My first book sent without DC has went missing.  I am sad.  I have sent over 400 books and started using DC only on orders of 2 or more books because the extra cost was adding up.  But now I'm out a like new book and the cost of postage.  I am still sad.  Hopefully my lost in the mail stats stay at one in 400 books.  Am I the only one that doesnt use DC all the time?

I have never used DC and don't plan on it.

Sorry for the loss! Maybe it will turn up eventually. I've heard of books arriving after several months before. :)

I have never used DC and I don't plan to.  I have not had a book go missing (knock wood) but I have had three books coming to me get lost.

I only use it bulk orders and game books (games require DC).

The money I've saved by not using DC on every book I send has more than paid for a lost book and credit.  The DC cost from PBS (the only way to guarantee a credit) on 100 books would be $27.  You could buy a brand new hardcover for that plus the postage to ship it out.  Or if you shopped at Amazon using their 4 for 3 paperback sale: you could get 4-5 new books.  Or if you bought credits in the book bazaar from someone selling them cheap-you could get around 10 credits.

I never use DC.  In 3 1/2 years I've had 4 books that went lost and were never marked as received. One of those was a brand new hardback, so I know it is frustrating.  But out of 490 books mailed that's really not too bad.

I usually mail with Paypal so that's the only DC I use. :)

PBS DC I only use in orders of two books or more.

I rarely use DC.  When I'm low in credits.  Sometimes for bulk orders.  Or when I'm mailing to HI or AK.

I did once receive a book over 4 months after it was mailed.

I think it's split pretty evenly between those who use DC and those who don't. I use PBS postage so that comes with the DC. I didn't for about the first year I was here though and had no problems.

At first I began using the DC just for the quick credit and then one guy at my post office kept giving me grief saying that PBS DC wasn't "real" so I had to keep avoiding his line. Once my daughter started using PBS postage I switched over too. I love it. No worries. 

Did you PM your receiver about the book, just to ask nicely if they have actually, in fact, received it?

I've mailed out over 500 books, most without DC, and I have had to PM about 3 or 4 people just before the books were about to go lost. It turned out in my cases, that the books had in fact been received, but the people "forgot" to mark them for various reasons, which they explained. 

I only use DC on multi-book mailings, or games. When I first joined, I was using it for all books, but I quickly realized how fast that was going to add up.

I PM the receiver a message to reassure them that I mailed it on time.  That will trigger an awareness of the book without pushing the folks who have not actually received it.  PBS will already have emailed folks.  Getting another one when you actually have not received the book can be rather irritating.  Having been on that end as well.

I sent out the first 800 or so of my books without DC and only had a couple books go lost. When PBS first came out with their DC and "quick credit" I got to beta-test that system so used just the DC for awhile and found that, as far as actually getting a 'quick credit' went, it really wasn't worth the expense so went back to mailing without it after the beta-test was over, except for multiple book orders. 

I do use the PBS postage now for all my transactions, but not because Im worried about my credits, it's more a convenience issue for me--my work schedule changed so I can't get to the PO but once a week, and using the printed postage allows me to drop any weight book into the blue drop box in front of my work any day of the week--I get to avoid waiting in the PO with a tote bag stuffed with books. :)  Whether with DC or without, I've had very very few books go missing.

Cheryl

I pm'd the requestor on Saturday (13th) and so far that pm has been unread on her end.    I mailed the book via first class mail on 1/21 but since it was to NY I just thought is was taking longer than normal.  

I've been with PBS about a year and a half now and twice I have had a recipient's account get closed on me mid-transaction.  PBS postage = excellent idea.

"I pm'd the requestor on Saturday (13th) and so far that pm has been unread on her end.    I mailed the book via first class mail on 1/21 but since it was to NY I just thought is was taking longer than normal."

I was just looking for something on Amazon and there's messages about the bad storms that the East coast has been getting and that there may be delays. The book may be held up somewhere along the line to the requester.

