I've been a member since 2010, and have mailed well over 2,600 books, and have about the same number sent to me. Almost all with no problems. We have a fine community on PBS. But this past year I've noticed a disturbing trend.

I use USPS tracking on every book, as it is provided by the postage site I use. I use the bottom portion of the postage page with the address to note the day of shipping and the member's brief informaton. I also keep this as a receipt for double-checking my credit card statements, as my card number was hacked several times. In most cases, the book I sent is received, acknowledged and I receive the credit. I don't monitor the progress of the book unless it is about two weeks after I mailed it. Then I check the USPS site quickly, as the e-mail from the postage site links to it. If it hasn't been delivered yet, fine.

But this year, for about one out of every 5-6 books I send out, I discover it has been received with no acknowledgement. No sweat.  I wait until a week has passed after the delivery day before politely asking the member to acknowledge receipt. In almost all cases, the member acknowledges it within 24 hours. Why are 18-20% of members I send books to not acknowledging receipt until I PM them with the tracking information?  After reading some recent posts about abuses of PBS rules, I wonder if there are now members out there hoping I won't bug them for the acknowlegement and the system will eventually declare it lost and return their credit. If this is true, I wonder if PBS has a way of determining if a member has a history of not acknowledging receipt for books and those book are declared lost and that member is getting their credits back.

I understand members aren't on the computer every day, which is why I wait a week after delivery before messaging them. And I've waited myself to get books wihch were lost in the USPS sytem, and, after getting them, go into my transaction archive and give that member their deserved credit. I recently had a book from Kansas go back and forth between several states and  then to Puerto Rico before arriving one day after the system declared it lost. The member who sent it and I kidded each other about the various places that book went to.

I'm having this exact problem right now. The tracking shows the book was delivered at or near the mailbox six days ago and the person has yet to acknowledge receipt. Is the person out of town? Disabled and not able to get to their mailbox? Who knows. I've messaged the person yesterday to acknowledge receipt, but so far no response. As you note, this isn't the first time that this has happened recently. At this point it's just a waiting game. 

In my case it has only been three days and I am not pressed for the credit right now but it would be thoughtful if members would mark things mailed the day they receive them. I do understand that it could be that they are out of town or something in life has just happened. Holding on to my post-office receipt in case it is needed.

I almost always acknowledge a book the day I receive it. But then I'm retired and have the time to do so. While some members have hundreds of books on their Bookshelf, many members only have a few, sometimes less than a dozen. I see this often when I click on the "Order More From Member" icon. So I acknowledge receipt quickly knowing those members appreciate getting a credit to use.

I always PM the requestor the tracking #.  If the book's been in the mail for what I consider a reasonable amount of time, I check the tracking.  If tracking indicates that it was delivered, I wait a couple of days and then send a PM:  "Hi, just making sure you got the book.  According to USPS, it was delivered on XX/XX.  If that's not the case, please let me know so I can get a trace started."  Invariably (like, 100% of the time), it's marked "received" within 24 hours.

I always PM the tracking but I find that many times, I have to beg for the receiver to mark it received. I know about paying the .55 to get the credit but it adds up when you mail lots of books.

I wish PBS just allowed for tracking numbers..have a place to put it in and go from there.

I have the same problem on some books. I do as Thomas does, keep my receipt from USPS and after about a week after USPS says the book has been received I send a PM asking if book was received. Sometimes it takes a week from then to get a response, usually that the person was out of town, but sometimes just acknowledgement that the book was received with no explanation. I jokingly sometimes make the comment that it gets read before being acknowledged. 

When I know I'm going to be away when a book could be received I usually send the sender a PM letting them know that I'll be away and will mark the book appropriately upon my return. That way the sender knows that acknowledgement may be late. 

I've had books misdelivered which is one reason I ask after about a week after delivery. I don't need the credits so that's not the concern. It's that I, in good faith, sent a book in a timely manner and I, in return, expect the same consideration upon receipt of the book. 

After eight days the recipient has finally gone in and marked the book I sent as received (it was delivered on 8/12).  Yay! No explanation as to why it took so long, but that's okay at least I know that it arrived. ðð»

I think that happens more over the summer and Dec holidays with people traveling, but recently I had someone receive book ( didn't report it though) then go silent for ten days.  When she finally PM'd, she said she had been on a business trip. 
I always let senders know if I will be on a trip when a book's arrival is expected.

for me, this was happening 50% of the time for the last 18 months or so ago, I then switched to printable postage on PBS and with instant credit, no more worries about my credits. What I noticed after that switch, was the acknowledgements went down even more, maybe 1 out of 4 would post book received but with instant credits, I didn't mind not being told they got them. I'll pay the .55c from PBS printable postage just so I'll not have to deal with the 'new' type of members that won't/don't honor the rules of PBS. 

