Ok so I got a book today that was wrapped in nothing but cling wrap and tape. I didn't actually damage it but I almost did. To get it open I had to find a weak point on the side of book and shove the blade of my pocket knife into it. I thought I was doing that on the side of the book where the pages are open but I was actually a frog hair away from the spine. So for future reference if I damaged it myself would that have been a rwap offense because the only way to open it resulted in damaging it?

Oh and mummified in tape books don't do that when they are wrapped in paper. The paper gives you room to slip scissors in somewhere the plastic wrap makes an extremely tight seal.

I also damaged a book today in the process of opening it.  Mine was mummiffied so tightly, in some type of paper that did not have the small amount of give that normal paper has, that there was no room for the blade of my knife and I cut the front cover and several pages in the process. 

The only instance mentioned in the Help Center is when the book is rendered unpostable due to the wrapper being taped to the book.  Most wrap jobs can be opened without damage with patience and extreme care. If a book takes too much work, send a polite note to the sender that it was hard to get into and suggest ways to leave a way for people to get into it.

Not as its not the sender who damaged the book.  I am no fan of mummified books either :(

I'd rather get a mummified book than one that is falling out of the packing because of poor wrapping or improper wrapping materials.  Like one of the previous responders stated, if you take time and care opening the package/envelope, you shouldn't cause any damage.

edited for typo

I used to say that about mummified books but this one was litterally wrapped so tight (probably because the film was sticking to the book) that I couldn't get my scissors in it to cut. I had to use my pocket knife and shove it basically between the pages.

ETA again I didn't actually damage the book but I very easily could have.

Use a seam ripper.  Very easy to use with no damage to books even when mummified.  And when it gets sticky, clean with a baby wipe/cottenelle wipe.

The way I answer these questions in my mind is think to myself, what would I do if I received that message?

And in the case of someone giving me a RWAP because THEY damaged the book ... I would seriously think to myself "WTF?". Before I reported them to TPTB.

So, I have to answer, nope, I don't think that its a RWAP situation.

Ok thanks y'all. I have never had a book I couldn't get open without hurting but this was really close. I think maybe the plastic melted a little or ..... something. Or maybe it had something to do with taping over the plastic. Either way no harm done and I pmed the sender to let them know the book was like Ft. Knox.

I think the only way you can mark something RWAP due to the wrapping is if they actually tape something onto the book, or use the "Press & Seal" cling wrap that gets glue on the cover. 

I use an exacto knife to open my books.  It's much easier to wield than scissors when trying to open those tightly wrapped with 15 lbs of tape books, and I've yet to damage one while opening (even the one that took about 5 minutes to open.  No kidding).

I am with Jennifer V. -- I would much rather get a mummified book and take my time opening it than one loosely wrapped in shredded newspaper and torn masking tape that got to me only because the gods were smiling!

Not me! I hate those mummified packages. I've spent up to 20 minutes on some trying to get them open and always damage some part of the book by either scratching the cover with the seam ripper, razor blade, scissors, or whatever I'm using, or nicking the edge of the pages. I've lost count of how many WL books I couldn't repost because of the massive, unnecessary tape that makes it next to impossible to open without damage. 'Course I see I'm in the minority and that's okay.

I hate those mummified packages

I am with you Mary - packages can be adequately taped and yet still leave a place to insert the blade of a knife so the package can be opened without damaging the book.