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Topic: Receiver Won't Mark Book Received

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Subject: Receiver Won't Mark Book Received
Date Posted: 4/26/2011 11:47 PM ET
Member Since: 11/17/2008
Posts: 1,115
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On April 8, I sent out a book. Since I used PBS postage, I clicked on Details occasionally to see if the book had been delivered. According to Details, it was delivered on April 11. On April 18, I sent a PM asking if they had received the book, and they responded saying that they had, but did not mark it received. I PM'd back to ask them to mark it received, but got no response, and the book is still sitting on my list of books I've mailed.

What do I do now? The book will go lost on May 6, and though I already received the credit, I don't want the book to be marked lost when it has actually been received.

Date Posted: 4/27/2011 12:07 AM ET
Member Since: 3/8/2007
Posts: 2,534
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How strange, did they say why they did not/would not mark it received?

No advice sorry, just nosy  laugh

I would just save the p.m. and when it went lost send it along to pbs.

Date Posted: 4/27/2011 12:20 AM ET
Member Since: 11/17/2008
Posts: 1,115
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There was absolutely no response to my PM asking them to mark the book received.

Date Posted: 4/27/2011 12:27 AM ET
Member Since: 8/16/2007
Posts: 15,186
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Here is the Help Center doc to follow:

If you sent the book with Delivery Confirmation and it has been recorded as delivered by USPS but hasn't been marked received yet:

  • Remember that the book could have been scanned as "delivered" at the local PO, before it went to the requestor's mailbox--the actual delivery can be a few days later  Also, the book could have been misdelivered.
    • The requestor should check with her mail carrier about this package.
    • The package could also be at her local PO being held for pickup; sometimes pickup notices left by the mail carrier go astray.
  • You should FIRST contact the requestor using the button on the transaction on the Books I've Mailed tab in My Account when a few days have passed after delivery.
    • If the requestor does not respond to your PM within a week, and/or has not marked the book received by a week after the delivery scan, contact us.  We will look into it.
    • If the requestor responds and says she or he DID get the book, she or he can mark the book received one of two ways:
      • if the book has NOT been declared lost in the mail at PBS - from his or her active transactions (on the En Route to Me tab on My Account) as described in How to Mark a Book Received.
      • if the book HAS been declared lost in the mail at PBS - from his or her Transaction Archive (linked from the top of the My Account page)  as described in I received a book that was 'lost in the mail'.
  • If you used DC purchased through PBS, or PBS Printed Postage, you will already have gotten your credit for sending the book.
Date Posted: 4/27/2011 8:53 AM ET
Member Since: 2/6/2009
Posts: 1,410
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And they gave you no reason for marking it recieved? Weird.

Of course, there could be an explanation. A book I requested was once shipped to my house while I was still at college (I had switched my address so the book wouldn't get left in my college mailroom over the break but the book beat me home). My mother told me the book had arrived but I had her just leave it unopened in my room until I could get back home and look for myself. I don't believe I contacted the sender or the sender contacted me asking about the book but when I returned home a week later, I opened the book and marked it recieved.

So there could be a reason for the delay but its weird that they wouldn't tell you why. If I had been contacted, I would have explained that the book had been delievered but it wasn't in my hands yet for me to mark it recieved.

I hope this gets sorted out!

Date Posted: 4/27/2011 9:39 AM ET
Member Since: 8/23/2007
Posts: 26,510
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I would contact PBS at this point and refer them to the PM saying the book had been received.  This way PBS can deal with it and this person doesn't get their credit back.

Date Posted: 4/27/2011 2:41 PM ET
Member Since: 11/17/2008
Posts: 1,115
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I sent the receiver one more PM, telling them that if the book isn't marked received within 24 hours, I will have to report it to PBS.

Date Posted: 4/27/2011 3:01 PM ET
Member Since: 11/17/2008
Posts: 1,115
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The book has been marked received. I didn't like getting nasty about it, but unfortunately some people don't quite understand how PBS works. It's great that a person receives a book and enjoys it, but they have to mark it mailed so the system will acknowledge it.

Date Posted: 4/27/2011 3:27 PM ET
Member Since: 2/6/2009
Posts: 1,410
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Was that it then? Did the requester acknowledge that she misunderstood how PBS worked?

Date Posted: 4/27/2011 11:05 PM ET
Member Since: 11/17/2008
Posts: 1,115
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No, but she did finally mark it received...two weeks after she received it.

Date Posted: 4/28/2011 8:53 AM ET
Member Since: 2/13/2007
Posts: 2,264
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There are unfortunately plenty of members out there who do not understand how PBS works -- I had a case similar to the OP...the member had received the book, acknowledged that she received the book, but did not mark it received. Her explanation? She didn't think you could mark it received until you had READ the book, so that you could rate it at the same time...<insert head banging against wall here>.