In the last year I've also done some research on the web, anything to do with PBS for the last few years and found that with each new public interview (newspapers, etc) that a new wave of negative reviews appeared on boards; top complaint was 'old' books when they assumed that 'new' books would be traded for spending member fees & paying postage.

I feel some how, all that has effected PBS as a whole with 'old' members leaving (more complaints, not like it use to be) and 'new' members high expectations of what they thought/think it should be after reading about it in News/Magazine (or where ever) and requirements/rules didn't get read or cared about enough to be honored. 

I have also noticed that more than half of the members I've dealt with for 12+ years, are no longer on PBS, for whatever reason (a few have died) and I also miss the 'good old days' and feel it's never going back to 'the way it was' when I enjoyed it much more.  

as my Nana would say; "Their hay days have come to an end" and honestly, I've seen it coming for a while. Sad as it might be. 

and just maybe, the reason for this years repeat multiple 'Site off line' happenings. 

I have had this happen many times. I usually give the person 5-7 days before I send an email in case they are on vacation, but I have had to continue to send 2-3 new emails for a couple of people!  My books go to a parcel locker not near my apartment so I sometimes don't pick up the package until 2-3 days, But, I always check it received on the day I get it home.

Problem Book I mailed was delivered on 23 Aug per PO tracking but by 1 Sept there was still no word nor action from the recipient. So I notified PBS, went back and forth with them and they finally contacted her and told her to mark it received so I could get my credit. 

I also have this problem with a book the PO says was delivered on 9 Sept, so only 6 days ago, but no acknowledgement from the recipient. I have finally sent a PM politely asking for either marking the book received or contacting me if it wasn't received so I can take my receipt back to the PO and have them put a tracer on it.

I checked the member's acct and saw the member has no recent books posted on their booklist but has added books to their WL, mostly in May, but after that only a single book added on 10 Aug. This has me wondering whether the member is still active or not. Seems no way ot find out. Guess I'll wait a bit longer before contacting the club owners. I'm not desperate for credits, nonetheless feel I should get my credit in exchange for the $3.92 I paid the PO to send/deliver the book.

Marya,

Whether they are active or not that credit is still there and locked up for you. Once you let PBS know they can give you that credit. Have you PMed the member?

Yes, as I said, I did PM the member and they did today mark the book received. No PM from the member.

I wish there was a better way to know how active members are or are not. 

This month I had to PM two members. One I had to PM twice over 2 weeks. She finally acknowledged it. I haven't heard from the other yet. As I stated in my first post, the incidence of this is way up compared to previous years.

ok, starting to agree with you all about the frequency of non-responses to delivered books. This book was delivered ten days ago. Requestor had an RC so when no repsonse to receipt I figured she  would be sending a PM about my book not meeting the conditions. I did take photos of the book before mailing-- just in case.

Will see if she responds to me or the credit just appears when PBS gets involved.

Delivered

September 19, 11:36AM
Lafayette, IN

I think I've sent books to, and gotten books from, people on this thread!

My recent response rate has been even worse than Thomas's - in other words, it's becoming quite unusual for somebody to mark their book Received within 24 hours.  Certainly less than 50%.  I work from home so I acknowlege books immediately;  I get that not everyone can do that, that not everybody gets mail delivered to their house and so perhaps they don't check every day, etc.  Travels, emergencies.  There are legitimate reasons for a short delay.  But I found if I nudged people 4-5 days after delivery, it didn't improve matters much, even if I keep my tone carefully nonchalant.

One thing that has helped lately is to send the recipient the tracking number on the morning the item is "Out for Delivery."  "Just in case you might need it ...  looks like you should get your item today?  Enjoy!"  The timing is such that the transaction is still entirely guilt-free and on a friendly footing.  No subtext of reprimand ... or overt reprimand.  If I've read the book I try to say something a bit personal about it.  That approach has made a difference.  Generally I'm NOT having to address "delinquency" later.

Brad W.

Sounds like a good idea, Brad but the few non- acceptances I've had recently did not bother to reply or even act over a week after receiot even if I gave the tracking number as a gentle reminder. 

It's hard, isn't it?  And just today I was called "a little pushy" by someone with a legitimate excuse, which I suppose I have to be prepared for.  They did mark the book, though.

Maybe we should just say, "I know where you live. My cousin is with the mob and he owes me a favor."