I just saw this link posted in a thread I was lurking in: http://www.paperbackswap.com/help/help_item.php?id=694

I thought they were just getting rid of the Custom DC feature, but I went to print a label for a book order and I get this message:

Your package weighs over 13 ounces and should be mailed from the Post Office.

So does this mean they aren't letting us print any delivery confirmation on our packages anymore?

Not by itself, but interestingly enough DC is still available with printed postage. 

If you use PBS Printable Postage (or other printed or metered postage):

• The 13-ounce regulation does NOT apply; you can mail from your outgoing mailbox or a blue mailbox or a USPS collection point at work.

Exactly Jessica.  PBS e-DC and PBS Custom DC have been discontinued.   The article you referenced in your post explains why the decision was made to discontinue them.

on a related note the post office got rid of dc also. They call it tracking now.

 Awhile back, I stopped using paperbackswap DC.  Now when I mail books at the post office they ask me if I want tracking, I always say no...but then they always place a tracking number on the pkgs, and I do not get charged.  Also, my receipt has the tracking number on it.  

I must have printed one of the last PBS DC labels.  Printed yesterday & mailed today (APC to avoid problems at the counter).

I'm sad to see it go, but understandable considering how problematic it's been since early 2014 21013.

This the day after I put a large amount of money in my account for postage. Now it's useless

Printable postage is operational, just the DC only label option has been discontinued.

I am not happy about losing the DC only option and no WARNING!  I went to print some labels and the option was gone.  Thought it was my computer but then in the CMT thread, I saw someone had remarked about it.  Now I am REALLY not happy about this.  I will not mail any books out without credit assurance, sorry.  I cancelled the requests I had.  How nice of them to let us know ahead of time.

Well, I think it may be time for me to say goodbye.  I have mailed out almost 4800 books since I joined in Jan 2009 and have received a bit more than half that many.  I bought DC only to a tune of $1600.00, way more than the books I have gotten on here.  But I liked that reassurance.

So I have put my account on hold but my WL is on AR.  I will stay as long as it takes to use my money and credits, I think.  Bad choice, PBS.  And without even telling us!  Is this a dictatorship?  Can't you even send out PMs to those who use it? 

Priscilla, this seems to have been a USPS decision - not just something PBS decided to drop..  May not make any difference to your decision, but just sayin'...

I understand where Priscilla is coming from. I play games/VBs and tracking is required. My PO did not have any issues with DC (used within the last week), so I'm unhappy it was discontinued because some were having problems. To use prepaid postage (with DC), book weights are often off, and I don't want to buy a scale (I'm into decluttering, getting rid of stuff, not adding more stuff;)  I'm thinking about what to do too:(

This gives the reason from the PBS Team:

3/5/2015 - PBS-DC and Custom DC are discontinued.

• We wanted to keep these services, since we know members liked them. We liked them too! But USPS changed their policies (they got rid of e-DC), and more and more members were encountering difficulty trying to mail with e-DC.
• We were torn for a while, because most barcodes still worked fine to get Quick Credit. But the complaints kept coming in, and we really can't keep providing a service that we can't support.
• We put more details in the Help Center.

Great!  So now besides the membership fee we have to pay more for dc which is required in the games.  Not a happy camper.  Especially since no one wants to pay $3.00 a credit..... which I spend for almost every book I mail.

I honestly am not sure I believe this was a postal thing.  I really think it was because of the few who were having problems.  I am going to my post office tomorrow and ask them about e-DC and I shall let everyone know about what I learn.  I think it does not matter what you call it, e-DC or tracking.  Mine were always scanned by the clerks at the post office, even those I dropped into the mail slot. 

I use www.paypal.com/shipnow for my game books.  I highly recommend it.

A number of members had recently posted they were having issues again.  Yes, their branch staff were using the new scanning order, and it had been working...but quit and could not be coaxed to work again. 

This is a USPS problem, although not all branches have upgraded software or received the memo...just like not all branches got the word how to scan after the 2013 update.  At that time, my counter staff tried to quit scanning Tracking only labels based on an internal memo that seemed to say pre-printed Tracking was only valid with pre-paid postage (district manager said differently).  It's been problematic.

"Now when I mail books at the post office they ask me if I want tracking, I always say no...but then they always place a tracking number on the pkgs, and I do not get charged.  Also, my receipt has the tracking number on it.  "

That is actually a PID number, not a tracking number. The tracking either won't appear online, or if it does, you will not be able to see the delivery scan. 

Priscilla, I hope you will reconsider. You recently became a friend and I haven't even gone all the way through your shelf yet.

I have been a member for a few years and I have never used pbs postage of any kind. I have never had a problem receiving a credit. It is not instantaneous, but I have always gotten credits for what I sent. I have had cases when a person receiving a book never marked it received and I always get the credit eventually. The suggestion to use paypal is a good one. There is no fee for using paypal shipping and the tracking is very reliable. and only costs 23 cents. You cannot buy just tracking alone. You have to buy the complete postage label.

As I mentioned in another forum, I never had a problem with DC and I'll bet if I went to the PO and tried to mail a package with DC, I'd be able to do so. I just mailed one the other day. I think this is another money making scheme. You only had to pay $.30 for DC, now it's $.50. That's quite a jump, especially if you play the swaps and have to use DC. Since I don't trust Paypal, I'm not sure what I'll do. I expect pretty soon they'll be charging us to sign in.

You could go to the usps web site and buy a label online there and as far as I know there is no fee for using that.

You can't buy media mail postage at the usps website.  I have no idea about tracking.

I'm a very cautious person and have never had any problems with paypal in all the years I've been using them.

you can buy media mail at usps online. You can't buy media mail at the apc kiosk in the lobby at your post office.

Actually, you can buy "another value" stamp to use for media mail at the APC kiosk. You need to make sure that Media Mail appears clearly on the package. But it is legal to do this. I bring a printed out price chart with me to the APC. 

Actually, you can buy "another value" stamp to use for media mail at the APC kiosk. You need to make sure that Media Mail appears clearly on the package. But it is legal to do this. I bring a printed out price chart with me to the APC.

This is how I mailed my books. I would buy $2.92 stamps at the APC ($2.69 base media mail rate + $0.23 e-DC charge). I'd buy a bunch each time. Then as book orders came in I could wrap the book at home, weigh it using the postal scale at work, add the APC postage (plus 1 forever stamp per extra pound if it was a heavy order), and leave it in the outgoing office mail. When the APC was first installed at the post office, they had an employee stationed there for ~2 weeks showing people how to use it. The folks at my post office were actually the ones who showed me how to buy the "other value" stamps and use them for media mail--even going as far as posting the media mail rates above the APC.

With the loss of the e-DC only option, I now have to weigh the book + packing materials, then print the label, package and mail. Most of the time I can't print and wrap at work, so I have to bring everything to work, weigh it, bring it home, print, package it, and then mail it the next day.