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Topic: What's the reason to not mark a book received?

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bookbuggg avatar
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Subject: What's the reason to not mark a book received?
Date Posted: 9/9/2014 5:28 PM ET
Member Since: 6/2/2014
Posts: 32,639
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I always use DC and check to see if it's delivered. I have found that I have had to send emails after the book has been received  but I always wait at the very least 7 days to send an email. I did that with one member, she has read the PM I sent and hasn't responded at all and didn't mark the book received.

I understand why people wait the full time to accept and mail books but what's the purpose of waiting until PBS sends you emails reminding you to mark it received? 

I'm hoping she'll mark it received then but if she hasn't received it, why wouldn't she say so? I get if you aren't online but if you've been online and read the PM why not just respond? Is there a reason/purpose that some folks wait until PBS sends emails to them before they respond? 

What if they never respond?

Generic Profile avatar
Date Posted: 9/9/2014 7:33 PM ET
Member Since: 6/19/2008
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I have had this same thing happen , and I pm'ed the person twice and they never responded.  So as of now its lost in the mail.

EmilyKat avatar
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Date Posted: 9/9/2014 8:20 PM ET
Member Since: 7/19/2008
Posts: 15,525
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There can be a delay if the book went to a PO box or if there was a mail hold. As it is marked as delivered when put in the box, not when picked up.

PBS thinks there are only two reasons to not mark a book as received:

1) It was never marked as mailed and you received two copies. In this case the first copy does not need to be marked as received. The second must be.

2) The book was mailed so late, without any notice to you. The postmark must be within a week of the Lost date. (This is with the assumption that you ordered a second copy.)

PBS expects us to mark all other books as received. They send two reminders in the week before the book is declared as lost.

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Date Posted: 9/9/2014 9:47 PM ET
Member Since: 8/23/2007
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Just because it was scanned delivered doesn't mean it was delivered to the right address.  But if that's the case, the receiver should say so and not ignore your message.  They could also be away from home and don't want to mark it received until they inspect it but still should just say that.  If more than a week has passed and you used PBS and you have gotten no response you can report it to PBS.  I don't think they'll do anything with non-pbs dc though.

EmilyKat avatar
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Date Posted: 9/9/2014 10:50 PM ET
Member Since: 7/19/2008
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PBS will check the account, to see if it is active or an auto-request inactive account for books that are Lost with non PBS tracking. But not until after the Lost date.

fangrrl avatar
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Date Posted: 9/9/2014 10:58 PM ET
Member Since: 12/28/2006
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What Mary said yes  IIRC PBS Help Documents suggest sending a message a few days after the marked delivery date, then wait a week for a response.  If no response and no log-in, you can then (and should) contact PBS Admin.

We used to hear of PO's that marked the books delivered when they arrived in the Unit (but then might not actually deliver for several days).  Since the last software/hardware update a year or two ago, we don't see as much of that type of thing (or at least not reported as often).  Frankly, the package should only be marked 'delivered' when it goes in a person's mailbox.

As a fairly new member, I received a request from a member that lived in the next town over...less than 5 miles from my home.  Thought I'd see how long it took to deliver.  I waited and waited (could have walked it there in a couple hours), and finally pm'd the other member.  Several days later she answered that she had been very busy but the book had arrived...but still not logged in.  I waited more days, contacted my tour guide, and waited some more, and finally send another reminder pm.  The book was finally marked received shortly before it went lost...now being more familiar with Media Mail in my region, the package had probably had been the next day after I mailed it.