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Topic: Received Damaged Book

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Generic Profile avatar
Subject: Received Damaged Book
Date Posted: 5/28/2011 6:33 PM ET
Member Since: 10/20/2010
Posts: 8
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It was really bad! I've never had such a problem.

 

Here's what I sent them


The member to whom you shipped your book xyz  has sent you this personal message:

"We were so excited to get this book and when I opened it it's very obvious that this book should not have been listed.
The binding doesn't line up and some pages hang over other pages so you can tell something's wrong with the binding. I opened and it's in 3 sections and the back 1/2 is hanging and almost ripped out of the book. The binding isn't attactched anywhere on these pages.
Very sad!"

 

This is what they sent me

5/28/2011 @ 4:03 PM ET

so?
I replied
So it would be nice if you gave me back my credit because you sent me a book that should have been put in the garbage.
 
So is that all there is to do? They post and send destroyed books and I'm out a credit if they don't feel like giving it back? I've not had any sort of problems on here before this one surprised me by the condition and then by their response;0!
 
FlouncePony avatar
Friend of PBS-Silver medal
Date Posted: 5/28/2011 6:36 PM ET
Member Since: 12/31/2009
Posts: 3,995
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It's best if you let them know that you want your credit returned by XXX date, or you will mark the transaction unresolved. You can't force them to return the credit, but they won't last long here if that's their standard attitude.

ETA: The "so?" response isn't exactly an admission but, TPTB have been known to step in and return credits when it's clear that the sender knows they've ignored the posting guidelines. You could always shoot them an email...



Last Edited on: 5/28/11 6:40 PM ET - Total times edited: 2
sarap avatar
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Date Posted: 5/28/2011 9:10 PM ET
Member Since: 1/17/2009
Posts: 12,214
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The binding doesn't line up and some pages hang over other pages so you can tell something's wrong with the binding.

This part sounds like spine tilt and is postable.

 I opened and it's in 3 sections and the back 1/2 is hanging and almost ripped out of the book.

"3 sections" might actually be OK, as PBS says that it is OK if a book falls open to a particular page. So there could be some damage to the spine that causes the book to fall open, and this woudl be OK. If the spine is actually broken into 3 pieces, though, then the book is unpostable.

The binding isn't attactched anywhere on these pages.

If the pages are loose, then the book is not postable.

Yes, if you want your credit back you must ask for it, which you did in your second PM. I don't think that sending a message to PBS will help much because they do not get involved in he-said/she-said type of transactions because they cannot see the book, and know neither the condition when it was mailed nor the condition after it was received. I think that an answer of "so?", while not polite, is more curt than actually rude, and probably does not count as rudeness to the point where PBS would step in and reprimand the other member. I also do not think that it is an admission of guilt, unfortunately.

So, yes, pretty much the best you can hope for is that they refund your credit.

Generic Profile avatar
Date Posted: 5/28/2011 10:02 PM ET
Member Since: 10/20/2010
Posts: 8
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Well too bad I can't post photos. It's definitely not in any sort of decent condition.

sarap avatar
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Date Posted: 5/28/2011 10:23 PM ET
Member Since: 1/17/2009
Posts: 12,214
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I believe you that it is not in good condition.

Spine damage can happen in the mail, though. I am not saying that that is necessarily what happened in your case ... just that it possible, and it does happen.

So, it can be possible for a postable book to be mailed and for the spine to be broken when the book arrives.

For example, this once happened to me: 1. going to post a book, open it to check the pages and the spine cracks in half. (if it had stayed together for that page check, I may very well have mailed it out, and if it got a hard jolt during mailing I am sure it would have been broken by the time it arrived, and I would be very indignant, feeling that I had mailed a postable book, and the receiver would be very indignant, feeling that they received trash in the mail).

I think this is one reason why PBS doesn't get involved in RWAPs. It some cases that seem very clear cut to both the sender and the receiver, it can still be hard to figure out the truth.

Again, I am not saying that your book was damaged in the mail .... it sounds to me like the sender probably knew about it based on the "so?" message that they sent you. But unfortunately, if the sender does not agree to refund the credit to you, there is no way to force them to, unless they admit that they knew about the damage, in which case, PBS has been known to step in.

Generic Profile avatar
Date Posted: 5/28/2011 10:39 PM ET
Member Since: 10/20/2010
Posts: 8
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It's just a bummer because my son was looking forward to reading it--part of a series. And it's been taped with white tape and library tape in a few places beside which I noticed after looking through it again.  If everything wasn't falling off the binding, I wouldn't be as upset.

 

The binding looks like it was taped with library tape too and you can see through the tape that 1/2 of the binding isn't even there--it's just tape!

I think I get disappointed because I do try to only send books that I'd like to received.

 

It's not going to ruin my weekend;) Just stinks to have a bad experience when I've really enjoyed using this site.

Generic Profile avatar
Date Posted: 5/28/2011 10:40 PM ET
Member Since: 10/20/2010
Posts: 8
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Also is there any way to make sure I don't select books from that member again?

lionrose avatar
Standard Member medalFriend of PBS-Silver medalPrintable Postage medal
Date Posted: 5/28/2011 11:48 PM ET
Member Since: 6/30/2007
Posts: 3,475
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Lizzie, the odds are highly unlikely that you would ever encounter that member again, since there are so many PBS members.  The only way to avoid ordering from them again is to make a note of their name and whenever you order a book FIFO, check to make sure it's not from her.   You can check to see who the order is from by going to the order more and seeing the member's name/shelf.  You don't have to actually order more, but it gives you the opportunity to see their shelf while your order is still pending with them.  You can do this for WL too, but be careful since you lose your place in line if you cancel a WL book order.  Only the sending member can cancel a WL book order, it comes off their shelf and they can just repost a while later so it skips you.

kontessa avatar
Date Posted: 5/28/2011 11:54 PM ET
Member Since: 1/1/2009
Posts: 1,924
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The responce of "so" to me makes it seem like they don't care that the book is not postable. As has been said, explain what makes the book unpostable and give a date as to when they need to give you your credit back, maybe copy the part in the help section to expain how they can do that, and explain if they don't do so that you will have to mark the transaction unresolved and it will be two black marks on their account.

