[Blindtlk] sending things Free Matter

[Marion & Martin]

Mike,
    I will assume then that the UK regs do not allow harnesses as free 
matter, either.

Marion


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
To: "NFBnet Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2007 11:09 PM
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] sending things Free Matter


> I'd go over the pamphlet with her now that you have a copy. And perhaps
> the regs in the U.K. don't allow white canes to go free matter.
>
> Mike
>
>  ----- Original Message ----- 
>  From: Julie J.
>  To: Marion & Martin ; NFBnet Blind Talk Mailing List
>  Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2007 3:40 PM
>  Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] sending things Free Matter
>
>
>  thanks!
>
>  A bit of background...I have been shipping guide dog equipment and
> white
>  canes Free Matter  for some time now.  Recently I had a potential
> customer
>  ask if I could ship Free Matter to the UK.  I asked about how this
> might or
>  might not work at the post office yesterday.  I totally get that other
>  countries have different laws and rules and was not expecting to be
> able to
>  ship things there Free Matter.  So today I get a phone call back about
> my
>  question.
>
>  The postal worker quoted me directly almost exactly what Marion
> provided,
>  except that she didn't number anything.  She informed me that the UK
> has
>  similar Free Matter provisions to the U.S. and I can ship anything
> there
>  that I can ship here using Free Matter.  She then proceeds to tell me
> that
>  it appears to be only reading and writing materials.  I specifically
> ask
>  about white canes, since that is what I was intending to ship to the
> UK.
>  She informs me that "no" white canes are not included.  When I press
> the
>  issue and state that it is my belief that white canes are indeed
> adaptive
>  equipment specifically used by the blind, she continues to claim that
> white
>  canes would not be eligible for Free Matter shipping.
>
>  So I'm really  unsure of how to proceed.  I could just continue to
> ship
>  things as I always have and not disclose what's in the boxes.  I could
>  debate the issue with her using a copy of the previously mentioned
>  publication.  I could speak to a supervisor.  I could charge customers
>  shipping costs for their blindness related adaptive equipment.  I
> could hire
>  a driver and go to the next nearest city  and ship stuff from there
> and
>  bypass the confused postal workers here.  Or I could start using UPS
>  instead, but then I am back to charging customers more.
>
>  So how would you guys handle this?
>
>
>  Julie
>  http://www.livingblind.com/eml
>  Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't
> matter and
>  those who matter don't mind.
>
>  Dr. Seuss
>
>
>  _______________________________________________
>  blindtlk mailing list
>  blindtlk at nfbnet.org
>  http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk
>


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