Since there has been a lot of discussion recently about wishlisted books and autorequests, this got me to wondering about what happens when someone has a book on autorequest but doesn't have credits available when the WL book is posted. Does the system still put the request through to the poster even though the wisher has no credits, or does it go to the next wisher in line?  I have no experience with this situation, but would assume that the wisher would be notified by the system and given a chance to purchase credits before the offer goes to the next member in line. If so, how much time is the wisher given to obtain credits?

If the wisher is unwilling or unable to purchase PBS credits when the WL book is offered, I assume they can cancel the request and the offer then passes to the next wisher in line if any, and this could be a source of frustration or anger from the posting member, especially when there are no other wishers for the book.

I am just trying to understand the system a little better and wondered what happens to autorequests in cases when credits are not available in the wisher's account. Thanks!

from the help page

The auto-request feature on the Wish List will request a Wish List book automatically for you when it becomes available and if you have a credit in your account, skipping the email offer/confirmation step.  Auto-request will work even if an account is on Vacation/Hold. 

If you do not have credits (or enough PBS Money for the swap fee, or a free swap) in your account when an auto-requested book becomes available, the Auto-Request will convert to a regular Wish List (48-hour) offer.  If your account is on Vacation Hold in this situation, you will be "bypassed" for the book, and you will remain in your place in the Wish List.

This just happened to me. All of my WL books are on AR, but I got 3 separate offers in a row and only had 2 credits. The third WL book indeed came through as a regular 48 hour WL hold. I had the option to buy credits, decline the offer, or "not now".

I like it on SaDVD when the it jumps over an Auto with no funds/credits, but I don't mind this system either. I think it's funny (and convenient, though I don't usually use it) that an auto becomes a 48-hour w/o credits here.

Not so funny or fair to a poster if the representation at the time of listing is auto request. Never knew this and find it kind of outrageous. Auto pretty much by definition involves having a credit and a swap fee. Anyone know what the poster sees in this situation?

Why is it outrageous?  Do you think everyone should keep enough credits in their accounts to cover every WL book that might be offered to them?  Do you have 103 credits right now?  Not everyone can afford to keep that much money wrapped up in something that may never get used. I know I wouldn't keep enough credits to cover all my WL books, not the way this site has been lately.

Just because you don't agree with it, doesn't make it outrageous

And there is no way you get your wish list in a day. But at a minimum you should have the credits and swap credits equal to the number you are #1 on the wish list for. If you have zero credit and swap fees you should not get to represent auto.

Mary I'm curious. Is there anything you like about this site or is the whole thing pretty much negative all the way?

Yes, I have been a member since 2008 and really like sharing and receiving books from others. What I do not like is members who clog the system with time outs and copious closed accounts that receive no response. Until the driftwood is cleared out, it it much more difficult to be positive.Frankly I am appalled to learn that entities with neither the book and, if needed,swap credits are represented as auto requesters.

Mary, I don't understand the hurry to mail?

For example, if you want to mail on Tuesday, post the book on Saturday.  That way there is at least 48 hours for the first wisher to accept. If no one accepts it in time to mail on Tuesday, let it roll over as many times as it needs to and then wait to accept it so that you can mail the next Tuesday.

If you only ever want to mail on Tuesdays, then post the book whenever you want to, and accept/mail the book such that you have until a Tuesday to mail it. PBS allows 12 days in there to play with.

You can control the exact day that you mail so that it's most convenient for yourself, within a 12 day window.

I don't understand about getting irritated that all the possible requestors of the book aren't using the site the way you would prefer them to?

I mean, you are not using the site the way that I think you should, but I am not going to worry about it. You've got your reasons, right? Well, so do other people.

Sara,

Indeed they do. Rather than be annoyed my action plan was to post only when the site indicated green (auto request. Now if appears even that avenue is not reliably available . Perhaps I just run down my credits and forget it. I wish to mail my wish listed books to an auto request who is ready willing and able to receive it.