Date Posted: 4/28/2011 7:41 PM ET
Member Since: 12/10/2009
Posts: 2,472
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I hear alot of heads banging, ROFL

Date Posted: 4/28/2011 9:41 PM ET
Member Since: 7/31/2007
Posts: 2,690
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Also, she may have not received when your details said you did...but, she still should have responded.

Date Posted: 4/30/2011 2:47 PM ET
Member Since: 12/4/2005
Posts: 2,320
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"She didn't think you could mark it received until you had READ the book, so that you could rate it at the same time. ....."

Wow...didn't see that coming:lol:   Guess she hadn't built up a proper TBR mountain yet huh?   I could only imagine the complaints and chaos if those were the rules:)

Date Posted: 4/30/2011 4:21 PM ET
Member Since: 7/28/2006
Posts: 4,980
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I could only imagine the complaints and chaos if those were the rules:)

Oh, I would be in so much trouble.  My TBR has been out of control for years thanks to PBS. 

Date Posted: 5/1/2011 11:35 PM ET
Member Since: 1/20/2009
Posts: 2,680
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I had something like that happen to me once. The receiver got the book, and sent me a nice PM thanking me, but didn't mark it received. I sent a message back saying how happy I was that they're pleased with the book and I hope they enjoy it, but could they please mark it received. A day or so later it was marked received, and I got a reply apologizing profusely and saying they'd had a brain fart and completely forgotten about clicking the button to mark it received somehow.

I had a good laugh over that one.

ETA: I'd be in SO much trouble too. I haven't had a sane TBR pile since joining this club, with the exception of a couple weeks after the fire. But hey, that's just the way I like it. I swear, if I don't have at least 100 unread books around me at any one time, minimum, I feel so empty. Yes, I'm an addict. I admit it. But, I don't need help, just more free reading time. Fortunately, there's only two weeks left in this semester, then I get almost three weeks completely off before summer classes start. Yippee! I'll likely polish off about a dozen books in that time. :0)



Last Edited on: 5/1/11 11:41 PM ET - Total times edited: 1
Date Posted: 5/2/2011 8:35 AM ET
Member Since: 8/10/2005
Posts: 4,599
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I still remember the PM I got a few years ago asking when I was planning to return the book that she had sent me a few weeks before because her sister wanted to read it!

Cheryl

Date Posted: 5/2/2011 9:42 AM ET
Member Since: 12/7/2007
Posts: 6,435
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She didn't think you could mark it received until you had READ the book, so that you could rate it at the same time...<insert head banging against wall here>.

OMG, that's hilarious. 

Date Posted: 5/2/2011 12:29 PM ET
Member Since: 8/23/2007
Posts: 26,510
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I ordered multiple books from someone once and marked them all received but 1. I didn't even realize that I had missed one until they PM'd me. 

Subject: How ironic to have run across this
Date Posted: 5/2/2011 5:07 PM ET
Member Since: 2/2/2008
Posts: 742
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I had at one time here in the past 2 weeks about 27 to 30 books that had been mailed out. I use the printout postage and the DC. on every book, even the ones I use the" mail to a friend" here on PBS. I would keep checking since I had sooo many books shipped out. YES believe it or not I do ship a LOT of books out. Anyway, I had quite a few whom had rec'd their books within 4 days of shipping. It went on and on that they would not mark their books shipped. After pming and getting no response back. I decided to try another route. I pm'd each of them and told them that I was turning this over to PBS.A few of the books were coming up on "lost is space" I sent one more pm to each that I was now sending the pm's to PBS. How funny, they got marked right away and 1 guy had the nerve to say to me. Wow lady, take a chill pill. Of all the nerve). It would of been that he would of gotten his credit back as well as quite a few other's too that I had the most problems with. You can  see if the PM has been read or not. If you know how to do that. Lets just say outta 50%, 48% had been read, but made no attempt to reply or mark their book rec'd. Its sneaky, but its good that one can check to see if a PM has been read or not. I only do that when it comes after 2 weeks or more that the book has not been marked, but shows its been rec'd by tracking and they had not replied to  the1 pm I sent out.

Sometimes we have to do what we have to do. I think or better yet I know the threats were what got those books marked. I didn't want to have to go to PBS as I said I had alot of books out. I'm down to 18 now being shipped out and I have 1 more that pm or no pm, she will not respond and its coming up on that "lost in space time" and she'll get her credit back. That is SO unfair..PM has been read too!!..I know it can be mis delivered and or delivered at another home or whatever, but with the responses i've gotten in time since being here at PBS. I say that the book is more delivered where it is suppose to be and they just don't mark them rec'd. Just my opinion as I do get responses back after I have to tell them in x amount of hours you will be reported to PBS. Of course PBS doesn't know if the book actually went to the member or not. Regardless if I am using print out postage and DC. When the time is up its up and they get their credit back. Don't think I haven't thought about doing the same thing to them. I request not 1, but 4 or 5 of their books and then wait for them to start pming, have you got those books yet???  As I said, I THOUGHT of it, but would never do that. I'm more of a grown up than that, but some of these people, make you wanna get in your car and drive to their house and do a search room by room of your own for the books..lolol.. That I would never do, but it even brought a smile to my face. ; )   wink wink!!!!

