Has this happened to anyone else? - Questions about PaperBackSwap

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G.W. S. (gwargo)

Subject: Has this happened to anyone else?

Date Posted: 8/29/2011 11:30 PM ET
Member Since: 3/14/2009
Posts: 3
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Hello. Over the course of the last few hours I have gotten at least 5 false emails stating something that is on my wish list has been posted, only for the book on the link to be something totally different than the title in the header. A few of them were accurate, but weren't available when I clicked the link. Any idea what's going on?
Thank you, G.W.

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Laura M. (LMM) - ,

Date Posted: 8/29/2011 11:33 PM ET
Member Since: 12/12/2005
Posts: 524
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Are they emails alerting you that a book SIMILAR TO a WL book has been posted? There are sometimes strange links between books that could make them seem false--just like when it tries to expand the WL and offers something unrelated. That would exlain why they weren't available when you went and looked.

You can turn off those emails if you find them annoying or are only interested in what is actually on your WL, not similar books.

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Mary S. (MaryMary) -

Date Posted: 8/29/2011 11:33 PM ET
Member Since: 2/13/2007
Posts: 8,411
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Is this what happened?

From the Help Center:

I got a Wish list offer in email, but someone else ordered the book!

Please re-read the email notification you received carefully, both its title and the message text inside the email.

After doing this, it should be clear to you that this was NOT a true Wish List offer; it was an alert that a book SIMILAR to an item (same title but different ISBN) you have Wish Listed had been Posted into the system and was available to request on a first-come, first-serve basis.

If this had been a true Wish List offer:
- you would have had 48 hours to order the book before it was made available to anyone else.
If the email was offering you a "similar item" (different ISBN than the one on your Wish List):
- this book was being offered simultaneously to ALL the Wishers for the same title on a "first-come, first-serve" basis, as the email says.
If the similar version (different ISBN) of the book would have been acceptable to you:
- you should put that specific ISBN on your Wish List, if you want to be offered it under an exclusive 48-hour Wish List hold the next time it becomes available. This information is also in the email message.

If you do not wish to receive such similar-item alerts, you can:

Remove all versions (ISBNs) of the title from your Wish List, or
Opt out of the similar-item alert category of PBS auto-email in your Email Settings.

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Patty P. (Patouie) - ,

Date Posted: 8/29/2011 11:45 PM ET
Member Since: 8/26/2006
Posts: 9,554
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Normally the "similar to" e-mails should be for different versions of a book you have on your WL. The server has these books linked. An example would be a hardcover, a paperback, and an audio version of the same title. Since you say the titles are not similar in the e-mails you are getting, you can go to the bottom right corner of any page here, and under "company" click on "contact us." Use the Feedback option there to ask the Admin team to unlink the books. They appreciate us letting them know when books are linked that shouldn't be.

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G.W. S. (gwargo)

Date Posted: 8/29/2011 11:50 PM ET
Member Since: 3/14/2009
Posts: 3
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It wasn't a 'similar to' item. It stated it was available and when I clicked on the link, three of them went to entirely different books (and one audiobook!) and two of them went to the right item but had a 'Post' instead of 'Order'

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G.W. S. (gwargo)

Date Posted: 8/29/2011 11:54 PM ET
Member Since: 3/14/2009
Posts: 3
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Patty, I just got a message to do as you stated. Thank you all.

When I came home and saw that I had five books possibly on the way, I felt kind of like a kid at Christmas. What followed kind of bummed me out.

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Discussion Forums - Questions about PaperBackSwap

Topic: Has this happened to anyone else?

I got a Wish list offer in email, but someone else ordered the book!

Please re-read the email notification you received carefully, both its title and the message text inside the email.

After doing this, it should be clear to you that this was NOT a true Wish List offer; it was an alert that a book SIMILAR to an item (same title but different ISBN) you have Wish Listed had been Posted into the system and was available to request on a first-come, first-serve basis.

If you do not wish to receive such similar-item alerts, you can:

Discussion Forums - Questions about PaperBackSwap

Topic: Has this happened to anyone else?

I got a Wish list offer in email, but someone else ordered the book!

Please re-read the email notification you received carefully, both its title and the message text inside the email.

After doing this, it should be clear to you that this was NOT a true Wish List offer; it was an alert that a book SIMILAR to an item (same title but different ISBN) you have Wish Listed had been Posted into the system and was available to request on a first-come, first-serve basis.

If you do not wish to receive such similar-item alerts, you can:

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