I am not sure how to handle this situation.  A book arrived today with over $9 in postage due because the shipper used a Priority Mail envelope to ship the book and only paid media mail postage. 

I really did not want to pay the postage due so I marked it return to sender.  Should I PM the shipper and let her know why I refused the book?  She has had over 100 books shipped and received so I would think she would be aware of the post office policy on misuse of priority mail envelopes.  This was not the flat rate envelope but the larger tyvek envelope and it looked like she had tried to tape over where it said Priority Mail.

This is not the first time I have received books sent this way, just the 1st time the post office had caught it and wanted postage due.

Thanks  

Jane

Yes, I would PM the sender and let them know.  I do not blame you one bit for not accepting the book - that's exactly what I would have done.

Yes, I would PM the sender and let them know it was on its way back.  Most likely the book isn't even worth $9 to begin with, so maybe she should reject it too?

Thanks for the advice.  I did PM the sender and she can decide if she wants to pay the additional postage.

And I am hoping she will refund my point.  I think the book had DC and was probably already scanned before the postal carrier brought it to the door.

Since you don't actually "have" the book, I think you don't have to mark it as "received" and then just let it go "lost".  Then you will get your credit back.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong here.  -Deb

Debbie, I'm sure you're right. As long as the book is not marked received, the credit will be returned after it goes lost.

Wow, I don't blame you.

I am guessing PBS would return your credit, the sender will get to keep the one that he/she got with the DC (add credit assurance, even if the book goes lost you get it). It might take a little explaining since it will look like it made it to you in the system. You did exactly what you should, the sender should have known they cannot reuse Priority or Express packages.

Hi Jane,

Like the others said, don't mark the book received.

From the PBS Help Center:

If you receive a book postage-due but you have not accepted the package yet, you may refuse it.  It will be returned to sender.   You should contact the sender to let him or her know what happened.

• In this case, you should not mark the book received.

   This is the only time that it is appropriate not to mark a book received  (i you have refused it for postage-due, and are not in possession of the book.)

• This is the only time that it is appropriate to refuse a package from PBS (if there is postage due)

• When the book is declared "lost in the Mail" at PBS, you will get your credit back.

• You should contact the sender in this case also, to ensure that he or she is aware of the proper cost of Mailing a book.  (or in this case, that Priority Mail boxes/envelopes can only be used for Priority Mail).
  • You can contact the sender using the PM button on the En Route Transaction for the book on your En Route to Me tab in My Account.

I would have done the same thing. PM them and tell them what happened and that PBS rules state that you did the right thing by refusing the package.  If she remails the book you can mark it received after it's gone lost and she will get her credit.  The fact that she's mailed 100 books doesn't necessarily mean she's been a member very long.  I joined the end of Aug and I've mailed out over 200. But  I still feel like a newbie.  I just happened to have a lot of WL books when I joined and addiction to trolling used book stores and ebay.  She could do this regularly and this is just the 1st time she's been caught.