So heres the dealio: I got a book and it didn't meet my requestor conditions. (I said in my RC that I would not accept any books that have absored and undesirable odors: namely pet and smoke) This book literally reeked of cigarettes. I mean, there was even cigarette ash in between the pages. I got a migraine just opening the package.

I emailed the sender and they apologized and had me send the book back and they would refund the credit plus a credit for the postage to return the book. I made it clear: two credits. So I resend the book, promptly, if i do say so myself. Sender pm's me that she receives the book on 10/18 and said "I will send you two credits just as soon as i can." I've gotten no credits thus far and my credit count is dwindling since I'm getting WL book after WL book fulfilled. (Must be the season, I see others are having this problem)

I'm getting kind of impatient...is it rude to pm the user and inquire whats taking so long?

I don't think it's rude of you.  Possibly she doesn't have any credits to give and doesn't know you can buy them or can't afford to buy them.  But in the future, I suggest you wait until they give you the credits before you send the book back.  Hopefully, she'll do what she said she would.  Sorry about your bad luck. :( 

well, your first mistake was returning the book without the credits up front...recommendation if this ever happens to you again...the sender must give you the credits in advance. 

Now, I would send a PM to this person something along this line..."thank you for acknowledging receipt of the book that I returned to you and at this point 10 days later I feel that I have been patient in waiting for my 2 credits.  I would like to request that you return this credits within the next 48 hours or I will be forced to report this to The Powers that Be and mark this transaction Not Resolved. Thank you for your prompt attention in addressing this matter."

allow her the 48 hours and then send a copy of the PM where she stated she would return the credits and one of the one where she states she received the book to The PBS Team. 

Oh and before you send the PM check your credit registry and make sure she hasn't sent you the credits.

I've gotten no credits thus far and my credit count is dwindling since I'm getting WL book after WL book fulfilled. (Must be the season, I see others are having this problem)

Gasp! Problem? No! Receiving wish list books is NOT a problem! :P

But to answer your question, no I do not think it would be rude of you. It's been 10 days already!!

Absolutely PM the other member and ask for the credits.  They've had ample time.  If she doesn't have the credits, she should buy 2 to send to you.

Next time, I'd get the credits up front too.

I'm in somewhat the same situation but not about RC's.  I got the wrong book.  Nevermind the "reasons" I got the wrong book.  But the sender has returned my original credit.  Now he wants me to return the book and he  " will mail me the postage".  I'm leery of this because however small, there is some water damage to the book.  I'm positive he is going to pass this book on to someone else for credit evn though I've told him twice that with this damage it isn't allowed to be traded fof credit.  I may be wrong and he's going to send it as a freebie - but I don't think so since he's become agitated that he's "losing credit because he still doesn't have the book".  It could be that he's sending it on a different site - I can't be sure. But I know that this is a WL book here.  So I'm in an uncomfortable situation that seems to have grown completely out of control over a book and a credit.  I have suggested that he could jus give me another credit for the postage - no reply on that.  I'm really tired of the situation at this point - life is too short for this and now I don't even want the book I ordered in the first place. It's probably a good thing I'm not a TG or some other "office" on PBS because this is irritating.

Ruth

Ruth, even if he offers to send you the credit or money for postage you are not obligated to agree to send the book back.  Just tell him that you do not want to mail it back and as per the Help Center you are not obligated to do so....Final Answer!!  If he continues to contact you about it or becomes abusive/aggressive in his communication let TPTB know and let them handle him.

I agree, Ruth.  if you've gotten your credit back, you may want to inform him in advance, but if you don't want to send it back, you certainly don't have to.  The site rules support you 100% in that, and if you respond to him at all at this point, I'd include the quote on that from the help docs.  Most especially if you're strongly concerned that he intends to put this book back into the sytem here - and if you've had to tell him twice that he's not supposed to do that, it's probably a valid concern - you certainly aren't violating any site rules if you decide to see to it personally that this book is permanently "retired" from the PBS system:P

You got the wrong book, you PMed, you got your credit back.

The sender has asked you to return the book and offered to pay the postage for you to do that. I am not sure where "what you think may happen with the book if you return it" is your concern. It should be a simple enough thing. It is your book. Either send it, or don't. Send a PM and say something like, " I have decided it is not worth the time and effort to return this damaged book to you. I will donate it to a homeless shelter." (or whatever)

If you do decide to return it, it will be HIS book again and he is entitled to decide what to do with it. Any future trades that may ensue would be between him and the new recipient. Of course, that recipient (should there happen to be one) is also entitled to complain about the unpostable condition of the book and request THEIR credit back also.

I don't know whether you have seen that thread, but your holding the book hostage agonizing over what he might do with it when he gets it back reminds me (on a small scale) of the mom who will not return her son's library book and is threatening to also remove from circulation any further copies of that book that the library tries to replace it with. ... Almost as if you'd like to go personally to check every book of his shelf for a couple drops of water, just in case, so that he won't be getting credits for unpostable books if you can help it!

