Got a book in on Saturday. Glanced through it and discovered it had been written in. I marked it received with a problem, damaged by sender. I asked very politely for my credit back, saying that I was sure that the sender had just missed the writing (as I figured it was an honest mistake, but I can't repost this book), and the sender has informed me that the post office must have written in the book as it was pristine when it went out. My jaw dropped. I wrote back and said that the book had not been opened until I opened it and that I was willing to send pictures. No reply as of yet.

I know I cannot 'make' them give me my credit back, but what would you do?

Here's the links to the pictures (they are large!):

http://img7.imageshack.us/my.php?image=book001.jpg

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/340/book002.jpg

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/8514/book003.jpg

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/8379/book004.jpg

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/9908/book005.jpg

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/2960/book006.jpg

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/4849/book007.jpg

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/4095/book008.jpg

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/2043/book009.jpg

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/8832/book010addressblackedou.jpg  (I blacked out the person's address)

Sheesh!

Seriously?!  The post office wrote in the book?  Wow.  Just...wow.

The one time I got a water damaged book, I sent the person a PM explaining and asked for my credit back.  She then proceeded to tell me there was nothing wrong with the book when she sent it (even though the entire bottom of the book was wavy and stiff from water).  In my next PM, I just said something to the effect of "Please let me know what, if anything, you plan to do so I can mark this transaction as resolved or unresolved."  I got my credit back after that.  I guess you could try telling her you need a final response so you can mark it resolved/unresolved and then leave it at that since you can't make her give it back.  Good luck!

Wow.  First my PO is accused of bleeding on and sneezing on the book I got, now your PO is writing in books.  What is the world coming to?

I'm sorry she's giving you a hard time. I know how frustrating it is  :(

Ugh, why do people think the excuse 'The Post Office did it' will fly? If the package is undamaged and unopened, then the Post Office did not do it!

Sorry your book has writting in it. I would give it some time, send a PM with pictures if they dont reply back in a few days, and then mark as 'Unresolved' if you dont get a response after that.

Hope it works out for you!

Could the book be considered a textbook? It certainly looks like it could be one with that huge index. If so, she should have PM'd you about it, but the book IS repostable if it could be used as a textbook, as long as you PM the next requester.

How frustrating for you! I wish you'd had the experience I did yesterday. I also received a book that had highlighting and writing on some pages, but when I contacted that member, she immediately offered to send me another book of my choice. Most of the members I've had contact with are  very nice people, and I'm glad to have "met" them.

But unfortunately, there are exceptions. If you don't get any satisfaction, please be sure to mark the transaction unresolved.

Pam

I was wondering if its a textbook as well but, from the pictures, I thought it might be a biography of some kind, which means there should be no writing. Sheri can you tell us what book this is?

But, anyway, it really doesnt matter what kind of book it is since the sender is claiming the Post Office did the writing, which has got to be an outright lie.

Thanks for everyone's support.

It is a biography: http://www.paperbackswap.com/book/details/9780375759765-At+Random+The+Reminiscences+of+Bennett+Cerf

Still nothing new from the sender, who is a he, btw.

That is pretty unbelievable.  I guess it's easy to blame the PO, but I have to laugh at the idea that mail carriers are maliciously opening books, writing in them (or whatever else) and then repackaging them in pristine condition....  I hope you get your credit back!

How could they have missed that? And to say the post office wrote in it.... come one now! I hope you get your credit back!

So, what this person is saying is that some random postal worker opened the package, and then proceeded to make a series of pen notations in the index of a book?  And then resealed it and delivered it to you? 

ROTFL!

PS  I love your avatar, BTW :)

Yes, caviglia, that is what he is saying.

Thanks for the kind words about my avatar!

This sounds too bizarre...

But I did have postal carrier who used to steal my magazines and I'd get them weeks after they should have been delivered.  Often with coffee cup stains on them and reeking of cigarette smoke (which I'm allergic too).   I couldn't prove he was doing it until he actually delivered a completely trashed magazine that he had filled out a survey in with his home address and personal info on it!!!  I'm afraid after 2 years of him stealing my magazines, I got him fired....

Of course, this was in a very small town where we had only one postal delivery person and it was years ago this sender's story.

I'm amazed that you managed to get a postal employee fired.  That's next to unheard-of.  Around here it can't be done.  Plenty have tried and failed.  We can scream all we like about delivery people who just throw the mail in the ditch or leave it out on a road (packages) or other unreasonable behavior and have not been able to get rid of these people.  It's too bad because they know it and take further advantage.  Congratulations.

Ruth

Rana, Sheri's book did indeed break PBS guidelines. No writing anywhere on a book that is not a textbook or cookbook. And, regardless of whether it is enough ink to warrant a reaction from the requestor, the sender said that the Post Office must have done it! Do you really believe thats what happened? Personally, I would not get upset about a tiny line of ink across one page but, from the pictures posted, I too would have asked for a credit back because this book appears to be unpostable to me.

Sheri, any word back from the sender yet?

Rana, I see that you are a new member and must not have read the rules for posting books yet. Please read them before you send out a book like this and we wind up discussing a book you sent out to a member that was unpostable. It doesn't matter what you personally think about the condition of a book, if it breaks the rules it is unpostable.

Thank you, again, to everyone who commented. He has not responded as of yet. I don't expect he will. My offer of pictures was met with silence.

It is so sad when people try to blame anyone else rather than accept responsibility for something. What is this world coming to? :(

That is pretty funny- the post office did it!  I am always amazed at how many posts like this I read- all kinds of damage that happens en route while wrapped up tight under a PBS mailing label.  LOL.  I do always wonder, though, if the receiver has ruled out the book they received coming from a different sender than the one they marked it received from- it's not a common occurance, but it can happen.  Here's how: book request goes to person A, who mails it but neglects to mark the book mailed  The system then sends the request to person B, who mails it out and marks it mailed.  Then the receiver receives a book in the mail from person A, but marks it received from person B, who is baffled as to why the pristine book they sent is marked RWAP.  Like I said, doesn't happen often, but it might not hurt to verify that the book you received came from the same sender that you marked it received from- just compare the first name and state of the senders to see if they match.  It's a longshot, but you never know.  If that is not what happened, then that sender should be ashamed of themselves- sending an unpostable book, and then lying to cover it up.  And what a ludicrous lie too!

I just got a PM from someone who had a book I had on my WL and I was the only one with it WL'd.  She accepted  - then Pm'd me asking if I minded a little highlighting.  Yes, I do.  It's not postable.  Even if it were, I still don't want highlighting because it gives me a headache.  So I'm glad that she PM'd me.  It surprised me because she's been a member for 3/4 of a year.  So I went into the guidelines discussion giving her an URL for the conditions and asked her to get further help from the usual sources (I told her what they were).  I also told her about what would have happened had she sent it that way and the possible repercussions for doing so.  I thanked her and asked her to cancel the transaction and to take it off her bookshelf since it isn't within the PBS condition guidelines.  I'm so glad she did since it probably saved her and me both a problem I've been through and hate.  I hope I didn't come off too preachy, but I'm tired.  Just thought I'd vent a little.

Ruth

Ruth, glad the person PM'ed you.

I don't understand why people don't read the rules!