A book that was mailed to me was mailed with DC.  It indicates it was delivered to my town on 6/2/2011, but I didn't get it.  It's been my experience that the post office won't do anything about it -- it's marked delivered and they don't care where they delivered it, nor can they track to which address they actually delivered.

So, I suspect I'll just have to eat it and hope it shows up someday, but I don't know how to mark it on my account, plus when I add it back to my wishlist then I'm back at the end of the line.  I don't want to mark it received because I didn't get it, but there is no 'lost' option that I can find.

What should I do?

Denise

If a book you requested does not arrive by the 26th day (the 35th day if the sender or requestor is outside the contiguous US) after it was marked mailed, it will be declared lost in the mail at PBS. The requestor does not mark the book Lost; the system does this. 

The requestor will get credit back, and the book will go onto the Wish List (if there are no available copies in the system) or the Reminder List (if there are other copies available to request).  If the book was a Wish List book when it was requested before, the requestor will go back to his or her previous place "in line" for the book.

• However, this does not mean that the book is definitely lost.  Sometimes it is merely delayed en route.
• If the book arrives after it has been declared Lost, the requestor must mark it received from the Transaction Archive.
  • At this time, the credit will be taken back and given to the sender for sending the book.

What you should do if a book you requested is declared Lost in the Mail:

• Contact the sender, to find out if mailing was delayed for some reason.
  • you can do this from your Transaction Archive, using the PM button on this Lost transaction in that list.

• If the mailing was not delayed, the sender should call 800-ASK-USPS or go to http://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/forms/MLNtRcvd.aspx (the Postal Inspection Service's website) and input the information online there . This will help USPS try to recover the book if it truly has been lost in the mail.
• Don't re-request the book for at least 2 weeks, unless you are willing to run the risk of getting two copies (and paying a credit for both).

The rules are the same even though the book was mailed with DC. Sometimes they get misdelivered for whatever reason. If it arrives, you mark it received, even if it is from your Transaction Archive. If it does not arrive, you don't.

I had a book recently that was scanned as delivered to me in mid-April, and it showed up in my mailbox 15 days later.

Thank you, Sara!

I'd take that DC number to my post office and chat with them about it.

You might want to check with your neighbors and see if it got misdelivered to one of them.  I would also check with the post office and/or your individual carrier.

Have you been in contact with the sender?  You might PM them and suggest that they file a lost/stolen mail report with the USPS.  There is a link to their online form in the Help Center.  It is easy to submit the report.  I've only had one book that I mailed that went lost, and within days of filing the report with the USPS, it was delivered.  Sadly, that is not always the case- last November, I mailed a big Christmas order from my Etsy shop, using printed postage through PayPal with DC, it was scanned delivered, but to this day has never shown up, even after I filed the form.  I had to mail out replacement merchandise at my own expense.  At least here, the sender is only out a credit.  Still worth filing that form though- it helps the USPS pinpoint problem delivery areas.

If you have not received the book, you don't need to do anything...nothing to mark at PBS.  It's optional, but if you like you can let the mailing member know that you haven't received the book yet (they can also contact USPS).  And as mentioned, you can contact your own PO.

Otherwise just let the book go lost (your credit will be returned), put it on hold when it goes back on your wishlist (in your former position, not the end), wait the recommended two weeks, and order again (take the book off hold).

1 of the 3 books that went lost enroute to me shows a delivery scan.  I never saw it.  I PM'd the sender to let them know.  They got their credit so I don't know if much was done about it on their end.  I checked around on my end with no luck.  But you don't have to mark it received if you didn't get the book just because it has a delivery scan. 

I second the suggestion to check with your PO and/or carrier. I PMd re: a book that showed delivered....it didn't fit in the box, but the carrier had forgotten to leave a pick up notice. I've also had neighbors hold their mail while on vacation, and bring me a book when they returned. :-)

I just wanted to add that I currently have a book coming to me that PBS shows as delivered Saturday, but I don't have it.    It's been 95 degrees here, and our mailcarrier walks.  Last summer, I'd sometimes get all my books in one or two bunches a week separate from the other mail and dropped off by one of the trucks when the was especially brutal.  So, a delivery scan definitely doesn't always= delivery.