I just got an email from PBS system asking if I'd received a book that wasn't even mailed til 24 April.  The book sender paid for DC and the "details" say the book just made it to Jacksonville which is a 4 hour drive from us. What's up that PBS would be asking so early if the book got here?

It's possible that the Post Office uploaded a scan that indicated the book had been delivered.  That can trigger an e-mail. 

Those emails go out 14ish days after the sender clicks Mailed.  They are just auto-emails and I wouldn't worry about them.  Some people do get books and forget to mark them received and those emails are a quick reminder.

It's been about two weeks (today's the 9th?) and I've noticed PBS sending the first reminder about then.  If all goes well, the majority of Media Mail books arrive within 7 to 14 days.  Not uncommon for weather & mail delays to add time, but most (when mailed when indicated) actually arrive within that time frame.

Obviously the book hasn't arrived yet, so ignore the pm.  I'm wondering if PBS has added this reminder b/c it seems many requesters are forgetting/neglecting to mark books promptly?  Just a guess based on watching my outgoing DC information.

Its automated, based on a certain number of days after the book is mailed.

Last time I checked, there were about 45,000 transactions per WEEK here. Nobody checks into individual transactions before the automated emails go out.

thanks, guess that means most of my books in recent months have been arriving in less than 14 days since I haven't been getting emails like that except when a book isn't showing up at all.

I think you start getting the emails about 2 weeks after it's marked mailed.   Don't hold me to the "2 week" thing, but I know that I havew gotten many of those emails and I think it's only been about 2 weeks later.   All I know is when I have looked at the "contact us" date, it's not even close to that yet.  

I believe those automated emails get sent three times before a book gets marked lost...once at two weeks, once at three weeks and then a couple days before the action date. Most books *do* get where they're going in less than 2 weeks, so I hardly ever get them, but recently had a book go lost and I seem to recall that was the approximate timeframe of the auto-emails. Those are more for the people who aren't total PBS nuts who are here all the time, who may have gotten a book and not remembered to mark it received I think. :)

Cheryl

Ok, got an answer from the PBS 'contact me' email---  the protocol is to send the first "did book arrive?" email at 14 days based on the fact that currently books are averaging just  9 DAYS'  transit time via media mail !

WOW-- way to go USPS!

WTG, USPS, indeed!

I prefer the reminders. 

why?  I use DC on all my stuff with PBS, SwapaDVD, and SwapaCD.   And I have receivers that are not marking things received until 9-10 days after arrival.

I really don't appreciate that, since I knock myself out to get their stuff to them on time.

"My boyfrined must have taken the mail out of the box that day and didn't tell me" to "I haven't had a chance to go to my PO box in 2-3 weeks" are some of the explanations I"ve gotten.  (I wonder what they do about all their other mail?)

when the book is 1 or 2 days from being timed out by the system,  and I DO PM people at that point when DC shows delivered, just because you want to make sure it didn't go to wrong address or some kinda of USPS mix up.