To be honest in my first message I did apologize before asking if they had shipped comics before. So perhaps I started off on the wrong foot but I think itās still a valid question. I didnāt realize until afterwards I had bought from this same person previously. I wouldnāt be comfortable giving the sellers name unless I posted all the messages we had back and forth so you had the complete exchange and not just my side. Iād still rather not do that. Just check sellers feedback before buying.
Yes, Iāve been around the Block a few times and I am aware ā¦ however, even if Insurance was purchased on a Media Mail package, USPS will never pay a claim no matter how well itās packed ā¦ Comics do not qualify for Media Mail and the minute USPS examines the package and the contents, any claim will be denied tout suite ā¦
And, yes, Mr Poyo, the responsibility to make sure a package arrives intact and contents as advertised is the Sellers ā¦ because, Guido, anywhere along the line, can mangle a package ā¦ thatās just the way it is ā¦ as evidenced by your Column āThings I Like and Dislike for the Week of November 27th, 2019ā ā¦ 
Yeah, unless things have changed comics sent thought media are subject to be returned to the shipper if inspected due to not following post office policy. The thing that gets me is Ebay has media as an option for shipping when setting up a comic book sale. I wonder if this is an oversight or they just throw everything out there and basically donāt care either way. Unless Ebay has a deal with the USPS media mail should not be an option when setting up a comic book auction of sale.
I canāt speak for anyone but myself, however, if I list anything and select Media Mail, a pop up appears that outlines the qualifications ā¦
Now, an Omnibus / GN / TP generally does qualify for Media, since there are, in most cases, no ads and the material is considered a Book ā¦
I offer media mail and flat rate (usually first class doesnāt cut it cause I use extra cardboard so itās either 16oz or more), almost everyone still chooses media mail to save a few bucks.
Yup, humans tend to focus on the negative dramaā¦
Iāll give some credit to TFAW in my recent case, they handled it well and just took care of the problem like most should. If he told me to just ātake it up with USPSā it would had been a hate on both USPS and TFAWā¦
Donāt ship Media mail to Hawaii or Alaska good chance the buyer will get the book and the refund. Sending media mail from Alaska and Hawaii donāt have any delay but when you send the media mail to those states it takes anywhere from 3 days to 3 months.
Itās because you people in Hawaii live in paradise and canāt be bothered by checking your mail all the timeā¦ Iāve been there, I know. I wouldnāt even collect comicsā¦ Iād just sit on the beach with my drink in hand and a cigar, enjoying lifeā¦ 
Hereās a example of someone whose tryingā¦but not thinkingā¦
This was for a single comic. To his credit he got it under 12 oz. but the comic had only its flimsy backing board to protect it from being jostled around inside this box. Being wrapped in bubble wrap and tissue paper is not a good idea generallyā¦I would rather have a few extra pieces of cardboard.
Comic arrived without any obvious damageā¦although there were a couple very small spine crease I did not see in the photos that could have appearedā¦still NM shape.
Since the seller was an ass and then proceeded to leave false positive inaccurate feedback the sellers bladesofsteel79. That was the seller of the Dr Strange comics that was the most recent I posted about. I also had mentioned the one where the seller said that since the book was worthless, how I described it in my initial message, to destroy it and take pics for a refund. They wouldnāt pay return shipping for a poorly packaged and damaged book. They also left a false positive feedback that was complete lies. Stated the book wasnāt damaged and I was difficult. You could see it was going to be damaged so I took pics as I opened it. Exactly where the flimsy & flat cardboard was bent So was the board and book. That seller is havokruckus5. Iām more than happy to share any messages or pics of damage as well. I didnāt want to name them but leaving false positive feedback that were lies was the final straw.
Based on this description of requirements, comics from Marvel and DC are really the only ones who donāt qualify for Media Mail. Most independent/small press books donāt contain ads other than announcements for other books. At least thatās the way I interpret these rules.
Has anyone ever been denied a claim/rate for comic books that donāt contain ads for things other than books?
I personally just donāt want the usps to inspect the packageā¦whether they qualify or not.
I never had a problem shipping media mail, I realized Iām playing roulette with every shipmentā¦and i take personally accountability for my packages to arrive safely to the buyerā¦so I chose not to ship them that way anymore.
I donāt understand the advertisement ruleā¦I think itās misplaced and over simplified when associated with comic booksā¦especially when you consider most ads are expired or obsolete a few months after the book is released.
But I know arguing over applicability and interpretation with the usps after the fact is futileā¦they donāt care.
Iāve never had a package inspected by USPS, sending or receiving. They seem to have barely enough time just getting it at itās destination on time. Iād imagine itās only the obvious packages they might inspectā¦ you know, something shipped media mail but it sounds like thereās something breakable in itā¦
I think the point is, any Media Mail is subject to inspection ā¦ and, if it does not qualify by USPS rules, any claim will be denied, so there is really no point in even insuring ā¦
Now, if youāre shipping a book that you sold for $10 bucks, maybe itās worth it to save a shekel or two and just role the dice / take the risk ā¦ however, a book of any value, IMO, should ship Flat Rate Large Envelope which automatically gets you insurance, a free mailing package ā¦ personally, I never ship comics Media ā¦ at the minimum I go with First Class and if itās a $40+ value, I go with Flat Rate Priority ā¦
I have never had a problem shipping media mail but find myself using is less and less. I would rather the package get there sooner as opposed to sitting in the USPS mail bins being thrown around any longer than it needs. I will say I still use media sometimes but any book worth $20 or more I wonāt send that way. I have never had a book inspected and I think it is pretty rare. The post office these days (at least around me) doesnāt seem to be run very well and I donāt think they have the personnel to waste on opening packages to see if the contents have ads. Just my opinion though.
Iāve never had one inspected to my knowledge eitherā¦buying or selling. But again for charging a $1 more it wasnāt worth the risk anymoreā¦and from the chat boards Iāve been on there are those who will not even look at auctions that use media mailā¦so I felt like I might be limiting my potential customer base as wellā¦so I switched and with the exception for very cheap reader comics with āfree shippingā I havenāt looked back.
I can get single comics down to 12oz shipped robustly packaged which is about $4 ebay shipping after discountā¦compared to $2.75 media mail. I charge the buyer $1 more than I used to ($4.49 vs. $3.49).