Waiting 8 days for somebody to mail a book.

Maybe that is the only day they can get to the post office.

I've heard that excuse many times. Personally I think the biggest reason people take a long time to mail is because they know it is allowed. I think it is a case of taking advantage of the situation. I know there is nothing to be done about it. I am reconciled to putting up with it when it happens but it still irritates me when it happens.

How often does that happen to you? That's a real question. I'm always curious about different members' experiences with the site.

Since I asked, I'll share my own data, I went through the first page of my transaction archive after filtering for books requested by me and calculated number of days from request to mailing for each book I received successfully. A book mailed the same day it was requested was recorded as 0, next day was 1, etc.

Mean: 1.945 days

Median: 2 days

Min: 0 days

Max: 6 days

Mode: 0 days

Here's my take:

I have had some real quick mails and some real slow ones, however, I really don't know how things are for th eperson mailing it. For example, I work next to a post office, running there is pretty easy unless I get the week from h*ll. I have had lunch meetings that the company catered in (haha..so we couldn't escape! lol) and when the bigwigs come in for a week, it's a game changer. I truly may not hav ebeen able to get to the post office quick in that case.

I guess I figure real life gets in the way sometimes and it's stuff beyond people's control. In my own life, going by this past summer:

2 coworkers were in car accidents

1 friend lost her nephew

my assistant lost her sister

My cousins daughter was depressed, dropped out of school, etc

and the list goes on..all those people had unexpected things happen and I guarantee, if they were on here, mailing a book quick just wouldnt be on the list.

What I dont like is people who click mailed but the book never arrives. If you ask for tracking, they threw the receipt away (if they answer the pm) etc It stops me from being on the WL line for awhile until it goes lost and even then you have to wait a bit (in case it arrives, you have to give the credit, even if you accepted the offer again..) Maybe they truly mailed it and it really went lost..I dont know but it always seemed funny especially when I get the book (sometimes) after the lost date nd realize it was mailed a few days prior.

I am not sure why you assume that people are either "fast" mailers or "slow" mailers. I am both at the exact same time.

I mail out once a week, usually but not always, on a weekend.

If you order from me just after I have mailed, you are gonna wait at least 7 days.

If you order from me right before I am mailing, you might get your books mailed in under 24 hours.

So, some people have the impression that I am a super fast mailer.

Some people have the impression that I am a relatively slow mailer.

I went to the post office this week with one package that was about 7 days old, one package that was less than an hour old (good timing on them), and a coupe of packages somewhere in the 3-4 day range.

Personally I think the biggest reason people take a long time to mail is because they know it is allowed.

You are 100% correct. I go to the Post Office when it fits my schedule. I start making it fit my schedule as I notice that I need to mail stuff out soon.

By the way, the Post Office is 10 miles from my house, and I can't mail from my house.

I believe that all of the people who mail really fast and believe that everyone else should do so as well are either more convenient to the PO or can mail from their house.

Where I moved to does not have blue drop off boxes. (Old house had one next to the grocery store, about three blocks away.) Closest drop off box is up a hill, over eight blocks away. The two closest post offices would mean that I have to drive and park. One on a busy strret, one near construction.

My last house was on the end of the postal route. The mailman piucked up packages. Here it is up to the carrier. Our standard one will not pick up media mail packages.

It is not just that it is allowed. I used to mail out within hours, if not minutes. Now it will be days.

If you order from me just after I have mailed, you are gonna wait at least 7 days.

I would settle for 7 days. What I am talking about is 8, 9 or even 11 days.

7 days to me..is the same as 8 or 9..if you're willing to settle for 7, 8 doesnt seem like far off.

Are you talking mailing or the whole process? Mailing isn't 11 days...

Tops is 10 right?

(meaning that after that someone can rwap for late mailing)

Truly not trying to be snarky, but maybe if your expectations were not so high, you'd have less irritation. 
If you expected it to take 4-6 weeks to receive a book you've ordered, then  (my perspective) anything less would be a smile-maker.

