Yesterday I finally got around to reading a book I'd received a while back via PBS.  As I read, I discovered there were stains in the book.  If I understand the PBS rules correctly, that means the book shouldn't have been posted --- and it means I won't be able to re-post it.  But when I originally received the book several months ago, I didn't notice the stains and so didn't mark it as "received with a problem."  Am I just out of luck on this one?

Thanks for any thoughts . . . . (and yes, in future I will check more carefully when I get each book!)

I personally would not refund a credit to someone who complained about a book several months after receiving it-how would I know what this person has been doing the book all this time-where it's been sitting-have their kids gotten to it etc.. .  So yes I think you are out of luck. 

My best guess is that you're probably out of luck, though I don't know of any official policies on this. But I think the "RWIP" feature is not checked, then you've probably missed your chance.

Marta, we've probably all been burned on this one *hugs*. 

So yes I think you are out of luck.  +1

Yes indeed, I know I've been burned by this in the past, before I started checking over books carefully when I get them. I would not think of asking for a credit back months (or even weeks) after receiving a book and marking it received. In fact, even if I discovered something a few days afterward, I would just "eat the credit" and add the lesson to my live and learn pile. 

I also would not refund a credit to someone who complained about a book I sent weeks or months after the fact...I mean, it may be a legitimate gripe but it also could have been explosed to liquids or damaged in that person's household after they got it from me. There's no way of knowing.

Cheryl

Even checking books carefully, I occasionally run up agains a stain or water damage that I missed at first.  That happened to me twice this week, though my kids think that dd may have made the stain.  Who knows?

Once the book has been marked received, the problems are yours.

It happens to me constantly, I was very bad about checking any books I received (figured the rules were clear so they'd all be fine, lol).  My TBR is gigantic, so it's rare that I read them immediately, I'm always in the middle of reading something else.  Days, weeks, and yes, even months later - I'm astonished by how many actually weren't postable to begin with. Staining is the primary culprit, although there's sometimes a tear or a highlight. It's disappointing, but if you've received it without a problem, there's no one to blame but you. It does provide a reason to review your books upon receipt...which I'm still trying to get better at doing. :-)

Even tho both hubby and I check books when they go out or come in, we've been known to miss water or something else wrong with a book here and there until we read it, or until the requestor looks it over again. Since we know that we can miss them ourselves when checking books in, I realize how it is possible for others to miss problems when sending, so I try to be nicer when letting them know about something I've found when the book arrives. Unfortunately, I'm with the rest, after a few days have passed, at a minimum, you really are stuck without any recourse. Not saying there isn't EVER anyone out there that wouldn't return your credit 6 wks or whatever later when you finally get around to reading the book, but just saying that it's really doubtful that you will find that saint.  :)

You can always ask. There was someone who posted here in the forums a couple months ago saying they refunded someone who complained something like a year after receiving the book with no problem simply because the person was nice in how they asked for a credit refund.

I personally would never ask or refund a credit in such a situation. However, I wouldn't be peeved at getting a PM about it. I'd just politely decline. I think once the book is marked received then it is the requestor's problem. If I marked a book received without a problem and then found a stain 2 minutes later, I would just eat the credit. I should have found the stain before marking it received. My boo-boo, my loss.

There was a book I received in December, and finally got around to reading this month when I saw that a member I posted a WL book to was also wishing for that book. Excitedly, I went to pull it off the shelf and to check it over really well before sending it to her. I also hadn't read it yet, but knew I could read it completely in about 3 hours because it was a YA book and pretty short. As I was flipping through it, I noticed some faint liquid staining on the bottom of the last 6 pages, which makes it unpostable.

I contacted the member who originally sent me the book and described the damage to her. I explained to her that it had been sitting on a shelf since December with no exposure to liquid of any kind, so I knew it happened before it arrived to me. (My books are stored on shelves in our bedroom. We don't eat or drink in there.) I told her I was not asking for my credit or even expecting it back, and that the only thing I asked of her was that she be sure to check over the books she sends outmore carefully so as not to disappoint anyone else.

I didn't even expect a response about it, but I wanted to make my feelings known. To my surprise and appreciation, she refunded the credit, apologized, and promised to check her books better before sending them out.

So it could happen that someone will refund the credit well after the fact. I would not advise you to go in expecting the credit returned since it has been awhile since you received it, but at least your PM would hopefully get the sender to consider the quality of the book she sent you, and to make sure that she looks over books better in the future before mailing them out. In the same respect, it will also encourage you to check over the books you receive with a more trained eye so that this will not happen to you again.

Thanks, everyone, for your responses!  I appreciate the advice . . . . it confirms what I'd thought, but I figured, hey, it never hurts to ask. 
Thanks so much!

The book I am currently reading fits into the OP's category.   The book looked terrific when I received it and I didn't bother flipping through the pages.  When I got up to page 10, I discovered a big blob of tomato sauce or something greasy and orange that leaked through to the following 6 or 7 pages.  Its not a WL book, so I'll just donate it to Goodwill.  

This happens infrequently, and I always try to remind myself to be thorough when I receive a book - but this time I was definitely too late to RWAP.

This can happen and if the stains/damage is small it could be that the sender missed it also.

 I always check my books before sending out an to date have no RWAP. 

It has happened to me and if I had the book for a while, I would say it was my own fault for not checking...... but if the damage is small and the book still readable, I'm not too concerned about it.  

Probably you're out of luck by now...next time flip through the book when you get it, to check it's postable. 

Wow, this just happened to me! *goes to delete my thread* No harm in asking.

This happened to me recently as I started reading a book that I got awhile ago and realized there was awhole page missing....luckily it was in the beginning but still kind of sucked....but other than that, my experiences have been good...and now I check my books like I'm the secret service...