Three books I requested from two different members all were marked as "lost" within 24 hours of each other this week, and honestly I don't believe any of them were ever actually mailed.  One book was coming from in-state, so should have been here in less than a week.  I PM'd the sender about 2 weeks ago to say that I thought the book must be lost since it shouldn't be taking that long in-state, and never got a reply.  That was my second reason for thinking she'd never mailed it to start with.  The other two books were coming from another member, who accepted the request the day after I made it but did not print the wrapper till that 5th day, and then marked them mailed one minute after printing it.  Uh, yeah, sure.    Now her account is listed as being on hold, but it was active only a few days ago.  One of the three was the only copy in the system, too.  I guess I just expect too much from members--thinking that they'd PM a "sorry it didn't went lost"  or even more unlikely a "sorry but I didn't actually mail this because ...". 

I think it is a bit harsh to accuse people of just not mailing books....books go lost all the time...just because a book is mailed "in-state" doesn't mean that it doesn't take a trip Out-of-State with the way the USPS conducts business. I've had books in-state take twice as long as out-of-state books many times.  I am one of those that won't PM for every little thing, I let the system do it's thing...had you emailed me 2 weeks before a book was to go lost I wouldn't have responded either....AND just because that book was in-state doesn't mean it was mailed from there...maybe the person was on vacation and had internet access and mailed it from clear across the country.

You might want to consider it is your local postal service...3 books in such a short time that raises USPS red flags.

Sorry about your frustration, I know it is hard not to get the books when your expectations have been raised like this.  Whether it was USPS fault or the oher traders' fault - we'll never know, but I know that doeesn't change your disapointment.

And since it seems things tend to go in clumps of good and bad luck - I wish you better book luck ASAP.

That's too bad, Dawn. Although I'd like to think that all members mail their books and the ones that get lost are USPS's fault, there are some people that never mail their books - they forget, give them to their hubby, son, etc. to mail and they forget, etc. Hopefully these two members are not among them and you'll get your books soon. :)

*Hugs* Dawn.  Some of these are legitimately lost, an unfortunate number are never sent...either way it's frustrating.

Sorry but I also mark my books mailed just after I print the wrapper, the mailing spot at my work is next to my desk. I wrap my book then print out the label and apply it. So to me it IS mailed once in the out going mail tub.
In state means nothing, mail takes longer to get from one part to another then sending something across country.
I think you are rather frustrated with the books being lost but also harsh on people assuming the worst of them rather then the USPS.
Maybe these books got delievered to another house?

I just had a book I sent first class take almost three weeks to get from Vermont to New Hampshire. I could have walked it there faster. I certainly hope the recipient didn't assume I never sent it. (I bought the postage at the PO window, so there's proof I sent it when I said I did.)

I had a frustrating in-state experience also.  Received a request for book to be mailed to the next town over, just two hwy exits from me (Could walk there and back in a few hours).  A fairly new member, I was curious regarding media mail delivery time for nearby communities & watched this transaction closely.  After two weeks, the book was not logged in as received, so out of curiousity I pm'd.  Almost a week later the member finally answered that yes the book was received, but she had been busy.  BUT the book still wasn't logged in, and my credit was in limbo.  I later pm'd again, and the book was finally noted as received shortly before the 'lost' date.  For my own sanity, I now use Delivery Confirmation. 

OTOH, I've received several books I was sure were never mailed but arrived with damaged labels, or having taken the scenic route.  As Dawn mentions, I'm often cynical of circumstances such as she mentions.  But as experienced members, we know these transactions can be legit and go either way...nothing to do but wait it out and hope for the best.

I'm currently waiting on a book mailed to me with DC.  Requested on 2/22, marked mailed on 2/27, and USPS Acceptance stamp on 3/16...no pm's from the sender so I'm curious to see what clues the label may reveal.  Recently a member pm'd that she would be late mailing a book due to weather/transportation issues.  Much appreciated, and I thanked her profusely for following PBS guidelines for the situation.

