A wishlisted book was offered to me on July 6.  According to the shipping deails, it was sent with PBS-DC.  The offer was accepted on July 6 at 4:25PM.  The label was printed - twice - on July 14 at 2:20AM and again on July 14 at 2:21AM.  But the date mailed was JULY 6 AT 4:33PM.

How can this be?  The book was marked mailed on July 6 but the label was printed on July 14.

Also, the shipping details do not show the book was every scanned at a post office -- anywhere.

When I checked Track and Confirm at USPS, the answer was the standard: "USPS was electronically notified by shipper to expect your package for mailing."  But there is no indication that it has been mailed.

I have gotten my first query from PBS asking if I have received this book.  Do you suppose that it has never been mailed?

Its possible that it was never mailed. Its possible they mailed it late. Its possible it was mailed on time and they just accessed the label (that would show as another print date) and it just hasn't been scanned. Watching DCs can be an exercise in frustration and really tell us nothing. It won't be going lost in the system for more than 2 weeks, I wouldn't worry about it at this point, especially when there are signs that it might have been mailed/remailed on the 14th.

I didn't think you could mark a book mailed until after you printed the label the first time. You can print the label again, as many times as you want, after you mark a book mailed.

What Melanie said.  PBS allows members to reprint labels, IIRC up to 14 days. 

As for the second printing after being marked mailed, there are several legit possibilities.  From personal experience, the member could have accidentally clicked on it while printing labels for other books.  I've seen members post several circumstances where they print another label later.  There could even have been a problem at the PO and the book was returned in error ... in which case the sender should have pm'd you, but they don't always. You won't really know until the book arrives.

Media Mail seems kinda hit and miss this summer, and many books seem to be taking the scenic route for summer vacation.  I'm watching two books on my 'incoming' tab, both on the long end of average mail time.  Unfortunately neither sender used DC, but I've started receiving those standard 'have you received this book' reminders.  Like you, I'll just have to wait and see.

I have received books with a DC that were never scanned anywhere either, usually books that were mailed first class.    I think with PO cutbacks, the scanning process is also hit or miss, like media mail.  Denise is right...lots of things are taking way more time than usual.  Do you think substitute workers for vacationing employees are at all part of the slowdown?

If you select "hand write address" does it also show up as printing the label?

I had that happen to me once and found out that the sender forgot to mail the book so she reprinted the label.  When you reprint a label it has the new date printed on it.

If you select "hand write address" does it also show up as printing the label?

Yes, it does.

And she had to hit the "print wrapper" button in order to mark the book mailed.  Makes me wonder if the "request details" only show the last two times the label was accessed. 

This is what the request details show:

My reply above was incomplete and the edit feature wouldn't allow me to add additional comments.

The LABEL PRINT DATE of 7/20/2011 was just added since I looked earlier today at the shipping details.  So, I suppose this means that the book was NOT mailed on 7/6 and the label was re-printed today.  Hopefully, the book will be mailed very soon.

Maybe the original order timed out and it's on another members send out list. The first request rolled over?

Why do people stress out and worry about mailed by dates so much?  I never check mailed dates, postage dates, scans or anything.  I get the book when I get the book. If it goes lost and I get my credit back-then I might see if it was scanned somewhere and maybe PM to ask if it was mailed before I reorder.  That's only happened 3 times in 4 yrs.

Same here, Mary...it's pretty rare that I check either incoming or outgoing 'details' unless it seems like the book has been sitting in one of the tabs for a long time. Even then I don't worry about it...I get the book or I don't...it gets to me or it doesn't...if it doesn't I get my credit back and order another copy or go back on the wishlist.

If the sender mailed it late, I have no control over that...if there is a readable metered postmark on the book when I get it and it's more than a couple days later than the 'mark mailed' date, I'll note it on the postage survey and let PBS sort the details out. Got too many other important things to think about than to spend time clicking the 'details' button all the time.

Cheryl