Hello everyone,

I'm new on here and I must say this is a wonderful site. I have a question to ask. I sent this book out that someone wanted and the post-office told me that they will have it by Saturday. I ask the person to please let Paperback know that they received this book so that I can get my point. I have a book on my wish-list that is waiting for me, but I don't have any points:-(

Why would someone do this to people who go out the way to send the book to them? When I received my three books( I was so happy), I got on-line and let Paperback know so that they can receive their point. Have this happen to anyone on here before? If so, what did you do? Thanks

Do you know for certain they got the book? Or are you simply going on what the post office told you? You see, what they tell you is usually an estimate of when it will arrive (unless you sent it express mail which is to be delivered by a certain time, guaranteed). It takes up to a month for books to arrive sent media mail.

edited to add: Welcome to PBS! :)

Maybe they didn't get it yet. If you mailed it media it can take several weeks. Also not everyone goes on there computer every day. I wouldn't be too happy if some pestered me with PM.

do you know if you really need a credit for that wish list book you can buy one?

It's not guaranteed they have the book already.  I've never gotten one in less than 5 days, usually it's at least a week.  That's just how the PO moves things along.  When the post office told you Saturday, that was just an estimate.

I'm going to echo what others have said - do you know for sure they got the book? If you sent it media mail then I have no idea how the post office can predict when it will arrive - even first class can't be predicted so it's very, VERY possible they haven't gotten the book yet. 

It's best to hang on to a few credits (or buy them if you need to) so you don't have to be on "pins and needles" waiting for other people to get their books/get your credits because there really is just no concrete time frame for books to arrive. Patience is a virtue when dealing with the post office and mail system.

But to answer your question - no, I haven't had anyone -barring one person who I think stalled - purposely not log in and click that they received a book. it's really not been a problem I've heard anyone air on the forums either.

Just be patient and remember you shouldn't rely on credits pending to get wishlisted books.

Welcome, Adrienne, to PBS.

You seemed to have learned the same lesson we have all learned as well.  What the PO says, as far as delivery goes is no guarantee.  Not knocking the PO at all.  Just saying that media mail is low on the totem pole and PBS allows many weeks for it to arrive.  You may have looked around and seen the posts about books showing up 6 months later, and etc.  I am currently waiting for a book that a fellow member mailed on Oct. 1.  I feel so bad that I can't mark it received, but it just simply has not come yet.  That's over 3 weeks.   I would, based only on my own personal experience, not speaking for anyone else, but I would allow at least 3 weeks before I asked someone if they've received my book. 

Again, welcome!

If you belong to SwapACD.com (PBS's sister site), you can transfer credits between the two.

Hi! I understand what you mean. I had that happen to me too. But only once. I contacted PBS live help and they replied that the PBS member who requested my book was what they called an inactive member. So, if that is the case, the system will mark your book received after a certain amount of days.  Most members are active members, but inactive members don't always mark the books as received.  They leave it up to the system.  I guess the rest of these people haven't discovered this yet.

In the future if you need the credit for a book right away you can use the PBS printed postage. You get the credit as soon as you mark it mailed.  Also they cannot guarantee what day it will get there unless you pay for overnight service.  The Sat delivery was just an estimate.  Many things could have happened to delay it on it's way. 

I've had two books I ordered go "lost" in the mail in the past week! Previous to that it hadn't happened in months, but it DOES happen. I even had a book show up 7 months after it was mailed! If you read the forums long enough you'll see that it's happened to plenty of other folks, too.

Even with delivery confirmation, the PO is wrong sometimes. I had a book that I sent using PBS postage and DC, and it was marked delivered. About five days later, the receiver PMd me to say, "I know that it says "delivered," but honest, I have NOT gotten that book!" It was a full two and a half weeks AFTER it was marked delivered that she finally got it for real and marked it received, just before it was due to go lost. Weird stuff. I've had stuff coming TO me also that was marked delivered that I didn't get til several days later, too.

As others have said, if you need a credit quickly, using PBS postage to send your book is the way to go, or else buying a few so you have a couple of extras on hand when those wishlisted books come up.

Cheryl

I live somewhere where it can take 3 weeks to receive media mail.  I hate it because I mark things received the day I get them, but our mail is slow.  One thing I have been doing for smaller books is mailing first class.  I usually go to the post office and for most of mine it is cheaper than media mail. 

I've had books from one state away take longer than those from across country, so it truly is hit or miss.

I too am new and am in a similar situation.  One of the first books I mailed out has not been shown received.  I was still figuring out the site so didn't have delivery confirmation.  I have mailed several books after that and they have all been received so I have credits to get books off my lists (and I have done so!). I looked at the profile of the person I sent the 'lost' book to and under the books received & books sent stats it states "unavailable."  Although I am sure that there is a good reason why my book has not been received, it does make me wonder about how the site is policed.  What happens to a member who chronically orders books but doesn't mark them received? 

Tamara