I sent a book to a member Jan 10 - delivery confirmation  (not PBS) showed it was delivered about 5 days later.  The member never marked it received.  I sent a PM, but it was not answered.  Today I realized their account is on vacation hold.  When I look at the books I have mailed tab, it says

USPS estimates arrival before 2/6/2010
Date of system action: 2/7/2010 12:00 AM ET
Please do not contact us before this date.

What exactly does it mean (do not contact us before this date) - I'm not sure what I will need to do to get the credit, other than hope they come back from vacation.

Thanks,

Pat

It means, do not contact PBS before that date.

Im sure the member will mark the book received when they return. To avoid this problem in the future, I would suggest using PBS postage or DC.

It means to not contact the site about a lost book problem until after that date, when it goes officially lost. Even if they can do anything about it, they won't until they give the book full time to arrive and people time to come back from what ever vacation/illness/whatever they may be about.

You have to give it time to arrive and time for the receivers to respond.

And a DC scan doesn't mean it's actually arrived. A lot of P.O. will scan DC when it arrives at the last P.O. in line, not when it's delivered. And you can't assume it's been delivered to the right people, either.

If you need credits quickly, I'd suggest buying DC from the site. Even then you might have a wait if the book doesn't get scanned quickly.

Otherwise, you'll just have to wait and see what happens. You could get your credit at any time. But until it times out, there's no use bothering the site about it.

Since your postage was not PBS postage, I suspect that the post office doesn't want you trying to track a lost package until the day after the last expected delivery date.

As car as getting the credit for your book, you really do need to wait until they are back from vacation and take their account off of hold.  I would check periodically and when the account is no longer on hold, if they don't mark as received, then PM them again and ask if the package made it to them.

I don't understand people who order books and then go on vacation.  They are taking the chance of their book going "lost" and the credit returned to the sender, by not being there to record receiving the book.

I don't understand people who order books and then go on vacation.  They are taking the chance of their book going "lost" and the credit returned to the sender, by not being there to record receiving the book.

They may not have ordered it while on vacation, but had a WL book come in and the site order it for them on Auto Request. That's what AR is for. But some do order while on vactation if they have internet access. But as long as the book doesn't go lost, then they're not doing anything wrong.

And if the book goes lost, the credit isn't returned to the sender. It's returned to the requestor.

Also, I wouldn't worry about things going lost while on vacation. Very few people go on vacation for more than a couple of weeks at most, and most people have the P.O. hold their mail while out.

Frankly, I think my mail is safer at the P.O. while I'm on vacation than when I'm at home and they toss the packages by my front door.

Yes, it's a message from PBS and has nothing to do with the post office. 

System action is when PBS shows it as lost so what they're saying is don't contact them before it actually goes lost. 

Since you didn't use PBS DC your book doesn't have a guarantee through PBS so yes, you will lose your credit. Also, just because the post office said it was delivered doesn't mean it was delivered to the correct place. It just means they put it in someone's mailbox or on someone's porch. 

You'll have to go through the post office to trace the book. PBS has no liability in this one. 

What you're describing rarely happens but it's the reason I use PBS postage w/ DC. 

I don't understand people who order books and then go on vacation.  They are taking the chance of their book going "lost" and the credit returned to the sender, by not being there to record receiving the book.

If the book is deemed Lost in the Mail by the PBS system, the sender does not get their credit unless they used PBS DC.  Thus, in this case, since the book was not sent using PBS DC, the OP will lose the credit unless the recipient marks the book received.  The credit is not returned to the sender.

In the current case, if the book is sitting at the requestor's empty house while they are away, and the book is declared Lost by PBS, the requestor will get their credit back.  Once the requestor marks the book received from their Transaction Archive, the credit will then be taken from their account and given to the sender. 

Sometimes life happens and you have to take an unexected trip. Like a relative dyiing or getting sick. Or a business trip sprung on you at the last minute.

 I suspect that the post office doesn't want you trying to track a lost package until the day after the last expected delivery date.

This statement has nothing to do with the Post Office. Again, as I previously and others have stated, it has to do with the fact that PBS will not take action until after the date in question.

I don't understand people who order books and then go on vacation.

Sometimes people also put their shelves on vacation hold if they aren't willing to take orders to send out books at that time. I put my account on vacation hold over the holiday season because I didn't have time to be running to the post office. Sometimes if I'm short of postage money I'll also put my accountf on vacation hold although I may order books during that time. I've also gone on vacation hold if I'm sick at home or very busy at work.

I will ditto Mary's statement.   Members have lives, there are emergencies, work and unexpected events that may require the member to put their account on hold.   Vacation hold doesn't mean they are on vacation. 

Just because the person has their account on vacation hold, doesn't mean that they aren't logging in to the site.  They just do not want any activity, they aren't home etc.  Personally, next Wednesday or Thursday, I would send a PM to the requester and ask if they have received the book and if not you will contact the PO.

I did this on a book I actually had DC on, so it did indicate that it arrived at the facility and was delivered (where was unknown).  I PM'd her, and it turns out that she was at college, her Mom forgot to tell her the books arrived when she went home to visiit.  It was an oversight. 

