How to ship games?
- Thread starter DrNo888
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Bubble mailer and buy and print a first class USPS shipping label from Paypal shipping as it's a lot cheaper and includes delivery confirmation.
https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_ship-now
https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_ship-now
Yep for one game it's pretty cheap to send a game first class in a bubble mailer. Sometimes you can send two games if they are under 13 ounces I think.
Does anyone know cheaper ways to send 3 games? It seems at that point you get bumped into priority mail or parcel mail at the post office (over 1 or 2 lbs.) and it gets expensive.
Does anyone know cheaper ways to send 3 games? It seems at that point you get bumped into priority mail or parcel mail at the post office (over 1 or 2 lbs.) and it gets expensive.
13 oz is the limit for First Class.
You could send more using media mail, but that's slower and I think can only be bought at the post office.
I'd price out doing priority mail vs. sending them in two bubble mailers rather than one using First Class and go with what's cheapest personally as I hate going to the post office.
You could send more using media mail, but that's slower and I think can only be bought at the post office.
I'd price out doing priority mail vs. sending them in two bubble mailers rather than one using First Class and go with what's cheapest personally as I hate going to the post office.
[quote name='dmaul1114']13 oz is the limit for First Class.
You could send more using media mail, but that's slower and I think can only be bought at the post office.
I'd price out doing priority mail vs. sending them in two bubble mailers rather than one using First Class and go with what's cheapest personally as I hate going to the post office.[/QUOTE]
You print media mail online with paypal. However you are not suppose to use media mail with video games.
You could send more using media mail, but that's slower and I think can only be bought at the post office.
I'd price out doing priority mail vs. sending them in two bubble mailers rather than one using First Class and go with what's cheapest personally as I hate going to the post office.[/QUOTE]
You print media mail online with paypal. However you are not suppose to use media mail with video games.
lionheart4life
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In my experience shipping media mail is really not much slower than first class if you are sending to someone on the same side or region of the country as you. For example, I have shipped to Mass. and Virginia from NY and had it take 2 days, so its not a bad option for a heavier package. I've never had them open up a video game package to check, since the cases will feel the same as a DVD which is ok to ship media mail. And technically the instruction manual is printed material and games contain recorded sound and video if you really wanted to fight it.
In general a game in a bubble mailer seems to weigh about 6 oz. so like other have said that's probably you best bet. I also like to re-use those cardboard DVD mailers that Amazon uses if I have any or just re-use other bubble mailers that other people have sent and tape the hell out of any ripped parts.
In general a game in a bubble mailer seems to weigh about 6 oz. so like other have said that's probably you best bet. I also like to re-use those cardboard DVD mailers that Amazon uses if I have any or just re-use other bubble mailers that other people have sent and tape the hell out of any ripped parts.
[quote name='62t']You print media mail online with paypal. However you are not suppose to use media mail with video games.[/QUOTE]
Ah, I do see Media Mail listed there. I don't recall seeing that before.
Maybe best to not risk it though, as I've heard of people having media mail packages opened and returned by the post office for including things not covered. I didn't know games didn't count though. Thought it was good for books, movies, music and games. But oh well.
[quote name='lionheart4life']
In general a game in a bubble mailer seems to weigh about 6 oz. so like other have said that's probably you best bet. I also like to re-use those cardboard DVD mailers that Amazon uses if I have any or just re-use other bubble mailers that other people have sent and tape the hell out of any ripped parts.[/QUOTE]
You can also order packs of 100 bubble mailers from eBay and other places for $20-25 if you ship a lot and really cut down cost that way.
Ah, I do see Media Mail listed there. I don't recall seeing that before.
Maybe best to not risk it though, as I've heard of people having media mail packages opened and returned by the post office for including things not covered. I didn't know games didn't count though. Thought it was good for books, movies, music and games. But oh well.
[quote name='lionheart4life']
In general a game in a bubble mailer seems to weigh about 6 oz. so like other have said that's probably you best bet. I also like to re-use those cardboard DVD mailers that Amazon uses if I have any or just re-use other bubble mailers that other people have sent and tape the hell out of any ripped parts.[/QUOTE]
You can also order packs of 100 bubble mailers from eBay and other places for $20-25 if you ship a lot and really cut down cost that way.
bigdaddybruce44
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Just for clarification, though it is rare to get caught, video games definitely do not qualify for media mail. It was a gray area for quite some time, but a couple of years ago, the USPS issued this:
http://pe.usps.com/text/CSR/PS-334.htm
http://pe.usps.com/text/CSR/PS-334.htm
IAmTheCheapestGamer
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Depending on how thick the games and their cases are, if you're sending out three or so and it would otherwise be bumped to Priority Mail, then why not use the flat rate envelope for those three games?
It's $5 plus the cost of Delivery Confirmation for it. I've fit four games in there snugly before and they've arrived in great shape to their destination.
