I've never come across an RC like this. 

The request was to NOT put tracking on the book. 

I'll go along with the posters request, but it's just much, much easier for me to do printable postage, get the instant credit, and mail the book on my way to work.

I just don't comprehend why someone would NOT want tracking on the book.

Okay, I'm with you - I don't understand, either.  I can only think of one absurd reason (because of my father's ridiculous biases) and that would be that it was coming from a "Yankee" state and not from a "southern" state.  But that is way out there.  I can't think of any other reasons.

Ruth

Perhaps they've had a bad experience in the past with people pestering them to mark the book received when in fact the "tracking" or DC was wrong? Or they feel they have more leverage with problem books if someone didn't already get the instant credit? Or, thinking more suspiciously, they intend to let  the book go lost to avoid spending a credit for a free book?

Sophia- It wouldn't matter if she used DC or not if the book went lost. The requestor would receive their credit back regardless.

This is way out there, but I have noticed that books without DC tend to come to me faster. I am not sure why, but it's been a trend I have noticed the past few months. Maybe that is their reasoning?

You should ask, and let us know how they answer, I'm curious too!  :)

makes me suspicious, lol

Sophia- It wouldn't matter if she used DC or not if the book went lost. The requestor would receive their credit back regardless.

That's true, but wouldn't it look more suspicious if there's a record (available to PBS) that the book was delivered? 
Another more benign reason is that sometimes people send packages with "tracking" which require a signature upon delivery, and if no one is there to sign for it, a trip to the PO might be required.

Perhaps they've had a bad experience in the past with people pestering them to mark the book received when in fact the "tracking" or DC was wrong?

This makes the most logical (and benign) sense.  But it's still an odd request. 

If I normally used the printed postage I would probably decline that one. Also the PBS DC doesn't require a singature so I can't think of any reason they wouldn't want it used.  You can use DC for a post office box right?

This is only a guess, but maybe someone sent this member a book with DC and then harrassed her about whether she received it.

I mean, how often does someone come to Questions about PBS and ask about how delivery confirmation works and why is the  book listed as delivered and why hasn't the member marked it received?

"But it DC says it's been delivered"

I know I recently asked this question.

So I can imagine someone using DC without understanding what "delivered" can actually indicate. I imagine the sender asking the receiver why hasn't she marked it received when the poor receiver hasn't actually received it. Thus accusations fly and harrassment in general and therefore this person writes an RC asking members not to ship using DC.

The end.

Oh, and I'd decline that RC.

It's a huge hassle for me to drive down to the post office when I can print postage in the convenience of my own home. Really, .43 cents for DC is nothing compared to driving across town.

Like Adrienne, it looks suspicious to me. 

If premature pm's were the issue, the RC would be better saying 'my post office scans upon arrival at the unit, acutal delivery to my door can be days later.  I mark books received promptly.  If you use DC, please wait at least a week to ask if I've received your book.'

I probably wouldn't accept this RC.  It's none of the requesters business if I choose to secure my credit and piece of mind by using DC.  Maybe the requester would perfer to buddy you a credit in advance, that way the risk is hers?

After sleeping on it, it looked suspicious to me, too.

I'm a firm believer in CYA, and putting tracking on the books, does that for me.  ;)

When you do the printable postage, you get instant credit, so there's no worrying about the receiver marking it received, or when it's been marked delivered.

That book's been on my bookshelf for a while, I was going to be happy to send it off to a new home, but I don't want to deal with a scam/drama/ect.

I would decline it also, whatever their weird reason for not wanting tracking, beecause I send all my books with PSB printable postage.I'm not making a special trip to the PO just because someone has a barcode phobia.

Cheryl

I would decline that RC too, for the only reason is if you request a book from me, it is coming from an APO address, and I want to make sure it gets there.

Sorry, seems fishy to me.

My guess:  it  has more to do with an irrational fear of government tracking services than an attempt to scam a free book.  If it were me, I'd accept the request and send a PM asking for clarification. I use DC on all my books and DVDs and would want a good reason not to. It's possible that what the requestor thinks of as "tracking" is signature required receipt or something and doesn't want to mess with it.  If they were clear about not wanting the DC from PBS on their package, then I would cancel the request on my end.

If you ask and get an answer, will you post an update?  color me very curious...

I'm also curious if you do ask why. Please report back

I don't know that folks with the out-of-control irrational phobias (thinking they're being tracked and observed, etc) would even belong to PBS since there are cookies involved with it and they have to give a name/address that would be trackable and easily hackable, I think. I wold tend to think more that they had been hounded by more than one member who used DC on their books and started PMing them as soon as the book was scanned delivered to mark the book received. Or maybe one really bad experience in that vein. That would p*ss me off to no end, although I would never put up an RC like that because of it!

Cheryl

I'd decline as well, as it would involve a trip to the PO rather than printing & dropping in the mail chute at my office.

I would decline as well. I use PBS postage as well and to actually have to GO INTO the post office would be tramatic for me...not really, but it woud e a pain, at the very least.

The reason she gave is because in her opinion, packages with tracking are slower than regular packages.

Sorry.  I normaly never decline an RC, but I'm declining this one.

The reason she gave is because in her opinion, packages with tracking are slower than regular packages.

I knew it! I was right. :) At least I know I am not the only one who has seen this trend.

I knew it! I was right. :) At least I know I am not the only one who has seen this trend.

I haven't noticed this trend at all.  They all seem to get to me around the same time. 

Using delivery confirmation (DC) would NOT slow down a package. If anything it will speed it up. The USPS does not want to look bad by delivering something late. DC would track this, no DC would not. I'm sure people can give examples of a late package in both cases. I've mailed and received hundreds of packages and see no trend that the ones with DC are slower.

The thing that does slow down a package is handwritten addresses vs online generated postage. Since the online generated has a bar code that machines can read. Handwritten does not and must be read by a human being. This does slow that particular package down.

Christina, I know this.  You know this.  I don't know where the idea came from.

Cyn,

Media Mail is so arbritary. There are many factors that can slow a package down. Unfortunately people look for a trend with a few packages that are slow and they see aha-they used DC! But, there were other factors that they could not see, like what state did it come from? Some local post offices are slower than others. Media Mail packages are the last to be put on the truck. Maybe those packages were waylaid because of that. Sometimes a package goes on a vacation around the country-LOL! It could be many things.

But, I firmly believe, like you, it is not the use of DC. I doubt that we can convince your requestor of that - their mind is made up. Good thing to decline that RC!

Blessings,
Christina