I received a book today that the sender SAID she mailed out on 9/30 (that is when she marked in mailed in the PBS system.  I received the book today and the postage has a date of 10/12/07 on it.  This is the postage label that the Post Office prints and applies.  When I received the book in the system, I noted in the section for messages about the transaction that go to PBS that the sender seems to have been dishonest about when she mailed the book.  Should I also e-mail customer service?  Not sure what the procedure is for this. 

I would just be happy I received it & move on. Not worth you wasting your energy & time on a dishonest person. What goes around, comes around. : )

Just be sure you fill out the survey when that happens. If they get a bad track record, they get booted. It is annoying, but at least they did actually mail it. Very rude of them, to be sure!

When you fill out the survey the info is sent to R&R. As Allie said - this helps them track problem senders.

I would just be happy I received it & move on. Not worth you wasting your energy & time on a dishonest person. What goes around, comes around. : )

While I'm a huge believer in what goes around, comes around - by not taking the extra few seconds to fill in the survey, it allows the person to "get away with it" and continue on doing what they are doing. The system won't work properly  if we don't take that little bit of extra time to report the problems.

As long as you noted it on the survey that's there when you mark it received, that's all you need to do. If the person is someone who does that repeatedly, they will get an e-mail from R&R about it. A day or two is no big deal, but mailing 2 weeks after they marked it mailed without bothering to PM and let you know is not acceptable...but you've already done what you needed to do. No need to send a separate message. :)

Cheryl

There have been long discussions about this in the past.  You can probably find them by doing a search.  Long story short, in rural areas especially, post offices don't always process media mail (and probably not the other mail) the same day it comes in.  It gets processed when they have time.  So just because it isn't stamped the date the other swapper says it was mailed, doesn't mean it wasn't mailed that date.

If the date is printed right on the postage label, and isn't stamped over it, that's the date it was mailed.

Ann, normally I would agree with you but the OP said it was metered postage so it had to have been mailed that day.

This is the postage label that the Post Office prints and applies. 

Can't get around altering that date. It was obviously mailed 2 weeks later than it was marked.

Yeah, it was the USPS postal label and there was no other dates stamped on the package.  The biggest problem I had was that it was 2 weeks after the time she said she mailed it.  If it has been a day or two, I wouldn't have said anything.

While I'm a huge believer in what goes around, comes around - by not taking the extra few seconds to fill in the survey, it allows the person to "get away with it" and continue on doing what they are doing. The system won't work properly if we don't take that little bit of extra time to report the problems.

This is the exact reason that I reported the issue.  If this is a one time thing for this member, then it won't be a big deal.  But....if this is something they do on a regular basis then it will be addressed.

Thanks for the responses.  It helps to know what others do in these situations.

Oh, I agree to take the time to note it on the survey  but I wouldn't worry about anything further. PBS will take care of it if it becomes an issue. Just want to clarify! I love PBS! :)

Another reason this may happen is if the person puts the book in a blue mailbox.  I have had 8-10 delay in the time I mailed the book (put in the blue mailbox) and when it was actually postmarked.  I don't know what the Post Office did with the book all that time, but they held it up somehow.

I always postdate my labels when I use paypal to send packages anymore. I handed the new postmaster a package that had the  day befores date on it and she told me that she would take it this time but from now on it had to have that day's postmark. Postdating it was ok though. So I have got in the habit of postdating two days ahead just in case something comes up and I can't get to the post office but I do wait until I actually mail it to mark it "mailed"  on this site.

The procedure is to put the postmark date in where asked and if you feel the need to add it in the PBS messages too, then you should have it double covered. No need to continue to report it through other means. The filling in of the postmark will trigger the system to watch the sender and give them a warning. There can be legit reasons she/he mailed it late, it could have come back because they stamped and blueboxed over 13oz, USPS screwed up and sent it back because whoever picked it up didn't understand the 13oz rule, USPS ate the first wrapper and it had to be resent... All of these things happen and as long as you got the book and it wasn't ordered for you a second time in the system, life is good.

I'm one that doesn't compare the two dates. I'm just happy when I get the book.  Besides I've never had a book problem like that particular one  ... yet ... hopefully I never do. Maybe if it happens - I might start being diligent and checking dates.

I just wanted to echo that R&R will take care of it through the survey.  There have been discussions in the Tour Guide Lounge about what we can do to reduce the email that R&R get through feedback because it's lots.  So there is no need to contact them again through a different channel about something you already reported.

Yeah, it was the USPS postal label and there was no other dates stamped on the package.  The biggest problem I had was that it was 2 weeks after the time she said she mailed it.  If it has been a day or two, I wouldn't have said anything.

While I would fill out the survey...so PBS can track it to see if it is an ongoing problem.... I wouldn't make an issue out of it.  How do you know she didn't have an emergency...or gave it to her husband and he "forgot" to mail it, (notice I say husband ;) ).  Sometimes stuff happens.  I would give the person the benefit of the doubt.

I'm one that doesn't compare the two dates. I'm just happy when I get the book.  

Ditto...I'm just happy to get a book!!  And it's another reason to keep a fairly large TBR pile!!

I'm afraid I fail to understand why so many people think that late mailings should be excused and overlooked.  Yes, I realize that things come up, but do these things somehow cause the sender to mark the book mailed when it hasn't been?  It seems so black and white to me.  Mailed.  Not mailed.

