eBay

micbo3836 · ‎01-16-2021

Hello,

I am an Ebay seller who practically only sells books in large quantities. Each box I send out is over 20 lbs. I was looking if Chit Chats had media mail and they did. However, I have been trying to make a shipment with media mail and have not yet found how. It would be great if someone could please help me.

Thank you.

ypdc_dennis · ‎01-16-2021

According to the ChitChats website USPS media mail is not offered.

For your package weight it would be USPS Priority Mail.

https://chitchats.com/usps

-..-

recped · ‎01-16-2021

@micbo3836

I just did a test on my ChitChats account, there is tick box on the Postage Page to display Media Mail rates, you have to confirm you know what MM actually is.

If you don't see that contact ChitChats, you may need to have Media Mail enabled for your account.

"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.

teenytrinkets · ‎01-16-2021

Wow! I always thought it was unavailable because it was too difficult to police the appropriate contents.

Has anyone actually successfully shipped media mail with ChiChats/USPS??? Because if so, I'm all over that!!!

@recped - I logged into my account and i don't see anything anywhere that even mentions media mail. Can you tell me where this "checkbox" is located - step by step. A screen shot to show what it looks like would be extremely helpful. Thanks!

recped · ‎01-17-2021

This is what I see. Certainly appears to be offering Media Mail to me. If you don't see this contact ChitChats.

I don't print any USPS postage through ChitChats as I have my own Stamps.com account, they are happy to just take my 85 cents.

Not sure what's going on at ChitChats, apparently they stopped offering their low cost untracked International service a long time ago but I had been using it up until 2 weeks ago when they dropped it completely. Since then I've moved over to Stallion whenever I have International (which is almost all the time), ChitChats get the US/CA if that is all I have because they are half the distance for me to drive to.

Page with Media Mail checkboxPage after checking MM box

"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.

teenytrinkets · ‎01-17-2021

Hmmm, interesting! Thanks for the info. I'm thinking the differences in what we see may be when we signed up. I think because I signed up after July 18, 2019, as mentioned in their blog (see photo) I get the "US Tracked", and no options for other methods. I don't want to lose this option, since it's usually around $6 for anything under 1 pound. What's the weight you entered for the book? What options do you get if your shipment is a bubble mailer under 1 lb?

I can get a cheaper "first class" rate for flat, flexibIe envelopes, but it's unclear to me if i can send merchandise in those envelopes, or if it has to be documents? And not sure how thick it can be?

recped · ‎01-17-2021

I think because I signed up after July 18, 2019

Probably true that this is the issue, I started using ChitChats about 5 or 6 years ago. I switched to them from DHL Global Mail who were good but started forcing minimum volume requirements I could not meet.

Like I said, I don't know what is going on with ChitChats, they are changing a lot of things and none are for the better at least for my needs.

"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.

musicyouneed · ‎01-17-2021

95% of my shipments to the US are media mail through Chit Chats, you must be doing something wrong.

cottagewoman · ‎01-17-2021

Known 'issue' with ChitChats - as the OP stated they only allow grandfathered accounts to bring packages with labels purchased from other sources and only offer their own US postage for non grandfathered accounts, and no media mail. As well here in Montreal they won't take FedEx or UPS anymore.

If you are in the Montreal area check out MailtoUSA - bring your own labels, same day USPS drop ( next day UPS and FedEx), great returns management. Same day drop requires leaving your packages with them by noon.

mailtousa.com

recped · ‎01-17-2021

Well if ChitChats doesn't want to offer these things then sellers in the GTA (as far away as London) should look into Stallion Express.

I'm using my own Labels, had to ask for MM to be enabled (done instantly) and they have some good options for International through PostNL or APC.

User my referral code for a $25 rebate (I get $25 too!)

https://ship.stallionexpress.ca/register/i1oZkN

Another one I have used but only for incoming from Niagara Falls is Cross Border Pickups. From what I've seen they are a bit disorganized and their user interface isn't very good but I'm sure they can do the job, it's not rocket science.

"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎01-17-2021

@recped wrote:
Well if ChitChats doesn't want to offer these things then sellers in the GTA (as far away as London) should look into Stallion Express.

I'm using my own Labels, had to ask for MM to be enabled (done instantly) and they have some good options for International through PostNL or APC.

User my referral code for a $25 rebate (I get $25 too!)

https://ship.stallionexpress.ca/register/i1oZkN

Another one I have used but only for incoming from Niagara Falls is Cross Border Pickups. From what I've seen they are a bit disorganized and their user interface isn't very good but I'm sure they can do the job, it's not rocket science.

A little bit bizarro that with all the Canadian eBay sellers/the business they generate out there, there is no room for a bit of bargaining power for rates and some possibility of an option for small packages with CP. Be they heading across Canada or and especially down to the States. Better than Small Pkt US Air. If you are a business with offices across Canada you have no problem negotiating a discount with the couriers. Seems we have to look out for ourselves!!! Sad!!!

