From my transaction archive:
Request Date: 6/3/2010 2:30 AM ET
Date Canceled: 6/3/2010 3:04 AM ET
I ordered and cancelled right away.  A few hours ago (6/8/2010 9:52 PM ET) sender PMs me saying it's already been sent and they just saw it was cancelled.  Sender asks if I'm going to send it back or give them their credit. 

First of all, I don't understand how this could've happened.  Can anyone explain it to me?  It's still in my transaction archive as a cancelled transaction.  It doesn't show "mailed" or anything.  Also I'd like to know what my official obligations are here according to PBS rules.  Lastly,  regardless of what the rules say (for example, if the rules say I don't have to do anything, the book is a freebie...)  what would you do?  I don't want to be unfair, but I also don't want to be unfairly taken advantage of.  I've never mailed out a book that has been cancelled, even when people have cancelled days later.  I'm just so confused on how to handle this.  I'd love to hear some input!

I had already read all that, but that is not my situation.  It wasn't a book from my wish list.  I ordered the book, then realized I didn't want the book.  I cancelled the order 30 minutes later according to my transaction archive.  When I cancelled the order, it certainly hadn't been marked printed or mailed.  I will not be getting a 2nd copy of the book.  I cancelled because I didn't want it.

You could not cancel a request that had a label printed, the system wouldn't allow it. Are you certain that the transaction you highlighted is the one that you cancelled and the one this member is referring to? Have you searched your TA for other transactions with this book? Can you look in your Credit Registry and see if there is more than 1 request and 1 cancelation for that book?

You don't have to give credits to people for books that they failed to mark mailed IF you receive a second copy, but that did not happen here so if it was not a system glitch but failure to cancel it correctly on your part you would need to mark it received from your TA. Since it appears to you that the request remained open through no fault of yours but a because of a system error, you will need to send in Feedback to the Team and ask them to look into the transaction to determine how it should be handled.

eta: if you cancelled the transaction within an hour, the sender would not have even seen the request yet so it really does seem like this PM is coming from a different transaction.

I'm interested to know how the person got your address if you cancelled the transaction. I thought that there's no way to view/print a mailing label once an order is cancelled. Unless they did it at the exact same time you cancelled maybe?

In any case you cancelled the transaction, which means you didn't want the book and shouldn't have gotten it.  Maybe you could offer to have the other person order a book from your shelf, and add theirs in the package?

Actually my first thought was that sender was stating that it had already been sent, when in fact they were just trying to scam me into giving them a credit.  Now I don't like to be one of those people that are always assuming the worst, so I was trying to resist those thoughts.  I absolutely cancelled that order for that book.  It still shows cancelled in my transaction archive.  I copied and pasted the dates and times in my OP.  When I cancelled it absolutely showed it had NOT been printed or mailed.  I realize the system won't let you cancel after it's been printed.  That thought on this particular transaction had not occured to me however.  I'm anal about checking and rechecking things.  So after I cancelled, I made sure it showed cancelled.  Honestly, I thought about PMing "sender" about why I cancelled, but I talked myself out of it saying it was unneccessary.  I did cancel it correctly.  There is only 1 request and 1 cancellation for this book.  I realized my library had a copy, and I had no reason to order it.  So I cancelled.  For some reason you are assuming that I did something wrong, so again I'll copy and paste:

I received notification that PBS had returned my credit since I had cancelled my order.  This is the only time this book is listed anywhere on my account.  It does not appear to me that the request remained open, it appears to me this person is lying now that Lisa mentions they couldn't have gotten my address unless we simultaneously cancelled/printed.  If the book does show up, I will report it to TPTB as a possible glitch.  But now I'm so curious that I just want to ask the person to verify my address to see if they really do have it.  I believe the time shown as requested a book is the time after the buyer's remorse period.  So in fact I cancelled the book 1 1/2 hours after ordering, but 1/2 hour after it was accepted into the system.  I hope my situation is understood now.  Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Asking the person to verify your address is a good idea. The site seems to be a bit glitchy in some respects lately, so I wouldn't write them off as a credit thief just yet. Though I myself got a bit suspicious when you mentioned that they "noticed" the cancelation after they sent the book. So, the cancellation is showing on their end. Unless there was a wierd time-lag for the cancellation on their end, and they had time to print a label first, they shouldn't have your address.

I recently had someone cancel a book they'd ordered from me after 12 hours, so I went in to see what I could see on that transaction.  No address is available, and I'd already accepted that offer saying I'd mail in more than 2 days.  I don't "print" until the day before I mail, so I hadn't clicked that.  (I actually don't print at all since my printer is broken, hence the quotations.)  I honestly try to give people the benefit of the doubt and not rush to judgement, because it just seems like way too many people do that.  But there was something just not sitting right with me about the way the sender said that.  Yeah, it does seem like something weird would have had to have happened if indeed it really was mailed.  I don't see how it's possible, but I shall wait and see.  But just on the off chance I do receive it, what would you do?  So far I just PM'd back and said, "I cancelled it 34 minutes after requesting it in the middle of the night. Why would you have sent it out?"  On rereading that, perhaps it was a bit blunt.  lol.  Oh well.  Too late to do anything now. 

If it's a popular book that frequently gets ordered, perhaps someone placed an order for it not too long after you canceled the order. The sender then noticed the cancellation email after mailing it to the new person, and instead of PM'ing from the order showing on their end, they are PM'ing from the Transaction Archive. S/he should look at the address mailed to, and then check it against what city/state you are in, and will probably realize their mistake.