As to the errant husband, I can see that happening, but what's to prevent the sender from sending a pm with an apology in a case like that?

I'm afraid I fail to understand why so many people think that late mailings should be excused and overlooked.  Yes, I realize that things come up, but do these things somehow cause the sender to mark the book mailed when it hasn't been?  It seems so black and white to me.  Mailed.  Not mailed.

Well... again, I just choose to give the benefit of the doubt.  As far as marking it mailed, then mailing it...I've done it.  If I know I'm not going to have computer access for awhile, I marked it mailed before I leave the house.  Of course mine have always been in the mail that same day...but what if I get in an accident or an emergency phone call??  Maybe it won't get mailed that same day.  Hasn't happened but it could.  Why marked it mail before I actually mailed it?  B/c I was burned once by waiting till I got back from the PO and the person cancelled the request....and wouldn't credit me the point back.  Different site...but it still happened!  Now it's a CYA move.

As to the errant husband, I can see that happening, but what's to prevent the sender from sending a pm with an apology in a case like that?

Well....I can only speak for my husband but he would never tell me he forgot to mail it and if I happened to question him...he would DENY, DENY, DENY.  So how could I send a PM apolgizing...since I never knew!

Well I'm pretty sure the requestor can't cancel here once the sender prints the address, so that would CYA.  (at least I think that's how it works here).

Thanks for replying though.  It's the first time I've ever read a straight answer.

Judy - yes the book can still be cancelled after the sender prints the address. The cancel button is still listed - at least on mine it is.

And as to why I find it "acceptable" for late mailings - well, I wish people would mail on time but quite frankly, and not to be snarky, my life is busy as it is without worrying about a little book and when it was mailed as long as I receive the book. I tend to save my distrust, anger, worry and the need to micromanage/tattletale for bigger things.  A date discrepency on PBS is hardly a big thing in my life.

I had a book go out that I *know* I mailed on 9/1 and marked it mailed on 9/1.  Well, when the receiver rec'd it, the postmark (stamped, not metered) must have looked like 9/11.  So I got a PBS email saying that I mailed the book out later than I had marked it.  I know for a fact I didn't send anything on 9/11 or the day before.  So the system must mark it if the receiver puts in (honestly or not) a date that is past (how many days, not sure) the date the sender marked it mailed in the system.

I've had transactions that were listed as mailed, but not truly sent out (these are metered by the PO ones only) until many days later.  I just figure the system is keeping track of these members.

That's why it's important to fill out all that info when you receive a book and not just skip over all that data - I have a friend that does, but I convinced her otherwise.

JC

From the Help Docs:

Who Can Cancel a Request and When:

• The REQUESTOR can cancel a request up until the time the wrapper is printed by the sender.
  • In fact, there is approximately 1 hour's delay between the time a book is first ordered and the time that the request is submitted to the sender.
  • This allows for "buyer's remorse," so that the requestor can easily cancel if she changes her mind, without the sender ever knowing about the request.
  • If the requestor sends a Personal Message to the sender by clicking on the request, however, that 1-hr delay will be eliminated, and the book request will be submitted immediately at the time the PM is sent.
• The SENDER may cancel a request for a book up until the time is it marked mailed.
  • The reason for this is because sometimes "my dog ate my book just before I was going to drop it in the mail..." etc..
  • If the sender cancels and there is another copy of the book available in the system, the request will be passed along to another sender.
    • This will happen automatically, without email notification to the requestor.
  • If a sender cancels and there is not another copy of the book available in the system, the requestor will get her credit back and the book will go onto her Wish List.
    • In this case, the requestor will be notified by PBS auto-email.

I'll drop the subject now.

I did that once with three request orders.  My water heater had a huge leaked and flooded my laundry room and the cost was expensive to fix and get new water heater that I had no money to send out any books.  They were due out on Saturday and this happened Thursday night.  I pm'd the people let them know what was happening asked them if it was okay that i marked it sent so it wouldn't cancel on me and then send it out Wednesday when I had extra cash.  They were very understanding and I was thankful for getting such nice members.  Not everyone is a bad seed sometimes life just happens.  Geesh.  If you get the book whats the big deal...just my opinion of course.

I just had the same thing happen, a book was sent 2 weeks after they said they sent it. I really noticed it since it was a book I was DYING for and the offer I had before was cancelled after I accepted it. It's really popular so I worried that it would happen again. Anyway, I just filled it out in the survey and unless you want to confront them personally there's not much else to do. What really got me was that not only did they lie, not tell me about it but knowing they were 2 weeks late- they still sent it media mail! Personally being so late I would at least send first class if not priority, but obviously they don't care anyway so I shouldn't be surprised.

Melissa V.- geesh! The main problem is they didn't tell her (or me!) the books would be late, but they felt the need to literally lie and mark that they sent books when they did not. You made sure your recievers knew what was up and asked their permission to mark the books, so you can't really compare the situations. I've had late books after someone told me they'd be late, and I have 0 problem with that and appreciate having them update me. Mine upset me because I don't get any word about it and I was nervous about not getting a book I literally had my heart set on and was holding off reading a whole series until I recieved it. Obviously it doesn't amount to a hill of beans in the problems of the world, but you have to admit it's inconsiderate and kind of a pain.