Jeremy517

Do the guys at the post office give anyone else really suspicious looks when you tell them book rate? They pretty much know that its not books, but I can't really do anything about it. Thats what half.com says to ship with. I thoguht for a bit that the guy today wasn't going to let me ship book rate because they weren't books. I think he let me do it because he couldn't actually prove it.

BigT

Book rate applies to videos of any kind also, so you're all right - you're not cheating. I tell my post person that it's a video every time and they never question me.

Jeremy517

Ah good. Thanks.

Funk

Isn't "Book rate" synonymous with "4th class"? I always thought that book rate was just the common name for it, because many people send books this way, and not because it is only for books.

On a similar note, I can't understand how the different classes work. If I mail something via book rate, how do they treat it differently than mailing it regular 1st class? I keep picturing the USPS guy looking at the pile of book rate stuff at the end of stuff and saying "Nah, leave that stuff there for another day or so, it's only book rate."

Wolfchild

It doesn't seem like that clerk should be giving you a hard time about sending things book rate. Videos and software should be allowable. Heh one of the clerks at my post office tries to get me to send DVDs that way when I don't want to.

quote:<HR>Originally posted by Funk:

On a similar note, I can't understand how the different classes work. If I mail something via book rate, how do they treat it differently than mailing it regular 1st class? I keep picturing the USPS guy looking at the pile of book rate stuff at the end of stuff and saying "Nah, leave that stuff there for another day or so, it's only book rate." <HR>

Typically all mail and parcels are handled about the same. When there is not enough time or workforce to handle everything that comes in, then priority is given to Priority and 1st class mail. However you might have noticed that a lot of the time 4th class or bulk rate gets there just about as quick. The post office won't just leave it sitting there for the hell of it.

One caveat on book rate - if the item is undeliverable you have to pay the shipping again when it comes back. Also, if it's forwarded the receiving party has to pay postage again. Making you instantly lose any savings if either scenario should occur.

schbee

I ship DVDS 1st class when I sell them on 1/2.com.....It is cheaper that way, it cost me 99 cents...when I was using book rate I think it was 1.33 or something like that per DVD

knitewing

quote:<HR>Originally posted by schbee:
I ship DVDS 1st class when I sell them on 1/2.com.....It is cheaper that way, it cost me 99 cents...when I was using book rate I think it was 1.33 or something like that per DVD<HR>

Good point, but if you want Delivery Confirmation, you'll have to go Book Rate. It's not available on 1st class. Unfortunately they charge 60 cents for DC on book rate, while on Priority it's only 35 cents.

Groucho

I remember one time I was shipping a box full of books at book rate (imagine that). Well, the lady behind the counter started giving me a hard time saying "I don't think these are books" and such. I swear, you give some people a little power and they go nuts. Just ship the damn package...I don't need the third degree.

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I get my kicks above the waistline, sunshine.