Hi,

My name is Justin P. Espinosa I am a Staff Sergeant in then US Army, currently deployed to Baghdad, Iraq.  Trying to pass time in our 15 month tour over here, I signed up for Paperbackswap but the prices to buy credits are pretty steep and nobody seems to want my books.  So I was wondering if you have some credits you aren't or won't be using if you would donate them to me.  Please just shoot me a message with your thoughts or questions......   justin.espinosa@us.army.mil

Well, I was going to check out the wish list and see if there were any books I could offer to send instead of credits but it says he is no longer a  member.........

I sent two or three PRIORITY MAIL packages to a friend in Iraq.  It took close to TWO MONTHS to reach him.  Even the First Class mail (postcards, envelopes with letters) I have sent takes weeks to be delivered. 

I'm not sure books would reach this guy, unless you are willing to ship them Priority or Express, if he ever becomes an active PBS member again.  Hopefully, he's on his way home, healthy and ready to read!

Interesting ... all 11 board posts he's made are soliciting books and credits giving his email address... then he cancels his account hours later?  I'm happy to support our brave soldiers, but does anyone else smell fish?

--Catt

Actually, R&R shut down the account since posts soliciting credits like this are not allowed.  They posted over on his thread in the Club Members Thoughts forum.

If you sent credits to him and want them returned, send in a request via the Feedback link at the bottom of the page.

if someone wants to send books to the military overseas they can check out operationpaperback.org

i saw a reference to this in someone else's post so I checked it out and have signed up. 

this was posted by the paperbackswap team on another forum from this same person click here to see the original post. Link

While we appreciate and support our military, and we know that this member means no harm, solicitation for credits in forums in this way cannot be allowed.   We have many military members and other members who use credits for good causes, and we have prohibited them also from soliciting in this way.  This is a swapping club. We can't pick and choose which "causes" to support, so all solicitation is not allowed.  

This is a different case from "lend me a credit to get my Wish List book" of course, so please don't write in asking about those posts.

Anyone who has donated credits to Justin and who wants them to be returned, please contact us using the feedback link

Just an FYI....Justin's account has been reactivated.  There isn't any 'authenticity' issue.  The account was suspended while being reviewed and it's been reactivated.  That's all there is to it.

Good to know all is resolved and that R&R are looking out for everyone.

Cheers,

Catt

For everyone's information, the address that Stacy quoted for Sgt Espinoza is slightly wrong, by one (!) digit in the zip code.  I packed up a box of books and took to the PO and they told me that ZC didn't exist.  The correct address is: 

SSG Justin Espinoza,  HHOC STB, Unit #42167, APO, AE 09342, Camp Victory, IRAQ.

I think that he and probably others are a really good place to send some of my books that had been on my shelf for 2 years or more!

You can find other military members that belong to PBS to "spread the joy" with, by putting APO and FPO in the city slot of the Member Directory (under Community tab above) and you will get the list of all military members as they will all have one of those two city's for their address.

I'm going thru the list at the beginning of each month, and offering the next couple in line for me, their choice of books off my shelf (2-3 their choice) and sending to them free of charge. No credits required.  I copied the list out, so that if new members sign up, I will catch them in the new list.

That is what my husband is trying to do Sherry he found a soldier in here and I bought her her wled books..he decided to give her a few credits but we are waiting for her to get back online so he can buddy her the credits...in the meantime he ordered a couple books too but the APO deal worked great for us.. AND most of the APO addys do not need extra postage BUT they DO need customs forms I was told and when I mailed the books I bought her....they confirmed his at the PO

The customs form is really simple tho, I was surprised that it really isn't that big of a thing to fill out. Glad to see you and others sending them books. It's surely the least we can do for some of them, and how little a donation it is for us. I can only do a couple each month,but eventually I'll get to all of them :)  And then I can start over! hahaha

I PM'ed the guy and offered to send him a book or two off my shelf for free (if the covers were appropriate <g>). He sent a PM of thanks and would check out my bookshelf. He's not PMed back since.

I wasn't complaining about the customs forms...I have friends in a few countries so I keep them on hand... I just wanted people to KNOW they have to fill one out because often the people will not get there books etc if you don't even at an APO .....

CocoCee, do remember that depending on where they are they don't always have daily access like we may have. Even if the connection is there all the time, sometimes they don't have 2 spare minutes in a day. So it may take him some days or even a week or more to get back to you.

Oh, and Sandy, I didn't think you were complaining about it, I was just making sure people weren't afraid of it, that it really is an easy form to fill out and really doesn't cause a lot of bother when you take your books to the PO :)

Where was the other place to donate books that are then sent overseas to military people?  I have a bunch more of them that I want to get rid of!  Thanks.

One is www.operationpaperback.org and the other that I know of is www.anysoldier.com