In good faith I shipped a book to a member about a month ago and it was sent first class with delivery confirmation (first class was only a few pennies more than media rate).  The delivery confirmation indicated it was delivered 2 days after I shipped, I waited 2 weeks for an "item received" from the receiver and nothing.  I sent a PM at that time and asked about it with no response, since then I've sent 2 more PM's asking for confirmation they received it and no response from them.  Do I have any recourse?  Do we have a "bad member" listing somewhere.  I haven't been a member very long but I've already sent quite a few books and this one leaves me with a bad feeling about sending anymore out.  I really just want my credit!!  Why do some people have to ruin everything?! 

Perhaps some emergency has prevented the member from signing on the site. They may have been called away for a family or work emergency, or may not have access to a computer due to a fire or some other disaster. Hopefully they will sign on soon and mark this book received from their Transaction Archive.

If you have used PBS DC then you will have already gotten credit for this book. The credit is awarded to the sender as soon as the first scan is reported to the PBS system by the USPS system.

You know, just because it was scanned as "delivered" does not mean it was delivered to the right person or address. DC is really no proof unless you use certified mail or some other service that requires a signature from the receiver. I have had books on the way to me scanned as delivered that I didn't get--I waited and waited, and a few days later, another person in my apartment building came knocking on my door with a couple of my books in hand that were delivered to him by mistake. Had that person not been an honest Joe and brought the books to me, I would never have gotten them--and thus, never marked them received because I would not have received them!

You cannot assume that the receiver is dishonest. Things get misdelivered all the time. The USPS is not infallible. The member might be on vacation or in the hospital. You just never know. If you are going to spend the money for Delivery Confirmation because you're worried about the book getting there or not, I would suggest using the PBS postage or DC so you are at least guaranteed your credit. Personally I've never found it to be a *necessary* thing--having sent over 1100 books and having only a handful go lost over the course of over three years--but if you want that assurance, that's what I'd do.

Cheryl

Is the book still on your My Account page? If so, look at the transaction listing to find the System Action Date, which will be 26 days after you mailed the book.

As that date approaches, the system starts sending out "Did you get this?" emails to the requestor asking her to login and mark the book received if she got it. If she never logs in, then the system will assume that her account was abandoned and mark the book "received" for you on the system action date.

If the other member is active, and doesn't mark your book received, then the system will mark your book "lost in the mail" on the system action date. If that happens, it means the other member is ignoring your PMs. This behavior is frowned upon pretty heavily. If your book does go lost after you've been ignored, you should use the Contact Us link at the bottom of the screen to ask the PBS Team for help. They may or may not be able to give you a credit, depending on the specific circumstances of this transaction, but at least they will become aware of the bad behavior of this member.

If you are purchasing delivery confirmation anyway, I highly recommend purchasing PBS DC when you print the wrapper. You pay PBS 27 cents for it, and the USPS 18 cents. The total is less than buying DC at the Post Office, plus you get a credit even if your book is lost in the mail.

I had a book I requested 10/6 and I know from following the DC map that the book made it to my area but I have yet to see this book.

I contacted my sender to tell her and she like you recieved confirmation but still for me no book so I just keep up hope that one day I will get the book. I guess this does happen every now and then and maybe the reciever hasn't been able to get back with you yet.

So Sorry about your misfortune, Pam.  I sent you a credit to help take some of the sting out of things:P  Hope everything works out & try not to get discouraged.  These things do happen occasionally, but overall, PBS is a great place to swap books online - the best out there, IMO - and if you stick with it, you'll find that overall, problems like the one you're having now really don't happen that frequently.  Best of luck:)

as others have said, it may not have been delivered to her but if you used PBS-DC then you should already have your credit (check your credit registry)

Also, it is possible that this person is not a member any more.  Once the book goes lost you would get your credit if you used DC outside of PBS (since it has been scanned and you would have already received your credit)

We cannot control the post office so I'm not sure why you think this person is ruining it for you.  I have had a few books being sent to me go lost and no clue where they ended up.  It happens.

I have a similar situation. I sent a book on October 18th first class, didn't get any DC for it. After a little over a week, I PMed her to see if she'd received it - no response. I sent another PM the following week and again no response. We're going on 3 weeks for a first class book; even from Hawaii that's crazy. If it's truly lost, I'd love to know about it but given that she hasn't replied to PMs, I'm not sure it's really lost. It still has another week or so before the system declares it lost or whatever.

We're going on 3 weeks for a first class book; even from Hawaii that's crazy.

Maybe unusual, but I wouldn't think so unusual when headed for Hawaii. I had a local, First Class book take more than three weeks to go thirty miles.

I wouldn't keep PM'ing  her about it. After the book's gone lost, then PM once and wait a week. If they don't respond, then contact PBS so they can check to see if the member is still active.

With all the cutback of flights, that'll probably affect mail across country and especially to Alaska and Hawaii.

http://current.newsweek.com/budgettravel/2008/07/flight_cutbacks_what_fall_look.html

I think the PO just rents cargo space on commercial flights. I don't think they have their own planes. Even if they do, they may be sitting on the tarmac longer.

I don't intend to PM her again until it's officially lost by PBS. The only reason I did before was because it was sent first class and should have arrived long ago. I've only been a member for a bit over a month but any time I send out first class it's received within a week aside from this one; usually four days. So in my experience, 3 weeks for first class mail is more then unusual. Aside from the book sent media mail to Alaska that day, the others sent out (media mail) have all been received. I have a hard time believing they made it off island but the one first class book didn't - but i don't work there so maybe you're right, stranger things have happened lol. Like the flip side of sending out two books media mail and two packages parcel post and having them arrive in three days lol or the book I sent media mail last Friday that arrived in New York on Monday.

I ordered a book from Hawaii weeks ago, and still a no-show. I've received two emails from the club wondering if I received it. At this point I can't remember why I ordered it.

I shipped a book out to Hawaii from Florida on 10/22 and Details show it's still in CA today, 11/11. I figure USPS makes a large batch of media mail destined for HI and flies it out at when the bin gets full. Of course, that's just an opinion on my part.

Maybe it's on a slow boat. heh

It can take forever to get books to and from Hawaii and Alaska.  I haven't had one yet that was received before the PBS system declared them "lost".  They all did eventually show up.  It's just a long process.

Ruth

I had a 1st class book take 3 wks to go from MD to CT which only a days drive.  You just never know.  The book that shows as delivered could be sitting in her neighbors house because they're too lazy to bring it to the right house.  I frequently find mail in my box for other streets.  One time I found 3 PBS books in my newspaper box.  The mailman had delivered all of them to my neighbor who stuck them in my newspaper box.  We don't get the newspaper so it's pure luck that I noticed them.