posted on August 20, 2002 04:39:32 PM
Today I went to mail via media mail a heavy volume (Martha Stewart's wedding book). After weighing it, the clerk said, Oops, I'm seeing a message that there's a cheaper variation. You can mail this via bound/printed matter.
I asked him what the weight cut-off was for that nice price break and he said he doesn't know, just knows that at some point you can mail it cheaper as bound/printed material.
posted on August 20, 2002 05:39:10 PM
It's also much slower than media mail. This is how magazines are mailed. Why do you think the magazine companies send out renewal notices 3, 6, 12 months before your subscription expires. It takes so long to
get the magazines into the system again that they want to let the publisher know well in advance so that there isn't a lapse in time and lost revenue for the company.
posted on August 20, 2002 05:41:15 PM
The computer screen the clerk looks at should only suggest the possible option of a different mailing method if the package qualifies. Most veteran clerks click it away like an annoying pop-up screen on Half.com.
posted on August 20, 2002 10:12:55 PM
Oh gee, I thought I'd discovered something wonderful here! I think the clerk likes me and was trying to save me some money, honestly. Next time I'll insist on spending more. I do want it returned if delivery doesn't work. And I want it to go fairly quickly, too. Yuk.
posted on August 21, 2002 11:58:12 AMTheir computer system is geared to directing you to switch from MEDIA MAIL to BPM as often as possible!
For me, it's been the opposite. I've been selling off some magazines that I've accumulated. I mark the packages as 'Bound Printed Matter', but the clerks tell me Media Mail is cheaper and allow me to send my mags that way.
It's also much slower than media mail. This is how magazines are mailed.
Actually, subscriptions go by Periodical Rate (formerly second class) not Bound Printed Matter.
[ edited by bkmunroe on Aug 21, 2002 12:37 PM ]
posted on August 21, 2002 03:22:59 PM
Just a few days ago, I got into a disagreement with a postal clerk when I tried to ship magazines via "BPM." He informed me I couldn't! I read the applicable regulation (magazines were not specifically mentioned) but it seemed to me that magazines fit the criteria. Clerk referred me to "the guy who knew" in the main post office who told me that the reg says magazines have to go by first-class or parcel post! Not wanting to take up any more time or energy debating the issue, I took my package to a different post office and mailed them out via media-rate!
posted on August 21, 2002 03:42:15 PM
[b]Bound Printed Matter
Description
The maximum weight for Bound Printed Matter is 15 pounds. Rates are based on weight, shape, and distance. The maximum size is 108 inches in combined length and distance around the thickest part.
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.[/b]
sounds like magazines fit to me. also sounds like that post office is feeding you a bowl of hot steaming horse crap.