It's $5 plus the cost of Delivery Confirmation for it. I've fit four games in there snugly before and they've arrived in great shape to their destination.
[quote name='proKoyeon']can you print out a label on your own for this type of mailing service or do you have to do it in person at a usps office?[/QUOTE]
You can print them yourself using Paypal Shipping in the link above. Can print media mail, first class or Priority Mail.
That's an advantage over the USPS website as you can only do priority labels on there I believe.
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']Depending on how thick the games and their cases are, if you're sending out three or so and it would otherwise be bumped to Priority Mail, then why not use the flat rate envelope for those three games?
It's $5 plus the cost of Delivery Confirmation for it. I've fit four games in there snugly before and they've arrived in great shape to their destination.[/QUOTE]
Just a matter of weighing and seeing which way is cheaper. Sometimes priority with DC is still cheaper than the flat rate envelopes/boxes. Just varies.
Plus, I'd personally pay a tad more to print a label myself and drop in in the outgoing mail stack at work vs. having to hassle with going to the post office and picking up flat rate packaging etc.
But I know you're not that way given your user name!
You can print them yourself using Paypal Shipping in the link above. Can print media mail, first class or Priority Mail.
That's an advantage over the USPS website as you can only do priority labels on there I believe.
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']Depending on how thick the games and their cases are, if you're sending out three or so and it would otherwise be bumped to Priority Mail, then why not use the flat rate envelope for those three games?
It's $5 plus the cost of Delivery Confirmation for it. I've fit four games in there snugly before and they've arrived in great shape to their destination.[/QUOTE]
Just a matter of weighing and seeing which way is cheaper. Sometimes priority with DC is still cheaper than the flat rate envelopes/boxes. Just varies.
Plus, I'd personally pay a tad more to print a label myself and drop in in the outgoing mail stack at work vs. having to hassle with going to the post office and picking up flat rate packaging etc.
But I know you're not that way given your user name!
Uh-O. I've been sending stuff out Media Mail. If you exclude that link and read what they define as media, it says "Books, CDs, discs" and doesn't really imply that it has to be for educational purposes.
What if you mail a game that has an art book with it?
For flat rate boxes, don't you have to use priority? And you need to get the boxes from the PO?
It usually costs just over $3 to mail a game. Isn't DC .80 if you go to the PO and .19 if you print them online?
I usually re-cycle bubble mailers I get from buying games online at Amazon and Gamestop.com
What if you mail a game that has an art book with it?
For flat rate boxes, don't you have to use priority? And you need to get the boxes from the PO?
It usually costs just over $3 to mail a game. Isn't DC .80 if you go to the PO and .19 if you print them online?
I usually re-cycle bubble mailers I get from buying games online at Amazon and Gamestop.com
[quote name='bigdaddybruce44']Just for clarification, though it is rare to get caught, video games definitely do not qualify for media mail. It was a gray area for quite some time, but a couple of years ago, the USPS issued this:
http://pe.usps.com/text/CSR/PS-334.htm[/QUOTE]
Thanks for posting the link.
I know this is the same old complaint that's been repeated a million times, but that is some B.S. that the trashiest romance novel or Z-grade horror flick is still considered to "promote educational, cultural, scientific, and informational values," but all video games are excluded by definition.
http://pe.usps.com/text/CSR/PS-334.htm[/QUOTE]
Thanks for posting the link.
I know this is the same old complaint that's been repeated a million times, but that is some B.S. that the trashiest romance novel or Z-grade horror flick is still considered to "promote educational, cultural, scientific, and informational values," but all video games are excluded by definition.
bigdaddybruce44
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[quote name='2DMention']Uh-O. I've been sending stuff out Media Mail. If you exclude that link and read what they define as media, it says "Books, CDs, discs" and doesn't really imply that it has to be for educational purposes.[/QUOTE]
Well, that's why I said it was a gray area. The definition of media mail doesn't really exclude games. But they issued that, and it's pretty clear. No games.
[quote name='Ryuukishi']Thanks for posting the link.
I know this is the same old complaint that's been repeated a million times, but that is some B.S. that the trashiest romance novel or Z-grade horror flick is still considered to "promote educational, cultural, scientific, and informational values," but all video games are excluded by definition.[/QUOTE]
Indeed. But as usual, the law takes awhile to catch up with technology. I'm sure that, eventually, games will finally be viewed with the same respect as other media.
Well, that's why I said it was a gray area. The definition of media mail doesn't really exclude games. But they issued that, and it's pretty clear. No games.
[quote name='Ryuukishi']Thanks for posting the link.
I know this is the same old complaint that's been repeated a million times, but that is some B.S. that the trashiest romance novel or Z-grade horror flick is still considered to "promote educational, cultural, scientific, and informational values," but all video games are excluded by definition.[/QUOTE]
Indeed. But as usual, the law takes awhile to catch up with technology. I'm sure that, eventually, games will finally be viewed with the same respect as other media.
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