I had requested a book in mid-late August.  They printed PBS DC label on August 24th.  Per the "lost in mail" help docs, I have sent the sender a PM (about 1 week after going lost) asking if there was a delay in mailing.  That was well over 2 weeks ago and I've not heard back from them.  I even have gone to my local post office with the DC number and they say that it has never been scanned.  What more should/can I do about this if anything?

Reorder the book.

The person most likely never mailed it. I had this happen twice with no response from either sender and no scans on DC. I think the no response means they never mailed it for whatever reason. One of the people who did this to me is still active on the site adding books to their wish list. I think something must have happened and rather tha explain or acknowledge, they ignore it and go on as before (probably reposting the book eventually).

Before you reorder, you might check where the book is coming from -- it isn't unusual for books coming from Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico or overseas (military bases) to take longer than usual to arrive.  The post office often doesn't scan until delivery, so the fact it hasn't been scanned yet doesn't automatically mean it isn't in transit somewhere.

Request Date: 8/23/2010 9:35 PM ET
Date Accepted: 8/24/2010 11:58 AM ET
Wrapper Printing(s):

• 8/24/2010 2:47 PM ET

Date Mailed: 8/24/2010 2:50 PM ET
Date Canceled: 9/19/2010 3:16 AM ET
USPS DC#: 9102165561353018231303

Delivery Confirmation Events

1. 8/24/2010 4:00 PM ET - Electronic Shipping Info Received - SAINT CLOUD, MN

From the help center:

What you should do if a book you requested is declared Lost in the Mail:

• Contact the sender, to find out if mailing was delayed for some reason.
  • you can do this from your Transaction Archive, using the PM button on this Lost transaction in that list.

• If the mailing was not delayed, the sender should call 800-ASK-USPS or go to http://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/forms/MLNtRcvd.aspx (the Postal Inspection Service's website) and input the information online there . This will help USPS try to recover the book if it truly has been lost in the mail.
• Don't re-request the book for at least 2 weeks, unless you are willing to run the risk of getting two copies (and paying a credit for both).

You've already contacted the sender, and waited two weeks.  I would send one final PM telling the sender not to mail the book now, because you are ordering another copy.  Wait a couple of days to see if you hear back, and then go ahead and place your order.

If the book arrives as was actually mailed more or less on time, then you would still have to mark it received from your transactions archive.  But I'm thinking that something has happened that has prevented this member from mailing your book, and from getting back to you.  I hope everything's okay.

If the book arrives as was actually mailed more or less on time, then you would still have to mark it received from your transactions archive. 

It has been three weeks since the book went lost. The Help Docs only recommend waiting two weeks after a book goes lost before reordering. Even if she ordered another copy, she would not have to mark the first received.

I think since the sender has not responded to her PM asking about the book, she is more than entitled to reorder without PMing again and without being obligated to mark the first copy received if it somehow arrives. If the sender had replied that they did mail it, then I'd say wait another week. In this case, I think it's perfectly safe to reorder.

Amee...if a lost book arrives and it was indeed mailed on time (prior to the last week before the go lost date) then the receiver is obligated per PBS guidelines to mark the book received.  This applies even if the book which was lost but, mailed on time arrives months later.

There are many reasons why the sender might not have responded to PM's...she could be sick and in the hospital, out of town, without computer access (computer died, weather issues), she could perhaps live in an area that has experienced flooding...

Speaking of the flooding...it could be that the media mail from that area is delayed due to the flooding...

Amee...if a lost book arrives and it was indeed mailed on time (prior to the last week before the go lost date) then the receiver is obligated per PBS guidelines to mark the book received.  This applies even if the book which was lost but, mailed on time arrives months later.

Oh...I thought if you had waited the two weeks you were no longer under obligation to that first book, especially if there is no response from the sender since communication is in the rules.

I hope neither of the books that went lost on their way to me show up. I can't say I'd feel obligated to mark them received since the members never responded to my PMs and are still active within the club. I guess I'd have to, but it doesn't seem fair to me.

I guess I'd have to, but it doesn't seem fair to me.

Yes, but if the book arrives and has a postmark that shows that it was mailed on time .... it is not fair to the sender to not mark it received. The sender has no control over post office delays. The sender followed all the rules, mailed on time, and is out the book and the postage. They should get the credit. It is not a total loss for you, though, because you can presumably re-post the book and get a credit back that way.

Yes, but if the book arrives and has a postmark that shows that it was mailed on time .... it is not fair to the sender to not mark it received. The sender has no control over post office delays. The sender followed all the rules, mailed on time, and is out the book and the postage. They should get the credit. It is not a total loss for you, though, because you can presumably re-post the book and get a credit back that way.

She didn't follow all the rules though. She never responded to either of my PMs about the lost book and is still active on the site as of last week so it's not like something happened to prevent her from eventually responding (the book went lost over 4 months ago). I get it though. I'm just glad it hasn't shown up because I would not think it fair to mark it received in this case.

If someone doesn't respond to PMs about a transaction you should report them to PBS for being non-responsive. 

I just had a lost package of books delivered after a year!  Mailed it out Oct of 2009, it went lost somewhere in Bell, CA (that was the last DC scan) and the package was delivered just this week.  Perfectly intact too.

I just had a lost package of books delivered after a year!  Mailed it out Oct of 2009

Wow!  I had one arrive 4 months late (with an on-time postmark) but a year!  I bet that caused some head-scratching!

And Amee is correct that members are supposed to respond to our PMs.  When they don't, we are invited to contact the Admin Team.  But there are very few cases where we are allowed to not mark a book received.  A very late postmark on a "lost" book, where we end up ordering another copy, is one case. 

If a member mailed a book on time, then went into the hospital, and the book was delayed by the Post Office, the fact that she couldn't respond to PMs wouldn't justify not marking the book received.  But the Admin Team can check to see if she's been active -- logging on -- and can send her an e-mail (as opposed to a PM.)  They probably have other ways to try to contact her too.  So please do contact the Admin Team if it's been over five days, and someone hasn't responded to PMs about a problem transaction.

I don't wait until a book goes lost before sending a PM to the sender.  I had a book sent with PBS DC that was getting close to going lost.  All the DC showed was that the PO had received the electronic shipping information.  I sent the sender a polite PM asking if the book actually made it to the PO.  She sent a return PM saying she had no idea what happened since she definitely sent the book.  I checked again and the day after I sent the PM, the book was scanned into her local PO and it is now on it's way to me.

I really do wish that people would own up to making a mistake and not actually mailing a book.  I did that once, finding the book under the back seat of my car.  I was mortified and sent the member a PM apologizing for not actually sending the book.  I want a member to let me know if they haven't received the book, even though I do get the reminders from PBS.