Here is an RC that I got today:

"I am not willing to accept books with covers different than the one pictured.  The cover pictured on PaperBackSwap should be the cover on your book."

I just wanted to state ahead of time that I'm not someone who gets annoyed by RCs or automatically rejects them, but I do err on the side of caution.  This request seems straight forward, but I've seen book covers that differ drastically and some that have only subtle differences.  I would not like to send a book out thinking the picture looks alike to me and then get a RWAP for something I didn't notice. 

I just wanted to see what the rest of you would do regarding accepting or denying the request. 

I guess it depends on how "subtle" a difference might be.    A question I have is....when you're on the screen where you decide if you can accept the RC or not, do you actually have a picture of the book cover?  I can't remember.  If so, and I felt reasonably confident that my cover was the same cover I think I'd agree to the RC and send them the book.  If I had any doubts, I'd decline.

Well, according to the site guidelines the book cover does not have to match. But if they ask for an identical cover in their RC, it should be followed if you decide to send the book.

As far as an exact match goes, I'd take a close-up look at the cover and make a judgement call. The largest view is usually big enough to see all the details.

Odd request, but excluding some fubars (can see the picture in the database changing between when they requested and when you accepted but I think they do that change sometime during the night) should be a definable RC, but a rather a funny and unusual one though too.  I know of a few books the member will never get if they request them as the picture for the book isn't the one for that ISBN (same book different printing).  I would probably accept if it applied (half of my books shouldn't be a problem because the scans are my own scans; whichever team does pictures I had working on overtime when I posted my books, and I find it appropriate to once again thank them here, they did a wonderful job).

I have used the RC function to ask for books that didn't have the movie cover (sometimes the movies just ruin it don't they), and have also considered it when looking to make the final book in a set's artwork match.  I was ecstatic when they were accepted.

I was also thinking about the cover changing. I've noticed changes for certain books on my WL or my shelf.  Sometimes a new cover comes out for a book that has an older ISBN and it gets updated in the database.  Because of this I'd probably decline and explain that covers can change on the site because books with same IBSN can have different covers and the site is constantly being updated with input by members and the hard work of the data team.

Changes to images that have correct (but possibly dated) images shouldn't be approved unless the image that is there is just plain wrong. I think the possibility of the image being changed between on you are pretty slim. Its a waste of Image Approvers time to be changing correct images to other correct images.

I think a few people use this RC. They are often trying to complete a set up books and want the same cover art line on them.

I don't think that there would be subtle changes, usually the cover is completely different.

Diane

I've seen some very specific RCs about covers.  Some folks are looking to complete a series.  But those usually give more detail that the quoted RC.

I wonder if they aren't trying to match a certain edition?  I used to work at a school where in the one on one tutorials (it was a school for LD high school kids) a popular/best seller type book would be read as a means of addressing comprehension vocab etc. We needed to have exactly the same edition so that the teacher could track the student's oral reading.  It was often harder than you might think to find 2 matching editions! When 2 different editions were used not only page numbers would be off, but I have seen entire details changed concerning a  character's appearence, job etc.  I have no idea why - the details didn't have any impact on the story, but it sure messed things up when I was trying to track a student's reading and they had completely different info on the page.  I seem the remember that the worst case of this was Michael Crichton's book, Congo - so bad in fact that the strudent and I kept reading the mismatched editions just to find all the differences!

I think I personally would accept this RC if my book matched the image.  I would not feel the need to refund a credit if they responded with a problem because of a difficeence which could not be seen in the picture, or the very small chance that they happpened to change the image between the time they saw it and I saw it.

I would assume the person is tryting to complete a set and would like them to look similar.

I doubt they are looking at tiny differences, just the big cover changes.

I agree with Karen, almost positive I've seen different cover images for the same book used in different portions of the PBS data base.  Like one cover on my WL and another if I click that cover for the book info.  So I'd pm for clarification of exactly which cover she wants or decline altogether.

So maybe take a screen shot of the request to be able to prove what the cover art in the system was at the time you recieved the request?