USPS M Bags?

You're welcome lehrerin!  I'm just glad the M Bags are still an option!

Okay, I am not advocating dishonesty, BUT...

When I sent my M-bags, I packed everything in very well-sealed boxes and never was there any attempt to check the content of those boxes when I presented them at the post office.  So for instance if a FEW CDs snuck their way into the boxes, no one would really know the difference.  I'm just saying...but of course, for only a couple of CDs or whatever, you might as well just pack them!

this site says they believe it was discontinued, but has some great tips about how the process works:

http://www.iosart.com/misc/m-bags.html

i'm wondering if they discontinued it but recently brought it back?? 

I think it was the surface option that was discontinued. We paid about $1/lb to ship books by surface M-bag in 2006. Airmail was also an option then, but considerably pricier. On the other hand, the shipping was slooooooooow...

OH how I wish we still had surface mail. I wouldn't care how long it took to get my stuff!

I was at the post office today mailing packages and I decided to ask about the M bags.

YES, the post office still ships M bags. It goes via boat, so it can take as long as 2-3 months, but it's cheaper than paying a per-box amount with a shipping company if you've only got a few boxes to ship and most of them are books! 

I have copies of the M bag tags, and I'll either scan them in or take pictures of them. 

Boxes have to be sealed and labeled with the address they're going to (in case the M bag rips), and you need to use cardboard boxes (so no plastic bins).  The guy I talked with said that a box the size reams of paper come in should fit in an M bag. 

Shipped 32lbs of books in a printer paper box (the kind with a lid that holds 8 reams) from Portland, Maine, to Cramlington, UK, and it was $100 on the mark.

Shipped 32lbs of books in a printer paper box (the kind with a lid that holds 8 reams) from Portland, Maine, to Cramlington, UK, and it was $100 on the mark.

awesome!  i am packing up a box right now!

thanks for the additional info you found out, becca! 

I just shipped a box of books using M Bags from Texas to Newcastle, and it only took about a week to get here.  I was pretty amazed actually--it may have gone up in price, but at least the ship times seem to be quite short!

Man, we should have used these for my husband's books.  i managed to restrain myself from bringing many, but he on the other hand...

At any rate, is there a similar service from the UK to the US?  The Royal Mail website seems to indicate that m-bags are only for businesses or people spending over £2500 a year, but it's a bit vague...
http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/content1?mediaId=31000679&catId=14800159

Wow! What a great option... I was also lamenting the removal of surface mail to the UK! Since I have about 3 boxes of books to ship over, this sounds like a viable option.

Thanks to everyone for their help!

Lisa

Tim bought enough books to fill one of those paper boxes! We weighed it and it's 33lbs....

Since he only checked one bag on the way over, I think we're just going to buy a second bag.  (and now he can take some of my stuff back! )

mailed two boxes this morning...

31 pounds: $104

28 pounds: $94.25

asked for a few extra tags and custom forms, as well.  i probably have two more boxes to send over, but am debating leaving one or both boxes behind and taking some back in a suitcase at christmas, instead.