OH!  That thought had not occurred to me either!  Thanks!  That's why I like asking for feedback.  Yes, it's possible sender mailed it to someone else entirely as the entire series is wish listed, and at the time I ordered this book, it was the only book of the entire series available in the system.  All of the others, including this book with different ISBN's were wish listed.  Maybe sender is just confused.  I would much prefer this explanation.  If sender ever responds, I will have them check on that possibility.

He could have seen the cancelled transaction in is TA.  I have several in my TA where someone ordered and then cancelled within a few minutes.  I never saw the request but they are there in my TA. 

But I think Jennifer is probably closer to what happened.  Someone probablly requested the book right after you cancelled.  If he's like me and doesn't check his email everyday, he might be confused. 

Although I never got emails for those requestsn and the cancellations.   They were all cancelled within a couple of minutes. 

I think it's most likely what Jennifer says. I was actually going to post that but then saw her response.

  But just on the off chance I do receive it, what would you do?

Personally, I would not give a credit. I would return the book if they sent a credit to cover postage. If it is something like they printed as you canceled or system glitch, you shouldn't have to lose anything, imo. If it's a system glitch, they can recover the credit they give you to cover postage by contacting TPTB and explaining the situation.

 But just on the off chance I do receive it, what would you do?

That would depend on what you found out about the transaction. If it was sent to you through system error, then the site will probably make the credits right between you two somehow. If the book was sent to you because of something you missed or mis-understood you need to mark the book received. The only get-of-marking-it-received card that exists is if you received 2 copies. If you receive this book you will definitely have to contact the Team to sort it out.

But I would agree that what Jennifer mentioned is what is going on here. If you were able to cancel and you did it that quickly, the other person didn't get your address. You can also check to see if the label was ever printed on your transaction. In the details in your TA it will have label printed dates if the person ever accessed you address. If there is no print date, the book is not on its way to you.

I thought when you ordered a book they didnt show up to the person for an hour. I have had people tell me they ordered but they do not show up to me for an hour.

Kay - you're right that the other person won't see your request on their My Account page for an hour, but if you cancel within an hour, the transaction will still go to their Transaction Archive.

I'm sure you guys are right. This is probably a new sender who just discovered his transaction archive and is trying to figure out how this book he mailed can now be showing as canceled. If he would just look at his My Account page he'd find the active request and all would be clear.

I agree with those who posted that the request most likely went to another member and that is the member who will be receiving the book. But if for some reason it was sent to you, if you catch it before you open it, you could return it your post office or mail carrier marked 'refused, return to sender". If it' was sent media mail, he may have to pay return postage. But I wouldn't return it at my expense or give credit for a book that was cancelled.  

He needs to look at his account page and see if the order is there.  If it is, he definitly PM'd you from his TA.  If it's not on his account page, I wonder how he thinks he got YOUR address.  This is an intereting dilemma.

I would ask them for your street address and town. Since this is not something listed on the site for all to see. If they match then make sure TPTB are aware of this too.

I would conctact TPTB, tell them what is going on and see if they can fix it.  If the label was printed then it cannot be canceled so the system has messed up somehow. They can also tell you if you need send a credit when the book arrives or what to do.

This actually happened to me once--and it was just as Jennifer described.  I had someone PM me asking if I'd received  a book I had ordered and almost immediately cancelled.  I PM'ed them back asking if they were sure it was me that they'd sent the book to, as I had cancelled my order.  When she went back and researched it, she found that she had not sent it to me as she thought, but to another person who ordered the book shortly after I cancelled.

It can be a little confusing because the Cancelled Transaction will show up in the Transaction Archive, but the actual Transaction in Process won't show up there until its marked received or goes lost.  So, someone not really familar with that might assume that the transaction listed in the archive might represent the person they sent the book to.

Laura, did you mean that the actual transaction in process won't show up (there) IN THE TRANSACTION ARCHIVE?  I'm sorry, I'm not sure I'm following you.  I can't imagine the actual transaction in process not showing up as usual on sender's account page.

When you cancel within the buyer's remorse period it does NOT show up in your transaction archive, because I've done it.  That's why I believe that I actually cancelled this one 34 minutes AFTER that period was up as I stated above.  That's the only thing that makes sense. 

Sender still hasn't responded so maybe they realized their mistake in that they'd actually sent it to someone else?  I don't know.  I don't want to PM them again until I give them plenty of time to respond.  But I'm really curious and would love to know more information on this situation.  Thanks for everyone's ideas. 

Sasssy--It's been my experience that transactions don't show up in my Transaction Archive until they are either cancelled or completed.  Books I've sent don't show up in the TA until the receiver marks them received and books I order don't show up there until I mark them received.

The transactions in process DO show up on the main account page under the appropriate tab--just not in the Transaction Archive.

Hope this makes sense!

When you cancel within the buyer's remorse period it does NOT show up in your transaction archive, because I've done it.  That's why I believe that I actually cancelled this one 34 minutes AFTER that period was up as I stated above.  That's the only thing that makes sense. 

This is incorrect. If you cancel within the buyer's remorse the transaction WILL show up in your TA. I just tested it to confirm nothing had changed and the book I just requested and cancelled a minute later is in my TA showing that activity. The transaction will show in both the sender's and the requester's TA. That is simply the site's function once a request has been made. The only thing that won't show up there is a denied requester condition and in that instance there never was a transaction between that sender and receiver.

In the time stamps you show, you cancelled the book 34 minutes after you generated the request, which would have meant it was still in the buyer's remorse period and the sender would never have seen the request anywhere but in his TA as a cancelled transaction unless there was a system glitch.

I have several in my TA that were cancelled within just a couple of minutes of ordering.