I don't mean to be harsh, I am just trying to illustrate how it sounds to me. You have been treated fairly so far by this sender. Make your decision and let it go.

I'm confused. Someone above said: "Even if he offers to send you the credit or money for postage you are not obligated to agree to send the book back." Are you serious? Isn't that a bit much? So you're going to ask someone to give you an EXTRA CREDIT to cover postage and still not mail back the book? That cannot be along the PBS rules, and is just really bad trading I think. I can understand not mailing back the book if the sender won't give you a credit, but if he/she offers a credit and you receive that credit, and you still think, 'Nah, I'm just gonna keep that extra credit for the heck of it.' That's not cool at all in my opinion. I'd say you can turn down that extra credit if you don't feel like hiking back to the PO (or think the book just needs to be out of circulation) but for goodness sake, don't take advantage of someone who's trying to rectify the situation! 

Heather,

 I think what they meant was that, if someone offers a credit to send the damaged book back to them, the receiving member is not obligated to accept the offer. That is the way I read it.  ("you are not obligated to agree to send the book back")

While, yes, it is a bit much to ask for 2 credits and not send the book back, I think you may have misread it.  :)

If you ACCEPT the credit or postage money, you do need to send the book.

Just because he offers the money or extra credit for the return, does not mean you need to accept the offer.

Heather B. I don't think anyone has said that she got the extra credit for return postage and is now not going to send the book...the person has offered to send her an extra credit once he receives the book back.  But, yes the sender can offer to send an extra credit but, it is up to the requestor whether they want to accept that credit and return the book but, if they accept the credit  for the postage they must either send the book back or return the credit.

Well, as of this moment, the book belongs to Ruth.  If she thinks it's not in postable condition, then she has the obligation to retire the book and not put it back into the system here.  I don't think she has any obligation to return it to the original sender, whether he's willing to compensate for postage or not.  That part is up to her and whatever her personall reasons are, they're really irrelevant.  If she wants to make that agreement with him, fine, and if she doesn't, that's fine as well.  I don't think anybody meant to suggest that she take some form of compensation for the postage costs and then refuse to return the book, nor do I think that refusing his offer is holding the book hostage.  It's her book now, not his.  If she wants to donate it to a thrift store or offer it as a free unpostable, she has every right to do that.

For those of you who think I'm upset my wishlist is being filled...i'm not! I'm glad! But I get nervous when my credits get low, in case I get a huge rush of WL book offers and have to turn some down.-Gasp!-

Speaking of which, I got one yesterday and the user denied me because the book had already been sent to a user on another site. Why, oh why would someone list a wishlisted book on this site as well and another swap site? I gave them a polite earful that this isn't fair to users on this site and if they insist of listing a single book on mutiple sites that they should atleast check and make sure it's not wishlisted first.

I sent my problem user who owes me two credits another polite, but insistant earful. I somewhat detest confrontation like this, and likely I don't have to do it often on this site because the users are usually awesome!

Thanks for the update, Brittany. I was wondering whether you'd emailed. I hope they don't mistake your "insistent earful" for anger and decide out of spite not to send 'em after all!

I am often leery of how my PM will come across, however politely I try to word it!

Hi Dappledart:

Not damaged: wrong binding for ISBN (hardback, but mass-market paperback sized) The Moon-Spinners by Mary Stewart ISBN 0449206092

I saw this and had a question. Couldn't you just list this with the author and title, without an ISBN since the ISBN was definitely re-used?

OK I gotta ask:  where's the "hostage library book" thread? 

Mary, if it's the thread I'm thinking of, it's on page 6 of the Club Member's Thoughts forum, entitled "mom refuses to return son's library book" or something to that effect.  It's an interesting thread.

LOL!!  I don't intend to hold the book hostage.  And he's only offered to send me the postage involved to get it back.  I am just trying to decide how best to do that now.  I'm most sure I can get through the PBS system which I would prefer to do because then there's a record and because it is a PBS matter.  But he sent me the wrong book, so I can't say I've received it.  So do I go to the "dummy" book method instead?  Or just forget it and send it with PayPal postage and DC?  I don't want the book - I already have this book.  I've just wanted to impress upon him that there's a problem and that maybe the next person is going to have the same reaction about the damage.  What he decides to do is defnitely his problem and I'm not trying to control him - just make a point about PBS rules and quality expectations.

Ruth

ETA - I am afraid of what the book I should have gotten (and now is in Alaska) looks like.  I may be going through this again, and I really don't want to.

Ruth, he can use the Buddy a Credit method to send you the additional credit and I would have him do it BEFORE you mail the book.

Yes, Carolyn, I could just list the book non-ISBN. So far, I haven't found the two minutes to do that instead of cruising forums, etc. I probably eventually will.

Thanks for not taking offense, Ruth. Can't say I'd know the best way to handle returning it either. I actually appreciate that I am not alone it trying to make sure (some) members learn they should check their books more carefully before listing them..   ; )

"mom keeps library book" link: http://www.paperbackswap.com/forum/topic.php?t=139477

(edited several times because I have a one-task-at-a-time mind once dinner is over. )