Had a Medai Mail shipment opened for inspection.

[lizards2]

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.

What Dr Chaos said doesn't even make sense from how Federal pensions are calculated, or health benefits assessed - you can't compare it to mismanaged state governments, and their negotiated pension plans. There is no comparison to the Federal government, which is mismanaged as well. As far as health benefits, the plans generally are terrible in the Federal sector, but we do have the "luxury" of taking them into retirement at the same out-of-pocket cost as when working - which many State employees can't do without paying the full premium. That is actually a huge benefit in today's work climate.

[lizards2]

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?

 

Don't forget the USPS has a lot of Congressionally mandated rules that make it non-profitable.

 

Partially, the reason so many Postal workers don't know the rules is that there are so many rules. In typical Fed fashion, law after law, regulation after regulation is passed, with no real thought to the consequences or all of the other laws and regulations a particular law/regulation conflicts with. Add in a bunch of no-value-added managers and supervisors with their own agendas, and there is probably no way for the average rank-and-file employee to figure anything out.

[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.

.

 

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

 

If the Government gives back the overpayment the USPS paid for the pre funding the P.O would be ok. That is not a bail out. Man you are misinformed

[Buzzetta]

So many people have so many ideas on what is wrong with the Government and who is to blame. Yet very few of them get the teaching credentials to educate the masses or run for office.

[lizards2]

So many people have so many ideas on what is wrong with the Government and who is to blame. Yet very few of them get the teaching credentials to educate the masses or run for office.

Don't get me started on education - who do you think funds 'public education'? Uhhh., the government? University level has all been overrun with professors pushing an agenda since before I went to college in the 1980's. My wife has an education degree from that era, and has been teaching since - the system does not allow 'educating the masses'. I see the crapp my daughter brings home from school as an education major, and it's even worse today.

[conditionfreak]

Oh, the masses are educated alright. They just don't give a darn. Everyone knows it is just plain dumb to drink and drive. Or to text and drive. But they do it anyway.

 

It is all about "me". Not about "us".

 

They know. They just don't care.

[Buzzetta]

So many people have so many ideas on what is wrong with the Government and who is to blame. Yet very few of them get the teaching credentials to educate the masses or run for office.

Don't get me started on education - who do you think funds 'public education'? Uhhh., the government? University level has all been overrun with professors pushing an agenda since before I went to college in the 1980's. My wife has an education degree from that era, and has been teaching since - the system does not allow 'educating the masses'. I see the crapp my daughter brings home from school as an education major, and it's even worse today.

 

So get involved and do your part to change it. Talking about what you feel should change in General Comics rather than actually doing something about it other than casting a vote does not appear to serve a purpose.

 

If you are doing something out there and I am assuming incorrectly I apologize in advance.

[lizards2]

So many people have so many ideas on what is wrong with the Government and who is to blame. Yet very few of them get the teaching credentials to educate the masses or run for office.

Don't get me started on education - who do you think funds 'public education'? Uhhh., the government? University level has all been overrun with professors pushing an agenda since before I went to college in the 1980's. My wife has an education degree from that era, and has been teaching since - the system does not allow 'educating the masses'. I see the crapp my daughter brings home from school as an education major, and it's even worse today.

 

So get involved and do your part to change it. Talking about what you feel should change in General Comics rather than actually doing something about it other than casting a vote does not appear to serve a purpose.

 

If you are doing something out there and I am assuming incorrectly I apologize in advance.

That would be illegal in all 50 states.

[Buzzetta]

So many people have so many ideas on what is wrong with the Government and who is to blame. Yet very few of them get the teaching credentials to educate the masses or run for office.

Don't get me started on education - who do you think funds 'public education'? Uhhh., the government? University level has all been overrun with professors pushing an agenda since before I went to college in the 1980's. My wife has an education degree from that era, and has been teaching since - the system does not allow 'educating the masses'. I see the crapp my daughter brings home from school as an education major, and it's even worse today.

 

So get involved and do your part to change it. Talking about what you feel should change in General Comics rather than actually doing something about it other than casting a vote does not appear to serve a purpose.

 

If you are doing something out there and I am assuming incorrectly I apologize in advance.

That would be illegal in all 50 states.

 

What would?

[MedicAR]

This has been happening to me for years. My local post office says the ads, even if they are 70 years old, are still ads. I know I've requested more than one seller here ship any other method as my local office will open all Media Mail coming to me and they are anything but gentle in the process.

 

They have also made the argument that I'm not buying reading material, but collectibles, which are also excluded from Media Mail.

[Buzzetta]

Could we get back to the real issues?

 

Like seriously... what's up with Namor's head?

 

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=5796385&gonew=1#UNREAD

[Comicsarefun]

Could we get back to the real issues?

 

Like seriously... what's up with Namor's head?

 

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=5796385&gonew=1#UNREAD

 

 

Namor's head was clearly damaged by being sent media mail.