 

 Wishing you had a camera so you could post! No one you know has a camera on their cell phone?

Missy1019 avatar
Subject: Question on damaged book
Date Posted: 5/29/2011 2:51 AM ET
Member Since: 9/29/2005
Posts: 219
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I just got a response from someone I sent a book to who told me the cover fell off but I know when I sent it it was not even loose.  Do I have to give her credit back?

Patouie avatar
Standard Member medalMember of the Month medalBook Cover Image Coordinator medalBook Data Approver medalTour Guide Asst. Coord. medalFriend of PBS-Silver medalPBS Cruise Attendee medalPBS Blog Contributor medalPrintable Postage medal
Date Posted: 5/29/2011 4:58 AM ET
Member Since: 8/26/2006
Posts: 9,543
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The sender has control over whether to return the credit or not, Maureen.  The requestor controls the ability to leave follow-up -- indicating whether the problem swap was resolved by the sender or not. 

Generic Profile avatar
Date Posted: 5/29/2011 8:48 AM ET
Member Since: 10/20/2010
Posts: 8
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If I remember when we get back from the weekend away I will post some:) Thanks for your replies.

Generic Profile avatar
Date Posted: 6/2/2011 10:17 PM ET
Member Since: 10/20/2010
Posts: 8
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Ok I'm going to try photos

Not working here are links

Binding where you can see it's taped and binding missing

View of uneven pages because it's not attached to the binding

Back cover and pages are not attached

Middle of the book 1

2

 

And the best part is that I didn't even post all the photos I could have;0!

3

 a couple spots are taped like this

 



Last Edited on: 6/2/11 10:19 PM ET - Total times edited: 4
tabbyannabel avatar
Date Posted: 6/2/2011 10:23 PM ET
Member Since: 9/20/2010
Posts: 8,495
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Wow, that book should never have been posted.  I wouldn't even pass that on to a thrift store!

Generic Profile avatar
Date Posted: 6/2/2011 10:25 PM ET
Member Since: 10/20/2010
Posts: 8
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Thanks, Tina J;) My point exactly ;) And of course no credit was returned to me

fangrrl avatar
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Date Posted: 6/2/2011 10:31 PM ET
Member Since: 12/28/2006
Posts: 14,177
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As a sender, tape is a good indication that your book is probably unpostable.  Tape cannot make a book postable (if it would be unpostable without the tape).

IlliniAlum83 avatar
Standard Member medalPBS Cruise Attendee medal
Date Posted: 6/2/2011 10:35 PM ET
Member Since: 4/28/2009
Posts: 21,493
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Lizzie, I keep a list of "bad swappers" on my computer and just double check before completing an order-- if you click on "order more from this member" you can see their name and nickname so you know if they are on your "doghouse" list !

fivemillionbooks avatar
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Date Posted: 6/2/2011 10:36 PM ET
Member Since: 1/22/2011
Posts: 2,507
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Now who would do that to a kid? This is a case of a picture being worth a thousand words.  Shame on the sender.

thekoose avatar
Date Posted: 6/3/2011 5:24 AM ET
Member Since: 11/28/2010
Posts: 754
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Holy COW.  That book is in pieces!!!  That is ridiculous.  I don't know how you can even pick it up---let alone READ it -- without it completely falling apart.

Generic Profile avatar
Date Posted: 6/3/2011 8:44 PM ET
Member Since: 10/20/2010
Posts: 8
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Mindy;) Thanks--it's too bad the sender wasn't a little more honest.

 

Her last email to me after I asked for my credit back was "No need to exaggerate. I don't send out garbage"

 

Does anyone think it would be worth sending this to the Paperback swap and ask them if they can do anything? It's not so much "the credit" as they shouldn't be allowed to get away with this.


And I will say that someone who read this thread sent me one of their credits;0! That was completely unexpected but so very nice.

Thank you.

mikeylou avatar
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Date Posted: 6/4/2011 12:13 AM ET
Member Since: 7/5/2007
Posts: 3,151
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Does anyone think it would be worth sending this to the Paperback swap and ask them if they can do anything? It's not so much "the credit" as they shouldn't be allowed to get away with this.

PBS will not get involved, even with photos.  The gist of what they said to me when I asked for assistance was to let the RWAP system do its job. 

So I marked it Unresolved.

It sucks to get a book that obviously should not have been posted into the system.  And it sucks to know that they will probably try to do it again and you want to protect the requesting member from getting an unpostable, but there's nothing that we can do aside from RWAP/Unresolved and move on.

retiredteacher avatar
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Date Posted: 6/4/2011 4:20 AM ET
Member Since: 11/30/2007
Posts: 5,179
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Lizzie, that book is horrible and I can't imagine sending it to anyone. She is clearly not abiding by PBS's postable guidelines. Have you sent her your pics of her book that you showed us? I would love to hear what she says then! You definitely to need to mark it as unresolved if she hasn't refunded your credit by a certain date.

debs avatar
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Date Posted: 6/4/2011 5:55 AM ET
Member Since: 11/14/2005
Posts: 1,442
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Wow, just WOW.  That book is a mess and you are certainly justified in asking for your credit back. Sorry that happened to you!!

In your final PM to them, I would say something to the effect of "If my credit is not returned by X date, I will be forced to mark this transaction as "Unresolved", which will count as two black marks against your account."