Ok I have a very very horrible situation and I feel bad but I am not even sure what I should do about this. I had a bunch of books on my bookshelf and a bunch of people ordered some books. And then I had posted some of my unpostables and those were snapped up quick. I had all of the books packaged up and labeled and put them all in my van. I marked them all mailed as soon as I was on my way to the post office. Now here is the problem. On my way to the post office to mail the books my husband and myself were in a horrible car accident and I actually was in the hospital for a week. I havent been on paperback swap for a while due to the accident and being in pain. But now the books are gone. They were in the van and the van is gone now, trashed beyond repair. I could probably go to the junkyard and get the books out of the van but I am not sure they would even let me. I just feel badly because here people are waiting for books and they arent ever going to show up and I havent been able to send them a message about it.

Oh my goodness!  I hope you are feeling better.  I've been in a bad car accident, so I understand what you're going through.  Just send the people who requested the books a message and let them know what happened.  People here are so understanding that I don't think it will be a problem.  Also, make sure to send R&R a message using the Contact Us link at the bottom of the page to let them know so you won't get in trouble for having books go lost.. 

Again, I truly hope you are both feeling better soon.

Oh Stephanie,

That is horrible.  I hope you and your husband are doing better.  I'm sure if you PM folks they will understand.  Life happens.  The important thing is that  you are ok.  Contact R&R and they will understand.

Most definitely PM the people, they will understand.  I would anyway.  I hope you are feeling better. 

I'm glad you guys are ok!  If the receiving members don't understand your situation, then phooey on them!  BTW, speaking from experience, you can go to the junk yard and retrieve anything you want out of your vehicle.  We were able to do that after my FIL was in an accident where the vehicle was totaled. 

Yep, send out a bunch of PM.  If the people are any kind of self respecting PBS member, they will understand....I know i would. As long as you are ok, that is what is important.

You do know how to contact them with a PM right? IF not, then please let someone here help you.  I feel sure that both R&R and the members here would be sympathtic to your situation.  I am so glad both of you are ok. 

Glad to hear you are both doing OK.  You can absolutely get your personal property out of a totalled vehicle.

I agree it is good that you are well enough to be up and around, and we are all thankful that you are doing better. And that is the first and foremost concern!!!

Next to your minor problem of the books, yes, you can go get them, and who knows, maybe they are all just sitting there in perfect condition and it will be the one bright spot out of the whole ordeal for you! Then do all the PMs first to R&R and then to all that had books coming from you. Use notepad, and type a general note that will be good for all, and copy it into each of the PMs, No sense typing the same thing over and over. I'm sure everyone will be more concerned that you are ok, than about the books.

In a situation like yours, the books should be the least of your worries!  So glad you're doing better, I agree with everyone else to contact R&R.  Good luck!

I cannot imagine anyone being bent out of shape over a book, once they hear why it isn't arriving.    PM everyone, and let them know what is going on, and take care of yourself.

Donna B

If you are well enough, and you know where your van is, you can probably get the books.  If you aren't well enough, don't worry - just PM the other members.  Glad you are relatively ok!

I'm so glad to hear that you're doing better! Remember that's the most important thing!

Definitely go to your van and get what you can from it. When our car was totaled, the insurance company took the car to its impound lot. We were able to go and retrieve any personal effects from the car that we wanted without any problem. (You might need to make an appointment to do so, or go during specific hours.) There may be other things in the van that you will want.

When it comes to the recipients, more communication is always best. If youre up-front about what happened, and give them your plan of action (or the option of canceling via a request to R&R) and follow through as best as you can. I'm sure most people will be glad that you PM'd them and were communicative. It's when people hear nothing from someone that they get annoyed.

Good luck! And I hope everything gets better!

I hope you are ok and suffer no lasting effects.

Someone wrote: "BTW, speaking from experience, you can go to the junk yard and retrieve anything you want out of your vehicle." Note that laws my vary by state.

And if the car is in a stack, waiting to be "cubed" or already "cubed", you may not be able to get it.

What Stephanie is saying is that she marked all the books mailed prior to actually mailing them, ergo, she no longer has their PM info available. However, by looking into your Transaction Archive, Stephanie, you can locate those people and PM them from there.

Sorry to hear of your accident. Sure hope you and your husband will fully recupe. Take care.

Bob P.

I would definately advise you on the situation. They can cancel the transactios for you if you cannot get the books.  Like a previous poster said you can PM people from your transactions archive. 

Thank you for all of the get wells. My husband wasnt harmed as badly as I was, thank god and thank god none of my children were in the van with us. I broke one of my legs so I am sort of stuck for a while. I can get around but it isnt easy. I also have a lot of bumps and bruises but they look worse than they really are.

I did email R&R so hopefully everything is ok.

Thanks again for the get wells. I appreciate it.

The PM info will be on the "Books I've Mailed" tab.  (They won't be in your transactions archive unless and until they go "lost."  )

Sounds like a time to slow down, shorten your "to-do" list, and not try to accomplish much in a day.  Give yourself time and space.  We're all cheering for you!

My husband did go to the van and got all of the books out of the van but the problem now is that all of the books have since gone lost in the mail according to paperback swap so I currently have no books pending. Should I relist them or not? I know a few of them were on wishlists. I actually dont want to post any books right now because I am not able to ship anything out because I am basically stuck in bed for the most part. Getting around is very hard still. But when I am ready to start shipping things out again so i relist the books or just donate them to the library?

If they were all packed up and ready to go to the PO, I would just take them there or have someone do it for you.  You are already sending PM's to the people ho were expecting them, I guess, so they know they are late if arriving at all and when they do eventually arrive, the recipients can resurrect them out of their "lost in the mail file," and you will get your credit and everything.    That is wwhat I would do.  About 30 years ago, my wife and I were in a bad accident on the way home from a 2-weeks vacation and I eventually got to the junkyard and removed everything, still in fairly good shape.  We had removed our suitcases before, but there was a lot of stuff left in the car, some of which went in the trash, but a lot of it went on home after we got out of the hospital.

Have you contacted R&R and asked them what to do about this?  Maybe PM the people-let them know you have the books and ask if they still want them.  PM before you send them out because the system might have already ordered another book for them. 

Don't relist them - send them to the people who originally were to receive them. Then, once received, those people can go in their accounts and marked the "lost" books as Received and you will still get your credit. Even if you can't mail them right now, or one at a time, or whatever, send them to the original requestors.

If you already had postage on them - if it was stamps, you're fine. If it was printed postage, you'll need to talk to the PO people. They may make you re-pay for them, not sure, but since they'll be able to tell that they've not yet been mailed, they may be able to just "redo" your postage on them and you still won't have to put out a penny. Of course, if you hadn't put postage on them yet at all, seeing as how you were on your way to the PO, then you'll need to do that.

Since PBS has them marked as lost, they'll sit in yours - and your requestors' - accounts until they are received. If you send them, you'll get your credit. You might PM your original requestors to find out if they still want them, or if they've re-ordered already. Of course, that way, you don't get your credits though. ;-)

If you haven't PMd your original requestors yet, you need to do so!