A book I ordered is about to "go lost"

Here are the "details"

Note:  Label was printed x2 the last about 2 weeks AFTER book mailed!

It's not the DC that's inaccurate in this case. Chances are the member did not mail it when she/he said they did. Or, they just want another copy of the wrapper. More likely though, it was a late mailing as the book has not been scanned anywhere (according to what you posted) combined with the fact that the label was re-printed 2 weeks later.

Those aren't delivery confirmation events.  Those are the events recorded when the various buttons are clicked on PBS.  It's also possible that the person accidently clicked on the reprint label button instead of something else on the Book I've Mailed tab.  Or they might have been wondering why the book wasn't received yet and wanted to see where they sent it again.  Or they mailed it late.

Delivery confirmation events as scanned by the Post Office are pretty accurate, although delivered doesn't always mean delivered.  Sometimes it means a note to come pick up a package has been left.

I sometimes also go in an reprint a label if it has not been marked received and it is getting close to going lost. Once the book goes lost in the system you cannot get the addy for the person again. If I have to file a theft report with the PO and the receiver isn't responding, I want to have the info  I need to track where the package went.

Sounds exactly like one I had go "lost" lately enroute to me. Label printed twice (second time was almost a month after it supposedly was mailed) - PMd the sender who said "oh, I printed the second label by accident" and told me the date she actually mailed my book - which was BEFORE I even ordered the book . . . okay!  The book never arrived and I did get my credit back from PBS and this person got to keep their credit because they did use PBS postage - but you have to wonder if the book was even sent in the first place.

I never thought the info was "inaccurate"  but like Kathy B. i believe the book was never mailed as stated.

I just had a book go lost that I mailed with DC.  It never had any scans.  That's the first time that's ever happened to me.  I wouldn't assume the member didn't mail it.

I had something similar happen - I think.  I did "print"  the label but my printer was out of ink - so didn't actually print.  When I went back to print for a good copy - it was later since it takes a while for anyone around here to do anything and I have to depend on others shopping andmailing for me.   That's the main reason I always print out with the last possible date on the label so it's still good if it gets to the PO late.  Most of the time I don't have this problem, but it does happen once in a while.  I do try to make sure that I let the receiver know what's going on. 

Also I think ( this is a supposition) that even when you go back just to look at the label address without printing - the date pops up that you printed again.  I'm not sure.

The DC is only to let you know it reached its target Post Office and zipcode - it doesn't mean that's when the receiver really got it - if it was even delivered to the right address. 

Then again, may for some reason the book was returned to her/him and a new label had to be re-printed.  Who knows?

Ruth

ETA - I've had a couple of books not get scanned at all - very frustrating when I am trying to track it on the PBS maps.

It'll say Label Printed even though you didn't actually print the lable but just looked at the address.  It is no indication that the book was mailed late. 

You know sometimes people don't do the right thing but, you know I find it so irritating for people to immediately jump to the conclusion that the sender lied about mailing or tried to scam some credits....why is that the majority want to think the worst of everyone else?

Christy - probably because we're all conditioned to think the worst about people, and we all have conspiracy theories forced down our throuts by media all our lives.  It's not a good thing - it just is.

Ruth

Christy, I hear what you're saying.  It would be nice to think positively about other members, and I think most people do.  I also think it's very frustrating for those who follow the rules to encounter members who don't and those are the ones we hear about the most on the forums.  As a result, we start to expect the worst based on the stuff we read about here.

In the OP's case, the sender marked the book 'Mailed' within a minute of printing the label.  Unless the sender used PBS postage, I find it hard to believe that this person was able to do both so quickly.  Even if it was marked 'Mailed' by accident or was mailed later than expected, shouldn't the OP have gotten a PM to let her know what was going on?

I think for some people, all mailing consists of it putting it in their mailbox for the postal carrier to pick up. So for some, mailing can take place a minute or so after printing a label.

why would someone pay for PBS DC and not mail a book?  ok, it is cheaper than buying a credit (but not much if you go into the bazaar) but still, why do it?  seems weird to try and get a credit w/o sending the book.

I often put books in my mailbox, but packaging the book and trotting out to the mailbox (even with a short driveway) sure takes me more than a minute.  I am sure it is possible for some people, but I find it hard to believe that anyone could accomplish that and get back on the computer to click the book has been mailed button in the space of one minute, and I think most cases where the book was marked "mailed" just a minute after the label was printed, the sender intended to mail the book but has not actually done so yet. 

And if I sound cynical, sorry.  But I have noticed several times in my own experience that books marked mailed this way are often postmarked several days later than the claimed "mail" date. 

I have sent some books from the outgoing mail bin at work. They weren't scanned at any PO a week later (I buy the postage and use delivery confirmation from PBS). I  contacted the postal service to ask when I should start to be concerned, and the first question was "what is the recipient's address?" and second "was it first class or media mail?" Is there somewhere other than looking at the label again that I could have found the answers? Once I looked at the label a second time, it changed the date printed, so I look like one of the folks that didn't really mail it when I said I did, and I was just trying to be proactive to be sure the books were actually on their way! (One was never scanned ANYWHERE but received, 3 are still "on their way," hanging out in Springfield MA) Debbie

Well..the book is officially "lost in the mail"---I will wait before reodering to see if it shows---

Melanie, That is a great idea to reprint the label on a book that is about to go lost, so that youhave the info to report to the USPS.

I am one of those people print and then within a minute mark it mailed. I print the wrapper then wrap the book, mark it mailed, log out and walk it out to the mailbox. I don't wait until I come back inside because I am a Tour Guide and when I am online I get Live Help questions. I used to wait until I got back inside but then I would have a live help question that had been sitting for 5 minutes with no respose and I don't want to keep them waiting. I also am lazy enough that I hate signing out then signing back in. (Ihave kids that use my computer so I don't have auto fill in on my sing in).

Have you tried a PM to see when it was actually mailed? I think you are smart to wait to reorder in case it comes. Hope you get it soon.

I've got my browser set to save .pdf files instead of opening them, so I keep all the labels I print in my Documents folder until they're marked received.   That might be something to try if you don't want your print-date to change.

I've had members mail books to me late, I'm starting to see a pattern.  Late confirmation, late printing, a quick mailed notification, and then no book for weeks.  When logging some of these in as received, it's noticiable that they purchased postage two or three weeks after they informed PBS the book was already sent.  Com'on folks, it's right there on the postage sticker.  I would hope if a sending member had a book returned that needed remailed, they would pm the receiver.

Then just when I'm feeling cynical, I'm watching a book marked mailed with DC.  It's never logged into the postal system or tracked online.  I'm thinking "sure you mailed it".  About 10 days later the book arrives at my home, I double check tracking and still no entries.  Clearly  tho, the member mailed as stated and USPS missed scanning it into the system.  So apparently there are enough exceptions that I can't judge all members by a few who mail late.

edited for spelling

My previous post...      Well..the book is officially "lost in the mail"---I will wait before reodering to see if it shows-

It went lost on 1/8 and the PBS system automatically reordered it for me (its a WL book) on 1/9...I quickly cancelled the 2nd order as I was almost positive that the book was actually mailed much later than the date recorded.

Sure enough that sucker showed up today..now I don't have to deal with 2 copies and can give the original member her credit.