

 

However, if someone demanded that I ship them a comic media mail I would.

 

 

Sure media mail is the problem. The free healthcare for life and guaranteed 8% return on employee pensions has nothing to do with it.

.

 

Please point me in the right direction. I would like to find where this information is loacated. Because, I am employed by the USPS and would love to think this is somehow in my future.

 

The 8% is a guess based upon what NJ state employees get in their pensions. You might have more information about what the rate is but it is guaranteed by USPS and will be paid ultimately by USPS customers unless the post office is bailed out by the government (tax payers).

 

The following article does confirm that the postal worker's pension plan covers 85% of postal workers and is a defined benefit plan. In any defined benefit plan, the rate of return on the pension is fixed regardless of the market performance of any investment vehicle that the funds are invested in. The shortfall must come from increased postage rates or taxpayers. Recently, congress has required that 75% of these funds be prepaid which makes it very unlikely that the pensions will not be paid.

 

USPS Pension article

 

Thank for the link, but just really wanted to know where you got the actual information that you posted. To the best of my knowledge FERS retirees have never seen an 8% return on their pensions. I have never seen anyone getting free healthcare. The postal service pays a portion and the employee or retired employee pays the other portion, but never heard of free.

[Postal]

Media mail should be done away with. I'm sorry but it's a losing policy that just furthers the post offices' looming bankruptcy. Plus it's confusing and arbitrarily enforced.

 

However, if someone demanded that I ship them a comic media mail I would.

 

 

Sure media mail is the problem. The free healthcare for life and guaranteed 8% return on employee pensions has nothing to do with it.

 

Of course! Damn unions.

 

Universal service, the requirement to ship a first class envelope anywhere in the United States for the same price - regardless of the cost, and the inability of the USPS to market price their services have nothing to with it, I'm sure.

 

Let the USPS run a business like a business and they'd be just fine. Require it to provide one thing and then telling it that it can't charge the same way its competitors do is another.

 

The postal service is so top heavy with people who have nothing to do with getting mail from Point A to Point B. To run it like a business, it would have to be totally disassembled and rebuilt. I am not sure anyone would be willing to take on such a task and am not sure that you would have near the service for near the price you have now.

[conditionfreak]

This is not about books or comic books. But it is about the USPS losing money over not getting their act together. How is it that so many postal employees that do this FOR A LIVING, don't know the rules?

 

Here are some facts that have nothing to do with media mail, but do have something to do with the USPS not being able to run a business properly.

 

My second biggest hobby (aside from collecting comic books), is racing homing pigeons. I am currently conducting a nationwide "contest", known as a "One Loft Event". People from all over the country mail me two 30 day old racing pigeons, each. Then after I received them all, I raise and train them to come back to my home loft. Then they participate in a series of 8-10 races, and after that. I conduct one race from 300 miles, and the winner of that race, is the winner of the main "One Loft Event". There are trophys, money and bragging rights awards.

 

To my point: I received about fifty "Live Bird Boxes" via the USPS, over the past couple of months. When you send live birds, in approved USPS Live Bird containers, the USPS guarantees next day delivery prior to 3:00 PM. If they do not arrive by that time, the USPS will refund postage paid, to the sender.

 

The average cost to send two pigeons to me in Ohio, from just about anywhere in the U.S., is approximately $46.00-$52.00 dollars. The thing is, the birds rarely arrive on time. Most people that sent me birds, qualified for full refunds. Even though the birds were delivered to me in good health. I have been doing this for many years. Pigeons can easily handle several days in shipping crates, without food or water. I have had some, over the years, make it seven days in a shipping crate and arrive relatively healthy. Just hungry and thirsty as heck.

 

Now, you might think this is not a big deal for the USPS, and it probably isn't really. But there are hundreds of "One Loft Events" held all over the country, every year. Mine is a very small one. Most have near a thousand birds entered into them. There are pigeon races with thousands of birds n them, and prize purses of one million dollars. Some exceptional pigeons can sell for stud use, for over a hundred thousand dollars. Many are a few thousand dollars, to purchase. But many can be obtained for ten bucks also. It is like race horses. The really good ones, cost big time.

 

Plus, I know that there are other types of live birds often sent via USPS. Everything from baby chicks, to grown roosters. Ducks, quail and small parrots, I presume. Not sure about the parrots though. But the others for sure. Birds are big business, and they almost all go through the USPS.

 

If the USPS just did not guarantee delivery by 3 PM the next day (Express Mail), for live birds. They could save quite a nice sum of money. All they need to do is assure customers they will get them to their destination as soon as possible. On the slim chance a bird or two dies enroute, they could deal with that on a case by case basis. Or even just put the acceptance of that possiblility on the sender, and not be responsible for death or injury at all.

 

There is no other reasonable method to send live birds across this country.

 

I will say this though. Of the many that sent me birds personally, for this One loft Event. Many knew they qualified for refunds. But said they were not going to ask for them. Because their birds arrived to me in good health, and because....

 

The post office is going broke.

 

More than half the people, actually turned down about fifty bucks, because of caring about the post office continuing on. On the other hand. Several bragged to me about sending birds all over the country, for many years, and ALWAYS getting refunds. Bragging that they always ship for free. Even though they have never lost a bird because of a delay.

 

If someone here works for the USPS. You should bring this up in a suggestion box, or at a meeting of supervisors. I sent an email to the USPS two years ago, about this. Nothing has changed.

 

I know in the big scheme of things, this is small potatoes. But it has to run in the millions of dollars. Maybe even in the tens of millions. It is big business, even if you were not aware of it prior to this posting.

 

Just a suggestion.