I had a 2 for 1 book deal I requested on 8-29. They eventually went lost. The one I had actually requested had become a WL book during the time I was waiting for them to arrive, so when they went lost, I automatically got put at #1 on the WL for it.  Since I was #1 on the WL I've been offered the book, accepted it and received it very quickly. Today I go to the mailbox and there is the 1 book from the 2 for 1 deal that I had requested. Just last week I filled out the lost forms from the PO and asked the sender to please do the same or allow me to put her address on it. (The reason I did a lost form is because around this time I had 2 other books go lost & my new bank card, so the postal worker suggested I fill these out for everything that was lost.) The sender okayed me and PMed me her address to help out (this was just last week).

I want to let her know I didn't receive the other book from the deal, but at the same time I hate to give her the credit for a book that I believe was mailed very late & since it went lost I've since reordered and received.  I'm pretty sure it was just mailed last week after letting her know I was filling out a lost form. Although I can't be sure because it was first class with stamps so there's no post mark date on it. This makes me really mad because when they went lost I PMed her to let her know that I had not received them, but would let her know if I did. And she responded back stating they were mailed along time ago. If they were in fact mailed along time ago I would have received both books and not just the 1 I'd requested. What should I do?

I don't believe you are obligated to give her a credit. You do need to mark the books as received, but giving the sender a credit after the time is up is completely your decision and not something you have to do.

She'll get the credit when you mark the book received even if you mark it RWP.  Not sure how to handle this one.  I would ask a tour guide what to do. 

You have to mark it received and the sender will get her credit...you DO NOT know when the book was mailed and you cannot prove that it was not mailed a long time ago....to not mark it mailed is to break the rules of PBS!

Per the Help Center:

When a lost book arrives, you must mark it received.

Lost books must be marked received when/if they arrive, to keep your account in good standing.

When marking it received, I would ask her in the section that asks you if you'd like to say anything to the sender, if they were mailed together how come you only got one book obviously wrapped as a single?  I would prbably take the loss on the credit and just post the extra book, but I think since it was sent alone she should offer to send you another book for free.

I don't think you really have any recourse in asking for a credit back, deals are based on the honor system and really can't be enforced.

Actually, I just had this situation.  If the first sender mailed you the book AFTER it went lost in the system and did not PM you and clear still mailing it to you with you first, you do NOT have to mark the book received and give them a credit for it.

• *If the book was mailed late and had already been declared Lost at PBS before it was mailed (and you re-requested the book and got it from someone else), this is an exception:
  • If a sender wants to mail a book that has been declared Lost at PBS already she needs to contact you with a Personal Message asking you to confirm that you still want the book from her, and
  • You would need to have confirmed that you still wanted her copy of the book in a Personal Message in reply to hers before she mailed it.
  • If a sender sends a book this late without getting confirmation from you that you have not gotten another copy in the meantime, the sender has made the mistake here; in this case,  you are not obligated to mark the lost book received nor are you obligated to return the extra copy.

 That's from this page:  http://www.paperbackswap.com/help/help_item.php?id=145

It's the very last paragraph on the bottom.  So, if the postmark clearly says it wasn't mailed until after it was declared lost by PBS and the sender didn't PM you about still mailing it, you don't have to mark it received if you already got another copy of the book.

Sarah...she said above that there is NO postmark so, she has to mark it received...as she has not proof as to when the book was mailed.

OP said, "I'm pretty sure it was just mailed last week after letting her know I was filling out a lost form. Although I can't be sure because it was first class with stamps so there's no post mark date on it"

Leann asked me this question, essentially she does have to mark the book received, the sender will then get the credit.  I advised her to mark it received with a problem, because she only got one book.  She can then send a PM to the sender specifically requesting that she return her credit.  If she has heard nothing within 7 days, she should report this then to the PBS Team.  She is under no obligation to return the book to the sender, so she can go ahead and post the book herself. 

In marking the book received with a problem, this will put a mark on the sender's account.  If they have other 2/1 deals or whatever, that they don't fulfill, their account may be suspended or discontinued.