Is there anything I can do in this situation--I received an empty envelope today marked : received unsealed, received without contents. The envelope was totally open along the long edge (I don't know if it was opened for inspection--it doesn't say that it was or if it was just a fluke). But at any rate, it's a wishlist book and it'll be March 15th before I get my credit back--I know not to mark it received with a problem. I did send a PM to the sender to let her know that the book won't be marked received and will go lost just so she knows. She had DC so she has her credit.  Is there any way I can get my credit back sooner? I'd really really like if I was able to get back on the wishlist for the book earlier but if I can't that's okay.  I've never had a situation happen like this before--I've had books go lost to me a few times but those times it was overdue at any rate.

If the sender of the book contacts PBS, they will cancel the transaction for her (and you will get your credit back sooner).

But, if you contact them they will just tell you to have her contact them. Or, at least, that is what they told me in a similiar situation (even though I had PMs as proof of the need to cancel the transaction, they said that the request has to come from the sender).

Otherwise, just wait for it to go lost.

There is information in the Help FAQ that can let you know what is expected :)  I believe the sender can ask the USPS to search for the book.

I recommend contacting PBS.  They can mark the book canceled, putting you back on top of the WL.  Rather than waiting for the book to be declared lost.  And do file a report with the PO.  We want to have this type of problem on their record.  Don't expect to see the book, but do file the report.

From help:

If this is a book you requested, you should not mark the book received, since you did not get the book.  You should contact the sender to let him or her know what happened.  

• The sender should call 800-ASK-USPS or go to http://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/forms/MLNtRcvd.aspx  and input the information online there. This will help USPS try to recover the book.

  • The form is titled "mail Theft"; this does not mean that you can use it only if you think the book was stolen.  "Received without contents" is an option on the page.
  • The choice to make under "Class" on the form if Media Mail was used is "Parcel Post".

• If you think that the Wrapping method may have contributed to the loss of the book, please do give (gentle) feedback to the sender; you can refer to All Help documents about bookwrapping if you like. 

• If you have marked the book received by mistake (or if the system marked the book received for you while you were absent from PBS), you can also discuss this with the sender, who got credit when that happened. See How do I contact another member? for instructions on how to contact a sender from the transaction in your Transaction Archive.

If you have not marked the book received yet, do not do so.  You will continue to get the usual auto-emails from PBS asking if the book has arrived; open and read them, and follow any instructions within. 

If the book hasn't arrived by the 26th day (the 35th day if the sender or requestor is outside the contiguous US) after it was marked mailed, then PBS will declare it lost in the Mail and you will get your credit back.  If the book does arrive after that, you should mark it received from your Transaction Archive.  

If the sender agrees to cancelling the request early (not waiting the full period for the book to be declared "lost"), then she or he can contact us and ask us to cancel the transaction for the book.  (A cancellation in this case will pass your request to a new sender if there is another copy of the book available in the system, or will put the book on your Wish List if there is not another available copy.  If the book was on your Wish LIst before, our cancellation will put you back on the Wish List for this book, in your previous place "in line".)