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Topic: Marked it mailed and then told me she can't mail it any time soon

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Subject: Marked it mailed and then told me she can't mail it any time soon
Date Posted: 10/30/2011 10:00 AM ET
Member Since: 7/19/2008
Posts: 32
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What to do here? I ordered this book for my mother who needs it for an upcoming book group. I ordered it, the sender took over a week to mark it mailed, and two days later tells me she didn't actually mail it and can't anytime soon (illness in family). I can't cancel the transaction from my end because PBS thinks it's already in the mail.

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Date Posted: 10/30/2011 10:07 AM ET
Member Since: 3/4/2007
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I would contact TPTB and ask them what to do in this situation.  Sounds like there are extenuating circumstances here, so they may be able to cancel the transaction for you.

Hunter1 avatar
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Date Posted: 10/30/2011 11:09 AM ET
Member Since: 2/26/2006
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I sincerely doubt TPTB will cancel the transaction based on a PM from the requester.   The requester needs to contact the sender and ask the sender to contact TPTB and have them cancel the transaction.

dmouse097 avatar
Date Posted: 10/30/2011 11:27 AM ET
Member Since: 5/15/2008
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This needs to be reported to TPTB as they are being a bad member... and the sender needs to cancel s you don't lose FIFO place in line.

gingerkitty avatar
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Date Posted: 10/30/2011 11:33 AM ET
Member Since: 4/25/2007
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Since it's marked mailed, even the sender can't cancel it now.  Sender will need to contact PBS and ask them to cancel the transaction.  I'd PM them and ask them to do so.  If they don't in a day or so, I'd try contacting PBS myself.  They can see the PMs between members and hopefully will step in and cancel the transaction.

Since this book is marked as in the mail, you should be able to order another copy now.  Even if this transaction doesn't get cancelled, this book will eventually go lost and you'll get your credit back that way.

Spuddie avatar
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Date Posted: 10/30/2011 12:16 PM ET
Member Since: 8/10/2005
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TPTB should be able to cancel the order, and I think they will. One time I had a wishlisted book posted, marked as mailed and then got a PM from the sender letting me know that a 'brand new softcover book' was soon on the way. The problem was, it was a new release not due out for a couple of months and I had wishlisted the hardcover...sure enough, it was an ARC. (Sometimes being the first in the wishlist line can be problematic. LOL) Since he had already marked it as mailed--even though he hadn't yet actually mailed it--neither of us could cancel, but when he contacted PBS, they did cancel it for him.

Cheryl

EmilyKat avatar
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Date Posted: 10/30/2011 12:55 PM ET
Member Since: 7/19/2008
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PBS will cancel it, but only based on the sender contacting them. 

kontessa avatar
Date Posted: 10/30/2011 4:01 PM ET
Member Since: 1/1/2009
Posts: 1,924
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 Sorry about this situation. Most members are amazing but even the amazing ones have issues come up from time to time. What ever the case is, you have the advice you need. Have the sender contact the team so they can cancel this for you.

 

  Hope you get a copy soon for your mom!

farazon avatar
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Date Posted: 10/30/2011 10:06 PM ET
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I would like to hope that I would have sent a polite PM to the offending member; but I probably would have blown up at them. Marking it mailed and not being able to mail it any time soon. That is beyond being a bad member---#%$^  "Off with their head"--LOL

Generic Profile avatar
Date Posted: 10/30/2011 10:29 PM ET
Member Since: 7/19/2008
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Yes PBS did respond that the cancel request had to come from the sender, and that makes sense. I feel bad, my response to the sender was a bit blunt and given her situation that was probably a bit un-called for. I hope we can salvage the situation. Thanks for the advice!

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Date Posted: 10/31/2011 7:04 AM ET
Member Since: 9/8/2009
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Don't feel too badly, William.  The situation would never have happened if she hadn't marked the book mailed before she'd actually done so.  I know a lot of people do that, but this is a great example of what can happen. 

I hope she gets it canceled for you. 