I always choose the longest possible time for mailing. I may mail the following day - doesn't matter - stuff happens. 
A few months ago I posted a WL book, and when it was accepted, I chose the longest possible date to mail.  GOOD THING! 
The following afternoon when my desk and table were cleared for action, I printed the label ... only...  it didn't - the first lines were good then faded to blank before the end of label.  The data from the printer showed that the cartridge was still nearly 1/4 full, but it was over a year old and was the original for this printer - so, a trip to town (minimum 50 mile round trip) to buy ink cartridge - and do anything else that needed doing in town because - 50 miles. 
Back home, install new cartridge; nothing  - ran through all the troubleshooting - still won't print.  Well, of course not, the 1 yr. warranty on the printer had just run out - lol. 
Then life interfered and I was unable to make another trip to town until 3 days later to buy another printer.
OK, back home with new printer, all set up and working - label printed and package ready to go, only - yup, it's Saturday -AND- Monday is a holiday - so two more days before it actually gets picked up by my carrier - 8 days, or 9 before the first postal scan.
This was definitely NOT the norm, but as I said, stuff happens.
 

As I was reading Sara's post , its alot like me.  I only mail once a week ( I have a disability and dont drive) I go out and about on the weekends ,thats when I mail, so if you order from me on a Monday or begining of the week I cant mail then. but if you order like a Friday , then I will get it out in a day or 2.   And I'm completly fine with others doing the same.  I have a pretty big TBR pile , so Its not like I need a book ASAP.  I probably wont start a book right away anyway...

"Back home, install new cartridge; nothing  - ran through all the troubleshooting - still won't print.  Well, of course not, the 1 yr. warranty on the printer had just run out - lol. "

9th rule of appliances: As soon a s the warranty runs out said appliance goes kerplunk!

I mail twice a week - I'm retired and my time is my own. The post office is about 5 miles away. I mail on Monday and Thursday and like another poster said, if you catch me right I'm a fast mailer and if not I'm a slow mailer. When I first joined I'd mail almost immediately, but we had a mini-post office in the grocery store down the street. That has since been discontinued, so I set up my days for my convenience.

There are members here in rural locations, no mail service and they have to have a PO box at a PO which is miles away. One of my PBS friends lives 50 miles from his PO and needless to say, he only goes once a week and if the weather is bad, it could be longer. I think one of the common mistakes I see amongst members here is assuming that everybody's life is just like theirs and it rarely is. We all have a unique set of circumstances that determine how fast/slow we can mail out books. 

Why is a printer needed? You can handwrite the address. Do not think I have ever printed a label 9 years. Why waste ink?

Why not use a printer? Makes sense and is easier for the PO.

Well sure but if your printer is not working or you are out of ink instead of not mailing, just handwrite the address. Just common sense.

Buy new ink..people can wait for a book. As long as they're in the time frame ...if it's the last day handwrite but if not, get the new ink. Print it..less chance of error and mail it. <shrug>

She is a printable postage user so likely had paid for postage before she discovered the printer issues. Life happens, impatient members can learn to deal with it. There are so many days to accept a request and so many days to mail. If someone needs a book quickly, ordering from PBS isn't a smart option.

We can reprint the label from a remote location. After one printer died mid batch, I went to the library to print. It was 10 cents a page, but I did not lose my postage.

That said, life varies. Toddlers, home bound, or rural. PBS has it all.

50 miles from his PO and needless to say, he only goes once a week

That is nice info to know about another member you may be trading with. That seems a little different from a member taking 11 days to mail a book and no communication at all. No explanation. I am left completely in the dark. No idea if or when the book will be mailed. The only way I know the book will take 11 days is because on the 11th day the book is suddenly mailed. All of these testimonials from people who mail their books in 7 days or less, these are not the people I am complaining about. As I said earlier there is nothing to be done about it. It's just one aspect of the club that frustrates me. I reserve the right to complain about it.

I always choose the longest possible time for mailing. I may mail the following day - doesn't matter - stuff happens.

When I had a car I mailed faster.  My dd had a car accident and totalled her car (thank g-d she's fine).   DH gave her his and uses mine for work now.  So right now I don't have a car of my own and not sure if we are replacing.  (forced retirement looming).  I am not in the best of health and don't like running out to do 1 thing, so I try to schedule going to the post office when I have other errands to run.  

Charles

I'm with you. Maybe an outlier but I can live with it.

Communicate! It would solve so many issues!

If they're in the time frame allowed by one there is no need to communicate.