I rarely post on the boards but I have a comment to make...the last two or three books I've ordered have been books that weren't supposed to be posted. Books with pages falling out...I gave the member the credit when I received it but she never answered my PM about sending a book like that. The most recent book I got today was one with a clipped cover. Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't that a PBS no-no? Also, when I requested it, it was listed as a hardcover yet the book I received is a paperback. I know when I post books on my bookshelf, I try to honor the rules listed and never post something that I wouldn't want to receive but it looks like this there's a new trend starting at PBS and I'm wondering if being a member is worth the hassle of receiving messed up books that should never have been posted in the first place. Has it happened to others? What have you done about it? The one time I emailed the owners I was given the brush off that one credit wasn't worth going after but, by my count, that's 3 more credits I've lost for books in awful shape.

Mad

I have only been a member for a little more than a year, but it's been this way since I've been here.  I have seen a lot of people say that they think it has gotten worse though, so who knows.  Just make sure that you are marking the books Received With a Problem when you get them.  Also, you can now indicate through your transaction register whether conflicts have been resolved or not- so if a member who sends you an unacceptable book does not rectify the situation to your satisfaction, you can go back and mark that it was not resolved, and this will count against that member (from what I understand, never had to do it myself).  Sorry you are experiencing this.

Well, the clipped corner may or may not be ok.  It depends on how much was clipped.  Go to the help center, search for "clipped", you should come up with the condition rules, which include

"Cover not torn or chewed/gnawed

• some used book stores cut out a small part of the cover; if the amount missing is less than 1 inch, this is OKAY"

The paperback v.s. hardback issue is definately not OK.

I don't know that I think that bad senders are on the rise, I think you've just had some bad luck, unfortunately.  I have always thought that, when people sign up for PBS, they should be required to take a quiz over the posting guidelines.  I just think many people don't read them.

Also, you do need to ask for your credit back if that's what you want, not just assume the sender will give it back automatically.  Sometimes newer members who aren't aware of the rules also don't know you can and should return credits, etc.  There's a ton of info in the Help Center that might be useful.  The site owners weren't blowing you off; it says up front in the Help Center that:

"We cannot mediate individual problem swaps at PBS.  We can't adjudicate from a distance; moreover, the club is large enough that even intervening in the small percentage of disputed transactions would not be possible time-wise.  This is why marking a problem swap received "with a problem" is so important: if a sender's account shows a pattern of problems, we will intervene and the sender may be expelled from the club. "

I'm sorry this has happened to you, but I daresay it happens occasionally to most of us.  Ask nicely for your credit back, cite the condition guidelines they have broken, etc.  If they do not respond after a week, you can report them to the site owners via feedback.  Folks are not permitted to ignore PMs about problem transactions.

Cheers,

Catt

I don't think it's a trend but it seems to come in groups for some people. I know I've received over 100 books and I think I only marked 3 as RWP.  (I hope you're doing that btw).  I've received several that were borderline that I probably wouldn't have posted myself that I didn't mark RWP.  Eventually every book gets to it's last person as being postable and sometimes it might be me (or you). But anything obviously unpostable, I mark as RWP and ask for my credit back.  I used to feel guilty but then I thought 1: if they normally send out good books than my one red mark isn't going to hurt their account but it might cause them to pay more attention to the books they post  and  2: if they habitually send out bad books then my red mark might help get rid of them.  Of the 3 I've marked RWP-I got my credit back and an apology on 2 and a "I don't send out bad books and so you must be lying response" on the other.  I marked it as unresolved. I can still read the book and I'll either offer it as a freebie here or post it on another site that allows you to describe your copy.

Yep, always mark them RWP and follow up on that if it's resolved or not.

Send a clear PM describing the problems with the book and even quote the posting rules if you think it will help.  Ask for the return of your credit, don't just assume the other person will return it automatically.  Be polite in the PM but definitely ask for what you want to happen.

In the 13 months I've been here, I've only had 2 books received that had problems.  Both senders were kind enough to return my credits.

