I went to praint by hand a label and it had the book at 10 pounds some ounces...Hubby just felt it after I canceled the order...guy must be bummed I canceled on but I cant pay over 6 dollars in postage...hubby said its a pound or two....What would you do? PM the dude and tell him sorry which I did do but then write back and say I think its a glitch in PBS???? and repost the book to him?????????????????

Thanks

I'd print it as a pound, then weight it at the post office.  Or you can search Amazon and see if they list the book's weight.  The database does get strange weights on rarely posted books.

up to 3 pounds ships for $3.16 media

up to 4 for $3.55

You can change the weight on the label if you know how much it actually weighs. I've had that happen to me before too. Do you have a postal scale? I don't have one..I usually look around the internet for the book elsewhere and see what they have the weight listed at. I usually add a few ounces also to allow for packaging. I don't believe I've ever seen a 10 pound book before.

Thank you both yeah my hubby loled when I told him I had to cancel my first order and why....he went...held it and said a pound ,max....No I do not have a scale...I alwys mail books at the post office....cause I live in a small town I can do that :) I often find the postage suggested here is off but NEVER this crazy :) Now I have to hope that guy replies to his pm.....maybe I can look at his list and it may be there..I have had cats weight 10 pounds lol....off to Amazon but this is an old book I am not sure I will find it

AGAIN THANKS :)

Um, no offense or anything, but didn't the listed weight in PBS seem a little high to you at all? I mean, if your husband says it's a pound or two max, there's a pretty huge difference between that and ten pounds. I know that if I went to print a label and it said that, I'd immediately know it was wrong, and would package it and take it to the post office for them to weigh it there and to pay the shipping. In all honesty, I don't understand why you'd cancel the order based on information that you had to have some idea was completely wrong. If a book weighed ten pounds or more, it would have to be extremely huge, and you'd definitely know it was a really heavy book to start with.

In any case, if you don't have a scale at home, the post office is likely your best bet at this point. PBS gets their information from outside sites, primarily Amazon, so looking at other sites often doesn't give a definitive answer if the PBS data is wrong. Then again, sometimes you can find it that way.

Edited for spelling.

I have an unabridged dictionary from 1946 (0r thereabout) and I know it weighs over 10 pounds.  It's a big book but I would never offer it through PBS! 

The postage on books is often wrong.  I just print it and take it to the Post Office.  The PO doesn't go by what's printed on the package; they weigh the package. You knew it wasn't 10 pounds so you could have sent it, IMHO.

You really need to get a scale.  Any kind of scale, doesn't have to be a postage scale.  I have a food scale for lighter weight items.  Helps me see if the book's over or under the 13 oz rule since it only weighs up to 1 lb.  You can get a food scale for a couple of dollars.  Even a scale that weighs up to 10 lbs is under $10.

A small investment that'll save you on guessing on postage.

I've had them come up with outrageous weights before but I didn't cancel the request. I just adjusted the weight or had it weighed at the post office for the correct postage.  So I'm wondering also why you cancelled it.  You could even just weigh yourself on your home scale and then weigh yourself holding the book to get an idea of the weight.  Cancelling it just seems kind of extreme. 

Also the book is no longer on your shelf.  If there's other copies in the system then PBS has already reordered the book for him.  You will have to repost the book and go through the FIFO line again. If it was WL you might be able to post it directly to him if it hasn't been offered to him again. 

The heaviest book I've ever sent was a little over 3 lbs and that was a 1,500 page hardcover. 10-lb book? No way!

I bet whoever sent that book the last time was sending it as part of a deal...not sure if that's what happens, but I have done it myself where I am sending a small paperback and including a big heavy ARC of something free--so I have to calculate weight myself since PBS doesn't know I'm sending a freebie with it. I just weigh them together and put that weight in the mailing details when printing the label so it gives the right amount of postage. Not sure if that weight then follows the original book to the next order when THAT person prints a label, or if the weight that comes up is a fixed number that comes from the "book details." I've seen enough "way-out-there" weights when printing labels to think that there is no way the number comes from book details.

Anyway, invest in an inexpensive postal scale, it  pays off in the end!

Cheryl

This is precisely why I don't use the printed postage here on the site...  I often don't agree with the weights they have listed and thus the cost....  I prefer to take them to the post office and take care of it there....

Question on this topic....I use the printing the postage thing on PBS...can I adjust the weight if I use that system?  I DO have a postage scale but it is older than dirt so I am going to take the suggestion of a food scale above.  Anyway, I am wondering if I can manually adjust the postage.  It would help if I could because when I send 2 for 1, the postage that is suggested is for the one book.  I could weigh the whole envelope and get the right weight and get the right postage and NOT have to stand in line at the P.O. (I am disabled so standing is not fun for me)  Thanks in advance.

