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Topic: Leappad and media mail

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Patouie avatar
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Subject: Leappad and media mail
Date Posted: 1/25/2010 2:52 PM ET
Member Since: 8/26/2006
Posts: 9,656
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Are any of the USPS employees familiar with Leappads?  These are "interactive" books, and cartridges.  I think the cartridges are essential to the use of the books, at least in some cases.  (I don't think they're being made the same way now, but I'm not sure -- never seen one.)  My question is whether the book and cartridge -- not the player itself -- could be sent Media Mail.


Here are some listings with helpful descriptions and reviews:

http://www.amazon.com/LeapFrog-30004-LeapPad-Learning-System/dp/B00003GPTI

new system

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LeapPad

history

 

http://kansascity.craigslist.org/bab/1556509995.html

(good picture of the book and cartridge -- old system.)



Last Edited on: 1/25/10 2:54 PM ET - Total times edited: 1
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Date Posted: 1/25/2010 3:31 PM ET
Member Since: 7/18/2005
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I haven't seen these but I would say yes.  The books are obviously media and the cartridges should be OK also if they interact with the book in my opinion.  Media mail does include recorded (electronic) media but not games.  If I inspected a package containing these I would accept them.  Let's see what some of the others have to say.

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Date Posted: 1/28/2010 6:40 PM ET
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Thanks so much Steve -- I've been watching to see if any other USPS folks would chime in.

Motleigh avatar
Date Posted: 1/29/2010 7:15 AM ET
Member Since: 7/30/2007
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Off the top of my head I would say no. Even before USPS ruled that video games did not qualify for media mail, they restricted games to CD's, cartridges were not allowed. even though it is interacting with a "book" is is a cartridge and it could be interpreted as a game. I would not risk it. 

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Date Posted: 1/29/2010 4:48 PM ET
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One of my fellow data edtiors just PMd me with this:

I had to drop some books off today and spoke with the reg clerk (actually I think he has been promoted because he was in a tie and such. Anyway, he said...the leap pad books and cartridges can be shipped media mail, just like a hard drive of a computer (if it has data) -- I didn't know that. He said the cartridges hold the data for the books and the books are books. The leap pad/fog player is not allowed. I trust these clerks, they are really up on stuff and know the regs.