I requested a book last week and I kept expecting any day to get a notice saying it had been mailed but so far nothing. I got curious and went to my transaction log and it says they have until the 15th to mark it mailed so, it's not late or anything and not a big deal. But I also checked the details of the swap and noticed that it says the label was printed on 10/10 but then it also says under delivery confirmation events the USPS DC # and that electronic shipping info was received in Columbus.

So I'm wondering first; if the sender uses PBS printable postage, does that auto-send electronic shipping info to a P.O. or does the DC have to actually be scanned in order to get into the system and show shipping details?  If she actually did get the book mailed out and just forgot to mark it as mailed; come the 15th, won't it try to put the book back into the system even though it's already on it's way to me?

I just want to try and clarify what all the details mean because if the shipping info was received and that means it is in fact on it's way, I'd like to send a PM just to remind them to mark it mailed in case they forgot so it doesn't gunk up the system but if it just means that they've printed the postage, then no biggie; they still have several days left before it's required to be mailed and I won't bother them with a PM.

Don't know on Delivery Confirmation, but I do know that the "postage printed" date may or may not be worth spit.  Anytime someone clicks on that button (by accident or otherwise) it resets the date, even if they don't even go to the address page.  The button is still available even after you have marked the package as mailed.  This means that if the book sender mailed the package and you had already received it, if they then clicked on the button before you marked it as received the "postage printed" date would be after you had already received the book.

"Electronic shipping info was received" means that they printed the label with delivery confirmation.  It doesn't mean the book has been scanned.  Good question!

If she mailed the book but doesn't mark it mailed by the deadline, the server will cancel the transaction.  It will order another copy for you, if there is another copy available, or will place the book on your wish list.  You won't get an e-mail if it orders another copy, but if there are no copies left, you'll get an e-mail.

The member will get a "remember to mark the book mailed" type e-mail before the deadline, and a "your transaction was canceled" one after the deadline.

If the sender  mailed the book but forgot to mark it mailed, and the transaction cancels and is passed on to a new sender, you will see a new "request date", and if you click the PM button, there will be another person's name there instead of the name you see now.

I have in fact received a book before it was marked mailed and I sent them a PM to let them know . I couldn't mark it received until they marked it mailed, LOL. Lucky that the book traveled fast.

You would be able to mark it received from your Transation Archive if it timed out.  You don't have to if you receive another copy of the book.  But you should at least try to prevent getting 2 copies by putting it on hold on your WL or cancelling the next transaction when it reorders it for you.  At least until you give the original sender a chance to respond to your PM asking if they mailed it or not.

Thanks everyone; good info

"Electronic shipping info was received"  - this notation merely means that a USPS DC number has been generated, and is no indicator whether or not the package has in fact been mailed.  'Acceptance' or 'enroute' scans would mean the book is actually in the hands of USPS.