I just got turned down for an RC because "this is a used book". Well DUHH. I know that this is a USED book site! My RC says nothing about a new book. I have never ever had the word "new" or "good" condition in my RC. Only no-smoke. Which I have NO problem being turned down about.

I hope that person is reading this.

I rarely vent but this was just ridiculous.

I got burnt on a RC before, the same thing may have happened to this person. I know the book met their RC, but they didn't feel it did. So I got a mark for the RWAP and another b/c I wouldn't refund their credit. They marked it unresolved. Now I avoid all smell RCs. If it's for anything else and my book meets the RC, I'll accept it. Then I'll go and see who I'm sending it to. If it's member I've seen complaining in the forums, I'll cancel the order. I'd rather go to the back of the FIFO line then risk another black mark for a RWAP. I've never seen you complain about anything unreasonable though :)

I'm sorry you had this happen Kathy :(

Both of you could be right, but responding with "This is a used book" does nothing to convey either of those possibilities. To say what they did suggests that having an RC about smoke is the same as wanting a book that is brand new, which isn't only false, but a rather melodramatic reaction. Nobody is required to accept an RC, but is it really so much to ask that people be courteous about declining them?

Your absolutely right Liesl. There is no excuse for being snotty. Your supposed to be a adult to use this site. They should act like one.

There is no excuse for being snotty. Your supposed to be a adult to use this site. They should act like one.

Hear, hear!  +1

Exactly my point! All they had to say was "I smoke". and that would have been the end of it as far as I was concerned-heck, they could have lied about that and I still would have thanked them!

And I understand anyone has the right to decline any RC. I'm all for that. But to get all attitudinal over something that isn't an issue is over the top, in my opinion.

When I was a fairly new member, I got an RC [my first] that said "No book from a smoking environment".  I have never allowed smoking in my home due to allergies, but I was still concerned because the book came from a yard sale and I was not sure if it had ever been in a smoking environment.  (Note that the RC did not have the word "currently" in it.) 

I declined the RC (much to my chagrin, because I needed the credits at the time) with the reason that the 'book came from a yard sale and I am not sure if that was a smoking enviornment'.  Maybe that was what the responder was trying to say, and not intending to be snarky?

I think there is a little over reaction here..."this is a used book." to me at least does not come across as snarky, rude, attitudinal or anything...it is just a quick response to a blank they had to fill in when they declined an RC....they are not required to explain themselves in full and have probably come up with this quick response to satisfy that little box.

Thank you, Christy for reminding us that it is usually best to think the best of others and let them prove your assumption wrong.

Despite the tone of the forums most people are good and heart and only want to trade successfully.

I actually got an RC recently that stated they would only accept books with very little to zero spine wear.  I did respond with an I'm sorry, this doesn't meet your requirements because it is a used book and does show spine wear.  So I guess I'm guilty of the whole "it's a used book" thing.  But I didn't mean it in a snarky way.  I sort of assumed that because they were looking for a book with no spine wear that they wanted a new or like new book.  Having said that, I would never just say  "this is a used book" and leave it at that.  I do think it's a bit rude and implies that the requestor doesn't realize these are used books. Like Kathy said, we all know this is a used book site!  I have to second your "duh"!

I am now thinking that the requestor probably thought my response was rude.  I think I'll be more careful how I phrase it next time I have to deny an RC.

Molly, I wouldn't think the response was rude if, indeed, my RC specified a new or perfect or in excellent condition book or specified no spine wear. But they don't. Here they are:

Thank you for reading my conditions! I hope they are do-able. :-)

~If the book smells like cigarette smoke to you, or is currently in a smoking home, please decline my request. I am happy to wait for the next copy available.

~I don't have a lot of protection from our occasional rain here in AZ. Books wrapped in plastic are very much appreciated but not required. Thanks!

~Please, no LARGE print books. I know that the ISBN's can be mistaken with those and I'm fine to remain on the wishlist for a regular print book.

It's one thing if someone doesn't think they can meet the RC or just declines it without comment. To me, the person gave themself away as being an RC "punisher", which is not in the spirit of this site. I get very few turn downs, and 99.9% of my books come wrapped in plastic, even though it is NOT a requirement. Go figure.

Like I said earlier, they could have lied to me about the smoking thing and I would have believed it, thanked them, and moved on. Ive got over 1000 books on my TBR, so its not like I'm going to miss this one.

And, filling out that little box with a reason is not  a requirement either.

OK. Vent over.

I think they might not have meant it in a negative way like Molly and Debbie described. However, it's also a phrase that comes up a lot in debates over RCs. We'll never know unless the sender outs themself here.

And, filling out that little box with a reason is not  a requirement either.

I think you have to type something or it won't let you move past that screen. I did once see a post here complain about someone just typing in a couple letters instead of getting an explanation. So it goes both ways I guess. Some people want a reason, others don't.

Its been awhile since I declined a request so I can't remember Amee-this may very well be the case. I just assumed it wasn't since filling out the box when you receive a book is not required.

