I received a book back today, first I've gotten back in a LOT of mailings.  It has a yellow sticker on it which says "COA NOT EFFECTIVE  DELIVER TO OLD ADDRESS".  I checked on the site and this is still the address listed for that recipient.  I guess, if they answer my PM about it with it being a postal mistake, send it back again do I eat the postage for a second time?  It's not a huge amount of money, but with school starting again every little bit hurts.  But, if I decline to try again I'll eventually have to pay for it.  Any one have this problem?  Thanks for any help you can give.

This sticker means that there is a change of address(COA) in the postal system  that isn't effective yet. It should have been received at the delivery office where you sent the book and the carrier should have taken off the sticker and delivered it. (Changes of address can be filed with USPS 30 days in advance.)

I suggest you take the book back to your post office with the sticker attached and ask them to resend it.

Connie is correct. You should not have gotten the book back. I would take it back to the post office with the sticker or call and tell them the same information that you posted. If you call, then you should be able to put it back in your mail box to reship.

By now, the person might have moved and be charged a forwarding fee if they moved out of town. You should not have to pay again unless you send it and they refuse it at the new house.

Did you have to pay to get the book back?

Connie and Patti were absolutely correct, I took it to the post office and they said the Colorado post office made a mistake, that it should have been delivered and not sent back.  I don't know if the post office would normally have charged to send it again because the people in mine are REALLY nice, and they talked about it and said they'd just zero it out and send it back.  I didn't have to rewrap or anything, which is nice because I send them out in bubble wrap mailers.  Hope it gets there this time.  By the way, the sendee responded very nicely and quickly to my email and she has gotten the other books she requested at that time, so no one is sure what the deal was.  Just a book that enjoys the travel, I guess.

Glad it all worked out, Donna!