OK, I just got a new request, clicked print label for top alignment.  When I got it from printer to wrap book, I saw in big red

letters "FIRST CLASS".  All my labels have always printed out as MEDIA MAIL before.  What happened???  I went back to the "print

label" screen again and it clearly says media mail on the top aligned choice.

                       I feel like a jinx when it comes to using PBS sometimes!

If the book is 7 oz or less., then PBS will automatically choose the First Class rate because it's cheaper. (If the book is over 7 oz., I have no explanation.)

You can just cover the 1st class up and write on media mail if it's a heavier book. PBS frequently has the wrong rate in the system.

I used to get frustrated because they always said "Media Mail" when I wanted to send them first class.  Then I found that if I changed the weight to less than 7 ounces, it would pring "First Class".  For some reason the weights on PBS arfe always off, usually by a couple of ounces.  I have an accurate postal scale and it has never once agreed with the postage the PBS prints on the wrappers.  PBS is always more. 

Jeri--I'm pretty sure you're right.  I'm almost sure that I read somewhere in the help docs that PBS's estimates are for the wrapped books, so they always include a little bit to account for the wrapping.

I'm glad that I invested in a postal scale because it has saved me a lot on postage by not having to rely on PBS's estimates.  Even with wrapping, all my books come in a couple of ounces under the PBS estimate.  Often this is the difference between me being able to send my books First class vs Media Mail.  I like to send them First Class if at all possible because they get there faster and will be returned to me if something goes wrong with the delivery.  You can find a scale that weighs up to a pound very cheap on E-bay.  I bought one from a guy in Hong Kong and it got to me within a week! 

I got a postal/kitchen scale because the weights are so crazy.  Many times the weight is what Amazon has which is always too heavy.  Once I was mailing a 400 page paperback book and PBS had it weighing 5 pounds!  I sent in a correction for it saying that it would have to be a book with pages of very heavy thoughts to weigh that much!  And someone on the BD team replied with a joke about it, too!  LOL! ;)

Ruth

I was looking online at scales to weight my books so I can put on accurate stamps.  I am mailing out 6 books and don't like adding more than I need (I picked up stamps at the post office to save me a trip).  The few pennies difference could make up the cost in gas in driving to the post office when it is just one or two books. 

Could PBS also include the cost of a plastic bag, such as a ziplock type?  I mean the weight difference, not the bag  :)

Janette