I sent a book to someone who moved but did not change their address on PBS in time. They apparently DID submit a change of address to the PO as they moved. Naturally the book has not shown up at their new address AND PBS will mark it lost in mail in a couple days.

My question is: am I correct in thinking that I will get a credit for it being lost and they will get their credit back?

Plus: I have chatted amiably with the recipient, who has agreed to let me know if the book ever does show, and I have agreed to let them know if it gets returned to me by the PO.

What happens if recipient does get book after the "time out"????????

 And/or, if I get it back via return PO, how do I re-post it back to the recipient so the credits balance out?

Appreciate any suggestions y'all have........thanks.

So, unless you used delivery confirmation purchased through the site (not purchased at the post office), you will not get your credit back.  Once the book "goes lost" the recipient will receive his/her credit back but you will not (unless you purchased the site's DC).  Once the book shows up, the recipient can go into his/her transaction archive and mark it received and you will get your credit then.  The book may not get forwarded to the new address though, as this is not a guarantee when using media mail.  Instead, it may be returned back to you.  If that happens, you should re-post it through the system so somone else can take it off your hands.  You are not obligated to re-send the book back to the original member.

I had this exact thing happen to me and Lisa's advice is wonderful!  Eventually the book was returned to me because they generally won't forward media mail.    You can contact the requester and ask if they'd still like the book and you can work out the credit in order for you to resend it to their correct address.  If it was a WL book then I defintely recommend contacting the requester since if you just repost it then it might go right back to them anyway.

Media mail offers NO forwarding...the most they will do is to leave a note with the recipient that they have a package to pick up. And if they don't pick it up then the book is returned to you postage due for the return trip home. I have had this happen to me and fortunately the requestor realized that the mistake was entirely hers for not updating her address with PBS and she reimbursed me for my postage out and back. I was out the credit though. In a perfect world the requestor should return your credit since it was a mess of their making.

You should ask the intended recipient if they have checked with the post office or at their old address -- the book very well may be sitting there!

I have sent the requestor a pm linking to this post so she can read replies.

If the book is returned to me to pick up at PO, we will work out options, and I can always repost it if necessary.

If the book is returned to you, it's likely to arrive postage due (media mail rate does not include return postage).

She should mark it received and not get her credit back because it's her fault for not changing her address before ordering the book. You shoujld not be out the credit even if hte book is returned to you. You'd have to pay postage to mail it out again to get another credit for it.  It also wouldn't really be fair if you used PBS-DC for her to get a credit back.  PBS shoujldn't have to refund her credit for her  mistake.

The book came back to me, I had to pay 2.82 in return postage ( plus the 2.82 to mail it in the first place), I contacted the requestor and she said "Keep it" that she was mad because it was not forwarded to her. So I am out 5.64 on a book I am stuck with, unti I sent it out again and pay another 2.82.   Argggh.

**Hugs**

I agree with Mary, the right thing to do would have been for the requester to mark the book received (since it was her mistake).  PBS has specific directions for moving, and IIRC plenty of notice is on the list.  She also could have used the alternate address feature and saved you the wasted postage x2.

Thinking on the situation, you might ask PBS to cancel the transaction...maybe they can arrange it so the requester doesn't receive a credit return when the book goes lost??

Since you had to pay return postage-she should really give you 2 credits.  It was her responsibility to figure this out before hand and update the address or stop ordering books before the move.

Please send in a feedback message about this and ask the Team if they will step in and help get your credit. The following paragraph is pasted from the Terms of Use, which have apparently been violated by this member.

Address
Members are required to provide a current, dependable, and secure mailing address at which items may be reliably received. In the event of a change of address, Members are responsible for updating such changes to their Site account. Failure to report change of address in a timely fashion may result in loss of Book Credit for misaddressed items.

The  "correct" address was NOT posted by the time I had mailed the book, because I checked it again before  I sent out the book. Plus, we had a couple of PM's about the book before I mailed it, in which I stated the date I would mail it, and no change of address was given in those pms.

I have sent a feedback form, would not expect a reply  until after Monday, tho, given the holiday.

Happy New Year to all of you!!!!

Media mail offers NO forwarding...the most they will do is to leave a note with the recipient that they have a package to pick up.

This is incorrect, as I have had a Media Mail package forwarded to my new address.  [In my case, the sender marked as mailed and then didn't mail the book for almost 2 weeks.]

At best, it's better to say that USPS will forward or return the book, depending on whatever they feel like at that point in time. 

OP, I hope you get your credit back.  The person you sent the book to seems to have had some unreasonable expectations.

I was satisfied with the one credit.

Requestor says the book is still on his/her wishlist but not to send it if it shows up as a request again.

I think it is their place to cancel the request if it shows up...or does it matter who cancels???

From the Help Center:

If the book was returned to you through an error on the requestor's part, you can ask him or her for an extra credit (or money for the postage) to re-send the book

and

Media mail does not include forwarding service, so these redirected packages may arrive with postage due.

Michelle, I don't want to quibble about whether media mail is forwarded or not, because it does not include forwarding -- books sent first class will be forwarded but not media mail. I think it is misleading to other members reading this thread to be given the idea that their books might be forwarded. I have sent out over 3,600 books and it is amazing how many books that went "lost" on the way to the recipients were suddenly found when I asked if they had moved since requesting the book -- a trip to their old address often turns up the "lost" book.

This is from the USPS site.

Package Service Mail (includes Parcel Post, Library Mail, Bound Printed Matter, Media Mail), with no endorsement, is forwarded locally for 12 months at no charge.  Additional forwarding charges are paid by you if you move outside the local area. 

Some post offices will forward it to you for an additional postage due fee if you move outside your previous local area and some will return it to the sender- also for an additional fee. It really is on a post office to post office basis, if a person moves from outside the local area they were in. If they move within a local area, the post office will forward it at no additional fee.

I think it is their place to cancel the request if it shows up

Yes, you're right on this -- if she doesn't want the book, she should remove it from her wish list or click that she does not want the book.  That will remove the book from her wish list, and your book will be offered to the next wisher.

If she doesn't want the book right now, but doesn't want to lose her place in the wish list, then she can use the new "not now" button -- she can only use that once for a given book -- or she can place the book on individual hold on her wish list.  She won't be offered the book again until she takes it off hold.  She would have to have the book on wish list hold before the wish list offer came to her if she wants to keep her wish list spot but be skipped over. 

She could also place her bookshelf on vacation hold, and it would have the same effect, as long as the book isn't on auto-request.  Again, the vacation hold would have to be in place before she gets the WL offer.

If you cancel and then repost the book, your offer will go right back to her, which isn't what she wants.

Sally -  Please refer to Margaret's post, along with her quotes directly from the USPS website, 

Please note that at no point in time did I refer to the forwarding SERVICE.  I merely said that media mail may be forwarded to your new address, or not, depending on the local PO, with postage due.  The postage due is the only portion that I neglected to include in my previous post.  [*sigh*... hadn't had my caffeine yet...]

I really doubt that someone is going to read this thread and go "Oh, ok, my book will come to me if I don't bother to update".  Ideally, they'll walk away with the understanding that Media Mail will not be forwarded or returned for free (which is what the service would include).

Frankly, if you don't want to "quibble", then don't.