new here!

just wondering if it always takes the max time listed for someone to receive a book ive sent to them and vice versa. books that can be sent first class i get before media mail. i know not to contact anyone before a certain, but was just curious:)

thanks!

I've had some books take as little as 3 days and others take over a month.  There's a multitude of factors that go into it: the postal workers, the post offices, the mail trucks, and the weather.

I think on average I get most books sent via Media Mail in around 1-2 weeks. But as Jennifer said, how long it takes depends on a lot of factors. In general,  if you are getting a book from the opposite coast, it will take longer than a book from a state away. The weather also has a big effect on delivery, specially during winter.

So far in my experience with sending and receiving, average is about 1-2 weeks.  But I've noticed that since the holidays have rolled around it seems to be taking a bit longer, and can take longer which is why they put the max time on there.  Media mail tends to get the lease consideration and attention at certain post offices, so it can get delayed that way.

I've mailed out more than 1000 .... I believe that most books are marked received within the 2nd week after mailing. (usually around 6 -10 days after mailing). A lot also are received at the end of the first week after mailing.

I find that it is rare that books go all 4 weeks, but of course, it does happen.

I've had books mailed on Saturday to the west coast arrive by Tuesday; I usually mail First Class, but a few Media Mail books I've mailed arrived in under a week to the Midwest or beyond. Books I've mailed to the Northeast can arrive later than those going to California. I don't use PBS postage, or DC from the post office so I can't track, but have only had 1 books go lost on me on the way to Alaska.

Of course, it can also depend on when the receiver marks the book "received". A couple of times the members PM'd me to apologize for not marking a book sooner as there were extenuating circumstances on their end, so it could seem like the book took longer to arrive.

Belated welcome to PBS, Janelle. It's a great, fun place.

Gail

Media Mail class is a mail class that is not given high priority by USPS and packages are sent out utilizing whatever outgoing method has room. Because of this uncertainty factor, PBS allots a 26-day delivery period for transactions. Packages going across the country can sometimes be delivered in a couple of days and packages going only across town can take the full allotted delivery period. It all depends on USPS delivery method used, and that is very random.

It all depends where and what room any particular USPS branch can find on a delivery truck/plane/etc. to place a package. If there is no room, a Media Mail package can sit waiting for weeks on an office shelf. Or, sometimes, a small package will be added right away to an outgoing shipment and be delivered quickly.

MOST books at PBS are delivered within the standard allotted 26-day period, so it is highly likely that your books will be delivered in that time frame.  I believe the average book delivery time is closer to 1-2 weeks after a book is marked as Mailed.