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Topic: Says book was delivered, but I never received

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sanachan5 avatar
Subject: Says book was delivered, but I never received
Date Posted: 6/1/2011 5:30 PM ET
Member Since: 5/23/2007
Posts: 94
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I'm really not sure what to do about this one.

 

I requested a book from someone on May 9th.  They marked it as sent on the 11th.

I hadnt received it yet/marked it received, so she messaged me a few days ago asking if I got it and said that the delivery confirmation # showed that I did.

She then gave me the # and it does say it was delivered.  However, I never received it.

My parents are good about letting me know when I get mail/packages, so it isnt that I got it and was never told/forgot about it or anything like that.

I dont know if the mail person took off with it or if it was misdelivered/the address was wrong.

So I dont know what to do about this.  I never got it and would hate to lose my credit and also my spot in line for the book.  But they do have proof it was sent, although they didnt use PBS delivery confirmation.

 

Ugh x.x advice please?

 

sarap avatar
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Date Posted: 6/1/2011 5:36 PM ET
Member Since: 1/17/2009
Posts: 12,214
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So, you do nothing until the book is delivered to you.

If it is never delivered, it will go lost in the system and you get your credit back.

There can be many reasons why it was scanned as delivered and you haven't received it yet. They range from a misdelivery (delivered to the wrong address), to someone stole it or accidentally picked it up, or the post office scanned it in error, to who the heck knows.

If it does not show up at your house in the next few days, I would go to the Post Office, or ask one of your parents to go to the Post Office, or call the Post Office, and see if the carrier remembers what happened to the package.

But as far as PBS is concerned, you don't do anything unless you get the books.

You shoudl send a message to the sender, though, and let them know that you are not sure what ahppened to the package, but you haven't received it yet, and you will mark it received when you actually get it.

I had a package in April that was scanned as delivered to me on the 16th, and showed up in my actual mailbox about 15 days later. So, the PO does make mistakes occasionally.

melanied avatar
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Date Posted: 6/1/2011 5:37 PM ET
Member Since: 8/16/2007
Posts: 15,234
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Recommend to the sender to read the Help Center section  A book I sent is lost in the mail! It will instruct them on how to contact the USPS to trace the book

You will not lose your credit. Since you don't have the book, you should not mark it received and it will go lost in the system, then  you will get your credit back and you spot back in the Wish List line if it is a Wish List book. Books do get misdelivered. If the sender used PBS DC they will have received Credit Assurance and will already have their credit.

Maybe a neighbor has it and it will get re-routed to you eventually. If it arrives after the lost date you can mark it as received from your Transaction Archive. I would do a thorough search of the house just in case and maybe contact your local post office and let them know that a package that was scanned as delivered was not. Its possible a carrier was lazy and scanned it at the PO then never got it delivered, or they might remember delivering it and may be able to recover it.



Last Edited on: 6/1/11 5:39 PM ET - Total times edited: 3
LesleyH avatar
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Date Posted: 6/1/2011 5:40 PM ET
Member Since: 4/30/2007
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Don't worry about it.  You still have awhile before the book would be marked lost by the system.  DC scans are not always accurate- it is not uncommon for items to be scanned delivered but not actually be delivered for a couple of days.

I would PM them back and politely let them know that you have not received the book yet, but will be sure to mark it received as soon as you do.  If you think there is a chance it may have been misdelivered, you might check with your neighbors.  If the book does not show up, you won't lose your credit- you will get it back, and you will go back onto the WL at the front of the line.  If the sender used non-PBS DC, they do not get automatic credit for sending the book, no matter what the scans say.

Cathy avatar
Cathy A. (Cathy) - ,
Date Posted: 6/1/2011 6:00 PM ET
Member Since: 12/27/2005
Posts: 4,240
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I don't agree that you should do nothing. You should follow the instructions from the Help Center. Here they are (I highlighted the part you should do):

 

I got a PBS email saying a book was delivered to me, but I didn't get it!

If you have received an email from PBS telling you that USPS has recorded a book you requested as having been delivered to your address, but you did NOT get the book, this means that USPS has scanned a book sent to you with PBS Delivery Confirmation as "delivered".

