How long should I wait when the USPS shows the book was delivered more than a week ago?  I've sent a few PMs with no reply. The member hasn't marked that she's on vacation. Is it possible, for future reference, to refuse to trade with a particular member? I'm certainy not wanting to send her any more books. Thanks.

You could try contacting PBS about this. If they haven't logged in since they ordered the book, have had other non-responses, they might mark it received for you.  But DC is not always reliable. It could have been misdelivered.  One of hte books lost en route to me shows a delivery scan.  I don't know where they left it but it wasn't at might house.  None of my neighbors confessed to having it either. 

The same thing happened to me.  I waited a week, used the "Contact Us" link below and it was marked received really quickly.

Hi Elizabeth -- It's frustrating to wait for members to mark books received, but given that the book presumably arrived last week during the holidays, I would try to be a little more patient. Sending "a few PMs" seems a bit excessive.  Normally, I would send a PM about a week after the DC shows "delivered," but this is a period when members might be away or otherwise unable to log on -- I'd wait a couple more days and then contact PBS if the book hasn't been marked or you haven't received a response. Given how many members are on this site, it's unlikely that you would receive an order from this member again. You could keep your own list of members with whom you don't want to trade, but given that the system works on a First In First Out (FIFO) system, this can be problematic. Hoping that your book is marked received and you receive your credit soon...

Here is the Help Center doc:

If you sent the book with Delivery Confirmation and it has been recorded as delivered by USPS but hasn't been marked received yet:

• Remember that the book could have been scanned as "delivered" at the local PO, before it went to the requestor's mailbox--the actual delivery can be a few days later  Also, the book could have been misdelivered.
  • The requestor should check with her mail carrier about this package.
  • The package could also be at her local PO being held for pickup; sometimes pickup notices left by the mail carrier go astray.
• You should FIRST contact the requestor using the  button on the transaction on the Books I've Mailed tab in My Account when a few days have passed after delivery.
  • If the requestor does not respond to your PM within a week, or has not marked the book received by a week after the delivery scan (whichever is the later date), contact us.  We will look into it.
  • If the requestor responds and says she or he DID get the book, she or he can mark the book received one of two ways:
    • if the book has NOT been declared lost in the mail at PBS - from his or her active transactions (on the En Route to Me tab on My Account) as described in .
    • if the book HAS been declared lost in the mail at PBS - from his or her Transaction Archive (linked from the top of the My Account page)  as described in I received a book that was 'lost in the mail'.
• If you used DC purchased through PBS, or PBS Printed Postage, you will already have gotten your credit for sending the book.

If you sent the book with DC purchased elsewhere and it has been recorded as delivered by USPS but hasn't been marked received yet:

• First, contact the requestor from the active transaction (in the Books I've Mailed tab in My Account), or from the "lost" transaction in your Transaction Archive if the book has been declared Lost in the Mail by PBS.
• If the requestor does not respond to your PM within five days, contact us and we will look into it.
• We cannot grant credit for DC purchased outside PBS, but we can check if this requestor has become inactive.
• If this requestor is inactive, your book should be marked received by the system.

If your book does not arrive by the 26th day (the 35th day if the sender or requestor is outside the contiguous US) after you marked it mailed, it will be declared Lost in the Mail at PBS.  This does not mean that the book is actually lost; it may simply be delayed en route.  You can read more about Lost books in A book I sent is lost in the mail!.

I've done the above. I will give it another week, making it 2 weeks since it shows as delivered, then use the contact us option. Being a nurse I know sometimes people can end up in the hospital without warning so I'm willing to allow some slack. 

Fortunately Elizabeth, you are unlikely to be offered another transaction from that same member.

I've had the same problem over the holidays, members are busy, distracted, and out of town.  And reading between the lines, this is USPS DC not PBS?  Regardless, TPTB are unlikely to take action until after the system marks the book lost.  The other member is not obligated to return your pm's until the transaction is officially a 'problem' which isn't until after the book is marked lost. Have you checked to see if your pm's have been read yet?

Per Help guidelines, the recommended action for your situation:

1.  Wait at least a week after USPS scans show the book delivered.
2.  PM the other member, request a reply, and give them 7 days to respond.
3.  If the other member does not respond in 7 days (and the book still not marked received), refer the transaction to PBS admin via "Contact Us" link, make sure to reference the transaction number and your USPS DC number.

And remember, just because USPS has scanned the book delivered does not necessarily mean the book was delivered to the proper address.  I've seen several PBS member testamonials that books coming to them were scanned delivered, but never received by them (or returned by their neighbor a week or two later b/c the book had been misdelivered down the street).

How do I tell a message has been read? I just looked at the messages and I can't tell if it's been read.

I tried the read/unread option in the message mailbox and it shows them unread. But couldn't they have been read in the email that PBS sends out. 

Well I definitely won't be sending this member any more books, and I have some of the books on her want list.

From my own experience I can say that it is not unusual for me to have a book enroute to me marked delivered by my local post office and still have it take a week to show up in my mail box.  

If you used PBS-DC, you have already received your credit. I'm not sure if you used PBS-DC or not. I was just mentioning it because of the thread title.

Go to your message tab, and choose From Me option.  At the top there should be a button for 'unread'...when clicked, a green check mark should appear in the left hand column beside any unread messages you have sent.