Well Kathy, I have to say that is one of the nicest RC I have ever seen.

I know there are alot of people out there who deny RC's automatically, whether their book meets the conditions or not.   I think some people are worried that they will get a RWAP regardless of the book condition.  I couldn't agree more that it is not in the spirit of the site. I have only denied RC's if my book doesn't meet the requirements.  Of the ones I have accepted,  I have never had an RWAP from any of them. 

I think a lot of people don't realize that the requestor actually reads their responses and thus justs write anything that pops up in their head at that moment. Perhaps PBS should write the requestor will be informed of your reason for denial or something like that.

A couple of weird responses I have received for denying my requests are: This requestor is too demanding, wants this, wants that, way too many demands for a used book site.  (at that time, I only had I would like hardcovers to have their dustjacket).

Another recent one: Cancelled at your request. (this one really got me, no I didn't cancel your book, you did. But, I'm guessing it's just a different way to say this book doesn't comply to your RC). When I read this one, I was afraid this book wouldn't be put back on my wishlist, but it was. Guess PBS doesn't read them.

It is a nice RC -- but I'd give the responder the benefit of the doubt. She may simply have meant that she obtained the book used and did not know its history. I wouldn't assume that she was being snarky. She may have been, but I don't read it that way.

If I have to decline because of an RC, I just state: "sorry, had to decline due to book not meeting the requirement of the RC"  or something similar.

I am not sure why people get so UPtight about RC's.  I don't care if you say you want a book bought 10 minutes ago from Amazon!  I'll read em and if my book fits, I'll send it.  If not - it's no skin of my nose and hope you get your book soon. I don't waste time trying to figure out the motive or reason behind their RC.  I don't need to know WHY.

I recently received the following response to my RC:

"I don't accept any requests with requestor conditions"

Did I think it was rude? Did I think it was is Unfair? Thats not really relevant. What I did think was along the lines of "oh well, that's their right to chose to do so, as is mine to have a RC" The request moved on the the next in line, was accepted, and is currently in the mail. Obviously this poster feels if the book is postable, then, that should be enough. As I said, he/she is entitled to think that. 

I have a smoking home and purchase tons of books used for my shelf. Even if I had a non-smoking home, I'd refuse smell RCs because I don't have a good sense of smell myself and I don't know where the books have been. They might have been dropped off at a thrift by a smoker 15 minutes before I bought them. "This is a used book" is faster than "I'm sorry, the book was purchased used and I don't know its history and I have a poor sense of sense of smell, so I'm respectfully declining your request."

The bottom line is - that requestor isn't getting that book. It doesn't matter what you put in the box as long as it's not rude/obnoxious. I go for concise...and figure a lot of people don't care, they know from the message alone they are still looking for the book.   

I would not look at "this is a used book" as rude. I mean, they could have been in a hurry and didn't want to type a longer explanation like, "This is a used book that I got at a garage sale and while I don't smell smoke on it, I have sinus trouble and my sense of smell is poor and I don't want to take a chance."  Rude would be like me writing "I'm sorry, I didn't even read your RC because it was 3 long paragraphs full of !!!! and CAPS and bold print and I don't even want to bother."

Rather than go into all that, I just type a  period in the box--you do have to put 'something' in there. And there have been people in threads in the past complaining because people didn't write anything in the "reason" box too, so you're sort of damned if you do write something and damned if you don't.

Cheryl

I dunno...this is a used book seem to imply that the owner had no idea if it was smoke free because she/he was not the original owner.  Didn't sound rude to me at all.

This one feels different to me, from the seemingly common "This is a used book site -- buy it from Amazon if you want it new!"  types of replies.  Maybe that is what the OP felt was the tone of the reply.

Maybe that is what the OP felt was the tone of the reply.

I agree with the OP.

I see it as rude. It's treating the requestor like they're stupid.

And a No Smoke condition doesn't have anything with the book being used or not. Duh.

Well I know for sure that they can go to the next page and cancle the order for the book without filling anything in the box.  The last 2 times I've been declined due to requestor conditions it has not given a reason.  I've also gotten the same answer as Nellie once maybe it was the same person.

I hate it when my RC's are declined like that or with some other rude statement acting like I'm being difficult.  My RC's state that I don't want books with large tears in the cover or with liquid damage.  The liquid damage cracks me up because it is one of the golden rules for posting too.  However I feel the need to repeat it because there is a need.  I've had 5 people decline my RC's in the last year because the book had some kind of liquid damage.  A couple of them said it was just water damage and not a big deal , or that they recieved it that way from pbs.  It however becomes a big deal for me when I open the package and find a moldy book that then causes me to have an alergic reaction.  I don't think people even thing about this. 

I'd rather be declined it the book is in questionable condition then have it sent anyway.  But if declined they should do it nicely we all have to deal with RC's even those of us who have them.  And yes stating that the book is used  is rude.