First, I must say that I did check the help docs in reference to the eligibility of Pamphlets/Booklets. It says:

Pamphlets/Booklets/leaflets without ISBNs: NO

• These sometimes contain advertising; members also complain at having to pay a credit for these.
• Leaflets = non-children's books with less than 20 pages
• Booklets = non-children's books with less than 50 pages
• Leaflet/pamphlets/booklets with ISBNs may be posted
  • if so, the number of pages must be included in the item description.
• Children's books do not count as booklets or leaflets, even if they are short. 
  • Children's books can be expected to have short pagelengths and the booklet/leaflet designations do not apply.

The "book" in question, "Jiffy Mixes Recipes--Hospitality in a Jiffy" does not have an ISBN, but the member who posted it claims it does, and entered a 6 digit ISBN. I know that this is false, because sitting beside me is the very pamphlet someone might pay a credit for, when they could go directly to Jiffy's website and get the pamphlet sent to them for free. No shipping/no handling/not one cent out of pocket/no obligations, etc, etc.

I think I might've broken rules, too, because I tagged it as a free pamphlet from Jiffy's website.

What else, if anything, can be done to get this free pamphet removed?

I collect cookbooks, and if I hadn't known that this was a free pamphlet, I might have ordered it and I'd be very unhappy when I received it. (It seriously looks like it could've been a newspaper insert/advertisement with Jiffy recipes.) 

I just want to be proactive and avoid someone else's RWAP situation.

(This is intentionally being posted in both Club Members Thoughts and Questions About PBS.)

I can't help you exactly to tell you that from what I'm thinking they entered it as a book without an ISBN and the system generated an unique ISBN for it--that's what the 5 or 6 digit ISBN is.

I also think that at this point until you get further help, tagging it the way you did is perfectly fine.

In the Questions about PBS forum, there's a sticky at the top called "Report Suspicious Items."  That's exactly what it's for--to report items that have been posted that are outside the guidelines.  If you copy your description and give the ISBN, it looks like TPTB will look into it.

oops--duplicate post

Yeah this sounds like somethign that shouldn't be posted. I would do what Victoria said and report it to the suspicious items thread.

I agree with Mary. I have the exact same pamphlet (or one like it anyways) and definately NOT worth a credit! (Frankly the receipes weren't worth 2 cents anyways!) Wishing you luck and a good day.

I"m guessing it also has advertising in it? Cookbooks with advertising for the publishing company are not allowed here because they can't be shipped media rate.

Thank you all!

I found the "Report Suspiciou Items Thread" (I don't know how I missed it before I started this thread.)

The "cookbooks" I found were all magazines or pamphlets that you could go to the product manufacturer's website and order for free, no strings attached. Calling them a cookbook is a bit of a joke, as they are basically ads for the product, ie Jiffy mixes, but disguised as recipes which require the use of a Jiffy product.

In my copy, there is an ad for Jiffy on every few pages.

Many of the pamphlets I wouldn't mind having, but I felt that posting them for a credit was a bit decietful, as they are not genuine cookbooks and I would be paying a credit for something I could go also get for free.

The thIng about those booklets is, if they are over 50 pages with no ISBN they can be posted with the 5 digit ISBN.

The key question to the validity of these is whether or not they have 50 pgs. They don't have to have an ISBN if they have 50 pgs, and are a valid item. Whether you can get them free or not is not relavent -

Under 50 pages - MUST have a valid 10/13 digit ISBN (And if it doesn't, marking it with the tags as an invalid item is perfectly fine)

Over 50 pages - Doesn't have to have an ISBN

(an ad for Jiffy in a Jiffy cookbook is not what the PO considers advertising. It says something about an advertisement for itself not counting)

Well, the pamphlets I flagged clearly do not have an ISBN. And the PBS rule on this (found in the help docs) clearly states:

Pamphlets/Booklets/leaflets without ISBNs: NO

• These sometimes contain advertising; members also complain at having to pay a credit for these.

A pamphlet/booklet WITHOUT an ISBN is unpostable. The reason being: These sometimes contain advertising; members also complain at having to pay a credit for these.

Additionally, and perhaps I was not clear in my OP, much of what I found can also be considered a magazine. (They are the 5"x6" sized magazines, often found at the checkout of grocery stores, but instead of articles they are stricktly a recipe magazine.) Per the help docs: http://www.paperbackswap.com/help/search.php?terms=magazine

Magazines: NO

• These often contain advertising and cannot be sent MediaMail; even if not, the category is banned from PBS.

This is the defintion of leaflets and booklets from the HC..

<<an ad for Jiffy in a Jiffy cookbook is not what the PO considers advertising. It says something about an advertisement for itself not counting>>

Actually, this isn't quite accurate.  The USPS site states that "Media Mail can not contain advertising except for incidental announcements of books.", which makes sense -- it would be reasonable for a book to advertise "be sure and check out book XYZ by this same author".  Advertising for Jiffy is a food product, not a book, so it doesn't qualify for Media Mail.

So, as others have stated, report it under the suspicious items thread and state why -- it contains advertising for Jiffy.  The page number/ISBN issue becomes irrelevant, since it can't be sent Media Mail.

Cheers,

Catt

Sandra, while you are correct, but many of what I found also fall under the category of Magazine (as I clarified in my previous reply.)

Per the help docs:

Magazines: NO

• These often contain advertising and cannot be sent MediaMail; even if not, the category is banned from PBS