Did you pay a credit for both books, or did you receive a 2 for 1 deal?  If you paid a credit for the book that has the damage, then yes, you should mark it RWAP and request your credit back.  You can also offer to return the book to the sender if they want to reimburse you for postage (either in cash or in the form of an additional credit).  If you received the book in a deal, then there is not really much you can do, even though technically they should not be posting books on their shelf that are damaged.

You would not be a jerk to mark it RWAP and request your credit back.  Just be polite in your message to them.  This is what I write: "I am so sorry to have to mark this RWAP, but there is water damage that makes this book technically unpostable per PBS rules.  I would appreciate a refund of my credit, since I will not be able to repost this book.  I will be happy to return the book to you if you would like to cover postage with an additional credit.  I will be sure to mark the problem transaction as resolved upon the return of my credit.  Let me know if you would like the book returned, and thanks for understanding."

Lesley

Well, PBS doesn't say that if you can't repost a book, it should be marked RWAP.  But that's basically because someone can send you a book that is technically postable, but there are no guarantees that you'll receive it that way.  Fragile books that are nearing the end of their lifespan can be damaged beyond postability in transit, even if the trip isn't especially rough.  What should be a consideration for RWAP - damaged by sender is anything that doesn't meet the posting guideliness, and water damage most certainly qualifies.  You don't have to judge the severity of it and make a call on whether or not it's readable, water damaged books just aren't postable.  As others have pointed out, if it's a free bonus book from a special offer, that's a different matter though.  Any RWAP you report needs to be the book showing on your transaction record as the one you ordered.  If it is, mark it RWAP.

Marking damaged/unpostable books that you paid a credit as RWAP doesn't make you a jerk, it makes you a good PBS citizen.  The system relies on folks to mark RWAP books as such, so that folks have a chance to review the rules and their bookshelves, and those few who are bad apples can get weeded out.

Cheers,

Catt

Just chiming in here - the reason that PBS has high quality used books is because the members who receive books are the quality control.  We have to hold the line and make the decisions about whether the books we receive for a credit is postable according to the site's guidelines.  No one is going to go inspect the books except the receiver and it's the receiver's responsibility to help uphold the guidelines.  It's the sender's respoinsibility to post and send only postable books.  Between the two, the books we receive should be of good quality.  It's the only enforcement there is.  If someone "gets off" with not having unpostables called on them - then they may continue to do that.  Calling them on the postablity is a lesson learned and may keep future receivers from getting unpostables - that's how the "I recieved them this way through PBS" excuse keeps going.  If we know we're going to be called on it, then we'll be more careful about what we post.  I do mean "we" because I might not catch something.  It does require the honor code and trust.

Ruth