I just received a book that smells like smoke.  I request books from a non-smoking home.  When I marked the book received but didn't meet my conditions, I sent a message to the sender stating the book was smoky.  Now the book isn't on by TBR list and it is back on my Wish List.  Am I supposed to send the book back to the person who sent it to me?  I'm a little confused.  This has never happened before.  Can somebody help me?  Thanks, Kris

HI Kris -you only send the book back if she 1) requests it and  2) she sends you a second credit to cover postage. 

Thanks.  I will just wait to hear from her.  I don't want to cause any trouble.  Kris

Kris,

I am going to play devil's advocate here for a second.  If your Requester Conditions states specifically "only books from a non-smoking home"  then in the sender's eyes the book might have met your conditions if they have a non-smoking household regardless of how the book actually smells.    

To answer your question though, you are not required to return the book unless the sender requests you return it and pays for return postage.  Anytime a wish list book is RWAP the system automatically puts you back on the wish list in front.  You are free to remove it from your WL.

I would wait and see if they respond to your PM about the RWAP. 

Good luck,

Mary

Thanks Mary.  I thought of that too.  But this smells so bad I can't imagine it has sat in a non-smoking home and can still smell like that.  I will change be conditions and be more specific. 

Just be careful of "smell" RCS. A lot of people turn those down because smell is so subjective. I personally have a poor sense of smell.

The book is back on your Wish List becasue you marked it "Received with a Problem".  PBS will automatically put you back in line for another copy.

If you are going to read the copy that you got, you may want to remove it from the WL so you don't order a second one. If you can't tolerate the smoky book and need a new copy, then you don't need to do anything (at least regarding the WL).

Sorry you got a stinker :( I can tell if the book was smoked in recently or if it is old smoke or smoking outside the package from postal carriers. The books just have a stonger and different odor in their paper. Some people do ignore the non-smoking RCs because they get sick of them. Some people also think because they don't smoke in the house or the smoker doesn't go into their room that their books are OK to send. I'd see what the person has to say. If you want your credit back on it, you have to ask for it. The book is automatically, put back on your WL, but the credit isn't automatically returned.

I've never fought for a credit back since we do leave ourselves open when we say current home non-smoking. I just get the books out of my house as fast as I can. I've never been able to successfully remove that smell.

That's true what someone mentioned...one of my mail carriers definitely smokes, because sometimes every piece of mail smells like smoke. But usually it doesn't permeate the package. I don't like the smell of smoke because I grew up with parents who smoked and I always hated how everything smelled like it! Worse than the mail carrier though- my upstairs neighbor smokes but refuses to do so inside her apartment..instead, she goes out on our shared stoop and blows the fumes in my front door. I keep a can of Lysol by the front door just to spray it when it starts coming in...ugh!

I've also never been successful removing the odor if it was strong when received. 

 I think you have gotten great responces so far.

My opinion might not be like some others though. I think someone in a non-smoking house would be able to tell if a book smelled smokey and would be mindful of checking after they get such an RC for a book.

Though I know some postable workers do smoke, I think it would take a long time for the smoke smell to penatrate into the mailing material to make the actual book smelly. Mail just does not stay with any one person in any one spot that long.

Have you checked to make sure that you didn't take the RC's off of your wishlisted books.  I have accidentaly turned off my RC's on my wishlisted items I didn't do it on purpose but then I received a book that was now within my RC's. I  asked the librarian what to do and she told me to check to make sure that I hadn't turned them off on wishlisted books becuase it happens frequently then if i hadn't to check it not meeting my conditions.  If it didn't meet the conditions she said you can send the book back and ask for your credit back. 

I guess people want the book so bad they turn off there RC's, I hadn't even know I had done it.  I just kept the book it's still readable just not in very good condition at all.  I'll have to post it in the unpostable at BB.