The other two books were coming from another member, who accepted the request the day after I made it but did not print the wrapper till that 5th day, and then marked them mailed one minute after printing it.  Uh, yeah, sure.

I sometimes accept and then wait to print the wrapper until several days later. I also click that I've mailed the book before I take it to the PO. Sometimes right after I've printed the wrapper. Just yesterday I accepted, printed, and clicked mail all within 10 minutes. I then mailed about 5 hours later. So I wouldn't assume that when a person marks a book mailed or when they print the wrapper has anything to do with whether or not they mailed the book.

You got your credits back since they went lost, you can still reorder if they don't show up anytime soon. I'd wait a week or so because you never know, they might show up.

One book was coming from in-state, so should have been here in less than a week.

Actually my experience has been that in-state Media Mail takes longer most of the time and in some cases actually goes missing more often.  Of course, that could just be VA and my really crummy PO.

In-state mail won't always be put on a plane like most out of state mail will.  It will sit there until a truck is available to that part of the state and has room for Media Mail.  Here the distribution centers can be MD, VA, or NC to be sent out.  No rhyme or reason that I can tell.  The USPS is a great mystery --- or a great black hole.  ;D

Ruth

had you emailed me 2 weeks before a book was to go lost I wouldn't have responded either..

My PM was close to 4 weeks after the book was marked as mailed, and I was just letting them know that it seemed likely to be lost.  I don't think it's too much to think that some acknowledgement  to that would be appropriate.  I would have done so, but I guess I am the exception. *shrug*

I think I would have liked the PM telling me four weeks later that it hadn't arrived and that you weren't just not logging it in.  That way, they'd know the status and not wonder what is going on at your end.  I'd have acknowledged the PM with a thanks and hoped that it showed up...keep me posted...kind of thing.  But, that is just me, too. I had one book not show up recently, and the mailers realized that they hadn't mailed it, PMed me nicely, returned my credit, and said they would mail it anyway for free.  Now, THAT'S a nice resolve to the question of wonder where it went.  I just thought the post office lost it and it might turn up or not.  I hadn't PMed then yet or anything, because I was waiting til the "lost" period arrived to let them know I never received it. I offered to give them their credit anyway, but they won't let me.  They had computer problems that contributed to it.  So, maybe your person will eventually respond nicely to you.

My 'almost lost' book arrived today *happy dance*

Yay!!  Happy reading!

Hey Dawn ,

I had something similar happen to me.  I mailed out 2 WL books in a short time and both were" lost in the mail" and never got credit for either one.I posted about this in the DOS..den of sin...about a week or so ago.  i posted them in the FIFO ,so it was people I never mailed to before.

I've had 5 books in 4 transactions (I ordered 2 books from 1 of the senders) go lost coming to me since January.  One book I think I "received" but it was the wrong book.  I'm not 100% sure cause I pm'd the sender to ask about it, but her account was closed (not on hold, but closed and I pm'd before noticing this).  Another book had DC that said delivered, but I never got it.  The others, who knows? *shrug*  I'm getting plenty of other books so I'm reluctant to blame my PO, except for the DC one. 

I have had more go lost in the few months of this year then all of last year. 

I've had three books go lost so far on their way to me.  I did end up receiving one of them--sender actually sent the book AFTER the date PBS marked it as lost.  Sent me an PM blaming it on bad weather--Must have had a really horrific winter where she was! LOL

Some areas have experiences lots of bad weather this winter Laura.  But according to PBS guidelines,  if you are mailing several weeks late you must to pm the requester (and maybe get permission to continue the transaction?).

You're right Denise--some areas did have lots of bad weather this winter but...

This book was marked mailed on 12/30/2009

marked lost by PBS on 1/25/2009;

postmarked on 1/30/2009;

recieved on 2/1/2009 (was sent first class)...So the sender was apparently snowed in for a whole month after she marked the book mailed!  I think that's a little bit of a stretch--I'm happy though--I eventually got the book.