i rec'd a book two days ago....a book i didn't order or have on my wish list...it was sent media mail from VA ( i don't have any friends in Fairfax).  The package was wrapped in brown paper and hand addressed to me with a return address but no name.  The book inside was carefully wrapped in plastic wrap...it is a hardcover copy of a brand new book that is wish listed by over 500 people.   there is no member info inside the book...do i have any other way of contacting the sender?  Is there a way to search the system by an address? Its not a book i'm interested in reading and i'm tempted to just post it and get it off to the next person on the WL....any ideas?  what would YOU do?

Wow, you have yourself a mystery!  My first thought was whether or not you are sure it came from PBS, since the wrapper was done by hand.  If I were you, I'd contact the site's owners (use the "contact us" link at the bottom of this page) with the return address and name of the book and see if it came from PBS and if so, how to contact the sender.

I agree, I think the only way you'll be able to figure this out is by contacting R & the PBS team and see if they can figure out who sent you the book.

You could also try writing a letter about the problem and dropping that in the mail to the return address on the book and ask them to contact you about the book they sent.  Do you have another book enroute to you?  If so, PM the sender and ask if they didn't send you this book by mistake.

i had one book en route to me from VA...and i contacted THAT member assuming it might have been a mix-up...but the book she sent me arrived today and we've been in contact so i know its not her.  I'll contact R&R and see if they can help.  thanks!

Did you run through the possibilities in the Help Center doc I received a book I didn't request! ?  It sounds awfully exciting from the bibliophile perspective!  Good luck solving the mystery :)

Hmm. I was going to suggest that someone sent you the wrong book but it sounds like you've already checked that.  Interesting.  I guess the only thing you can do is contact PBS, give them the address and see if they can help.  If they can't do anything then I guess you can post it and make someone's day.

Maybe it was just a gift and had nothing to do with PBS?  LOL   Just a thought - others do give us books now and then.

I have only been here a short time and have been involved in 3 mismailings. Once I received someone else's books , and twice mine went astray. In the first case, I mailed it to the original requestor for the sender, and in the other 2, the recipient mailed mine to me (the last happened yesterday and 8 books went astray!)

For the one I received in error, the sender offered me 2 books from her shelf as a reward, so I sent the book first class. It never even was marked lost!

I'm with Jimi. What a cool mystery.

And I wouldn't post it until I did the due diligence of checking with PBS, especially for a WL book with a long wait list. 

I received a book from PBS as a RAOK but it was on my wish list. I have since done the same because I was so excited to receive my WL book so much sooner than I had expected. I would love to know the outcome of this mystery.

Did you do a reverse address look-up on the internet?  As long as their address isn't unlisted, that will produce their name and phone number. That would give you the ability to search the member directory here using their name and state. 

THE MYSTERY IS SOLVED!!!!!!  I am so amazed at the kindness and helpfullness of the members here and the powers that be at PBS.  After much searching (reverse searches by address on the internet, etc.) I contacted R&R who couldn't find the member by the address...but they PM'd back as asked for the ISBN# and postmark date from the package...and with that they found my mystery sender!  It is someone who recently sent me a different book and inadvertently sent me THIS book ...PBS not only connected me with the sender but also gave me the member's name who requested it.  I've PMd the sender and hopefully she'll soon send me the address for the book's rightful recipient (and a credit to cover my postage) ...and soon the book will be on its way to the correct member! 

It really was pretty fun solving the mystery...and though i'm someone who could get really excited about a random act of book kindness like this, i also know how much i look forward to getting the books on my WL and i wouldn't want that experience ruined for anyone else.

Thanks for everyone's help on this...

kiersten

Yeah for the PBS team!  Glad they could solve the mystery and help get the book to the intended member.

That's awesome.

Yay!  I'd been following this, wondering how it would come out.  Thanks for the update!

Well you did the right thing in trying to find out who sent it to you.  So many people would have just reposted it and sent it out or kept the book w/o even trying.