I'm pretty easy when it comes to condition of a book.   Today, though,  I'm thinking it's as far as I willing to let slide.  I received a book - paperback-  that came through the PO system with the PBS wrapper almost completely torn off (not the sender's fault - althought I would have preferred that they had wrapped it in plastic first).   The problem that I have is that the front cover is torn about 3/4 of an inch in the middle of the page edge and taped with Scotch tape.  I'm letting this one go because it's readable and I want to read it not keep it forever.  But I'm a little put off about this.  This may be acceptable to the PBS system - I'm not sure, but I'm not happy about it, and thenext one I get like this I'm marking RWP.  I try not to send out books in this condition.  I wrap in plastic first.  I know - it sounds as if "I'm all that"...but I'm not.  Maybe it's just too hot here in the house tonight!

According to the site, tears of less than 1 inch in the cover are okay for posting.

It wouldn't be right to mark that book RWP if the tear was less than 1".  It meets with PBS standards and is therefore postable. If you have a problem with any tears in the cover than you need to make a condition against them.  Also PBS doesn't require plastic wrap when  packaging books.  I had one torn to bits securely wrapped in one of those plastic tyvek envelopes.  So some plastic wrap probably wouldn't have helped.

Ruthy, if you don't want any tears in the covers of the books, you do need to put that in your Requestor Conditions, because a tear of 3/4" is perfectly acceptable, as Babs said, and should not be marked RWP. I personally would remove the scotch tape, if it will come off, and apply some good clear packing tape, as the scotch will yellow over time.

Oops! Typing at the same time as you, Mary :)

I see the trend of people posting books and then when you except the book they pm you.....with "by the way its missing a page, or the first 13 pages of the workbook is used etc."

I don't think people should post these at all.

Melissa, you are right  - they shouldn't be.  What I do is write back and quote the posting guidelines.

Some people will try to pass off anything.

I've only received one that was so bad I had to throw it out.  The member did give me my credit back though.  I ordered it for my hubby and when I opened the package I didn't want to touch it.  The book was filthy and stained.  God only knows what was on it.  My hubby took one look at it and said "I'm not touching that!" 

Okay, I stand corrected.  I feel better about it now.  It's not as hot now here on the 2nd floor with no AC.  So I fell better about everything.  ;D   It's just that I don't send out books with any tears.  It doesn't feel right to me.  But that's my problem.  I just wonder how many people are out there like me who are under the wrong impression like I was?  And I do remember reading all the rules, etc.  I just don't remember that one.  Guess old age is starting to get to me!  ;D

Ruth

I received a book today that had water damage to numerous pages AND the back cover.  I have no water damage included in my requester conditions and the book does not meet PBS guidelines. 

They were late in mailing the book too.  My luck hasn't been the best lately!

I have received a couple of books that I would not have posted.  One had a very worn cover and the other had a slightly worn cover but it also had about a 3 inch triangle cut off of the top corner of the book.  I didn't contact the sender because I got both books from the same person on a 5 for 1 deal.  I guess that I was lucky that 3 of the books were postable.

Would you consider books "postable" that were in like new condition, or books with only slight spine creases, if they had a couple of punch hole in them from a UBS?  I bought several books at a UBS and didn't notice until I got them home that they each had a couple of punch holes in the top of the front cover.  Some of the punch holes are triangles about 1/8 of an inch at the widest, and others have 5 point stars that are 5/16 of an inch at the widest.  I thought that I would let the requestor know about the punch holes to give them the choice of canceling the order, if I post them.  Would you accept a book like this?  Would you want your credit back?  Please tell me your opinion.

Thanks,

Nancy

"some used book stores cut out a small part of the cover; if the amount missing is less than 1 inch, this is OKAY"

i always wonder exactly what this means.  1 square inch?  if each side of the cut is less than 1 inch?  i've received some with clipped corners that i thought had too much missing and would not repost.

Nancy, i'd think the ones with the holes punched that you described would be ok.