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I wasn't about to take a Media Mail shipment to the Post Office, then have to wait as much as another two weeks for them to get back before a refund could happen, much less run the risk of the package getting busted in transit if it even got accepted by my local Post Office which knows to check and then arrived Postage due there for full rate Parcel Post or returned back here with another delay.

Media Mail for comics is committing MAIL FRAUD. Because you got away with violating the postal regulations yesterday or even a thousand times does not mean you will not get the next one busted and is still a crime. I've had long discussions with the managers here that are working to get reports submitted on trying removing Media Mail as an option entirely since it's abused so much costing the Post Office millions in lost revenue per year from the crooks abusing the system since only the extreme cases will end up getting prosecuted in a court as a last resort since it costs about $26,000 to try the case according to the head guy. They use other means as a first option which can include outright barring of the shipper from being able to use the service at all. With enough cases it's also possible for racketeering charges to be added from what I've read. Beyond all that, it's just simply and unquestionably WRONG!!!!

Honest, legitimate businesses should not have to be competing with criminals violating the rules to gain an unfair business advantage.

In addition to being against the law and incredibly slow shipping times, you're dealing with collectibles that are easily damaged and the inspection process, even if the items do not get busted and returned to sender, can be damaged anywhere from the inspection point to the destination. I personally had one box so bad it had comics hanging out the side when it arrived!!!!! Who knows how many comics got lost in transit falling out the box entirely.

The only responsible choice is to continue to report sellers using the method directly to the Post Office locally and over the phone and continue to hand out copies of the regulations to the Post Offices you visit so new Postal Employees become aware and start enforcing the rules!!!!

We're also working to develop a specific new shipping option just for print that has advertising like comics so there will be additional choices in the future that are slower than first Class or Priority but Cheaper and LEGAL!! In the mean time continue to report those breaking the law and sites that allow open advertising of the option to do so like this one.


https://about.usps.com/notices/not121/not121_tech.htm

Please show me a situation where someone was charged and prosecuted in a court of law for sending items Media Mail. I'd be very interested to see that. If it's something you can be fined and sent to jail for, I guess that makes ebay culpable in some way by even allowing comics to be shipped Media Mail. With all their tech, it would be very easy to prohibit that shipping rate as an option for comic sales.

No, no it is not Mail Fraud.
"A scheme to defraud means depriving someone of property by deceitful or dishonest means."


I'm sure they enjoyed those discussions immensely.


Good luck with that.


Pfft, I have Media Mail shipments show up in 2-3 days almost every single time.


While you're at it, might as well charge the carrier that delivers the "illegal" package with Distribution and pick up the clerks who send the "contraband" with Aiding and Abetting.


I am 1,000% in favor of this. No joke, I would love to see this happen.


This is a patently false statement. In essence what they are saying is that all comic have ads in them. FALSE. Maybe most comics but certainly not all contain advertising.

Short list:

Marvel Fanfare
Classics Illustrated
Cerebus
Marvel Age
EVERY SINGLE TRADE PAPERBACK AND GRAPHIC NOVEL
so many more that I can't possibly remember them all

Not to mention reprint comics like the Marvel Milestone's that reprint ads from decades before. Does that still count as an ad?

"Not again" is a good title for this thread.

Marvel Fanfare
Classics Illustrated
Cerebus
Marvel Age
ALMOST EVERY SINGLE TRADE PAPERBACK AND GRAPHIC NOVEL