My 2 cents. 

Well, her account is still on hold - I will PM her again (she did not answer last weeks PM).  But am I understanding this correctly - if she never marks book as received, and never responds to any PM's or PBS emails, I still lose credit for the book?  That just doesn't seem fair.

Pat

But am I understanding this correctly - if she never marks book as received, and never responds to any PM's or PBS emails, I still lose credit for the book?  That just doesn't seem fair.

Yes that is correct. To avoid losing your credit in the future, you can use PBS DC. If you are already using it, why not support the site and purchase it through PBS?

Have you checked to see if she read your pm?

But am I understanding this correctly - if she never marks book as received, and never responds to any PM's or PBS emails, I still lose credit for the book?  That just doesn't seem fair.

Yes that is correct. To avoid losing your credit in the future, you can use PBS DC. If you are already using it, why not support the site and purchase it through PBS?

Well, that's something that needs to be changed.  I think that the "marking received" should have a time out the same way responding to a request has a time out, and if the person doesn't mark it received by the end date, the credit should be given to the sender by PBS.  If a sender never marks it as being sent, the person ordering the book gets their credit back.  So why not if they don't mark it received. 

Also, when the person ordering the book ordered it, they were debited a credit.  If the person sending the book never gets that credit because the person ordering didn't mark it received, what happens to that credit?  It seems to me that it's no skin off the PBS back if they give the credit to the sender, after a reasonable time.  Otherwise that credit stays in limbo forever.  By not gioving the sender a credit, it seems to me they are trying to force senders into using their "for pay" postage system just so they know they will get their credit no matter what.  I would rather pay a yearly fee to participate in this site than be fee'd to death.  It seems more honest to me.

How do I check if she read my PM?  I went to messages from me, and don't see anywhere to check that.

Pat

Pat, under the My Account tab (at top of page) click on Personal Messages.  Click on the From Me tab to view messages you have sent.  Then click on the button that says Unread.  Any check marks that show up on the left hand side means that the message has not been read.

Well, that's something that needs to be changed

Kate, why don't you just make a list of everything you don't like about this place and what you want changed. Then you can send TPTB a nice long message and maybe they will taylor make this site to your specs.

Pretty much all of your posts show displeasure in this site or its members. 

Thanks for showing me how to check if she read my PM - no, she has not, so probably no point in sending another one.  I'll wait til the end of the waiting period (2/7/10), then contact PBS.  But from others replies, it looks like that won't help me any.

Thanks everyone for the help and information.

Pat

It seems to me that it's no skin off the PBS back if they give the credit to the sender, after a reasonable time.  Otherwise that credit stays in limbo forever.

It doesn't stay in limbo. If the book is not marked received after a period of time, the book is declared "lost" and the member that ordered the book gets their credit back.

Kate, why don't you just make a list of everything you don't like about this place and what you want changed. Then you can send TPTB a nice long message and maybe they will taylor make this site to your specs.

Pretty much all of your posts show displeasure in this site or its members.

I find it interesting how you think I don't deserve the right to express my opinions, and yet you deserve the right to express yours.  Too bad so sad for you because I will continue to express my opinions on this forum. 

It seems to me that it's no skin off the PBS back if they give the credit to the sender, after a reasonable time.  Otherwise that credit stays in limbo forever.

It doesn't stay in limbo. If the book is not marked received after a period of time, the book is declared "lost" and the member that ordered the book gets their credit back.

I certainly hope that PBS keeps a watch on people who have books going "lost".  Because if they don't, that's a way to scam the system big time.  Just order books and never mark them received, get your credit back and then start over.

I also wanted to add that the scenarios described in this forum are a VERY SMALL  portion of PBS. Compared to how many people belong and trade on this site the forum has a very low traffic level. 

If these scenarios were regular occurances  then PBS wouldn't have any members. Every so often something weird happens like the OP mentions here. It doesn't mean the entire site needs to be overhauled. 

Kate, I find you amusing so I continue to tune in. 

You now not only have plastic to focus on you have the "I think senders instead of receivers should get their credit back" mantra going on. Is it taking the place of the plastic mantra or is this the "theme du jour?"

Anyhow, to the OP, I highly suggest PBS DC if you think this might happen again. I know that many people don't use because they've never had any problems.

I started using postage (which includes the DC) because I hate the lines in my post office not because of problems but I get the extra assurance of getting my credit back if my book goes lost so it's worth it to me. 

Just because your shelf is on vacation hold, does not mean you are gone.  Many people put it on hold for assorted reasons.   I travel a lot.  That is not going to stop me from ordering books.  I have most of my books on auto request so they are ordered if I'm here or not.  I am careful to mark the books received before they go lost (even if I'm not sure I've received it) but I normally mark them receiver when I get back home. 

You can read the PM's from your email and never even sign on to PBS.  So checking it on PBS really does not mean she hasn't read it.

Most of us realize that PBS make guidelines that work for the majority of their members, not just to please one or two.