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Date Posted: 10/31/2011 10:10 AM ET
Member Since: 8/23/2007
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I don't think this necessarily makes this person a bad member.  She could have marked it mailed, had it wrapped and ready to go and then her Mom got sick.  Life gets in the way sometimes. I thought I might have 4 transcations time out on me due to a widespread power outage. It just came back on after 2 1/2 days and there's still a few hundred thousand people in the area w/no power.  I'm printing those lables and marking them mailed today incase the power goes out again. Even though I know the post office might not have power.  I can still put them in the blue bin tomorrow.

I say cut the lady some slack before you all assume she's this horrible member. 



Last Edited on: 10/31/11 10:11 AM ET - Total times edited: 1
caviglia avatar
Date Posted: 10/31/2011 10:57 AM ET
Member Since: 1/30/2009
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Maybe I've just had far too many sobering things happen in the past year, but somehow, in comparison to the serious illness of a family member, whether a book was mailed before it was marked or after, or mailing a book at all, seems like a very minor thing. It will all be sorted eventually.

Generic Profile avatar
Date Posted: 10/31/2011 11:01 AM ET
Member Since: 7/19/2008
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Yes I agree. It pushed an anger button in me because it has happened to me before. and I was quick to judge.  I had a book that was marked mailed and after about two weeks I was thinking it should arrive any day, and suddenly I get  PM saying "I just mailed your books". Wait....what? That time it travelled fast and got to me just before it was declared "lost in the mail". I'm wondering if the wording on the books to be mailed tab encourages people to do this. If I remember it says something like "you must push this button by 11PM on (date) or you will lose your credit" or something like that with a minor emphasis on actually mailing the book.

gingerkitty avatar
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Date Posted: 10/31/2011 11:14 AM ET
Member Since: 4/25/2007
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If this sender has the time in the midst of this family illness to PM the requestor that their book won't be mailed anytime soon, they have the time to PM TPTB and ask them to cancel the transaction so the requestor doesn't have to wait a month to get their credit returned when the book goes lost in the mail.

caviglia avatar
Date Posted: 10/31/2011 11:23 AM ET
Member Since: 1/30/2009
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Maybe they don't have the headspace. Sometimes people get really, really overwhelmed, it doesn't mean they are normally a "bad member".  It's just another perspective. We don't know what going on with this person, but clearly something is.  We have no idea what they have time for. 

melanied avatar
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Date Posted: 10/31/2011 12:32 PM ET
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Don't feel bad William, who knows what the member is going through but if she phrased the PM that she couldn't mail it "anytime soon" then she really should have been clicking the Contact Us button to have the transaction cancelled instead of PMing you. If the member had enough time and thought to come on PBS to deal with the transactions, then they should have just had the site clear open transactions rather that expect receivers to wait indefinitely and what sounded like long term. A few days is one thing, not being able to mail any time soon and expecting the receiver to wait is rude no matter what your situation at home is.

xengab avatar
Date Posted: 10/31/2011 2:27 PM ET
Member Since: 10/13/2007
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Thankfully I had the time to put my account on hold or else that could have been me. I flew out 48 hours after finding out my Dad was sick, don't ask me what I did in those 2 days as I cannot remember much. I know I got work squared away, stuff packed (no clue what went in the suitcase until I arrived). IF a book had been requested, I might have tried to send it along, but my mind was MIA most of the time and what I'd wanted to do and what got done were two different things. Life happens and we dont have that much control sometimes :(

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Date Posted: 10/31/2011 3:13 PM ET
Member Since: 8/23/2007
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They  may not know that they can ask PBS to cancel the transaction for them.  A lot of this stuff seems pretty darn obvious to most of us. But I see long time members (even regular forum posters) ask the most basic questions all the time.  So clearly it's  not obvious to everyone to check the help docs for how to handle stuff.

My brother was in the hospital recently with heart problems.  My mother spent all her time there. She had her laptop with her and could answer emails and even do some work. But if she was a PBSer should would not have had time to wrap and mail a book for several days.  But she would have had plenty of time while sitting in the hospital waiting rooms, cafeteria etc.., to PM someone. 

( I suppose she could have wrapped the book up at night or hauled teh supplies to the hospital but she wouldn't have been in that frame of mind).

 

farazon avatar
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Date Posted: 10/31/2011 7:46 PM ET
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But , Mary L. I would bet your Mom would have sent a polite and apologetic PM. I can tell because she raised a sensible daughter.