I suppose it had to happen sooner or later. After 241 completed transactions, I received my first "unpostable" book - water damaged, and I had to hit the RWAP button for the first time. I really didn't want to, but, recalled reading 'if you don't RWP unpostables, members will keep doing it " (or, words to that effect).

I know how you feel.  I've had 3 RWAPs this week.  I don't like confrontation, so it's not something I have looked forward to doing.

After the first couple times having to do it, it becomes a bit easier. It's never something to look forward to though. I still dread the whole process from the moment I open a package and find the book in an unpostable condition, even though all but one or two RWAPs I've had have been very civil and as pleasant to deal with as they could be under the circumstances. I just naturally hate confrontation, but I bite the bullet and deal with it when I have to, since I do believe that members have a responsibility to help maintain the standards of PBS by reporting it when they get a book that doesn't meet them. Otherwise, those standards will be allowed to let slide, and nobody wants that.

I always do wonder about the luck some members have though, to receive hundreds of books without getting a single problem one. I wonder what the secret is. I usually have a couple problem books or so for every hundred I receive, though that number seems to have dropped since my current RCs went active. Still, that's a very low overall percentage, so I don't feel troubled by it at all. I don't know if it's all just luck, or if the genres a person reads has something to do with it, or what. I know most of my problem books I receive seem to be non-fiction (sent with highlighting/writing without notifying me) or fairly highly wishlisted (can have stains, water damage, or whatever, almost as if some members feel the rules don't apply if a book has a good-sized wishlist).

Thanks Mindy & Tiffany, it makes me think about my personlity when I receive an unpostable, yet, I feel almost guilty RWAP'ing it. 

This one has a happy enough ending. I didn't request my credit back, but the sender refunded it anyway - commented that that way the way the book was received, they didn't really notice any water damage - & that in the future they will have to more particular with the books they receive. I refuse to feel guilty about it - "I do believe that members have a responsibility to help maintain the standards of PBS by reporting it when they get a book that doesn't meet them". I'm not going to be inspected books I receive with a microscope looking to RWAP - but, if I receive a fairly obvious unpostable, I'm not going to avoid the issue either.

Hi,

Could someone enlighten me as to what RWAP and RC mean?  Thanks!

RWAP -- received with a problem

RC -- requestor condition

You may find this useful from the Help Center:

Glossary of Common Acronyms/Abbreviations

Acronyms/Abbreviations common on PBS:

• ARC = Advanced Reader Copy (aka Uncorrected Proof, Review Copy); a preview copy of a book sent to reviewers in advance of a book's release; not the final copy of a book, and not permitted for swapping at PBS.
• BCE = Book Club Edition.  Book club editions are special printings of books that use cheaper materials and are slightly smaller in size than standard hardcovers. They're usually sent out via mail order book clubs, hence the name, and sometimes do not have ISBNS (if this is the case, they must be Posted using the Post a Book without an ISBN feature).  They are permitted for swapping at PBS.
• BIR = Books I've Read List. This is a list of all the books you have already read.
• BoB = Box-O-Books. This service allows members to swap books without credits! See What is Box-O-Books? for more information about this feature.
• Boxer = member subscribed to Box-O-Books.
• BX = BookCrossing. BookCrossing.com is a website unaffiliated with PBS. BX books often have stamps or stickers on them, with their BX registration numbers.
• FIFO = "first in, first out". FIFO refers to the order in which books are requested at PBS. See What is FIFO? for more information.
• FOL = Friends of the Library, an organization which runs sales of decirculated library books.
• ISBN = International Standard Book Number, usually found on the back or inside front flyleaf of a book.
• PBS-DC = PBS Delivery Confirmation. See What is PBS Delivery Confirmation? for more information about this feature.
• PM = Personal Message. You can read your PMs in your Message Center, by clicking Personal Message on the right-hand side of your account page.
• Posted books = books currently available to order.
• RCs - Requestor Conditions
• RL = Reminder List. This is a list of the books you are considering ordering in future. See What is the Reminder List? for more information.
• TBR = To Be Read (click the "show description" button on the TBR Pile page to read the full description of its purpose. The TBR Pile is in the dropdown menu under Book Lists on the right-hand side of your account page)
• TG - Tour Guide
• UnPosted books = books not currently available to order; these books may be added to your Wish List.
• UBS = Used Book Store
• USPS = United States Postal Service
• WL = Wish List. See What is the Wish List? for more information.

Acronyms/Abbreviations common on the Internet in general:

• AFAIK = As Far As I Know
• BRB = Be Right Back
• BTW = By The Way
• bump (as the lone word in a Forum post) = Bump Up My Post = empty post added to bring topic back to top of Forum topic list.  This is permissible in Book Bazaar topics once per day per topic.
• DH, DW = Dear Husband, Dear Wife
• DS, DD = Dear Son, Dear Daughter
• ETA = Edited to Add. Used mainly on a forum post that has been edited, to explain why the editing was done.
• FWIW = For What It's Worth
• HTH = Hope That (or "This") Helps
• IIRC = If I Recall Correctly
• ISO = In Search Of
• KWIM = Know What I Mean?
• LOL = Laughing Out Loud
• NM = Never Mind
• NP = No Problem
• OP = Original Poster (or Original Post). Used mainly in Discussion Forums, to refer to the post that started the topic OR the person who started the topic.
• OTOH = On The Other Hand
• OT = Off-Topic
• ROFL = Rolling On the Floor Laughing
• ROFLMAO = Rolling On the Floor Laughing My A** Off
• SIL, MIL, FIL, BIL = sister-in-law, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law
• TTFN = Ta-Ta For Now
• TTYL = Talk To You Later
• YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary

Wow, thank you so much!  I feel informed and "in the loop" now!  Thanks!

I still feel quilty when I mark one RWP too. I'm not a picky person. I let a lot of books that I personally would not have posted slide because they're kind of in a gray area. But some just obviously should not have been posted and those I do complain about.

I'm so glad to see this topic. I just got a book today that has water damage to the back cover and about the last 50 pages. I came here to double check that water damage was a no-no, and feel bad about marking it RWAP, but maybe the sender didn't know, so letting them know might actually be a help to them. I tried to justify in my mind, oh, the damage isn't that bad, but the back of the book is pretty warped, so I don't want to send it on like that. *sigh*

Lise- Water damage is a big no no so mark it RWAP, since it can't be reposted by you. I would also take a photo of the book and the packaging so that if they say it was fine when the book left them, you can show that the package didn't have any water damage just the book which means it was like that when it went into the packing.

I am not convinced that packaging that gets wet and then dries out will always show signs of water damage. Especially if it has a lot of tape on it, which would prevent the paper from stretching and wrinkling.

Margaret--I did. I got a PM back from the sender saying that he thought it was OK because the book was still readable, so I explained that while it is readable, the guidelines clearly state *no* water damage, and I'm not going to send it on.