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Topic: what happens if they never mark it as received?

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hillcountrygirl avatar
Subject: what happens if they never mark it as received?
Date Posted: 3/13/2011 4:20 PM ET
Member Since: 3/23/2010
Posts: 190
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I have two books that have been not marked received. 

One was a wish list book I sent with DC but did not buy postage here.  So I did get a credit, but since it costs nearly $4.00 to ship (HUGE book) and was actually a pretty nice book I kinda would like to know the person got the book and appreciated it.   It would be nice.  The post office said it was delivered about two weeks ago. 

The other book was not a wish list book, but it was a large hardcover craft book and was the only one in the system.   I sent it without DC.    

Neither person will respond to a PM. 

This has never happened to me.  Usually when I resort to PM'ing people they quickly mark it shipped and apologize for taking so long.   About eight other books that I sent on the same day were all marked received a long time ago.    It bothers me.

Now I'm looking at their lack of a bookshelf and strange short wish lists and am thinking these people are fairly inactive and possibly never sign on so they didn't see my PM.   If these people never respond will I not get the credit?   I know I would have gotten the credit if I had purchased postage here, but not sure if just purchasing just DC.
FlouncePony avatar
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Date Posted: 3/13/2011 4:27 PM ET
Member Since: 12/31/2009
Posts: 3,995
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You'll keep the credit for the book you purchased DC for.

On the other, you won't automatically receive a credit. They have to mark it received.

Fortunately, a person is required to respond to you when you email them about a problem transaction. If you don't hear from them after the book has gone lost, use the "contact us" link on the bottom of the page and let them know.
hillcountrygirl avatar
Date Posted: 3/13/2011 4:29 PM ET
Member Since: 3/23/2010
Posts: 190
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Thank you for your quick answer.   This policy is fine.  Relieves my mind.
FlouncePony avatar
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Date Posted: 3/13/2011 4:34 PM ET
Member Since: 12/31/2009
Posts: 3,995
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P.S. They do not need to log in here. Their email account will fill up with "has this book been recieved" emails. PBS sends automated ones at specific times. They also got an email letting them know that you sent them a message. Unless they used a bogus/unused email when they signed up.



Last Edited on: 3/13/11 4:35 PM ET - Total times edited: 2
Hunter1 avatar
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Date Posted: 3/13/2011 6:58 PM ET
Member Since: 2/26/2006
Posts: 35,126
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The member will not receive an email notification when they receive a PM, unless they have specifically set up their email notifications that way.
fangrrl avatar
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Date Posted: 3/13/2011 10:00 PM ET
Member Since: 12/28/2006
Posts: 14,177
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Fortunately, a person is required to respond to you when you email them about a problem transaction. If you don't hear from them after the book has gone lost, use the "contact us" link on the bottom of the page and let them know.   +1  Two weeks is plenty of time to wait for a busy member, and receive a reply.  So feel free to contact TPTB.

If the books are truly lost in the mail, it becomes more difficult to find them with each passing day.  It's difficult to help a non-responsive member.



Last Edited on: 3/13/11 10:03 PM ET - Total times edited: 1
melanied avatar
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Date Posted: 3/14/2011 12:43 AM ET
Member Since: 8/16/2007
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Here is the Help Center with the actual time lines to follow. If the book without DC is a ways from the lost date, I would recommend not PMing them again until  you get close to the system action date, the Team won't do anything about the transaction or a lack of response until after that time has passed.

If a book you sent hasn't been marked received yet...

A book sent to an active member at PBS will not earn credit until the requestor marks it received, unless PBS Delivery Confirmation is used to send the book.   The average time in transit at PBS is 9 days, which includes books mailed to or from addresses outside the contiguous U.S. 

If your book has been longer than 2 weeks in transit, and has not been marked received:

  • Remember that the requestor may be away from home and unaware if the book has arrived. 

    • If this is the case, he or she can mark it received when he or she returns home. 

      • If the book transaction is still active, he or she can mark it received from the En Route to Me tab in My Account.
      • If the book has been declared lost in the mail, it can be marked received from the requestor's Transaction Archive

  • If you want to discuss the book, you can contact the requestor using the button on the transaction on the Books I've Mailed tab in My Account. If the book has been declared Lost in the Mail, the transaction can be found in your Transaction Archive, linked from the top of your My Account main page.

