Will I Get My Credit Back If a Sender Bought PBS Postage But Didn't Send the Book?

I have a situation where I ordered a book on November 22.  The "sender" accepted it the same day and supposedly mailed it (per the PBS details link) on Nov 26.  Per the PBS details, the tracking just shows 11/26/2015 10:06 PM - Electronic Shipping Info Received and the city, state.  I checked the USPS website and it's basically the same thing, just showing that a shipping label was created on Nov 26.

Yesterday, I had G. to send the "sender" a PM asking them if they had sent the book out.  So, probably too soon for a reply yet.

PBS Estimated arrival date is before Dec. 23 and date of system action on Dec. 24.

I've read posts here that when you buy PBS postage, you automatically get your credit.

What happens if the person never actually sent the book and just printed the label?  (Hard to fathom someone doing this, so that's why I'm asking these questions.)  Does PBS check the tracking?  If I don't receive the book, will I get my credit back?

Thanks in advance,

Jill B.

The book will go 'lost in the mail' in the PBS system after a certain number of days (I think 26) after being marked mailed. You will get your credit back and if it was WL, you will go back to your place in line. If it was a FIFO book then you will just get your credit back and I believe the book will go to your RL, where you can try ordering again if you want to. The credit assurance is for the sender, and doesn't actually involve the credit you spent. If the sender made an error and forgot to mail the book or mailed it late they can let  you and PBS know and you can just mark it received from your transaction archive when it eventually arrives. If they are habitual late or non-mailers then at some point they will have their account flagged or suspended. If it was a WL book and they actually did send it, you can put the WL book on hold on your shelf so another won't be offered to you until/unless you don't get the first one.

Thanks Linda.  Sounds like it works the same as when senders don't use PBS postage.  I guess I'd gotten a little paranoid thinking that because they bought PBS postage that that would be all the proof needed or something such that being the receiver I wouldn't get the credit back.

I mailed a book on the 8th with PBS Postage. There were no scans until today when it arrived at the unit. So just because there are no scans yet, doesn't mean it wasn't mailed. I think media mail is moving slower this time of year. I hope the book makes it to you.

(The Electronic shipping info didn't appear until the 12th as that is the date I picked to ship by and I forgot to change it when I printed the label.)

1. 12/12/2015 10:06 PM ET - Electronic Shipping Info Received - WAKE FOREST, NC
2. 12/14/2015 6:53 AM ET - Arrival at Unit -
3. 12/14/2015 9:03 AM ET - Sorting / Processing Complete -
4. 12/14/2015 9:13 AM ET - Out for Delivery -
5. 12/14/2015 1:37 PM ET - Delivered -

Sometimes the scans take a while to post. I have had the same issue with no scans and had dirrerent results. One time the senders response to my PM was that she had several books to mail, bag of books tipped over in car and my book fell out and it wasn't noticed. Another time DH was asked to mail a couple books and he forgot.  Stuff happens but in this case I would be sending a PM also.
 Good luck

Happy Holidays to all!

We heard back from the member this afternoon.  They had gone out of town and had forgotten to mail it all of this time.  They put it in the mail today, so hopefully we'll get it before it times out.  If not, I'll give the credit through the transaction archive.

-- Jill

Yes, if the book arrives past the 'lost' date you can mark it received from your Transaction Archive.