I received 4 books yesterday in a brick like block wrapped in one sheet of thin paper. It had one of those tapes from the post office saying "received in damaged condition". The one side of the paper was ripped all the way across.

After I opened it I found 4 books in good condition. The problem is that I requested these books on "June 27th"!

Here are the details(from transaction archive):Request Date: 6/27/2009,  Wrapper Printing: 6/29/2009,  Date Mailed: 6/30/2009,  Date Canceled: 07/26/2009.

The actual mailing date on the sticker on package:  August 10, 2009.

I did pm her during the month of July about the absence of receiving her books. On July 20th she said she got them back from the PO because she taped them too much. Then after they went lost she said that she mailed them on July 26th and I should get them in a couple of days. We live one state away from each other.

What do I do now? I waited the couple of weeks that PBS recommends before reordering a lost book. Then I did reorder three of books and received them with no problems.

Now I have 2 copies of 3 of her books. What do I do now? Yes, she finally did mail them to me. But, if I mark them as received then I'm out of 4 more credits, three of which I already spent ordering the other books. That would be a total of 6 credits on only 3 books.

This is a mess that is not my fault, what do I do? Please help me and tell me what you would do.

From the help center:

If the book was declared lost in the mail and you requested a second copy because you thought the first one was really lost:

• If the postmark was from the week before the book was declared lost, and you got no notification from the sender that the book would be/was mailed late: you do not have to mark this book received (this is the ONE case in which you don't have to mark a received book received: if a very late mailer without notice caused you to reorder the book and end up with two copies).  
• OR: You can mark it received to note the late postmark, and ask for your credit back in your Personal Message to the sender.
• You can also note this information about the late mailing in the Comments box at the bottom of the Book Received page, while marking the book received: this will go onto the sender's record.

There's one book where you got only one copy. You are required to mark that one received. You do not have to mark the others received. You can just send her a PM pointing her to the Help doc that Mary gave above and explaining that since the postmark is August 10 and you've already reordered the other 3 books, this is the applicable information.

What Mary and Cathy said....

Thanks to everyone. I am going to mark the one book as received because that is the only one I didn't reorder. As Mary points out in the docs, since she didn't tell me that she was going to mail out the books until August 10th, I won't mark the other three as received. Also, I will pm her as suggested by Cathy.

That's a new one for me...PO returning books for too much tape???  Am I the only Doubting Thomas? 

She answered your inquiry on July 20th, but the postage sticker is dated August 10th (20 days later), with the original transaction date of June 26th?  IMO marking the one received is the most this transaction deserves.

And you said all 4 books are in good condition.  You can repost the three that you got duplicates of.

That's a new one for me...PO returning books for too much tape???  Am I the only Doubting Thomas? 

Nope, I'm right there with ya on that!

Yes, OP could repost the extra copies but it's not really fair for her to have to wait until they work their way thru FIFO to recoup her credits, JMO

Margaret,

The DC cannot be taped over because, I was told, the bar code would not be scanable. If I use a label with a DC I glue it on the package (with a glue stick) then tape around it. No issues yet:)

Leslie - I use packing tape on my bar codes all the time and have yet to have a problem. I know when I use paypal postage occasionally they say not to tape over the DC but I hadn't read that on PBS so I tape them down. I'm always worried the ink will run if it rains or the paper will tear.  I like your glue stick idea though.

I always tape over the lower part of the DC barcode to protect part of it plus the numbers.  I do leave part uncovered.  I figure, that way I'm protecting the DC but also leaving some untaped so they shouldn't have a problem.  I've never had the PO say anything to me about it.

This came from the PBS Help Docs - http://www.paperbackswap.com/help/search.php?terms=dc
Reason DC Not Scanned - Tape has been applied over the barcode, especially if more than one layer or there are wrinkles or bubbles in it.

I don't think it is an issue if you tape over the barcode w/clear tape - no bubbles or wrinkles.  I tape over the DC number but not the barcode

That's a new one for me...PO returning books for too much tape???  Am I the only Doubting Thomas?

If that were true they'd probably return every book I send out.

Postal employee checking in here.  Too much tape--no reason for return.  Has it occured to anyone that this person simply did not mail them?  I would have to see the return label to believe that we returned it for too much tape.  Anyone who has ever gotten my packages willl get lots of tape.  I go around all the sides, corners and the complete label.  I don't use delivery confirm at PBS but use it with ebay shipments and bookins and I cover my bar codes and then scan them at my office and they scan.  The BIGGEST THING is to make sure you do not wrinkle that bar code in any way if you tape over it.  If you are concerned about it, leave an open space in the middle.  covering the number is not a problem.  make sure you use clear tape--no fiber tape.

I reuse every mailer that I get to be as green as I can.  I've traded 300 plus books in the year I have been a member.  Postal Pat

HI, it's me the OP. I'm with Pat T., the only time that I think she mailed the books was on August 10th. For whatever reasons, I think she was making up excuses along the way. I gave her the one credit  for the book that I didn't reorder. I also pmed her and told her about my reordering the other books because I thought they were truly lost. She did read my pm but has not returned a reply.

I wrote a comment about everything in the box to PBS for their records.

I've probably sent over 200 books with the DC barcodes taped over for protection.  My only problem was one time at the counter, the PO clerk had to scan one book twice.  I use very clear packing tape, only one layer, and am careful there are no wrinkles or bubbles over the barcodes.

I received a book that had the mailing info taped over (can't remember the DC for sure).  At some point enroute, the wrapper had been so wet the ink under the tape ran.  The DC was unreadable and unscanable, and the address was so smeary I've no idea how USPS figured out where to deliver it.  The book inside was wrapped in plastic, and arrived in like new condition.

ETA: I prefer to insert the shipping information (or a copy of the mailing label) inside the book before wrapping it in plastic.  JIC the outer wrapper is damaged, the book still has a chance to reach the requester.

Has it occured to anyone that this person simply did not mail them?

LOL!! Pat, I think we all consider it.  But no one wants to actually say it because we can't prove it and we hesitate to accuse anyone of it.  It's always a possiblity, but not a nice one.  I know it happens, though.

Ruth

That's funny, Robyn!  It would seem to me that if a package were "suspicious" they'd investigate the package and it's content not send it back.  But who knows?  I would think the USPS would be more inclined to think "suspicious" if there was a lot of duct tape on a package!  Not many people on PBS use duct tape - although I have received a couple of books that were wrapped with it.

Ruth