Hi All,

Am I the only one with these issues? I purchased QuickCredits for three books.  Two of the books were in one package and the other book was separate. They were all handed in at the same time at the local post office where the clerk scanned them in front of me. I received the QuickCredit the next day for the single book, but still no sign (4-5 days later) of the the QuickCredit for the two books in one wrapping. How can this be explained? I did read the Help area for this answer and I would understand if none of the QuickCredits had surfaced yet. But I don't understand how this particular scenario makes any sense....

When queried, PBS just answered: "We don't understand either.  The workings of USPS are mysterious indeed.  You can ask your local postmaster if he or she has an idea about this.  Let us know if you learn anything helpful."

Anybody out there have an inkling of how this could be happening?

Thanks.

S A A.

The USPS hasn't transmitted the info to PBS yet.  that's all it is.  It does happen. It's a glitch in the USPS system and  all you can do is wait until it gets scanned somewhere or is delivered and marked received.  Sorry!

Ruth

Do you see the scans on the USPS site itself if you paste the tracking number in the box there? If USPS lost the scan records between your local P.O. and their central computer, then this is not a PBS problem.

If you just used PBS DC, which is "Quick Credit", you get your credits when the USPS scans it & transmits the scan to PBS.  That information may not be updated & transmitted until the next day, even if they scanned it right there at the counter.  If they didn't scan it when you dropped it off, it can sometimes take as long as the last stop on a book's journey - it just depends on when it gets scanned.  If you use PBS postage, you get "Instant Credit" when the book is marked mailed.

*Oops.  Edited, because I said "journey to you" instead of to the receiver:P

And I guess I didn't read the initial post all that well, because it looks like you know all of that:P  Did you possibly print your labels for your multiple shipment separately?  This could happen if they weren't printed as a mulitple shipment, and maybe you printed separately, bought 1 DC label for only one of them and then sent them together.  Other reasons for credit delays could be things like printing a regular label, and then reprinting a DC label after accidentally marking the regular label as mailed.  Are either of the two Quick Credits that went in one shipment showing up on your credit registry?

And if you didn't see this from the help docs:

The single PBS-DC barcode will contain information for all the books in a bulk shipment ONLY if the requests have been linked together by the requestor clicking and submitting them as a bulk request. 

• If the requestor submits the requests as multiple individual requests, these cannot be linked together after the fact.
• If this is the case, you will get 1 QuickCredit, and the rest of the books in the shipment will earn credits when they are marked received.

Thanks for the replies.

The two books were shipped together, printed on the same label. Both showed up on the same label. The third book was on a different label, going to a different destination. The single book was credited next day, on the 5th.

Per PBS' suggestion, I did contact the postmaster here. He said that both tracking numbers are in their system since the 4th, when I mailed the books (I have records of the tracking numbers). He even told me that the one that did credit to my account on the 5th or 6th, actually arrived at its destination on the 9th. He said there is no reason why the second number shouldn't have shown up in the PBS system. He also said PBS should check with their end of the service to see what might be malfunctioning.

Here we are on the 11th. A full week after I mailed my books, both packages submitted and scanned at the same time and still no credits for the two books, which are in fact showing up in the USPS system.

Very frustrating! Just wondering now why I should spend extra money on tracking numbers that don't work. I am aware of the Guaranteed option, but this one should work too, in its own right.

I've used it for every book I've sent and never had an issue. Of course there is always going to be a few that go wrong, I would PM the sender and explain that the quick credit did not work and for them to please remember to mark the books recieved.  (Maybe wait another week, incase they have not gotten the book yet).

Before the days of Printable Postage, I used PBS DC all the time, but rarely received my Quick Credit before the Requestor received the book (something to do with the scanning process used at a district southern California postal center) but my Quick Credits were rarely "quick"; however I was glad to have the credit guarantee and the tracking...

Now we have Printable Postage - I love it!!!!  No more trips to the Post Office, and I get my Instant Credit right away.  I use it all the time!

I never just use the Quick Credit DC, I go ahead and spend the extra 16 cents to get PBS postage and instant credit, and then I get my credit as soon as I mail and can spend it right away if I want to.  You need more money up front in your PBS account, but it's worth it to me to not have to stand in line at the PO and I'm not waiting for my credits, even overnight.  No fuss, no muss.  It's not practical for everyone, and I have to watch what I'm spending and not go wild with my specials so I'm not spending too much on postage every month, but when you're trying to clear out your inventory & you have money in your postage budget, it's very convenient.

Occasionally I run into  a problem that I currently have - I used PBS postage and DC and got my credit when I marked it mailed.  But the book has never been scanned by USPS.  And it should be there already. It isn't.  I PM'd the member about it.  It will go lost on the 15th. It went from VA to NY (or so the route should have been).  It hasn't been scanned in in NY.  So I have no clue what has happened.  I feel badly about it.  I've had this happen only once before.  Eventually, the book showed up.  I'm hoping this one will, too.

Ruth

Couple of questions - Does the USPS.com tracking site show any scans on the 2 book package DC? When you click on the Details button on that package on PBS does it just say received or does it list any scans there? Did you mark both packages as mailed in the PBS system at the same time? Was that before or after mailing and if after mailing, how long after?

Just a quick reminder folks... DC is not intended as a tracking number or system.  It's Delivery Confirmation, that's all.  The PO has no obligation to scan that code at any point prior to actual delivery.

No, they don't, but the OP says that it was scanned in fornt of her when she mailed it, so we are trying to figure out why that scan that she is aware of did not trigger the quick credit.

I realize that the OP says it was scanned Melanie, and I have no answer for why it's not showing up in the system.  But a few people, including the OP, referred to it as a "tracking" number, which it really isn't.  It's a common misconception I've found on PBS.  A lot of members equate it with things like UPS or FedEx tracking numbers, where the item is scanned in and out of every point on its route up to the final delivery point, and it was never intended to work like that.