A book sent to an active member at PBS will not earn credit until the requestor marks it received, unless PBS Printable Postage has been used to send the book. The average time in transit at PBS is 9 days, which includes books mailed to or from addresses outside the contiguous U.S. 

If your book has been longer than 2 weeks in transit, and has not been marked received:

• Remember that the requestor may be away from home and unaware if the book has arrived. 

• • If this is the case, she or he can mark it received when he or she returns home. 

    • If the book transaction is still active, she or he can mark it received from the En Route to Me tab in My Account.
    • If the book has been declared lost in the mail, it can be marked received from the requestor's Transaction Archive.
  • A book sent to an inactive account (one which the system has deemed inactive because the accountholder is not logging in, despite emails notifying him or her that this is needed) will be marked received by the system.

• If you want to discuss the book, you can contact the requestor using the button on the transaction on the Books I've Mailed tab in My Account. If the book has been declared Lost in the Mail, the transaction can be found in your Transaction Archive, linked from the top of your My Account main page.

  • If you sent the book with PBS Printed Postage and the member does not respond to your PM within 3 days (or the book is declared 'lost' by the system), contact us and let us know.
  • If you sent the book with other tracking (not PBS Printable Postage) you need to wait until the book is declared 'lost' by the system to ask us to check into it.
    • If your book is declared 'lost' by the system and the sender has not responded to your PM within 3 days, please contact us and let us know.
  • Be sure your PM to the requestor specifies the title of the book.

If you sent the book with Printed Postage 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. It's also possible that USPS left a notice for pickup and the requestor hasn't gone to the PO to collect the book yet.

If a few days (4-6) have passed after delivery and the book has not been marked received yet:

• First, contact the requestor from the active transaction on the Books I've Mailed tab in My Account [or from the "lost" transaction in your Transaction Archive if the book has been declared Lost in the Mail by the system]. In your message, include the tracking # and ask if the book was received.
  • 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 Marking an incoming 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 the requestor responds and says the book did NOT arrive, please tell her/him to:
    • Ask other members of the household if they happen to take in the package, and
    • Also ask neighbors who might have received the package in error, and
    • Discuss the misdelivery with her/his Post Office, providing them the tracking #.
    • It's also possible the book is waiting at the PO and the requestor isn't aware of that - it that's the case, it is important for the book to be collected within 10 days to avoid return "unclaimed".
    • You can also call the other member's PO (you can find the telephone # for the local branch by doing an Internet search for the ZIP code and "local post office"), and provide the tracking #, and ask about the mis-delivery.
  • If the requestor does not respond to your PM within a few days, or has not marked the book received by a week after the delivery scan (whichever is the later date), contact us.  We will look into it.
    • If this requestor's account has been deemed inactive by the system, your book should automatically be marked received by the system.

If you sent the book with printed postage/tracking purchased elsewhere (not at PBS) 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. It's also possible that USPS left a notice for pickup and the requestor hasn't gone to the PO to collect the book yet.

If a few days (4-6) have passed after delivery and the book has not been marked received yet:

• First, contact the requestor from the active transaction on the Books I've Mailed tab in My Account [or from the "lost" transaction in your Transaction Archive if the book has been declared Lost in the Mail by the system]. In your message, include the tracking # and ask if the book was received.
  • 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 Marking an incoming 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 the requestor responds and says the book did NOT arrive, please tell her/him to:
    • Ask other members of the household if they happen to take in the package, and
    • Also ask neighbors who might have received the package in error, and
    • Discuss the misdelivery with her/his Post Office, providing them the tracking #.
    • It's also possible the book is waiting at the PO and the requestor isn't aware of that - it that's the case, it is important for the book to be collected within 10 days to avoid return "unclaimed".
    • You can also call the other member's PO (you can find the telephone # for the local branch by doing an Internet search for the ZIP code and "local post office"), and provide the tracking #, and ask about the mis-delivery.
  • If the requestor does not respond to your PM within a few days, or has not marked the book received by a week after the delivery scan, contact us.  We will look into it. (We cannot grant credit for postage or tracking purchased outside PBS, but we can check if this requestor has become inactive.)
    • If this requestor's account has been deemed inactive by the system, your book should automatically be marked received by the system.

If your book does not arrive by the 26th day (the 35th day if the sender or requestor is outside the contiguous US) after you marked it mailed, it will be declared Lost in the Mail at PaperBackSwap.  This does not mean that the book is actually lost; it may simply be delayed en route.  You can read more about "Lost" books in A book I sent has been called 'lost in the mail'!.

Related Links:
A book I sent has been called 'lost in the mail'!
I sent my lost book with tracking and the email says I didn't!
My request disappeared!
When will I get my credit for sending a book?