Hey everyone

Life has been pretty up and down and stressful lately (when it rains it pours) and I am just feeling blue today. On top of this the last few books I have received in a row have had the covers completely detached and falling on the floor when I opened the package or have had big food/drink stains. Today I got a book with the first 4 chapters detached from the spine and falling all over. I know in the scheme of things that this is not a big deal at all but I am getting discouraged about ordering more books and I am contemplating just going to used book stores or thrift shops. Two people retrurned my credit, but this also makes me feel guilty. Anyone else having an issue with unpostables?

Mandy

Mandy - haven't had any problems recently about any unpostables. 

However, depending on where you live, it could be the weather that's causing the covers to come unglued.  I know extreme cold does that even with brand new books.  I think in some cases you can 'gently' use your iron to glue the covers and pages back.  Just need to get the glue hot enough.  Sorry about the books though.  Good luck.  Pat

Wow, that's some bad luck. And, if it is making you angry (I sure would be) then it is a big deal. Don't feel guilty for following the proper procedure and marking anything unpostable you get as RWAP. 

Go ahead, ask for your credit back. Feel good about it. The worst that can happen is they refuse to return it, which would have happened anyway if you had done nothing, right? Plus, you'll have the small satisfaction of marking the transaction as unresolved, which goes on their record and helps to weed out the bad apples.

I have been pretty lucky as of late; however, previously when I did receive unpostables it was several at once.  Here's hoping that it tapers off for you.  I checked your WL to see if I could send something to start you on your way toward good books but unfortunately I don't have any you are waiting for.

Mandy, sorry to hear that you are going through a stressful time in general.

I have gotten a couple of RWAP books (in a row?) recently. However, I have noticed that these things come in batches, which means you'll be due for a good book patch soon!

While I don't like the potential confrontation associated with marking something RWAP, I don't feel guilty about it. I know the books I am marking RWAP are indeed unpostable. While the sender is out postage, book, and credit refunded to you, the system is set up as such to provide a disincentive for sending out unpostable books. No need to feel additional stress for something that someone else did wrong, and for which you have no control.

Thanks everyone for the kind words, they mean a lot to me :)

I understand that these things sometimes happen in little bundles. I am sure your next book will be better than average. Overall the books I have received that were perfect, far outweigh those that were damaged. One or two were only just postable and their trading life ended with me. I have gotten some wonderful books that could have been sold for more than the credit was worth. And that really touches my heart that they feel like sharing a good book and making a wish come true for a complete stranger. 

I was just looking at your WL and we have VERY similar taste. I also read a lot of post-apocalyptic and love Richard Laymon. I have a lot of the same books on my WL. I'll keep you in mind if I get my hands on any of them, and I can guarantee you that I only send out nice postable books. 

Lisa

My husband thinks I'm sick and twisted, but I LOVE Richard Laymon....LOL.

Fara. I feel the same way. I couldnt believe it when I received the hardcover version of "Under the Dome" by Stephen King.

Ahhh...Mandy...I'm sorry you're having a tough time in life. And then start receiving unpostables one after the other! Definitely when it rains it pours. :)

As others have said, please don't feel guilty by marking the RWAPs. Think of it as an incentive for those people NOT to do that again (if they were new, they now have a better understanding of the rules, if they have a habit of sending unpostables, then you do your bit so they get flagged by the system.)

I also checked your WL to see if you had anything I could send you, but those few I had already I read and sent them on their merry way. :)

I received one this week with a big coffee stain all over the bottom back 20 pages or so. I still commented "thanks for the book" in the receiving section, because the last RWAP I did , the person messaged back " I hope you rot in hell!". Maybe I'll get brave and do RWAP's again, but if you got your credit back with no curses , consider yourself lucky.

My husband thinks I'm sick and twisted, but I LOVE Richard Laymon....LOL.

Really? Laymon is nothing but a bit of gory horror. You know, fun reading. lol

If your hubby thanks Laymon sick, I hate to think of the reaction he'd have to someone like Wrath James White. You should check him out if you like twisted. The man has something seriously wrong with him. But he writes interesting stories. lol

".... the last RWAP I did , the person messaged back " I hope you rot in hell!" ...."

Jiminy Christmas, what is wrong with people?!?

Mandy, I'm sorry you've had a tough go of it.  It does seem to come in batches, doesn't it?  I hope your bad run is over and the next book will be bee-u-tee-ful.

On the chance that one of your RWAPs doesn't refund your credit, I'm buddying you one, just because.  Treat yourself to something that will make you laugh..... Some days a girl's just gotta smile.    Ennnnnnjoy!

BookwormKath

That is SO sweet of you, you did not have to do that! Thank you for the kind gesture :)

Thank you :) :)

Lori....WOW. I have only been cursed out once on here and it was for wrapping the book twice and using too much tape on the top wrapping. Was worried about it getting wet since the weather was pretty rainy. She didnt tell me to go to hell though.

Lisa I might look into one of his books. I remember when I thought Bentley Little was graphic...lol.

I don't usually report other members but if someone told me they thought I should rot in hell, I don't think I'd think twice about reporting that member.

I just rec'd an ARC and had to mark RWAP.  The gal was nice and refunded my credit ASAP.  Not all bad transactions go that way, but it gives us hope!

Just dropping to add my ringing endorsement of Wrath James White; Lisa's assessment of the guy is spot on.  The Resurectionist is absolutely brilliant and my favorite of his, so far.  The only one I wasn't thrilled with was Population Zero, but only because I felt like he rushed through a story that had so much promise.  I too remember the days when I thought Bentley Little was graphic. LOL! 

As for the RWAP, report them as such and don't feel the least bit guilty about it.  The rules here are clear and easy to follow, so if someone can't be bothered to post acceptable books, then they deserve to be called on it.

...last RWAP I did , the person messaged back " I hope you rot in hell!".

How extremely rude of that person... to not even tell you which level of hell (see Dante). :-)

I would have reported this response the the PBS staff.  If this is a common response from this member, we're better off without him/her.

last RWAP I did , the person messaged back " I hope you rot in hell!".

Yes, nothing less than the unimaginable agony of eternal damnation is good enough for the likes of you. That's what you get for annoying a total stranger with your complaints of shoddy books and polite requests for refunds and such.

BUUUURNNNNN!!! 

Mandy- I don't want to hijack your thread,   sorry!

(Whitney, same book, older non-ISBN)

I have noticed that unpostables come in groups.  I'll get none for a long time and then 2 or 3 in a row.  I have to say overall-I've gotten my credit back on most of them.  And in 4 years and a several hundred books-I've only had to mark about 15 or so as RWP.  I got my credit back on all but 4 or 5.   But the bad books seem to come close together.

Lori, you mean it was a different book (on the same subject)?

I've gotten some nice books lately, but a lot more unpostables. It seems like people think if its a wish list book I must want it bad so I will accept it stained and soiled.

*Hugs* Mandy, RWAPs are frustrating.  They sometimes arrive in groups or waves, so hopefully your turn is over. 

I wrestle with RWAP guilt too, but really try not to...the error isn't mine.   On the plus side, I've had members return credits I haven't requested (OK, that makes me feel guilty too).  One was a really fat paperback that arrived with spine damage, it didn't have a very secure mailer and could have been damaged enroute.  The other was heavily wishlisted but rarely posted, I would have paid a credit if it had been offered on one of the 'unpostable' threads.  So far I've been lucky tho, no rude responses.  I always strive for polite messages, even if I have to note that the packaging was inadequate or the book unpostable...and honestly, some of the thread posts have been very helpful in this regard.