If you have not received the book, the possibilities are:

  • The book has been misdelivered
  • The book has arrived at the PO, but hasn't been delivered to your address yet.

What should you do if this happens?

  • You should discuss this with your mail carrier (perhaps the book was misdelivered to a neighbor), and your local PO (the book could be sitting in your Post office, waiting to be collected by you).
  • You can also contact the sender, who can contact USPS as described in the Help doc A book I sent is lost in the mail!  to report the misdelivery and try to have USPS locate the package.
  • You can contact the sender by clicking the PM (Personal Message) button on the transaction for the book in your account.
  • If the book is still listed as "en route" to you, it will be on your En Route to Me tab on your My Account page.
    • If the book has been declared lost in the Mail, it will be in your Transaction Archive (linked from My Account).
ScoutDarcy avatar
Date Posted: 6/1/2011 6:12 PM ET
Member Since: 6/26/2007
Posts: 87
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This happened with a book I'd sent out--the delivery confirmation said it had been delivered, and I contacted the receiver to ask if they'd gotten it, but it took about a week or two more for them to mark it received. The postal service had misdelivered it to a neighbor who'd been really slow about getting it to the person who was meant to receive it. It might have just ended up at the wrong address! Maybe ask your neighbors?

Generic Profile avatar
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Date Posted: 6/1/2011 6:45 PM ET
Member Since: 8/23/2007
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One of the 3 books that went lost en-route to me had a delivery scan. I never got the book.  It was obviously misdelivered. I just PM'd them and said "I know this shows a delivery scan but I never received the book".  I asked my neighbors and no one confessed ot having it.  They used PBS -DC so they got their credit.

If your sender didn't use PBS DC then they wasted their money because they won't get the credit. Dont' let them guilt you into marking it received if you haven't gotten the book.

fangrrl avatar
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Date Posted: 6/1/2011 10:53 PM ET
Member Since: 12/28/2006
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What Sara & Melanie said  smiley  Check home first, then contact the local PO.  If the book was misdelivered or misplaced by USPS, the sooner they hunt for it the more likely it will be found.

Spuddie avatar
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Date Posted: 6/2/2011 7:10 AM ET
Member Since: 8/10/2005
Posts: 4,607
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I would say the top part of the section Cathy posted isn't correct--if that person sent you the DC #, it means it was most likely NOT sent with PBS DC, but some other DC vendor, so they won't be getting their credit...as Mary said, adding DC elsewhere is a waste for them.

You, however, don't need to feel guilty, as you've done nothing wrong.  Don't let the sender bully you and don't mark the book received if you indeed have never received it, regardless if they complain that the delivery scan is "proof" that you have it in your hot little hands. It isn't--it just means it was delivered 'somewhere.'

You can certainly contact your mail carrier and/or post office--I've done this a couple of times before, once with a book on the way to me and another with a delivery scan that the person I sent the book to never got, but the books were never found.

When the book goes lost, you get your credit back. If it was a wishlisted book, you will go back on the list at #1 or wherever you were in queue when it was offered. If there are more copies available in system, I believe PBS now puts it on your reminder list, but I wouldn't order another copy right away--give it another couple of weeks at least. If you do eventually get it, you mark it received from your Transaction Archive.

Cheryl

flfraidycat avatar
Date Posted: 6/3/2011 8:22 AM ET
Member Since: 2/21/2009
Posts: 2,926
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I occasionally use DC from elsewhere, often on multi-book shipments, and have contacted recipients when it hasn't been marked. Several times after contacting their PO, the books have been found. Once (small town) it was found in the PO, twice carriers have neglected to leave a pick up slip for the person and it was back at the PO, and once it was put in an incorrect PO Box where it sat for days before being turned back in. Once, it was just "lost." It is worth checking out with your PO - mistakes are made.

momof3jkids avatar
Date Posted: 6/3/2011 8:41 AM ET
Member Since: 10/30/2009
Posts: 962
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Did she use DC from the site?  Or, did she buy it from the post office directly?  If she had to give you the number, it sounds like she bought it at the PO.  If so, are you sure it was to your address?  Maybe she shipped multiple packages and is confused on which one is showing delivered.  Like everyone said before, you don't have it...so don't mark it.  Let it go lost.  Good luck.

Kellie