Also, I do not have to use the site the way you would prefer me to. I use the site to share my wish listed books with individuals ready, able and committed to receiving  wish listed books . I am not interested in an individual who wants to think about it, not have credits or swap fees. My choice. and you feel differently. We can just agree to disagree.

And yes you can absolutely  control the exact day you may ship if your have auto! It is the day you post. Simple!

Auto isn't meant to have a transporter system that says beam me up and then it's there...

I disagree. That is exactly what auto is! and that is how I service auto - List  and mail same day.
 

Also, I do not have to use the site the way you would prefer me to. 

Which means that others don't have to use the site the way you prefer them to use it.

You stick with your methods and everyone else will stick with theirs.  As long as they're within the rules of the PBS site, there should be no problems.

Zeke68

Totally agree!

Thank you for quoting chapter and verse in your initial response to my question, Charles. Although I could have looked it up and found the answer myself in the Help Docs, I purposefully asked the question in the forum so as to have an open discussion on the topic.

Although a book may have been put on auto request when the member had enough credits to cover the AR, by the time the book is actually posted the credits may have already been used up. This does not constitute misrepresentation or misuse of the system by the requestor. The member wants the WL book but credits have since run out after making the auto request, and she/he may not be in a position to purchase more at the time the book is posted. See Sheryl's reply near the beginning of this discussion as an example of what can happen and the choices she was given.

My original question was a way of bringing this to members' attention as a possible reason why a book might not be immediately requested even though it showed as an auto request when it was posted. I did not intend to stir up the can of worms and strong feelings that ensued in the subsequent discussion.

I have been a member since 2007 and swapped 1000s of books and it has always been my experience that just because a green W shows, that does not mean it truly is on autorequest -- this is nothing new. Odds are it is on auto but no guarantee and as others have stated there are reasons why it might not be immediately requested. But I do have to say that I just don't understand the level of angst over this! Yes, I get frustrated waiting for books to be accepted, but this is nothing new. As long as I have been a member there have been unresponsive accounts and members who wait until the last possible second to accept. And the last possible second to mail. I am delighted, Mary, that you offer such prompt service but expecting everyone else to meet your expectations is just not going to happen and it is unfair to expect that same level of service from everyone else. Our lives and demands on our lives are different from yours.

BTW, my WL has always been on auto and I do have enough credits to cover all incoming books but there is no way I expect everyone else at PBS to be in that position. It simply is not realistic.

I will add the following:

My WL is on AR. Yesterday morning when I left the house to go to work at 8:10 AM I had 2 credits. At 9:07 AM I received a WL book offer, which was immediately accepted via AR. My credit balance was then 1 credit. At 10:50 AM a second offer came in, which was also immediately accepted via AR. That left me with zero credits. So when the third offer came through at 11:09 AM, I didn't have an available credit and my WL offer was converted to a 48 hour hold. I responded to this on my lunch hour, and the offer was accepted at 1:30 PM.

By Mary's posts, I should've missed out on offer #3 and been skipped over. Why? Why should I be penalized? What does the club gain by skipping me? The poster doesn't have to wait for me to accept? Is that instant gratification more important than allowing more/all members to participate? Not to me it's not.

Also, as another example, I keep my entire WL at SADVD on 48 hour hold. I do this because I rarely have any credits or money over there. I don't keep any in my account because truthfully, it's rare that I get any offers. I've had 11 transactions over there this year to date, both incoming and outgoing. That's not enough for me to justify keeping a credit or money balance there. When I am lucky enough to have a wish granted, I accept quickly, and transfer credits from here (or buy them), and buy SADVD money to pay the swap fee there. If the system allowed people to skip those wishers who aren't on AR, I likely wouldn't get any offers, or my order numbers would be reduced below their already low level. In turn, I'd likely leave the Site, taking any DVDs and future postings with me. While me leaving probably won't have much impact on the club, if lots of people leave because they use the Site similar to me, that's not good for the Site or the membership--and the same holds true for those who don't use AR  or keep high credit balances here.