    • If the member does not respond to your PM within a week, contact us and let us know.
    • Be sure your PM to the requestor specifies the title of the book.

If you sent the book with Delivery Confirmation and it has been recorded as delivered by USPS but hasn't been marked received yet:

  • Remember that the book could have been scanned as "delivered" at the local PO, before it went to the requestor's mailbox--the actual delivery can be a few days later  Also, the book could have been misdelivered.
    • The requestor should check with her mail carrier about this package.
    • The package could also be at her local PO being held for pickup; sometimes pickup notices left by the mail carrier go astray.
  • You should FIRST contact the requestor using the button on the transaction on the Books I've Mailed tab in My Account when a few days have passed after delivery.
    • If the requestor does not respond to your PM within a week, and/or has not marked the book received by a week after the delivery scan, contact us.  We will look into it.
    • If the requestor responds and says she or he DID get the book, she or he can mark the book received one of two ways:
      • if the book has NOT been declared lost in the mail at PBS - from his or her active transactions (on the En Route to Me tab on My Account) as described in How to Mark a Book Received.
      • if the book HAS been declared lost in the mail at PBS - from his or her Transaction Archive (linked from the top of the My Account page)  as described in I received a book that was 'lost in the mail'.
  • If you used DC purchased through PBS, or PBS Printed Postage, you will already have gotten your credit for sending the book.

If you sent the book with DC purchased elsewhere and it has been recorded as delivered by USPS but hasn't been marked received yet:

  • First, contact the requestor from the active transaction (in the Books I've Mailed tab in My Account), or from the "lost" transaction in your Transaction Archive if the book has been declared Lost in the Mail by PBS.
  • If the requestor does not respond to your PM within a few days, contact us and we will look into it.
  • We cannot grant credit for DC purchased outside PBS, but we can check if this requestor has become inactive.
  • If this requestor is inactive, your book should be marked received by the system.

If your book does not arrive by the 26th day (the 35th day if the sender or requestor is outside the contiguous US) after you marked it mailed, it will be declared Lost in the Mail at PBS.  This does not mean that the book is actually lost; it may simply be delayed en route.  You can read more about Lost books in A book I sent is lost in the mail!.
fangrrl avatar
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Date Posted: 3/14/2011 12:31 PM ET
Member Since: 12/28/2006
Posts: 14,177
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Like Melanie says, you will want to keep your eye on the 'lost' date.  For books mailed without DC, you have no real way of knowing when it may have been delivered and should not contact the receiver until close to the date the book will go lost.
Generic Profile avatar
Date Posted: 3/15/2011 3:09 PM ET
Member Since: 8/22/2009
Posts: 1
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In my case the receiver admits she got the book. It arrived late so she couldn't click the "received"  button unless she went to her transaction archive, which she couldn't seem to do. After having sent instructions three times and talking to live help as well as  doing the "contact us" feedback,  I'm still waiting for an explanation of what comes next. Ideas?
DuskyRose avatar
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Date Posted: 3/15/2011 5:34 PM ET
Member Since: 8/18/2005
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In my case the receiver admits she got the book.

Use the "Contact Us" button on the bottom of your screen, and let TPTB (The Powers That Be) know what's going on. They can look at your PM's.  If she admits getting your book, and can't seem to understand what to do to mark it received, they can transfer the credit and maybe help her understand what to do.

They're really good about that kind of stuff.

 
IlliniAlum83 avatar
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Date Posted: 3/20/2011 6:34 PM ET
Member Since: 4/28/2009
Posts: 21,661
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hmmmm, I had lots of books go "lost" on their way to me when I lived in Europe in 2009-- they always showed up just 1-2 weeks after the "lost" date so were never really lost, just took longer to get to those military locations. The button to mark the book "received" never disappeared after the lost date passed so don't  know why they can't find the button.  

As discussed here in forum recently, the book could take months to get to you and the recipient would still be able to give you credit eventually.

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