So I got a book that seems to have been damaged in route to me. Water damaged. I di contact the person I got if from she got back to me and it was damaged in route. So I marked it recieved but with a problem..Now I want to know do I get my credit back?

From the PBS Help Center:

A book is considered Damaged by USPS if it was damaged in transit (while in the mail).

• This is usually just bad luck
  • Even the most well-wrapped packages can get mangled by a postal sorting machine
  • We have tried to divide the risk fairly between the sender and the requestor:
    • If the sender gets the book back damaged, the sender assumes the risk: she should contact us to cancel the request.  The requestor gets the credit back when we do that, and the sender does not get credit unless she used PBS-DC or PBS Printed Postage
    • If the requestor gets the book damaged by USPS, the requestor assumes the risk.  The requestor does need to mark the book received and does not get her credit back; the sender does get credit in this case.
• If you feel that the wrapping of the book contributed to its damage en route:
  • You can tell the sender this in a Personal Message
    • Please be gentle!  The sender may be new to bookswapping.
    • You can ask for your credit to be refunded if you believe it is warranted.
  • You can share your own tips on wrapping technique, and/or refer the sender to the Help items on wrapping a book.
  •  You can also comment on the wrapping in the Comments box at the bottom of the survey portion of the Book Received page, so these details are recorded on the transaction in our records.

UGGGGHHHH!! So I am out a credit and have a damaged book unless I use the money I could spend on a credit to mail it back to sender...If I am reading this right. Thank you for your help. I searched the help docs I must have over looked this. I have vision problems and sometimes the words just got together.

Love- if its a popular book you can offer it on the book bazaar for a credit, you just need to tell them the damage.  Just put a post on there saying the title, the binding and the condition (water damaged to X% of the book). 

And yes USPS damage sucks but does not happen that often. You could also add an RC asking for books to be wrapped in plastic to help prevent it happening again.

You only get the credit if the sender gives it to you.  You always have to ask.

The standard is that you do not get the credit for USPS damage.  But if you feel that a poor wrapping job was the reason the book was damaged, then note that for PBS and ask for the credit.

Please send any PMs about problems from the book transaction page, not the sender's bookshelf or profile.  This keeps the records with the order.

That's the thing you think it would NOT have got water damage in route..It was sealed very nicly with packing tape in a plastic bubble envelope. The sender said it was not water damaged when she sent it. So therefor I marked it damaged by USPS. Thank you both

Oh boy now I think I made a mistake...Did not know there was a different way that you were suppsoed to message the sender. :(

When you click on their name to go to their profile or bookshelf, then the PM goes into your PM file.  If you click the PM button on the book transaction, then it also goes into the book transaction archive.  This is good to do as it keeps the record. 

Basically, if this person does this repeatedly, PBS can easily find the records.  This is not a serious problem.  But it does help PBS find and track the members with bad habits.  Those repeat offenders.  It also helps them by giving them additional backup proof when dealing with problem members.

Yes, it looks like you made a mistake and should have RWAPed it as damaged by the sender. I received a book last week that had water damage on the last 100 pages and was very stiff.  and the package was fine. The sender told me that the book was in great condition when she send it. Yeah, right. She did end up refunding my credit which I used to order another copy of the book, which is in great condition and definitely postable. 

If folks aren't placing books in plastic before wrapping them (as suggested in the "how to wrap" guide at PBS), then you run the risk of water damage if the package gets wet in the mail and YES the book can appear damaged while athe package is dry as the packaging is exposed to the air/heat, etc while it continues its journey, but the book is unlikely to dry out in that time!  (While living on island of Guam, our mail barge got hit by a  typhoon and all our birthday presents got soaked--- but by the time, weeks later, they got delivered, many of the boxes were dry, but the gifts inside were sopping.)

Thanks ladies. I am hoping the sender will give me my credit back. If not I will chalk it up to lesson learned :(