-Lotz

motomike_canada · ‎01-18-2021

@cottagewoman wrote:
Known 'issue' with ChitChats - as the OP stated they only allow grandfathered accounts to bring packages with labels purchased from other sources and only offer their own US postage for non grandfathered accounts, and no media mail. As well here in Montreal they won't take FedEx or UPS anymore.

My account was opened Nov 2019, and I have access to meida mail and use it all the time to ship books and manuals.

I'll be checking out Stallion as well though, always nice to have options.

cottagewoman · ‎01-18-2021

Perhaps OP should contact their local chitChats branch and see if it is a option they need to request for media mail.

My understanding is based on what my local branch manager informed of back in late spring 2019.

teenytrinkets · ‎01-20-2021

You must have magical powers then, because I called ChitChats today and they confirmed they no longer provide media mail (unless you held an account prior to July 2019). I signed up in Sept 2019, and I can't get it.

Customer service told me they were losing money on that service, because it was not insurable... which i find interesting. I'm wondering if it had more to do with refused packages that had non-media contents? Or if staff had to spend more time dealing with verifying contents? Either way, it's a shame. But customers will just go elsewhere, i suppose.

motomike_canada · ‎01-20-2021

@teenytrinkets wrote:
You must have magical powers then, because I called ChitChats today and they confirmed they no longer provide media mail (unless you held an account prior to July 2019). I signed up in Sept 2019, and I can't get it.

Customer service told me they were losing money on that service, because it was not insurable... which i find interesting. I'm wondering if it had more to do with refused packages that had non-media contents? Or if staff had to spend more time dealing with verifying contents? Either way, it's a shame. But customers will just go elsewhere, i suppose.

weird.. maybe i'm wrong on my sign-up date, but my first label was purchased 11/11/2019

Maybe you're right about people abusing it sending non-media contents, because I don't really undertand what they are telling you either. The company started as a service mailing....books... and it's insured through 3rd party (UPIC insurance) not USPS. Maybe they are getting chargebacks from USPS when customers select media and send other merchandise.

For me it has been super helpful when sending shop manuals and other books that would cost $20-25 thru canada post, and only cost 5 bucks or so with Media Mail, so if they dropped it I would go elsewhere in a heartbeat.

recped · ‎01-20-2021

@teenytrinkets wrote:
You must have magical powers then, because I called ChitChats today and they confirmed they no longer provide media mail (unless you held an account prior to July 2019). I signed up in Sept 2019, and I can't get it.

Customer service told me they were losing money on that service, because it was not insurable... which i find interesting. I'm wondering if it had more to do with refused packages that had non-media contents? Or if staff had to spend more time dealing with verifying contents? Either way, it's a shame. But customers will just go elsewhere, i suppose.

They are "losing" money because they don't get a kickback/commission from Stamps.com (their postage provider) for MM. There are no additional volume discounts available from USPS for MM unlike with First Class and especially Priority or USPS International services.

"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.

cottagewoman · ‎01-20-2021

A little bird (who is in the industry) told me that ChitChats is making close to 25-30 percent on their labels - better when the Canadian dollar is strong.

recped · ‎01-20-2021

@cottagewoman wrote:
A little bird (who is in the industry) told me that ChitChats is making close to 25-30 percent on their labels - better when the Canadian dollar is strong.

Well I've been using ChitChats for a long time but never printed USPS label through them. I recently switched over to Stallion, still printing my own labels but this discussion on Media Mail prompted me to compare the rates ChitChats offers vs Stallion for USPS labels.......

I was SHOCKED at the exchange rate CC is applying to labels purchased from them! By comparison Stallion are using a VERY fair (maybe too fair?) rate to convert the US Dollar price of USPS labels to Canadian Dollars.

Other than pricing I have to add that the service provided by ChitChats has always been excellent. Stallion so far has been ok (it's only been a month) but they do not seem to be quite as organized.

"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.

truecrime · ‎02-24-2021

I was in touch with ChitChats today about whether or not they still offer media mail because I read somewhere recently (not here) that they didn't. The customer service person said they did *not* and this had nothing to do with COVID ... they didn't specifically say what *was* the reason, though.

However, I went to my ChitChats account (which dates from early 2018) and created a bogus shipment which does show I can use media mail. I last used my account about a year ago when I sent a friend in the USA some LP records which cost me $7.11.

I tried to create a shipment using the calculator on ChitChats current WWW pages and the price for a single LPrecord to the USA (package 13" x 13" x 1" weighing 1.5 lbs.) would cost me $15.15 Canadian!! (I'm sure this is by Priority Mail.) But the price of sending by media mail using my account was $5.13. To ship the same thing by the cheapest Canada Post method at present would be $19.32 (not tracked) or $22.75 (tracked).