Whoa Sheryl..3 WL books in a day!!! I'm so jealous right now!!!! 

As a member who does not have my wishlist on auto-request (but with plenty of credits!), I would just like to point out my reasoning.  When I am offered a wishlist book, I like to take a look at the offering member's bookshelf to see if they have anything else I might like to order.  I get more books that way, and the offering member gets to save money.  I don't always have the time to do so when I check my account, but I like to browse if I can.  If my wishlist were on auto-request (and the offering member mails right away), I miss out on extra books, and the offering member doesn't get to send out any extra books.

Just my perspective.

I agree, Janet. I like to do that as well. Many times I've found something I had on my reminder list on someone's shelf after receiving a WL offer, and I might just go ahead and order it right then to save them postage. I've had members order many books from me that way too, which is why I now accept bookshelf orders and WL books I've offered, and then generally give the other member at least a day before mailing to let them have the time to take a look at my shelf or my WL multiples lists before I mail. I will also usually check their WLs for other books I can offer too.

I think you're missing the boat on being able to send out more books. I certainly wouldn't go dump my WL book at the FOL just because there wasn't a green W next to it when I went to post it. 

I used to have my WL all set to auto-accept, but I found it to be inconvenient for me. I like to double check each book against my library's website before accepting. I've found that when I don't, I sometimes end up with a book on my shelf that I could have just checked out. I also like to double check against what I'm currently holding in a swap game. If I'm about to win something in the next day, I may not want to click accept or decline until I'm sure. 

This doesn't mean I don't want any of the books on my WL- the red W's obviously mean I do. Am I going to keep 400 credits available? Heck no. Generally I have anywhere from 2 to 15. (I actually have too many again and will need to sell some. Keeping a low credit balance at this stage of the game is far wiser, IMO.)

I'm usually on the site at several times each day checking in for games, and usually accept WL offers within a few hours. Sometimes minutes- depending on timing. Definitely not a "driftwood member", even though at the moment, you won't find a single green W on my WL. 

I used to have my entire WL on auto request.  At the time I did that, I probably had 20+ credits.  Since I rarely get FIFO books, I knew that would be enough to cover any incoming requests as well as credits I wanted to use to join games here.  I do sometimes get books posted to me from members on my Friends list.  And when I get a book in a game, sometimes the person sending to me will offer me other WL books as well.  I've probably only gotten 5 or 6 books this year thru FIFO, but my mailman can verify that I usually receive at least 3 or 4 books a week.

I do still have all the books I am #1 for on auto, as well as many of the #2 books.  I'm getting close to 500 books on my WL.  I can guarantee you there is no way I will ever have 500 credits here.  Not even 100.  If I ever do amass that many credits I would either offer to sell them to other members, or donate them to one of the charitable programs here.

Also, please correct me if I'm wrong, but just because a book shows as being on auto request, I don't think that necessarily means it is the next person in line who has it auto requested.  My understanding is that at some point in the list at least 1 person has that particular book on auto request.  I could be wrong about that.....but that was my understanding.

I would never advocate anyone needs to have credits/swaps equal to their wish list. But at a minimum, there should be a credit and swap fee, if needed, to represent to a poster auto request GREEN W. To do other wise seems deceptive to a poster. I had no idea prior to this post that a green auto request was represented when because of lack of credit/swap fee it was truly a 48 hour hold. I guess live and learn. For me, I will be much more cautious posting wish list as I can not rely on the red or green representations.

Maybe the programming on the site is smart enough that if the next person in line has a book on "auto-request" but doesn't currently any credits, it will show a W instead of a W.  Does anyone know if this is the case?  If so, then what Mary wants is actually being achieved. 

I personally have no idea, but don't ever remember posting a book with a  W that wasn't accepted immediately.