If someone uses the printable postage and then the book doesn't arrive (when you look at the usps tracking it says,shipping label created, usps awaiting item), can I get my credit back? or because the sender used the printable postage, I can't? I know she has her credit immediately so does that mean I lose mine if the book doesn't arrive?

Thanks!

I think you have to wait until the book goes lost then PBS will give you your credit back.  Check under "Ask the Librarian" and see what it says there.

A book I requested is lost in the mail. What now?

If a book you requested does not arrive by the 26th day (the 35th day if the sender or requestor is outside the contiguous US) after it was marked mailed, it will be declared lost in the mail at PBS. The requestor does not mark the book Lost; the system does this. 

The requestor will get credit back, and the book will go onto the Wish List (if there are no available copies in the system) or the Reminder List (if there are other copies available to request).  If the book was a Wish List book when it was requested before, the requestor will go back to his or her previous place "in line" for the book.

If your book goes lost in the mail you get your credit back, whether PBS Postage was used or not.

The sender of the book that used PBS Postage also keeps the credit as he or she bought the credit assurance. If the sender hadn't used pBS Postage they would not receive a credit until the book is mark received..

You get your credit back automatically.

The sender keeps a extra credit that PBS gives her because they purchased a Credit Guarantee by purchasing postage thru PBS for an extra 55 cents.

I just went thru this...the sender sent me the wrong WL book using PBS postage, so it was shown as delivered and I marked it RWAP. Because the member never sent the correct book the system automatically released my credit on the day it would have been declared lost and I was not put back on the WL and I was freaking. I alerted PBS immediately what had happened and they gave me back my credit and put me back at #1 on the WL. This was a case where if I hadn't been paying attention I would have lost out. But it was not a usual transaction because the sender sent the wrong book and never sent the correct book. 99% of the time the system works perfectly, but not under these circumstances.

Ok, I see. I thought it might be different because they purchased postage through pbs.

mistie, I beg to differ with you...per the Help Center:

To mark a shipment received with a problem:

• Login and go to your My Account main page
• Click the En Route to Me tab under the Message from the Librarian
• Scroll down if necessary to see the incoming shipment in question
• Choose "Received with a Problem" (or "Problem with 1 or More" for a multiple-book shipment)

Then

• Select the type of problem from the dropdown menu:
  • Damaged by Sender
    • this means a book that did not meet the club standards as described in Book Condition Criteria for 'Swappability' at PBS  when it was mailed
    • books that are missing accompanying media items also fall into this category
  • Damaged by USPS
    • this means a book that was damaged by USPS during its journey
  • Requestor Conditions not Met (this option will be available only if there were RCs attached to the request when it was submitted)
    • this means that the book did not meet the conditions you specified on the request
  • Wrong Book - Different Title/Author
    • this means that the book is totally wrong (wrong title/author) - usually caused by the sender putting the wrong book into the wrapper, or mixing up two book shipments.  See I received a book I didn't request! for more information about this problem.
  • Wrong Book - Wrong Binding/Version
    • this means that title/author DO match but the book does not match the listing's ISBN and/or binding type and/or it was listed as Large Print and the book is not Large Print. Note that cover image and publication date do NOT have to match the listing.
    • Inappropriate items - ARCs, pamphlets or leaflets without ISBNs, unbound pages, etc - also fall into this category.
    • Note: You can also use this option if the book is the wrong title AND the sender has told you that s/he won't be able to get the correct book sent to you.
  • Late Postmark
    • this means that the postmark on the package was later than the date the book was marked mailed.  See My requested book arrived with a late postmark! for more information about this problem.
  • Book Missing from Shipment (this option will show only on multiple-book shipments)
    • this means that the book was not included in the package with the other books (either the sender forgot to include it or the package tore open and one or more books fell out)
  • Empty Wrapper
    • this means that no book was received at all - just some packaging material, with or without a note from USPS about the damaged shipment
  • Insufficient Postage
    • this means that USPS required you to pay postage to claim the book.  See I received a book postage-due! for more information about this problem.

The reason PBS wants us to mark it that way is so that the sender has a chance to correct the situation as well as PBS has a record of what occurred. If I had done as you suggested, I would not have been placed back at #1 on the WL and I might have lost my credit because there would have been no documentation of what went wrong. Plus the sender gets a black mark for making a mistake but not correcting it.

But, Sally, respectfully, also from the Help Center:

If the book was sent to you in place of one you requested, do not mark the book received until you get the book you requested.

• Once you find out who sent you the book, you should not mark it received until you receive the correct book.  That may mean that the book you requested is declared "lost in the mail" by the system before it arrives.
• If the book arrives after it is declared "lost in the mail" you need to mark it received from your Transaction Archive, as described in I received a book that was 'lost in the mail'.
• If the sender cannot send the correct book to you, one of two things can happen:
  • you can both wait for the system to declare that book "lost", OR
  • the sender can contact us (using the "send us feedback" button on the Contact Us page) to ask us to cancel this early (without having to wait for the book to be declared "lost" by the system)