I believe the 10lbs may come from Amazon.  They also have the size as 10x10x10 - I have no idea why. 

If you have a scale and weigh the book you can edit the weight by clicking on More Options --> Edit Book Data.  If any of the other information is missing from the book, it would greatly help if you could add it.

Stephanie - yes, you can edit the weight.  When you print the label you can edit the weight.  If I'm sending multiple books I weigh them together and change the weight.  The postage will adjust.

Hope this helps.

I am not going to buy a postal scale when as I stated I mail ALL my books at the post office...they weigh them...However the book IS heavy how heavy I didnt know and as I cannot pay 6 plus for postage for 1 book I didnt want to print it then have to cancel  ..I adjusted the weight to amazon which said it was 2.2 pounds and sure I thought it was a big difference but  was afraid to box myself into a huge expense I cannot cover.....The man who ordered the book was VERY gracious about the cancel.....didnt find it harsh like a few of you...In the end I am able to mail it....

Ya know I have been a member of this site for 4 years and am not stupid...some situations I have never had so I did the best with what I knew to do which was also WHY I posted here....so the help was very appreciated.

And if one has to say "Um, no offense " they are most often being offensive and know it. or they would not have to preface their posts with UM,, .....Tiffany maybe we all aren't as smart as you are

For the rest of you and even  part of Tiffany's post  thank you for the help it was much appreciated came in handy and the man is happy to be getting his book.

Or they know it could be read as offensive if someone takes it the wrong way, but aren't able to think of different phrasing at 1:30 in the morning after a long day, so they say that no offense is meant. Even now, I still think my point was valid, though I could have likely found a better way of phrasing it. For that I apologize.

BTW, anyone who knows me knows that I have to be really careful in order to NOT start all my online posts with "um". It's my one really major weakness in typing that carries over from being so introverted in real life. But, then again, you'd never consider that possibility, would you?

Next time you want to call someone out, you may want to be sure you actually correctly understood their meaning and intentions first.

Yes, Stephanie, you CAN adjust those weights on the printable postage...I do it all the time.

Sandy, if you bring all your books to the PO to be weighed, I guess I'm not sure what the issue was to begin with. The only way that weight is significant is if 1) you are using printable postage and being charged for it or 2) if you're using that weight to put stamps on the book to send. There is no penalty for cancelling an order after you've printed the wrapper, UNLESS you use printable postage. If you are not using printable postage and print a plain old PBS label, it doesn't cost you anything except the piece of paper and ink to do it. (And it doesn't even have to cost for that--you can pull up the 'print wrapper' screen and hand-write it if you want to.)

The amount listed on the label doesn't matter at all if they are officially weighing it at the PO and applying their metered sticker--they put their sticker over that price listed anyway, so no one would ever know. In fact, when I used to haul my books to the PO, the guy at the window would have a running bet as to whether the PBS amount was right or if we could send it cheaper first class. And if it did, he'd put a piece of white tape over the 'media mail' stamp and hand-stamp "first class' on it.

So I guess I just can't figure out why you would cancel before finding out how much it really weighs?--I mean, wrap it up and haul it to the PO, itf it's too heavy, THEN bring it back home and cancel and explain to the person who ordered. And if the amount was within your budget, then send it and everyone's happy.

And of course, you don't HAVE to buy a postal scale...totally up to you. But it might just save you some aggravation similar to this situation in the future. I rarely use my scale, just when I have an extra freebie book to throw in or something.

Cheryl

I don't think anyone was harsh. It just seems odd that you would cancel before checking it out.  When I have a heavy book I confirm the postage before I even post it to make sure I'm goign to be willing to send it out for that. 

Tiffany apology accepted its was late for both of us. Yes the wording was off but usually I can let things bounce off of me....it was very late here maybe 3 am ...but I did thank you for most of your post so we be cool :-) Yes agreed the net can make things sound differnt than in person...like I said we are ...cool...I am losing my house and thus am on edge sorry to call you out if you felt I was in error but you know I have been on the net for over 12 years and all I can go by is the written word ..I can't KNOW off hand you use Um a lot....I have to go by what you type.....I have been on THIS site for 4 years I believe and have seen alot of snarky posts....I wasnt sure if I was the object of one of those posts ..Glad you didn't mean it that way..My neice uses Um a lot and teases me....but I can see her face and hear her voice on the net I can't.

 To all to me harsh is losing your house and being out of a job after busting my behind for 30 plus years... not cancelling a book order......So I was kind of hurt by a couple of comments...Tis a new day lets let it go...and THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE HELP

Everyone thanks if you read above it is all resolved and both the person who ordered the book and I  are happy with the result.  I would not have known how to do that without your help and as I did mail 21 books today I was in a panic perhaps when I did what I did this weekend with the 1  book, Like I said the dude was cool and his book is on the way..Thank you......

