I had 5 books in my mailbox last night to be sent to members.  I always put them in the night before because our carrier runs super early.  I already had them marked mailed for today.  I've contacted each member to let them know what happened.  How do I go about refunding credits to those members?  I am so disgusted with the person that did this.  Not only were the books ruined but my mail box is unfit for mail now.  It is so disgusting.

I'm sorry that happened, Nicole!  You may want to use the Contact Link at the bottom of your screen to send a Feedback email to the PBS team and have them cancel those trades for you.  If you don't, the trades will go lost and the requestors will get their credits back.  YOu only get their credits if they mark the books received, which they won't because you were unable to send them out. 

I did exactly as you suggested.  Thank you. 

That is a major Federal offense--did you report it to police?

It happens frequently here.  The PO doesn't get upset about it.  And no one ever catches the people who do it.  We just end up getting new mailboxes.  I hate when it happens.  It took some work if they mangled the books along with the mailbox.  Here they usually just knock over the mailbox with bats or something.

Ruth

What rotten luck!  And to have 5 books in there at the time!  Arggh!

I gifted you a credit- Hope your day gets better!

Sara

When they do it to cluster boxes that we have to replace, or when it's a blue box.

Unfortunately, due to the hit and run aspect of mailbox vandalism, unless a police officer sees it happen or you get a plate number and a good description and swear out a warrant it rarely gets punished.

Kevin

Here's a http://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/radDocs/tipvandl.htm to an article from the Postal Inspection Service about mailbox vandalism

You can complete the report on line at this http://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/forms/mlntrcvd.aspx

I am still checking on how to get a label like the one described in the article. We've had one mailbox completely stolen, post and all. They've tried on this one, all that saved it was that the post is sunk extra deep and we filled the hole with Quik-krete.

Awww. I am sorry to hear that. Someone ruined BOOKS?! Jerks.

Our mailbox was vandalized as well... I only had two books in there to mail and they ripped the package open and tore up one of the books.  I am so disgusted.  Looks like I will be driving to a little blue box from now on to aviod this happening again.  I've also contacted the member the books were supposed to go to.

*sighs*

I am going to post office tomorrow to file a complaint - though I doubt it will do much good.

That is really a bummer! We don't have outgoing mail here and I hate that I always have to actually waste gas to go to the post office but I guess it beats this happening, I would be so upset!

Not that anyone receiving a book will like this - but you can put a notice on your profile or in your PM's or on your posts that you only mail out 1 or 2 times a week since you don't have outgoing mail.  I think everyone can understand that making extra trips costs money.  My Account  mailer page where you find the person's address and print the labels tells you how much it supposedly costs you to drive to the nearest post office.  One nice thing about my location is that we have a PO outpost that takes in mail (not just a blue box), and it's MUCH closer than my zipcode post office.  Different zip codes - but closer.  So I either have someone drop off my booksgoing out there or DH mails them from work.

Ruth

Nicole and Shan--

I've buddied you each a credit.  That's terrible what happened -- damaging books should be a hangin' offense :-)

Cheers,

Catt

I seem to recall we had a similar problem discussed in the USPS forum - they caught the vandals by putting a security camera on a tree near the mailbox and they were actually able to have them arrested. If this is a recurring problem for someone, videotaping it is a good recommendation. You can also write your name somewhere on the mailbox that is hard to see and then put a small GPS tracking device on the underside of it, then call the cops and ask them to have someone accompany you when you track down the GPS unit. Our local post office did that to a blue bin after the one out front got stolen multiple times within just a few weeks.

Twelve years ago, we moved here from another state.  It took some getting used to, but I don't have a mailbox at my house anymore. We have  "mail stations" located around the neighborhood.  You are assigned a box and given a key.  Every station also has four extra large boxes for packages.  I love opening up my little mailbox and finding the key to a bigger box inside because that usually means many books!  

When I first moved here in 96, I hated it!!  I thought it was ridiculous that I had to walk around the corner to get my mail.  But times have changed, and now I am very happy that my mail is securely locked up at all times.  Between mailbox vandals, thieves, and identity theft, I really would not want to have my mail in an unlocked box anymore....   But the bad thing is, you cannot leave outgoing packages for the mailman.  We do have a letter slot for stamped mail, but that's it. 

It's a shame that nothing is safe anymore.

Catt,

Thank you so much for the credit... and I agree damaging books should be a hanging offense!

There is just no logic behind this - I don't get it.. "Oh I'm bored, I'll go mess with someone's mail"???

Not that this is the reason for anyone on here getting their mailbox vandalized, but my DD's in-laws had their mailbox vandalized several times after moving into the neighborhood they live in.  It got to the point that they were aware that it was a problem someone hadwith them being  LDS  (Mormons).  They ended up getting a PO Box and gave up.  At least they don't get much junk mail that way!  But the PO is not close by and is a pain to get to from where they live!  At least they don't get wet mail either!

Ruth