I posted this over on the USPS Postal Regulations board but it seems very quiet in there, so I am posting here as well.

I sent a book using PBS postage over a week ago, and tried to check its status on usps.com using the tracking number provided. Their website says there is no such package and now I'm freaking out that it's just sitting somewhere, unscanned and unsent. It's also a concern to me that the requestor may have been checking its status and sees the tracking number but no other details. I don't want her to think I've been sitting on the book all this time. I do plan to PM her to let her know I dropped it off at my post office. Beyond that, does anyone know what may have happened or have any advice for me?

Since it is Delivery Confirmation, it may very well not be scanned until it is delivered. Many books get scanned enroute because they pass through big sorting hubs, many don't so their only scan is on delivery. Don't worry your book is probably on its merry little way and will be scanned when it gets to its destination. Don't fret it, it is a very common situation and your book isn't even half way through the time it has to get there before the system worries.

Thanks, Melanie! I guess I am too much of a worrywart. I think what has me bugging out is that I've been a PBS postage user for a couple of months now, and I have never seen this happen before. Just goes to show that I shouldn't get too comfortable, huh?

Do you think I should PM the requestor? If she's like me, she may be checking the status and wondering what's going on. On the other hand, I also don't want to worry her needlessly.

Boy, I really need to cut down on the caffeine! :)

yeah, just relax....most requestors if they are anything like me don't even watch that stuff because it is so unreliable...we are just happy when it shows up...

Naw, I don't think you need to PM her. If she is really worried, she'd contact you, but two weeks really isn't that long so I don't think they will be worrying yet. You'll get used to it. Some books will go slow, some will not get scanned, you learn to not fret the crazy USPS stuff.

I was worried about a book coming to me from a game.  It took over a month to arrive and it didn't have that far to go.  The PO had no info when I put the tracking number in until it finally hit a post office 3hrs from here.  It was delivered the next day.  So it took them a month to scan the book and it didn't get delivered by the games received by date even though she mailed it before the deadline.

One time, for fun, I kept track of 2 books I mailed to the same area of the country on the same day.  Both books were about the same size and went media mail.  I used the DC on them and stuck them in the blue box at the same time. Both were scanned at the main sorting office a couple hours from here.  One left right away and was delivered in less than a week. The other book book over 3 wks to arrive and showed as being in that same post office for over a week.  You just never know.  I have a month left before I move and I've already stopped any games, WL or book orders because you just can't be sure that media mail will come within a month and they don't forward.

Also keep in mind that media mail is SERIOUSLY slow. I swear the post office purposefully holds those books back just to try to get us to send things parcel post.