Now I am gonna sit here have an iced tea....watch the deer on my lawn and get ready to pack more boxes.,.,,,

Cheryl and Suzanne...thank you very much for answering my question!  I never gave a thought about the ability to change weight until I read this topic so I am glad I started reading the forum (only just started in the last week!).  Prior to taking part in this forum, I avoided them because the few I belonged to had such rude, crude people posting.  God help you if you asked a question that you "should" have known or stated an opinion that someone else thought was stupid...really bad and I just didn't need the attitudes.  I joined a forum over at Groovy Scraps (a digital scrap store/forum) and found it kind of fun so......needed to figure out something about PBS (how to create a forum signature) and started looking here.  I am so glad I did. I have been having a great time reading the posts!  Again, thanks for the info.

"I am losing my house and thus am on edge"

(((Hugs 4 Sandy)))  : (

Even if you don't have a scale and don't want to invest in one, you can always use your bathroom scale, if you have one.  Step on the scale and look at your weight.  Then, step off the scale and back on it with the book.  See what your weight is now.  Sure, it's not too accurate but it'd help you see if the book's 10 lbs or not.

Or, put something in one hand you know the weight of.  Maybe a 5lb bag of sugar or flour or one of those little exercise weights.  Put your book in the other hand and you be the scale.  You could at least figure out if your book is heavier than the 5lb bag of sugar.

If you do mail at the PO and they weigh stuff for you there, you can not mark the book mailed before you go.  Have it ready to go and let the PO weigh it and tell you the postage.  If you think that's too much, then take the book back home and then cancel the transaction.

Sandy, I am so sorry you are losing your house. It breaks my heart that so many are losing what they've spent a lifetime building. I sure hope that the future holds many blessings for you and your family.

Sandy, my heart goes out to you and others that are in the same boat. I saw another topic about this today and it is heartbreaking. Our county has been hit hard with this housing bust but San Joaquin county was hit worse...the city of Stockton has about 40% of their homes in foreclosure.  Can you imagine that?  I am not sure it is that high but it is the highest in the San Francisco Bay Area for sure. The town next to us, Antioch, has a high rate too and what is heartening is that neighbors are getting together and keeping the yards up on the abandoned homes.  I don't believe we have seen the last of this either, not in California anyway.  In our little cul-de-sac of 14 homes, 2 are up for sale and have been for two years.  We are renting so don't face the problem...we just have to get by on a fixed income and I know that many of you do too.

(((( thank you everyone)))) yeah it stinks and I spent all day moving junk..making piles of things I value and cant keep to give away....I am tired and my future will be sleeping in a family members livingroom...I AM grateful for that ..better that then my car or the street but still...you work all your life...the economy goes down and bang...you end up homeless...On renting make sure your landlord is not being foreclosed on..a few apt buildings here were ..the folks who were renting were never told and had to get out in some crazy short amount of time...

I will add..I was smart enough to pack a huge box of books from this club to go with me all my mystery and paranormal books..I got a lot of deals from the site on WLed books in the forums ....I have a winter box packed too lol..Now I SENT  a ton of books out so I have lots of credits for the future

Oh, Sandy, that is sooo sad!  How I feel for you and all the people like you who, through no fault of their own, are in this terrible situation.  I have read your posts and appreciated your insight.  Your advice has helped more than one person here.  I really, really hope we won't lose touch with you...maybe that box of books you have will be insurance of that?!?  And you'll have to come back to spend your credits, right?  Sure hope this is only a temporary situation for you.    Best of luck to you!  We will be pulling for you!  

Stephanie, like you I have posted on a site or two that ended up not being at all fun.  When a new person asked some "dumb" question (and as we all know, there is NO SUCH THING as a dumb question!) the other long time posters would flame at them, telling them they should do a search for the answers before asking the question, because it had been answered before!!!  When I first started reading questions here, and saw some repeated several times, it was amazing to me that no one snarled at the OP, just calmly and clearly answered the question "again".  It was a huge relief to me to know that it was really OK to ask something, and not worry that it had been answered ad nauseum before me.  So don't be afraid to join in!  I spend WAY too many hours sitting here late at night reading all this stuff...    :)       D.

Wow thank you...you all are very sweet..No no way am I leaving this site lol I may have to use a library to get to pbs...or if I can figure it out I will use WI FI in the next town over....but I WILL be here..may  have to use my yahoo addy not my aol too....and my address being its a postal box will stay the same  we will drive down state 2 hrs now and then..and I have a friend who will check my box for books so I can mark them recieved right away.......I will in time change it to where I will be if I can afford a postal box there.....As i ONLY have a laptop I am lucky to be able to have use of WI FI ....right now as I am home I am on dial up....but even if I can find a way to get time even paid (not sure the cost and if I can pay it but) I will go to the local McDonalds....Thanks again ((all))