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Topic: Question about DC Postage

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Subject: Question about DC Postage
Date Posted: 7/5/2010 8:07 PM ET
Member Since: 3/2/2010
Posts: 83
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I received a reqest for a book I'd posted recently.  I accepted the request and went to print the label, using $3.00 of my PBS money.  The $3.00 was deducted from my account but before I could print the label, I got a notice saying the person had requested other books from my Bookshelf and to go back to accept them and print the bulk mail label.  I did and the person had requested two more books.  The Bulk mail postage is $3.34.  When I go to print the label, though, PBS wants to deduct another $3.34 on top of the $3.00 they deducted for the first book alone.  Is there a way to get my $3.00 back? 

I PMed my Tour Guide yesterday but have had no response from her.  I would like an answer because when I accepted the request I said I would mail within two days and time is running out.

Thank you,

JoAnne

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Date Posted: 7/5/2010 8:24 PM ET
Member Since: 5/14/2009
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Joanne:  Check your money registry first. If you didn't click the button "print label", it hasn't deducted the amount from your PBS money.  I would check your money registry first to confirm what was deducted.  Find the momey registry on your "My Account" page at the top it will be a blue link.



Last Edited on: 7/5/10 8:25 PM ET - Total times edited: 1
jubead avatar
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Date Posted: 7/5/2010 8:29 PM ET
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Check the weight of each book so you do not over  or under pay postage.  If you are using only DC, then it doesn't matter. 

This is from the help docs:  FAQs about printable postage:

Can I reprint the wrapper?  Will I be charged again?

  • Yes you can reprint the wrapper.  No, you won't be charged again.
  • To reprint, just click Print Wrapper (or RePrint Wrapper, if you have marked the book mailed already) on the request, and reprint from the Wrapper Settings page that comes up.
  • Of course each wrapper can be used only once, to send one shipment.

What if I send multiple books?  How does that work?

  • If more than one book is requested at once in the form of a bulk request, the Wrapper Settings page will have the database estimate for all of the books in the shipment.  (As always, you can adjust this weight estimate, and thereby adjust the postage that will print out.)
    • You will get Instant credits for all books in a bulk shipment if the bulk shipment is sent with Printed Postage--as soon as you mark the shipment mailed, you will get the credits for all the books.
  • If you get multiple individual requests from the same member (not submitted as a bulk request), you can always adjust the weight of the package on one Wrapper Settings page from one of the requests to get proper postage to send all of the books using that wrapper, but of course, you will get Instant Credit ONLY for the book(s) listed on the wrapper you print out.  You will get credit for any other books in the shipment when they are marked received by the requestor.
    • Because individual requests cannot be combined after the fact into a bulk shipment by the sender, we recommend that if you receive multiple individual requests at once and intend to use printed postage, to "peek" at the address before printing with postage.
      • To do that, just choose "no extra services" and click "click Here" at the bottom of the page. This will show you the address information on a separate web page, without printing the postage.  If two or more books are going to the same place, you can follow the instructions above to change the weight on one wrapper to print postage only once for that shipment.  If you print postage for individual shipments, they cannot be combined and the postage cannot be refunded after printing.
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Date Posted: 7/6/2010 9:47 AM ET
Member Since: 3/2/2010
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The money has been deducted from my account. 

Robin, thank you for the instructions.  I have read them.  This situation is odd because the request for additional books came in while I was in the middle of printing the first request  (there was almost an hour between the first reuqest and the time when the others were added).

Still no response from my tour guide.  I do not want to lose that $3.00.

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Date Posted: 7/6/2010 10:28 AM ET
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Joanne,

In this case, the easiest thing for you to do is to use the wrapper you have printed and stick the appropriate amount of stamps on the package to reach the postage amount.

Mary

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Date Posted: 7/6/2010 3:16 PM ET
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Yes, just add extra stamps to the first wrapper you printed.

ruthy avatar
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Date Posted: 7/6/2010 3:38 PM ET
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I try to wait a couple of days to print hoping members will order more than one books.

Ruth

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Date Posted: 7/6/2010 4:39 PM ET
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I have looked for the response I've seen on this before and can't find it, I will keep looking, but I believe that because the DC would apply to more books a new one is generated and therefore a whole new label and postage charges will happen. Their explanation was that, had you mailed the book without seeing the second request, you'd have paid to send them separately anyway. You can use the label and send the first one, mark it mailed, and then print the label on the second one and mail that one separately. Or, you can try adding a stamp to the package to make up the difference. Just make sure if you go the stamp route that your PBS postage isn't stale because it will probably come back. If you have time, take it to the PO counter and have them add the additional postage. 

If you do the just add a stamp route, you will be sending with a DC for only one book and the other will need to wait until it is marked received. To be able to mark the second one mailed, you'd need to "print" a wrapper for the second, just don't add any services so there will be no fees.

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Date Posted: 7/6/2010 5:10 PM ET
Member Since: 3/2/2010
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Thank you all for your help.  I will take the package to the post office.  This will teach me to not respond so quickly to requests.

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Date Posted: 7/6/2010 7:00 PM ET
Member Since: 10/22/2009
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The same thing happened to me once JoAnne.  I did what was suggested here and used my original PBS postage and DC label--and added enough stamps to cover the additional postage.  And then I printed a "dummy label" for the other books just so I could mark them mailed.  And as Melanie pointed out, I only got immediate credit for the first book.  The others (I think there were three additonal) I got credit for when they were marked received.   Sure was nice being able to get all those credits for only one package!