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Topic: Credits Can only Be used for books - Need Help

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beatccr avatar
Subject: Credits Can only Be used for books - Need Help
Date Posted: 8/10/2010 4:54 PM ET
Member Since: 3/13/2007
Posts: 3,773
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I know it says this somewhere in the rules but i can't seem to find it. Credits are only to be used for swapping books (or transferred to the sister sites) and not to be used to get other items for trade. I'm looking for the official ruling to copy/paste in a post. can someone help me find it?
melanied avatar
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Date Posted: 8/10/2010 5:02 PM ET
Member Since: 8/16/2007
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What can be posted for swapping here?

PBS is for the exchange of used books across all topics of interest. paperback, hardcover and audio books in good condition are acceptable here. 

Guidelines below

Allowed:

  • Paperback books
  • Hardcover books (dust jackets not required)
  • Audio books (must be originals, not burned copies)
  • Ex-library books
  • Books with accompanying media
  • Textbooks/Workbooks
  • Foreign-language books (if in a language other than English, the language needs to be specified in the book description)
  • Playaways (these are considered audiobooks)

 


Not allowed:

  • Anything that is not a book (this includes calendars, coloring books, blank journals)
  • Anything that contains advertising
  • Advance Reader Copies* (also known as ARC s, Review Copies or Uncorrected Proofs--these are not the final versions of books)
  • CD-ROM books/e-books (books that must be read on a computer)
  • Burned copies of audio books
  • Xerox or otherwise unoriginal copies of books
  • Unbound pages
  • Music recordings, spoken-word recordings (these can be swapped at SwapaCD)
  • leaflets or pamphlets or booklets** without ISBNs (other members complain at spending a credit for these)
  • Brochures/Promotional "first chapters" of books - these are not complete books, even if they have an ISBN
  • Books that require supplementary non-media materials (non-media materials cannot be sent by MediaMail)
  • Pornography (sex manuals and erotica are allowed, hardcore pornography is not allowed)
  • Supplementary media alone (without the book they originally accompanied)

*ARCs may be swapped "unofficially" in the Book Bazaar Discussion Forums.  They may not be Posted to a PBS Bookshelf.

**A leaflet/pamphlet is an item with fewer than 20 pages; a booklet is an item with between 20 and 50 pages that is not a children's book. Children's books often have less than 50 pages and are not considered booklets just because of their short pagelength.

Please note: if you Post an inappropriate item for swapping, it may be removed from the database as an automatic action without notice; if it has been requested from you before that happens, you will not get credit for sending it.

 
beatccr avatar
Date Posted: 8/10/2010 5:03 PM ET
Member Since: 3/13/2007
Posts: 3,773
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thanks...i thought that was it, but not sure if there was another that was more specific. someone wanted to trade credits for coupons
melanied avatar
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Date Posted: 8/10/2010 5:03 PM ET
Member Since: 8/16/2007
Posts: 15,234
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And from the Book Bazaar:

General Rules in the Book Bazaar:


(3) No selling books for anything but credits, and no offering anything but books for credits. Freebies/incentives can be "non-swappable" items, but remember that non-Media-Mail eligible items CANNOT be sent using Media Mail postal rate. For example, DVDs and VHS tapes and magazines and pamphlets/booklets without ISBNs are all NOT permitted to be posted at PBS; they can all be offered as freebies/incentives, though. But if the freebie/incentive items contain advertising (ie, magazines or booklets bought at a supermarket checkout stand), or are not Media items (anything but books, CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes) they can't be sent Media Mail, so the whole package will have to go by another shipping rate. DVDs/VHS tapes/CDs can be sent using Media Mail postal rate.
melanied avatar
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Date Posted: 8/10/2010 5:08 PM ET
Member Since: 8/16/2007
Posts: 15,234
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I know which post you are referring to and I have left it alone for a couple reasons. The first being that most of the rules go the other way, no asking for credits for non-book items. The other being that in effect this person is selling her credits which is allowed. Just like some people ask for money or amazon gift cards, this person is asking for coupons. Its an iffy situation IMO so I left her alone.
beatccr avatar
Date Posted: 8/10/2010 5:10 PM ET
Member Since: 3/13/2007
Posts: 3,773
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oh hmm maybe i should delete my post then haha
melanied avatar
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Date Posted: 8/10/2010 6:31 PM ET
Member Since: 8/16/2007
Posts: 15,234
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I'm not saying what she's doing is right either, the last thing we need is people offering their credits for every weird thing they can come up with and the Help Center does say anything not a book should not be traded for credits here. I just don't see this as clear cut and have seen the Team let some of the borderline stuff go. In the long run I didn't think she'd get much of a response. Coupons for totally free stuff just don't exist anymore!
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Sandra (dru) -
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Date Posted: 8/10/2010 8:20 PM ET
Member Since: 1/20/2006
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Last Edited on: 6/15/11 8:42 PM ET - Total times edited: 2
flfraidycat avatar
Date Posted: 8/10/2010 8:48 PM ET
Member Since: 2/21/2009
Posts: 2,926
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No items of any kind may be offered for sale on the site, not for money or any other compensation, with the exception of Book Credits, which may be sold between members.

Like Melanie, I figured she was asking for them in lieu of $, Amazon cards, etc. She's not selling anything but credits.
fangrrl avatar
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Date Posted: 8/11/2010 1:22 AM ET
Member Since: 12/28/2006
Posts: 14,177
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Good question Deborah, and interesting answers.

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