Who Can Cancel a Request and When:

• The REQUESTOR can cancel a request up until the time the wrapper is printed by the sender.
  • In fact, there is approximately 1 hour's delay between the time a book is first ordered and the time that the request is submitted to the sender (the 1 hour delay does not apply to auto-requested Wish List books)
  • This allows for "buyer's remorse," so that the requestor can easily cancel if she changes her mind, without the sender ever knowing about the request.
  • If the requestor sends a Personal Message to the sender by clicking on the request, however, that 1-hr delay will be eliminated, and the book request will be submitted immediately at the time the PM is sent.


• The SENDER may cancel a request for a book up until the time is it marked mailed.
  • The reason for this is because sometimes "my dog ate my book just before I was going to drop it in the mail..." etc..
  • If the sender cancels and there is another copy of the book available in the system, the request will be passed along to another sender.
    • This will happen automatically, without email notification to the requestor.
  • If a sender cancels and there is not another copy of the book available in the system, the requestor will get her credit back and the book will go onto her Wish List.
    • In this case, the requestor will be notified by PBS auto-email.

If you request a book and change your mind, but cannot cancel because the sender has already printed the address:

• The sender is not obligated to cancel if you request this
  • if the book has already been mailed in good faith, of course the sender should not cancel.  You will have to mark the book received when you receive it and repost it to your own bookshelf if you don't want it.
  • If the sender cancels, he or she will have to repost the book, and it will go back to the "back of the line" for book requests. 
• If the sender DOES agree to cancel, and there is another copy of the book in the system, your request will be passed to a new sender when the first sender cancels! 
  • If the sender agrees to cancel this request, then:
    • the SENDER can send in a message to us using the feedback link on the contact us page to ask us to cancel, so that your request is not passed along.
    • If the sender cancels WITHOUT contacting us to ask us to do it: you should be sure to cancel the new request for the book that will appear on your account page after the sender cancels.
      • You will be responsible for the new request if your request is passed along--so be sure to do this before the NEW sender prints your address
  • The PBS system will automatically keep trying to get the book for you until YOU tell the system that you don't want it by clicking "Cancel Order".

If you have accepted a request and printed the wrapper, and the requestor asks you to cancel in a Personal Message:

• You are not obligated to do so, especially if you have printed the wrapper with postage, which is not refundable.
  • Printed Postage cannot be used for a different address; it cannot be used for a heavier shipment than the one for which it was printed; it cannot be refunded after it is printed.
• If you agree to cancel, let us know by sending a message in using the Feedback button on the Contact Us page, and we will cancel so that the book goes back onto your bookshelf
  • If we cancel, this will NOT refund postage or DC fees if you printed with postage or PBS-DC
  • If we cancel, this will prevent the request from being passed to a new sender
• If you have printed with postage you can always ask the requestor if there is a different book on your bookshelf she or he would like instead, and use the printed postage wrapper to send that book. 
  • To do this, of course the replacement book would have to be about the same weight as the book that was requested, so that the printed postage will be enough to send the replacement book.

 Related links:

I posted a Wish Listed book I can't send!
I canceled a book request by mistake!