My PO used to be really good scanning as soon as they took my books out of the blue box, which is where I usually drop them with PBS postage and DC. Lately, they haven't been so great. In fact, it's become problematic.

I have one set of books never scanned and they're about to go lost. I've got a week to go.

I have one book mailed in the blue box on July 6. No scans. Not delivered.

I have two books that were going to California (from California) both were scanned and one's been delivered.

I have about five books that were mailed in the blue box on Sunday. So far none of them have been scanned.

Today I handed two to the postal clerk instead of putting in the blue box. We'll see what happens with those. So far no scan.

It's a bit worrisome. Anyone else experienced this? I don't think I have any lost books from my end so these would be a first but should I worry about the no scans if my PO was usually really good at scanning the day they were pulled out of the box?

I really think there is a shake-up going on within the postal service because of budget concerns.  I have no idea how the scans work, but I've noticed that the ones I get mailed through the blue box don't get scanned locally.

Ruth

DC's are only required to be scanned upon delivery.  If you purchase postage at the counter, the book is scanned as part of the sale process.  Otherwise, IIRC it is not USPS policy to scan DC's locally.  You may see them scanned at regional sorting centers, but not necessarily.  If in the past your local post office has scanned your books, it has been a courtesy for customers and is apparently discouraged by admin.  I buy postage at the counter for my  DC packages, but even so I'm definately noticing fewer scans.  For pre-paid postage this could well mean postal employees have been directed to stop scanning DC's locally to reduce the expense of extra processing...which would also include packages passed over the counter with postage already applied (stamps & aps).

I don't know the reasoning, but I have noticed that only certain POs do the scans now. My local PO has NEVER - I was told that they are only required to scan at delivery and that was all I was going to get! Probably why I quit using that PO and take them elsewhere to mail. I'm starting to wonder if the extra money is worth it. Yes, it is nice to know that they were delivered, in case someone forgets to mark it right away, but I liked being able to tell where they were along the way in case they were taking a long time or something.

No problems here, but I'm in the Minneapolis suburbs and mail from a blue box in front of my work. There is a regional mail distribution center in Mpls and another in St Paul across the river...sometimes get scanned at both places, but almost always at one or the other.

But as others have said, Delivery Confirmation is just that--the bar code is not required to be scanned UNTIL THE BOOK IS DELIVERED. So any complaints about that to the USPS really would fall on deaf ears I'm sure.

Cheryl

Well, it's nice to know I'm not the only one. It's like all of a sudden my PO stopped scanning from the blue box and now they're sitting out there in the tabs looking like I printed it but never mailed it. Very frustrating.

Interesting fact: The two I handed the postal clerk yesterday, one is scanned and one is not. So, out of a dozen books I have in my tab that I mailed, only three have scans.

Mine have never scanned books put in the bluebox or APC drop, only those that I take to the counter and pay for. Is yours a distribution center type PO? Almost all of mine go through the Minneapolis sorting center though so they get scanned within a day or two. 

Before PrePrinted Postage was available, I used to use PBS-DC and I rarely ever got a quick credit.  My books were rarely scanned before delivery.  Apparently, the central USPS office in Brea, which most of my books went through, was not a believer in earlier scans...  I usually got my credit about the same time as I would have if I'd just waited for the member to mark the book marked.  (That was ok with me, as I didn't use the PBS-DC for the quick credit feature, but for the guaranteed credit and (limited) tracking provided.)

I mentioned this last week: I took in 3 pbs packages, 2 days later 1 showed up as being scanned.  I called the post office and she said that she scanned them all at the same time, 30 minutes after I brought them in.  I think it was 2 days after that 1 showed up in the morning as scanned and the other showed scanned later that afternoon.  We have a tiny p.o. so I know her personally and tend to believe that she did what she said, where the mix-up happened is any one's guess.

I used to always get the acceptance scan from my post office the same day I dropped them in, or at the latest, the next day and from there they'd go to the distribution center in Richmond (If going media) and get scanned again. All that within three days.

But now 9  out  of 12 of mine (all going to the east coast) don't even have the acceptance scan and those were dropped in the blue box July 13th and much earlier. I have a set with no scans about to go lost.  Out of the two I gave the postal clerk yesterday, one was scanned and one was not.

I really don't want to end up with masses of lost books all at once. That doesn't look good. At least I used PBS DC. I'm just hoping if they do go lost I don't get dinged because there is no acceptance scan. Like I said, it looks like I just printed and then did nothing else.  Hopefully, I'm just being paranoid and I need to stop staring at that tab! lol

Mine never get scanned at the local PO. They usually get scanned in Memphis or other large PO.  Not sure what those POs are called...central processing centers?

Susan, have you went to the USPS site and verified that there are no scans that just didn't make it to the PBS system? Just a thought. Maybe they've been scanned, but the upload to PBS is flaky.

If you're dropping your books in the blue boxes, you should not be getting Acceptance scans. That's the one you get when purchasing postage at the counter. I've read that USPS employees have been told not to do Acceptance scans any more unless they are actually selling the postage.

I always mail my books in Coronado but I've never gotten a scan here. Most get scanned in San Diego or Bell, but some don't get scanned until much further along in their journeys.

I mailed three books from my home mailbox in Rural MN Monday.  Two of the three were scanned and now show enroute MNPL/St Paul while the third only shows that the electronic information was received.  Go figure.  The same carrier took all three at the same time.  I don't know.

Just hoping that the third one finds its way and didn't fall between seats, etc in the carrier's van (not a mail truck, but private vehicle used for mail delivery).  Time will tell.

But yes, as has been stated many times, DC is for confirming delivery.  If it gets scanned along the way, better still, but only required when delivered.

I pay the extra for every book because I like to track it, when it is scanned (if it is scanned), and along with buying the postage, I get the instant credit (more incentive to remember to mark mailed).  This means when son takes a book inbound and forgets to let someone know it arrived before heading off with it, I am not waiting to additional two weeks for a credit when it is finally marked received.

To me, it is worth the extra 50 cents (thereabouts) for that alone.  Because I can then order more books without waiting!  :D

The USPS scanning seems quite erratic.

I dropped off some books on July 13, handed them to the PO clerk as I had other things to mail also.  They have yet to be scanned!!  

Erratic...yes, that discribes what I'm seeing locally and hearing about nationally.

Yeah, I dropped off 10 books last weekend at 3 different POs and all but one has been scanned in Atlanta.  Many have already been delivered, but that one just says Electronic Shipping Information Received.  I know I shouldn't worry about it yet, but it does kind of worry me. 

My P.O. always scans because she said the P.O. gets money for every package with D.C .on it.

Christa

I get the PBS postage and DC mainly because it's easy and my family members can mail them for me and I have assurance that at some point they will show up somewhere (not in the family member's car!).  I've always had a thing about doing things "right" and I hate being blamed or suspected of not doing things I should have.  So this is the only way I can have the freedom I need.  The instant credit isn't bad either!

Ruth

ETA - if I had small kids today - I'd probably put a GPS chip on them somewhere!  ;D