I find this odd. I just received a book in the mail from a paperbackswap.com  member wrapped up in the printed paperbackswap.com label.

I received the book with a stamp from the Postal Service on it that it was"opened for inspection by USPS".

It was also stamped on the outside postage due 87 cents.

Inside is a note from USPS with a note stating "Contents did not qualify as Media Mail. Written by hand it says "informational letter enclosed".  The informational letter is just the information for the receiver from paperbackswap .com     That seems just crazy to me because if I receive a book in the mail I may not remember off hand if I purchased it off of another site or if I ordered it from paperbackswap.com without the enclosed informational letter or getting onto paperbackswap.com and checking.

It says "Media Mail may not contain advertising except books may contain incidental announcements of other books,and sound recordings may contain incidental announcements of other sound recordings and guides or scripts prepared solely for use with such recordings. "

This Postal Worker that marked this must be a little goofy. I just can't believe you can't give enough informtion to let the receiver know where the book came from.

Sheeesh

Has this happened to you ?

Sherry

The enclosure is allowed. The PO generally considers it like an invoice (which is allowed under regulation 173.4.4 of the Domestic Mail Manual). The actual Media Mail regs regarding enclosures are at http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/173.htm#wp1060540 - specifically, section 4.3 says

"Markings that have the character of personal correspondence require, with certain exceptions, additional postage at the First-Class Mail rates. The following written additions and enclosures do not require additional First-Class Mail postage:

a. The sender's and the addressee's names, occupations, and addresses, preceded by "From" or "To," and directions for handling.
...
d. Instructions and directions for the use of the item mailed."

I would print out the regs and take them with me to the PO to dispute the postage due. I would do this in the nicest way possible but I would do it - I love my postal workers but have had to educate them on a few things - one told the customer ahead of me yesterday that Media Mail was only for bound things and I hade to speak up and say "What about tapes? Or CDs?"

Thank  you,

I will be disputing this ~ nicely of course, ~ I don't want to bring any negative attention to paperbackswap.com~ 

I do think this was an over zealous postal worker that did this.

Sherry

Someone posted about the same thing happening the other day. It's supposed to be allowed but just like with the 13oz packages being sent back with pre-printed postage-not every postal employee knows all the rules.  I had a postal employee tell me that audiobooks couldn't go media mail.