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Topic: Return to Sender? My book takes a vacation.

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grain-damaged avatar
Subject: Return to Sender? My book takes a vacation.
Date Posted: 2/23/2008 5:55 PM ET
Member Since: 12/29/2007
Posts: 1
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I'm kinda new here and tried looking for this in the help section but couldn't find an answer. I thought perhaps someone here would know. A request for a book came in to me. I promptly agreed to send out the book, printed out the label with postage ($2.65) from home, wrapped up the book and popped it in the mail box. A few weeks later I get a notice from the post office informing me that I have a package and could I please come pick it up because there's postage due. I go to the post office and it's the book I sent with a yellow notice on the front that said "Moved. Left no address. Unable to forward. Return to sender. Post due $2.65" I paid the ransom money to the post office to get my book back. As it turns out Media Mail is "one way" postage. No returning to sender for *free*! So while I've received one credit for this book, I now have it back and have paid a total of $5.30 for it to take a vacation around the country. Heh. So I guess my question is there a way to recoup the loss or should I just repost the book on my shelf or what do you do in this situation? It also seems odd to me that she would request a book and then move? (or could she be an inactive member who had set up an automated request ages ago and moved in the meantime?) How can I avoid this kind of situation in the future? (No I have not contacted her - what would I say? "Give me $5.30 and I'll send it to you?" That would be, uh... awkward. Thanks All!
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Friend of PBS-Silver medal
Date Posted: 2/23/2008 6:36 PM ET
Member Since: 12/21/2007
Posts: 1,642
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The same thing just happened to me! I wound up paying over $5 to get my book back. I think I had to pay 1st class for its return.

I simply reposted the book I'd sent. I have no idea where the person is for mine. She had it sent to an address in one state but was in the middle of moving. It came back with a note that said-notify sender of new address with the new address on it but yet it was still returned to me. So I guess it's a one way trip and also doesn't include forwarding--although they had the new address. The funny thing? It went through the city where she now lives to get back to me. But I can't read the new address and the book went missing/lost over a month ago.

 

 

Cattriona avatar
Member of the Month medalFriend of PBS-Gold medal
Date Posted: 2/23/2008 7:57 PM ET
Member Since: 7/7/2007
Posts: 4,815
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Jenn--

The Help Center does say (under "A Book I Sent Was Returned To Me!"):

"Please contact the requestor to let him/her know, and to confirm the proper address.  If the book has already been declared lost in the mail at PBS, you should not re-send it unless the requestor confirms that she/he still wants it. 

  • You cannot re-send the book if it is damaged.  If it is damaged, contact us to cancel the transaction.

  • You are not obligated to re-send the book if this happened due to a problem with the requestor's address.   If the book was not damaged when it came back to you, and you do not want to re-send the book to the previous requestor, you can simply repost it. 

  • If you do not get a reply message from the requestor within 5 days of your PM, contact us."

    Nothing about recouping your losses, unfortunately, but definately contact the requestor to let them know what has happened.

    Cheers,

    Catt