Guides using Media Mail - got returned back to me.

[postaboy]

Hello,

I sold a couple strategy guides on eBay and both of them just got returned back to me. I don't understand why it got returned. Each guide was shipped in a large bubble mailer with priority mail card-box on each side for protection. Both of them were mailed using USPS Media Mail.

Also, It seems like the USPS opened one of my package. Can they do that?

Have this happen to you before? Should I have a talk with my USPS? It costs me 8 dollars to shipped both of them so it seems i have to pay to have it ship again.


Thanks

 

[.......]

It looks like they opened up your packages, inspected them, and decided that they weren't eligible for Media Mail. It's probably due to you using the Priority Mail boxes for materials, as they consider that a violation.

 

[Friend of Sonic]

I would definitely contact someone at your local USPS office. There isn't anything saying you can't ship strategy guides. They should reship them, hell upgrade the package to Priority for free since they wasted your time.

 

[DD83]

Can they open your packages? Yes, especially (only?) when you use media mail.
Why was it returned? Could be a few reasons. For one, the validity of using media mail for strategy guides is questionable. Another is using a priority mail box without shipping priority mail. The stranger thing, to me, is that they opened one and just assumed the other was the same and returned both.

 

[Indigo_Streetlight]

You might want to look and see if your packages are stamped with a postal code to determine your next course of action. I once had a bounce back where the postman on the other end misdelivered it to the wrong address. If you can prove it was their fault, you've got a good chance of getting it resent for no extra charge.

However, you've got some other factors going on which make things just a little more tricky. For one thing using their complementary priority mail box as reinforcement is not cool, you should lose it before trying to ship again. As for the strategy guide versus tool-ish postal inspector angle, you might want to come up with a good story about how your friend is distressed over not receiving his graphic design and game creation research materials.

 

[postaboy]

thanks for the reply back.

I'll definitely talk to them tomorrow. Well, I decided to give a full refund to both of the buyers and offer them the same guide at no costs with free shipping. First, I'm going to see if i can get the USPS to reship my guide again at no charge. I'm just surprised that one of my package arrived opened and wasn't aware that the post office can open your package for inspection. I have ship over 50+ strategy guides over the years and all of them were shipped through USPS Media Mail with no problems.

Yeah, I'll probably stop using the Priority Mail Flat Rate Box as reinforcement. I just did it because I had a buyer 3 months ago who complained about a guide that arrived damage and gave me my first negative.

Also, can they return the package back to me if I ship a game with a guide together using media mail?

 

[DD83]

Also, can they return the package back to me if I ship a game with a guide together using media mail?

If they inspect it and find the game and are aware that games don't qualify, yeah.

 

[djbooba]

I'm on a first name basis with my local post office so I ask them all kinds of questions like this.

First, ditch the Priority Mail box as support. The Postal Service hates when you don't use the box for its intended purpose.
Second, if you are gonna use media mail for anything, use it only for strategy guides. The workers at my branch couldn't insist this enough. If your package looks like it might have dvd/cd/games in it, it will probably be opened.