yesterday I received a book that had yellow liquid stains>  I marked it received with a problem and the person did send me my credit back with no comments from them.

today I received a wishlist book that had obvious water damage to the book affecting half the pages (dry/hard/wrinked pages).  there was no damage to the envelope it came in so this was sent like it.  but in my fast finger clicks I accidentally jsut marked it recieved when I meant to mark it recieved with problem.  I know there is nothing I can do now to change it but I did pm the sender and let them know that I wasn't happy with the book and pointed out that I will not be able to send the book on as it is unpostable. not expecting an answer or credit back jsut wanted to point out that the book was damaged.   

am I jsut going thru' a bad luck spell?  .  I have had many successful trades since becoming a member in june but I guess I'm frustrated that it happened twice in row  :-(

Hang in there!! I have gotten MANY books that have been in brand new condition! These things just happen once in a while.

Diane

Those icky books DO seem to come in waves, none for weeks, then 2 or 3 (or more...) in a row....so hang in there for the good ones, you're doing everything right....and wait it out. Some members end up trading only with people they've traded with previously or know from the forums...I haven't gone that far, but I do keep my Buddy List updated.

Elizabeth

thanks for the support.  yea, I have had great books come to me and really love this site.  just have to remind myself about that.

bummer is that I lost my place in the wishlist  line for one of them.  but that's ok....I got to the top once and I'll get there again LOL. 

I'm sorry you've been dissapointed :(  Sadly I can relate, I'm cool with very used books (I think of it as well loved :) but some I'm not sure if the person read the guidelines or even looked closely at the book. I just got a book from a BOB that has coke stains on the cover and a tear where the bottom of the front cover meets the binding. I'm not sure if I can/should contact them about it though, or just get a good read out of it and not be able to post it afterwards :(

Anyway, I hope you have MUCH better luck in the future!

Isn't it frustrating when your fingers are faster than your brain?!  I got about 5 books once for my son, all from the same person, in a deal.  I gave them all the once over and headed to the computer to mark them received.  Then they sat in the box they came in on my son's floor for about 2 weeks until he was ready to read them.  He picks one up, flips thru it, and about half the pages fell out.  Nice. 

So I now flip thru all the books before I mark it received. 

I see that somebody mentioned tears on the cover like where part of the cover doesnt meet the binding is that a no no, I just sent a boo like that myself and I am gonna feel awful if that should have been a deal breaker

Ben, ya' made a mistake. But remember it happens to all of us.

Best thing to do is to send the recipient a PM saying that on second thought, you think that the book didn't meet PBS guidelines and that you'll buddy the credit back. (Be sure to follow through!) If the person just wants to read the book, it'll probably be fine. If the person wanted a better quality book for a keeper, the credit will be there to place another order.

I did that once with a person who ordered a couple of my books. When I looked at one, I really decided that it was borderline. So I mailed it anyway (since the books were a bulk order of the same author). I buddied the credit back and sent a PM explaining why. The recipient was happy (and happy to have the book, even in its condition), and I was glad my book found a new home.

Ive been really nervous about book conditions so far too. Alot of my books definately look read but I wouldnt say they are overly worn. I am afraid though that others would definately say there was a problem.

A small tear (less than 1/4 of an inch) is acceptable, anything else is not.

  I would do like jane said ben and pm the person to let them know.  I think they'll appreciate the fact that you are responsible trader.  we all make mistakes, that's for sure.

From the help center:

a small rip (less than 1 inch) in the cover is OKAY

Benjamin, I was nervous at first, too, about book condition.  Just pay attention as you begin receiving books and you'll get a sense of the range of what is acceptable used condition.  Welcome!

To echo what Kristen said, a small rip/tear in the cover is OKAY as long as it isn't over an inch long per the PBS rules.   Covers can take a beating, especially in the corners by the spine.   

A coke stain, on the other hand, definitely makes a book unpostable.  The PBS rules are very clear about no liquid damage or stains.

I'm nervous about a book I sent off today. The book is in excellent condition, but I purchase it at a used bookstore and there is a price written on the cover. I tried to wipe it off with a baby wipe but I was careful not to damage it. Some of the ink wiped off, but not all. If you look closely you can still read the price. I didn't see anywhere that this was against club rules, but I'm still very worried. Should I be?

I wish bookstores would not write prices directly on covers in permanent ink!

ellie, I don't see anything on the help pages about a price on the cover so I would assume that is ok, but  perhaps someone will come along with more knowledge about it than me.

most book stores and thrifts I have seen write their price on the inside first page.  one store I really like write it in pencil so it erases easily.  it's a smaller one tho' where all the employee's  know how the owner likes to price (so people can't erase/change the price before they buy). and I can see how that might be a problem for a larger store.

I just got what appears to be a brand new copy of Bad Girls of the Bible.  Before that, I got a very beat up and unpostable book.  I think it's the luck of the draw.  Hang in there, it's sure to turn around soon!

yea, i changed my conditions awhile back to "follow club rules, no torn pages nor liquid stains on book", and yesterday i got a book that was liquid-stained front and back. i PM'ed the person and have not heard anything yet. grrrrr....do people even read the rules? can't help but wonder if they did this on purpose and have not intention of replying nor returning my credit. had another person get really angry with me because i was being "picky" about not wanting a water-stained book. i just want to be able to repost them! 3 bad ones so far out of many; guess that it is not that bad...

I too had a problem with what I thought were overly "used" books. I think different people have different takes on the matter. I was the very first ones that were sent to me and I was very disapointed considering I just sent out, basically brand new books. I solved that problem by posting "my requirments" on any books I recieve. I haven't had any "bad" books sent since.

I also have gotten stung on a couple of books with stains and water damage but overall the books are in good condition when I get them. I have had a couple of "well loved" books- meaning that the covers are very worn looking and beat up-  that I have posted but I always let the requestor know the condition of the book prior to sending them.  I have never had a requestor say they did not want the book.  I think if they know ahead of time that they are getting a book that has had lots of handling it is not so much of a shock as opening the package and seeing the book for the first time and then thinking "what the heck did I just get".

I have been pretty lucky this far, received a bunch of books in new condition. The only bad experience I had so far was a book without a jacket when my conditions specifically asked for it.

They might have been some minor tears but those swappers warned me ahead of time. Honesty is the key, even if a book is in  a borderline condition,  telling the swapper about it might solve the problem right there, they might still want it. In the end, this site is great! Everyone needs to do their part though. :-)

I haven't had any trouble yet and really feel like if it is readable. it's no big deal if it is a little "loved"  I have received books with requestor conditions and have turned them down if I belive my book isn't up to their standards.

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Today I received THREE books from the same sender that were written in and highlighted throughout the entire book.   Not to mention, the hard back didn't have a dust jacket and therefore didn't meet my requestor conditions.  That is THREE credits going to this guy who sent me beat-up used college books that I can't even repost.  I checked the rules, listed below, and PM'd the guy.  If he doesn't return my credits, what should I do? 

Amanda, there isn't anything you can do, unfortunately.    There is no way to compel this guy to return your credits if he doesn't do so voluntarily.  I haven't been on the board long enough to know what the norm is - whether you can expect that he'll return your credits or not.

You can add him to your buddy list with a tag that will remind you not to order from him again, though.  

Best wishes,

Donna

Thanks Donna.  I'll def. add him to my list!