I've had several books get lost lately--all of which I was shipping to Michigan. If it was the same person, I would think either they or their postal carrier were flaky--but it's different receivers in different towns. The one thing they all have in common is that they're in Michigan.

I've only been with PBS for a few months. I guess I see using DC as supporting the site. I have sent out 13 books so far. That comes to about $14 extra a year. Seems cheaper than paying a fee to be a member here. Plus I NEVER have to worry if I will get credit. That said, of the 8 books I currently have on the way to me, only 2 have DC.

I always use DC.  Since I print postage at PayPal, DC is automatically included for .19.  I think that's a small amount of money well spent.  I know that since I don't use PBS DC, they won't intercede if someone trys to say they never got the book.  I just think that someone would be much less likely to say they never got it if they know that the book was tracked via DC.  When I send the book, I PM the recipient the DC number in case they want to track a book.  The other thing DC does is allows me to track a book so that I know it's been delivered.  If someone doesn't mark the book received within 10 days of delivery, I send them a polite PM asking them if the book arrived safely.  This has always prompted the receipient to mark the book received.  They usually PM back and thank me for the reminder, saying they forgot to mark it received.

I've sent out several hundred books, none with DC.   Financially it simply does not make sense to me.  I've lost two books in the years I've been here.   If I had put DC on every one, I would have paid much MUCH more than what those two books cost me, even including postage.  I'm in no hurry for my credit and I don't continually check to see if my book has arrived.  I send my books and let the system work.  It's failed me only twice and that's a pretty good average. 

BTW - I support PBS in many ways, just not this one.

I use PBS Preprinted Postage all the time, which comes with DC.  Just WAY more convenient for me, and I get to help support the site, and have the guaranteed credit!!!!!!!!

I use PBS DC, and printable postage, mainly because it's more convient for me.

I work a 4-10 shift, so on a day I'm working, there's no way I could get to the post office while it's open, and on my days off, the last thing I want is one more errand.

Print it out from my printer and drop it off in the blue box on my way to work.  DONE!  I have credit, the requestor has their book and life is good.

Sianeka, I'm with you.  I like the convenience of using PBS printable postage, but I also like to be able to support the sight, since we aren't charged an annual fee.

I I use DC mostly--anything media I will use DC.  I will send out first class without DC only after I check the member receiving to see if they look like a valid or not new account--but even with that I have had 3 books marked lost.  None of the books I've sent w/ DC has ever gotten lost so I am going to stick w/ DC--part of me thinks because it has DC it gets better attention from the postal service.  I have never had to report a book lost on my end so I'm happy with that.

DC is also more convenient for me now because the post office near me was closed so any post office is going to be a 20 minute drive.  The one nearest is always busy and got rid of the APC machine--but I can drop off my PBS books in any blue bin which is a lot easier for me now.  I used to think I had to go to the PO if the package was more than 13 ounces, but w/ the postage printed on it, that rule does not apply--only to stamped packages.

I've never used DC, and maybe it's my luck but 70-ish books, 30-something DVD's, and 100 or so CD's have arrived and the person confirmed it. Never had an item go missing in transit (watch as soon as I post this something will turn up missing).

I use DC for all my books.  The amount of time and gas more than make up for it and I have peace of mind that the book, even if it ends up somewhere else, I still get a credit.

I started doing it when I lost a couple of credits when people reported the books as not received.  I got suspicious that this was a way for someone to get books without using their credits, since I wrap my books very well, large and clear addresses, etc.  I guess I lost trust in people and have used DC ever since.  I can package up a book and leave it in my mailbox for the carrier to pick up and don't have make a trip to the post office, wait in line, and then get quizzed by a postal employee asking if I'm SURE that it's a book inside.

I forgot to mention that I'm disappointed when books coming to me don't have the printable postage and DC because then I can't watch their progress and figure out when it's going to get delivered to me.  Yes, I'm a dork! :-)