A member recently said that a book I requested was mailed on July 25th and I FINALLY received book today, yes I know there are postal delays but that wasn't the case here, the post mark on the book was August 5th. So this book was in fact not mailed on the 25th but almost 2 weeks later ok so more like a week and half. I guess when I mark a book mailed it was in fact put in a mailbox and on it's merry way. Marking a book mailed doesn't mean to me that I have decided to mail it on that day and I will mail it sometime in the near future.

What  do others think about this?

how do you know it wasn't mailed until Aug 5th?  are you talking about the stamp that the PO uses to cancel and it shows the 5th or was it postage actually purchased on the 5th so it is on the postage stamp?

If you are talking about the stamp that the PO uses to cancel postage then it is very possible it wasn't stamped until some point down the road.  There are people that have gotten books months later and it was truly mailed when they said it was mailed.

If the date is on the  postage stamp...well that is a whole 'nother story!

also remember that according to the help docs you can mark it mailed before it was mailed if you are on your way out of town and such.  it is possible they mailed a whole bunch and this one slipped underneath the seat or they gave it to someone else to mail and they didn't until now.

there are lots of possible reasons why it happened the way it did and the best thing to do is ask (nicely!)

I had someone say they mailed a book on a certain date, and it was actually mailed 3 weeks later (think probably at the time that PBS asks them if they mailed it).  I was unhappy, but there's not much you can do.

I'm like you.  I don't mark them mailed until they actually are, however there is something in the PBS rules that says they can mark them mailed even when they aren't, but I think it's like for when you're going to drop them off on your way out of town for vacation, etc., and you won't be returning to your house to mark them mailed.

They also have a two day window to mail after they say something's been mailed, but again that's not nearly 2 weeks.

Pat

Unless you received a duplicate as a result of the delayed shipment (such as another offer of a WL book or rollover to another member), I'd just mark the transaction received and make sure I filled out the survey form with the date of the postmark. Someone who habitually sends books out that late won't be a member here for long, I'd think.

Hugbandit7- It was a Postage Sticker that I've seen the post office print out and the date of purchase was Aug 5, so it can't be more clear as to when it was mailed out than that but I do understand what you are saying but that isn't the case here. I've bought postage at the post office seeing this sticker before, I'm not sure if I'm describing them correctly or not, but I know that the date on them means the date the postage was bought.

I'm not angry or anything I'm just venting the fact that if someone states the book is mailed then it should be in fact mailed and if there is a problem then the person mailing should be communicating.

Jessica,

When you mark the book received, be sure to fill out the survey portion and note the date, PBS will send them a reminder if it's been too long from Marked Mailed to the date on the postmark or USPS postage sticker.  Beyond that?  I'd try hard not to get too upset about it.  The thing is, you just never know what this person has had going on.  Where they just inconsiderate?  Maybe, sure. Maybe it slipped under the seat and they just found  it (as mentioned above. :-)...OOPS!  Maybe they asked their spouse to mail it and, well, oops again.  Maybe it's more serious than that, this reason for late mailing... Did they have a death in the family?  Unexpected illness?  You just cannot know, and it's probably best not to assume the worst.

Just for the record, one of my first books, incoming,  was mailed ridiculously late, too, and I sent in feedback complaining (this was before the survey option).  TPTB sent me a great response.  It acknowledged my annoyance, while pointing out that anything could be the reason for the delay...they had quite a list of possiblities,  It brought me up short and made me think about it.  So, I admit it, now I try to point out some of those possible reasons, too. ;-)

I hope you enjoy your book!

then yes, something happened and it was mailed really late.  I was trying to give them the benefit of the doubt but there is no getting around metered postage and the date!

For whatever reason (enforceability?), mailing late seems to be considered less of a sin here than other rule-breaking.

As others have said, though, if it's a pattern with a member TPTB will deal with it.

Not that it applies to this but I just realized a few days ago that if you are using printed postage, and say that you can mail a week later then print the postage and mail that day, it will say that it was mailed on the day you origionally said you can mail it. I always pick the last day just in case something happens but I generally mail earlier than that. Like I mailed a book on the 8th but the wrapper said the 10th. I'm sure that has happened several times and I just didnt notice it till now.

Again doesnt apply here but if you run across a printed postage book that says it was mailed later than it was marked as mailed thats probably why.

Chris,  I just noticed that too with the last batch of books I sent.  I always choose the last day to mail.  But I printed the wrappers not even paying attention to the date printed.  So I sent them-and marked them sent- on the 3rd of august, but the wrappers had all kinds of different dates on them.  2 as late as august  7th.  I was sure that the reciever would think I marked them mailed several days before I actually mailed them.

What can you do. 

Or, it could be like MY Post office and send me back the Printed postage Label from July 12 with a survey to fill out so they can know what was supposed to be inside my lovely package.  (Looking over at Beth... :P)   At least she got her credit back and I can try to finger out WHY the book went lost.   Strange things happen sometimes, especially here. Jeez, glad I'm moving!!!  hehe

I normally mark mine after I get back from the PO but if I know I'm not coming back anytime soon I'll mark if before I leave. But I never mark anything mailed without mailing it.

Yeah, what she said.

I will mark mailed when I am on the way to the PO Box, particularly if I am then going on to work and will not be at my coumputer for several hours.

I have sometimes had reasons to mark books mailed a couple of days before actually mailing them.  Usually these are reasons are related to multi-book orders and/or deals.  I try very hard to have notified the other member in advance and have gotten their agreement.

eek! I always choose the last day and never look at the post mark. With some instate  1st class I bet the post mark states it was mailed after the person received it.

I've had the same thing happen recently as well and the sender actually admitted she hadn't mailed it when she originally clicked that she had.   I was really irritated at first but I got over it!  At least the book was in good condition unlike some of the horrors members have gotten  with water damage, mold etc.  The best thing to do is fill out the survey form and make a notation in the box listed for other comments to PBS.

This seems to be happening a lot to me here lately... and I'm still waiting on something to show up from SwapADVD too... While I feel a bit better that I am not alone, I had become a bit spoiled by previous transactions -- especially those who (like myself) used DC.

I know that the system protects me but its still a bummer to have credits tied up for so long AND I am a little fearful if I was  to have a series of bad/unresolved/lost in mail transactions (as the requestor).

I guess I am now going off topic, my apollogies!  I will endeavor to try not to think about the actual date of mailing and give people the benefit of the doubt... still boggles that I've had so many of these in a row but what can you do?