 

 

[MatterEaterLad]

I've had my Priority Mail packages inspected. Not for Media Mail reasons. My local postmaster said it happens randomly. He assumed it was because people use the postal service and FedEx to ship drugs.

 

[Dr Chaos]

[ What Dr Chaos said doesn't even make sense from how Federal pensions are calculated, or health benefits assessed - you can't compare it to mismanaged state governments, and their negotiated pension plans. There is no comparison to the Federal government, which is mismanaged as well. As far as health benefits, the plans generally are terrible in the Federal sector, but we do have the "luxury" of taking them into retirement at the same out-of-pocket cost as when working - which many State employees can't do without paying the full premium. That is actually a huge benefit in today's work climate.

 

State vs Federal pensions and benefits will have different levels of funding and returns in their formulas but both share the same flaw. People are living longer and longer. To the extent that retirees live past the age expected by the fund planners, they continue to draw health benefits and pension payments not allowed for in the determination of what employees must pay into the program. With health benefit costs exceeding the rate of inflation and pension funds failing to keep up with the expected (promised) returns the planners put in place, the shortfall is that much larger. There are only three ways to cover this shortfall:

 

1. Raise postal revenue (higher rates)

2. Bailout (higher taxes / debt)

3. Reduced benefits (does not seem to be on the table)

 

While the post office could charge more for media mail or further restrict what can be sent by media mail, the cost of the service (independent of the benefit problems) does not seem to be the reason the post office has financial problems.

[Buzzetta]

Could we get back to the real issues?

 

Like seriously... what's up with Namor's head?

 

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=5796385&gonew=1#UNREAD

 

 

Namor's head was clearly damaged by being sent media mail.

 

 

[sufunk]

Ie never sent a comic media mail before but I sold an Omnibus on eBay a few weeks ago and sent it media mail. I figured since there were no ads I was ok. I'm in a big city so I don't have to worry about them knowing me and knowing I'm into comics like some of you guys and I was mailing out 2 books so had two priority boxes with that I mailed at the same time. I'm hoping that might help keep them from having any suspicion and opening it

 

All the ads have been removed so I don't see how it doesn't qualify it who knows

[8milemax]

Ie never sent a comic media mail before but I sold an Omnibus on eBay a few weeks ago and sent it media mail. I figured since there were no ads I was ok. I'm in a big city so I don't have to worry about them knowing me and knowing I'm into comics like some of you guys and I was mailing out 2 books so had two priority boxes with that I mailed at the same time. I'm hoping that might help keep them from having any suspicion and opening it

 

All the ads have been removed so I don't see how it doesn't qualify it who knows

 

Omnibus is MM, no ads.

[genrlzod]

I sent an e-amil to the USPS asking if comics are eligible for media mail. The respons I got says they are. Here is the full email:

 

eCustomerCare National ECCADUSER@usps.gov

7:24 AM (2 hours ago)

 

to me

 

 

Dear Erich,

 

Thank you for taking the time to contact us in regards to media mail. I understand that you are inquiring about comic books via media mail.

Yes you are able to mail comic books via media mail, here are the requirements Media Mail - Economy shipping solution for media items. Contents are restricted to books, sound recordings, recorded video tapes, printed music, recorded computer-readable media (such as CDs and DVDs).

Contents cannot contain advertising, except eligible books may contain incidental announcements of books

Contents can be inspected by the Postal Service to insure pricing eligibility

Surcharge may apply to certain items; including printed matter over 25 pounds

Media mail items should be marked "Media Mail" in the postage area.

Thank you for choosing the United States Postal Service for your mailing and shipping needs.We appreciate your business. Have a great day!

Best Regards,

Cynthia

If we can be of assistance to you in the future, please don't hesitate to contact us.The email address that this was sent from is not a manned email, so please use the following link:

https://www.usps.com/customerservice/redirects/email.htm?from=CustomerService&page=Center_EmailUs'>https://www.usps.com/customerservice/redirects/email.htm?from=CustomerService&page=Center_EmailUs

********

Your privacy is important to us. If you would like additional information on our privacy policy, please visit us online at:

https://www.usps.com/

 

So it looks like you can send comics. If anyone wants a copy of the e-mail, PM me your e-mail address and I will send it to you.

 

[miraclemet]

I think there have been thousands of message threads about this over the years...

 

and in the end all that matters is what the guy in the back room at the post office decides to do...

 

Are comics eligible? According to the above post, yes. (which makes sense, though there's still a question of whether it applies to current comics i.e. ones with current ads).

 

I wonder if you emailed this question 10 more times if the answer would always be yes.

 

I bet you'd get conflicting answers at least 25% of the time.

 

Either way, unless every postal employee knows this, you still have to deal with random guy in a random post office opening up your package to inspect it, and deciding on his own whether its media mail or not, and then dinging your for additional postage.

 

 

[lizards2]

It may depend on which comics you're looking at - some do just have house advertising, while DC/Marvel used to have tons of outside advertisers :shrug: