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Topic: Question about a negative credit in my account

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schnappy avatar
Subject: Question about a negative credit in my account
Date Posted: 6/16/2014 11:40 PM ET
Member Since: 2/18/2010
Posts: 171
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My account has been on vacation hold for some time because I really don't use PBS for swapping anymore since I've mostly converted to e-books.   However, there are still some threads I follow here in the forums, so I've kept my account for that reason.  I had forgotten about a book that I had on auto request (it's been there for a couple of years).  Anyway, the transaction took place and the member sent me the book.  I never received it and the book went into "lost" status.   Since I didn't plan on using the site anymore for swapping, and the member was extremely nice to me in her messages, I decided to just "gift" her the remaining 5 credits I had in my account.  Today the book actually came in the mail, so I went to the transaction archive to mark at as received, and I now have negative 1 credits.  My question is, is PBS going to be after me to add a credit to my account so it will return to zero?  

fangrrl avatar
Member of the Month medal
Date Posted: 6/17/2014 1:32 AM ET
Member Since: 12/28/2006
Posts: 14,177
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If the sender was nice (and received some free credits), why don't you nicely ask if she could buddy/friend one of the credits back so your account is no longer negative. 
 

scalta avatar
Scott (scalta) - ,
Friend of PBS-Silver medal
Date Posted: 6/17/2014 5:35 AM ET
Member Since: 2/20/2010
Posts: 723
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The following is from the "Help Docs": (Red highlighting added for pertinent information)

Why is my account balance NEGATIVE?

This happens when you mark a lost or Canceled book received from your Transaction Archive, but do not have any credits.

If a book arrives that was previously declared Lost in the mail en route to you, you have NOT paid for that book.

  • When the book was declared Lost, you got your credit back that you used to request it, and the sender got no credit.
  • If you then receive the book (or mark it received late), you need to give a credit to the sender.
  • Credit will be taken back from you and given to the sender for sending the book.
  • It is very important to give credits to senders who send you books, even if the books arrive late.   Lost books must be marked received if they arrive; not doing this will jeopardize PBS membership.

If a book arrives that was involved in a canceled transaction, again you have NOT paid for that book.

  • You are not obligated to mark a canceled book received
  • If you choose to do this and give credit to the sender, of course that credit will be taken from your account balance.

In either case, if you have no credits when you mark a Lost or Canceled book received, your account will go into a negative balance: you have received more books than you had credits to pay for.

  • The negative credit balance means that PBS has "lent" you credit(s) to pay for the extra book(s)
  • When you send books that are marked received by the requestor, you will get credits, and your "debt" will be paid back to PBS.
schnappy avatar
Date Posted: 6/17/2014 9:45 AM ET
Member Since: 2/18/2010
Posts: 171
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Thanks for the suggestions.