So on Saturday I got a book in the mail in one of those plastic "sorry" USPS bags, and I was sad that a book I was looking forward to reading (#4 in a series) got totally mangled - it looks like it has gone through a buzz saw that chewed through the tape, packing material, plastic bag interior wrapper, and about one inch into the pages of the book, so it is totally unreadable.  Only after I pulled apart the packaging later did I realize that it was a book I had sent out (#3 in a series, so the covers look similar) and got so mangled that only the return address was legible and so it was returned to me.  Sigh.  I sent a PM to the person expecting the book explaining what happened and suggesting that they let my book go "lost" - but is that right?  Should I do anything different?  So frustrating since the book was practically new and in pristine condition.  :(

Christine, so sorry to hear this happened to your book.  I think what you did, contact the Requestor to let them know and suggest they let the book go lost is fine.  However, some members are really short on credits.  So, if the wait for the book to go "lost" was longer than a week, then I would contact the PBS team instead and let them know so they could cancel the transaction early and the Requestor could get their credit returned sooner.

Also agree with Sianka.  So sorry Media Maul once again earned it's nickname

As Denise said - another victim of Media Maul.  But it might also be First Class Maul.  I've had a few of those, too.  Makes me wonder just what there is that causes this kind of damage.  Wonder if the employees of USPS have stories about what has happened to mail.

Ruth