I am new here and I have mailed 5 books already, even though 2 of my requests were never answered and expired. 

I get the feeling that there needs to be a way to rate members who do not approve or ignore or cancel requests, provide sub-standard books, only receive and do not send out books (possible resalers),. A feedback system similar to the eBay buyer feedback system would at least provide a clue as to the level of "honor" a member has.  In my experience, honor systems do not work well.

PBS keeps track of people with problem transactions or who allow requests to time out and their accounts are suspended. The rating members system just doesn't work well with this system because it's based on FIFO--first in, first out. If you are the first person who posted a book, your copy will be the first one requested. If you are wishing for a book not in the system, and no one else has yet wished for it, you will be #1 in line.

So if a book is offered to you from your wishlist, you accept the request. You don't know when it's posted WHO is offering it. If you cancel the request after accepting, it is removed from your wish list and you lose your place in line because the system believes you no longer want it. If you have a book on your bookshelf that you posted a year ago and someone orders it, then you decide you don't like them and cancel, you once again lose your place in line and when you repost it, you will be at the back of the queue. So a rating system really has no relevance.

This system works very well in most cases. 99.5% of my 3000+ transactions have gone just fine and I wouldn't change anything about how things work.

Cheryl

Since requests have 5 days to be accepted, and you've only been a member since YESTERDAY, it's not possible that you've had any requests that were never answered and expired. 

I guess this idea is not working for me. How do I get removed as a member?

Go to the lower right corner of your screen and click "Contact Us". Use the Send Us Feedback button and ask to have your account closed.

Yeah I'm curious as to how you've had  requests expire after being a member for only 1 day.  PBS is not for you if you need book request accepted and mailed immediately.  You need to buy books new from Amazon or somewhere if you want that. PBS at least has time frames. Bookmooch doesn't and it can takes weeks to get a book mailed out sometimes.  Even Amazon marketplace can take a few days for a used book to be mailed. 

Also a feedback system doesn't always work well either.  People leave bad feedback for stupid reasons or just out of spite becasue they don't like a comment someone has made or don't agree with PBS rules.  PBS has other methods in place to get rid of bad members: the RWP options, tracking mailing dates, lost books, cancelled requests etc.., 

I guess this idea is not working for me. How do I get removed as a member?

And then how do you expect to get any value for the five books you said you've already mailed? You won't get them back you know, and if you wait you can then use the five credits to order other books once they get delivered to their receivers. And that's on top of the free credits you may have already spent by posting the required 10 books. Don't you want to see those get to you as well?

There's all kinds of information in the Help Center tab at the top of the page. And no mattter what site you're on you need to read the rules and get to know how the site works. Otherwise the fact that you haven't had enough time to have a book order 'time out' would have been clear to you.

Rating members wouldn't work as the site if FIFO, First In First Out. Which keeps things moving along and people know if they wait their turn their books will get ordered. Plus, you don't know why someone hasn't responsed to a book order, especially in less than two days! Life and computer glitches happen to people.

You gotta have patience.

My concern with a feedback system is that life happens.  If someone has an emergency and doesn't get around to putting a hold on their account because they are away from a computer or busy with the emergency, then a negative feedback wouldn't be fair.  I think things are as closely monitored as it can be and quite fair at that.  I think they've thought it through pretty well.  If you decide to stay, I think things will be more enjoyable than you think.

My concern with a feedback system is that life happens.

Which includes spam filters, as someone one one of the other discussions found out when they didn't get order notifications and found their spam blocker may be the problem.

But however you look at it, two days isn't long enough to rate anyone, so really it's a good thing that it's not in place in this instance. That would have been unfair to the senders to have been ranked on a two day response time when the site gives them much longer than that.

Welcome to PBS, Terri!  Like Mary, I'm curious as to how your requests expired after 1 day.  Perhaps the member did in fact respond but said they couldn't mail it?  Response times do vary, but in my experience requests are generally accepted and mailed within 2 to 4 days.  Not everyone can/does check their account every day, and not everyone can make it out to a Post Office daily either.

I agree with Cindy, since you've already paid to mail 5 books you may as well wait to get and use the credits for them; you'll get 7 books at no additional cost to you.  If you don't wish to mail out any more books, put your bookshelf on vacation hold so you don't get further requests (here's a link to the Help docs telling you how to do so).  Give the system a chance to work for you and I think you'll find that the vast majority of transactions go through without a hitch and in a timely manner.

Welcome to PBS Terri!

The good news...PBS has a large pool of members, your chances or running across the same annoying peeps are very minimal.  IMO most of the members here are very nice.

I don't really have anything to add since everyone else has said it all, but I just thought I'd expand on this:

  You need to buy books new from Amazon or somewhere if you want that.

Even then you'll be waiting at least a week or more to get your order. Unless, of course, you pay the $15 for overnight (or however much it costs, I never look at it because I do the free shipping!). I think the only way to get instant gratification is to go to the bookstore itself.
 

Some of the wait times on the site can be frustrating. I'm one of the first to admit that. Luckily, most transactions on the site go real fast both in response time and mailing times. I've been here almost 3 years and just had my first two books go lost this month. It's also just been this year that I've had to really wait on response times for requests (both ones I request and those requested from me via WL). Usually people respond quickly and mail quickly.

I'd suggest taking a bit more time before deciding that this isn't for you. You joined yesterday.

"...You joined yesterday"   IOW, she hasn't been a member long enough for any transactions to expire.

I've mailed and received hundres of books.  Missing books are in the single digits, and problem transactions are a similar low number.  So IMO the Honor system appears to be working just fine.

...something smells rotten in Denmark.

Terri ,

    This is a great site. You just need to calm down and let the system work. I have been a member for about 6 months with very few problems and have received tons of wonderful books. I still keep finding out new features etc. Sometimes people cancel or don't respond, but that is their right. It all evens out at the end. Please take the time to check out the Help docs and HAVE PATIENCE!!!!!!!!!!! For the most part the people here are wonderful.

Denise

"...even though 2 of my requests were never answered and expired"   Apparently her 'never' is less than 24 hours.  Should we assume she has the lifespan of a misquito?