Date Posted: 5/2/2011 5:40 PM ET
Member Since: 2/13/2007
Posts: 2,264
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Cyndi -- Just to be the devil's advocate here, a lot of schools were recently closed for Easter vacation which meant a lot of members were traveling and not at home...I was one of them. So in all fairness, some of those members who were not marking their books received -- but you knew were delivered, were probably not even home. And yes, they could read their PMs. Personally I will not mark any book received until the book and I are in the same location and I am assured that it does not violate any posting guidelines and I would be offended by another member threatening me with reporting me to PBS if I don't mark a book received within XX hours. You are entitled to your opinion, as I am to mine but I do urge you to be careful with your threats.

Date Posted: 5/2/2011 5:59 PM ET
Member Since: 1/17/2009
Posts: 9,727
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I had at one time here in the past 2 weeks about 27 to 30 books that had been mailed out. [...] YES believe it or not I do ship a LOT of books out.

I mail the same, if not more, every month, most if not all, without DC. (I only use DC if the package contains 2 or more books).

 I think or better yet I know the threats were what got those books marked.

I've mailed more than 950 books out and have only had to PM 5 or 6 people (total) about not marking the books received in the entire time since I have been a member. Of those, one actually was not received, one was legitimately received after the 'lost in the mail' date for PBS (it just took a really long time), and the rest were marked recieved after my prompt, but without any threats made by me.

A polite reminder is all that is needed in most cases.

My PMs are almost never ignored ... I simply put as the last line in the PM "I would really appreciate hearing from you either way" (meaning whether or not they received the book) and people pretty much always answer with some type of response. Since I wait until a couple of days before the system is going to mark the books lost in the mail, I do not get rude responses back from other people.

Cyndi,

Since you are using postage plus DC, you are getting your credit immediately. YES, it is a very good thing to prevent people from getting a "free" credit back from PBS when they have, in fact, received the book.  BUT, it is just fine to wait until a few days before it will go lost in the mail. You will still have plenty of time to report them to PBS if needed, while giving them the longest possible time to mark the books received, which since you already have your credit, shouldn't even matter to you anyway except that PBS should be notified in case a receiver has a pattern of doing this.

I think if you held back until a couple of days before books are scheduled to go "lost in the mail" you would find that most of these PMs become completely unnecessary.

Ms K. (MsK) -
Date Posted: 5/3/2011 8:57 PM ET
Member Since: 10/1/2005
Posts: 121
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If someone has too many books come up "lost" whether with DC or not, the system will flag that account.

So, if a member does not mark books rec'd (whether or not they really rec'd it) on a regular basis, the system will catch it.

You are supposed to have a "safe/secure" place to receive your books.

One Christmas a few years ago, I had two PBS packages with DCshow delivered to me, but I never got them.

I lived in an apartment building & the lazy carrier (yes they do exist, but most are absolutely fantastic) would leave them on top of the locked mail boxes. The carrier was supposed to put them in front of the apartment doors in my area, per the postmaster.

Someone, either a neighbor or visitor, took them.

Soon after that, I got a post office box & will always have a post office box for mail (for many reasons)  Post office boxes aren't for everyone, but for me, they are essential. Also, this way, no one has my home address!

Date Posted: 5/4/2011 7:31 AM ET
Member Since: 8/10/2005
Posts: 4,599
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Cyndi, I agree with Sara that "threatening" someone to get them to mark a book received is ridiculous...and could end up getting YOU reported. If I got a PM like that, I would certainly contact the powers that be here! I myself have had books on the way to me scanned as "delivered" and not actually gotten them til a week later--and also had a couple that were scanned delivered but NEVER got them--so if you sent me a PM telling me to mark it received or else you'd report me to PBS, I'd roast your butt for Sunday dinner!

I let the PBS system handle these types of problems. Oh sure...a dishonest person might let a book or two go lost to get back a credit or two...but as others have said, the system perks its ears up and flags the account when it happens a certain percentage of the time...they're being watched. If it keeps happening, their account is temporarily suspended until a live PBS honcho can contact them to find out what's going on...problems with mail deliverer, out of town, or what? If they don't respond, their account never goes back to active status...so while they may have gained a couple of credits doing this, in the end they lose a lot more.

I use the PBS postage also, but only for convenience sake so I can drop +13 oz. books in the blue box near my work--otherwise I could only get to the PO one day a week. I don't want or need it for the 'credit assurance' (have only had a handful of the 1700+ books I've mailed go lost over the past 5 1/2 years, so it would really not be cost effective to use it for that reason, IMO) nor to keep track of the books or the people meant to receive them. I mark the books mailed and unless the book sits there for 3+ weeks, I usually don't even go back to check the status.

You have your credit...let the PBS police (the system itself and the website owners) deal with the problem folks.

Cheryl
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