Does buying DC thru PBS make it go quicker thru the postal system?  Just wondering, cause I've only rec'd a few that used DC and they always seemed to arrive quickly even when mailed via media mail.

I haven't noticed that they move any quicker. You usually get your credit quicker though. 

I think in general having a printed label might help vs. a handwritten label.  Other than that, I don't think it makes a difference.

Don't Use DC PBS or USPS. Unnecessary expense.

-RD

Well, it's not an unnecessary expense if you want to mail from blue boxes.

I've never noticed a difference in mailing times.

Well, it's not an unnecessary expense if you want to mail from blue boxes.

You don't need to buy the DC to get the label do you? AFAIK, you can just buy the postage and then drop it in the box?

I don't use any DC unless it's a box of books. It's too expensive and adds up too quickly. I would have spend an extra $22 some dollars on postage my last book batch if I'd used DC from the site.

At $2.60 in the Bazaar for a credit, I'd have to have 8 go lost in the mail just to break even. So far, I've got only 4 of the 48 I sent still on their way. So even if they all go lost I'm still ahead by not buying DC.

I print my postage through PayPal, therefore all my books ship with DC (PayPal automatically charges .19 for DC).  I don't think it is a wasted expense.  When I ship the book, I often send the receipient the tracking number.   Because of this, I haven't had one book "go lost".  If it gets near the "go lost" date and I see that the DC shows it as delivered, I send a polite PM to the receipient to ask if they forgot to mark it received.  In every case, they mark it received after receiving my PM.  I look at DC as a kind of "insurance" against a member who might want to get a free book by not marking it received when it arrives.

You don't need to buy the DC to get the label do you? AFAIK, you can just buy the postage and then drop it in the box?

The postage needs to be trackabe for you to drop a +13 oz. package in a blue box according to the Homeland Security rules.  Printing/not-printing makes no diference. 

The postage needs to be trackabe for you to drop a +13 oz. package in a blue box according to the Homeland Security rules.  Printing/not-printing makes no diference.

That's the postage only. Any printed postage that's been bought on-line can be used for +13 oz package, just not generic postage stamps.

But DC has nothing to do with the printed postage. They're two seperate things, and DC is not required for Blue Box drops.

My only question was if the site sells just the label with postage, and not with DC. I only use the plain label, so haven't been paying attention to the other options.

If you can buy the postage without the DC, it will save you money to do without it and you still can drop in the blue box just fine because the postage is traceable.

That's the postage only. Any printed postage that's been bought on-line can be used for +13 oz package, just not generic postage stamps.

Right.  Absolutely, I was misunderstanding you.

My only question was if the site sells just the label with postage, and not with DC.

They do not, and neither does PayPal which was why I was conflating the two.

They do not, and neither does PayPal which was why I was conflating the two.

Gotcha.

Which just makes me less inclinded to pay for postage here. I don't need the DC, and don't get a local pickup anyway. So I have to go to the P.O. anyway.

Cindy - all online printable postage is required to include Delivery Confirmation so PBS has to include it with the full postage as does PayPal, Stamp.com, Endicia.com and any other e-postage provider.

I had just gotten a couple books this month that used DC and the tracking info was under "details" on my account page so I didn't have to get tracking number from the senders nor go to the  PO website.