I got a small book (more like a pamphlet, but it was 54 pages so met the book req PBS has of 50 pages) in a padded envy. It was stamped "first class" in the bottom corner, but no other postal marking. It had stamps on it, but was "cancelled" only by a red marker lined thru the stamps. What's up with that?  I couldn't input a "mailed on" date when I marked it received.

Weird. Maybe their stamp ran out of ink and they had to break out the Sharpie. 

Does it really matter? Just leave that part blank and mark it received.

Jeanne, did it come from a small town? LOL I once got a paperback with 64 cents worth of stamps and no cancelation stamp or postmark at all. I wondered how it got thru. It was small ,but not pamplet sized.

If I can't read the postmark date I just put  "UNK" in that block, and it takes it.  Sometimes if they hand cancel you can't read it, and I've gotten books where the stamps haven't been calceled,  and also where they've been lined through with a marker.  Pat

Many of the books I get with just stamps have no post mark. I just leave the mailed date blank and fill out the rest.

Yeah, With stamps I usually find that either they are not cancelled or you can't read it. Of the stamped ones, its pretty common for it to not be cancelled.

Me too, similar experiences to Melanie & Sara.  Received another one this week, a book arrived with six stamps and no cancellation whatsoever.  I hid it quick b/c DH would want to cut those off and re-use (which is illegal if they've been mailed).  I just left the postmark box blank, the book had only been marked mailed a few days before so it's no biggie.

You don't have to fill in that information at all when you receive a book.   I've not filled it out yet on any books.  All I do to check in a book: click yes, I've received it, yes, I want it off my bookshelf.  Occasionally I might write "thank you", but that's about it.  I've already put the wrapper in the recycle box and I don't want to dig through it again.  Filling out all that info is nice, but not required.

Yes, that information is optional but I always fill it out because it does help PBS identify people who are consistently mailing late. If I can't read a postmark, or it hasn't been cancelled at all (and I do get a lot of those) just leave it blank.

I actually received a book once (and not postage due) that had no postage whatsoever. There was no evidence that stamps or anything else had fallen off (thought I know that is possible). They used a printed wrapper (the kind w/o postage) and I think that whatever postal employee sorted it just glanced at it and thought it had preprinted postage. 

I've gotten a couple of books with uncancelled stamps on them as well, and like Becca, one with no postage at all. Dunno if it fell off or was never there, but there was nothing on it when I got it.

I pretty much don't bother with that survey information *unless* the person mailed much later than their marked mailed date AND it's verifiable with a metered postage sticker. That's really the only way to verify exactly the date the person mailed a book, with the metered postage applied right at the PO counter, and when they mailed the book only becomes important if it's very much later than indicated.

Otherwise...it's just not a big deal.

Cheryl

Actually, I know for a fact that a postal deliverer I knew used to carry around a sharpy to mark through stamps that hadn't already been voided when he delivered back in the day because he had caught people trying to reuse the un-marked through stamps.

The ladies at  my post office stick on metered postage with one finger. You can see that the majority of the label is not even attached yet, just kind of resting on the package.

I reach over and stick it down better, when they look particularly precarious to me.

I am always afraid that someone will receive a package from me with no postage. I save all my PO receipts until my books are marked received because even though I don't normally use DC ... the ladies have entered the zip code for the package and you can see it on the receipt for each package.

Anyway, i find it totally believebale that postage could fall off of packages.

Wow, got another one yesterday, this time with 7-  44 cent stamps stuck on, no cancellation marks of any kind-- as if the PO never saw it !

I received a book today with Sharpie marker lines through the stamps. No postmark at all.

I can only fill in the postmark date on about half of the books I receive, because none of the ones with printed postage have had postmarks (just the date it was printed, but nothing that shows when it was actually mailed) and many of the ones that do have postmarks are too smeared to read. I don't worry too much about it, I just fill it in when I can and leave it blank otherwise.

Yep- my mail carrier will usually draw lines through the stamps with an ink pen if they haven't gotten cancelled with a postmark.  Surprising how many with regular stamps don't.

I used to fill out the survey stuff, but haven't done it for awhile.  I do however send a quick Thank You to the sender.

-RD