I've been on the waiting list for a hardcover edition of one of my favorite books for quite some time. Recently my wish was granted but the sender sent a paperback copy.  Sender is willing to return my credit, but how do I regain my spot on the wish list?

I would contact PBS about it.

You send a message to PBS via the Contact Us link and explain the situation.  They'll put you back at the front of the line :)

If you mark the book as RWP (received with a problem--wrong book) when you received it, the system should automatically put you back to the head of the line. However, if you marked the book as received and only contacted the member privately about the problem of getting the wrong book, then you would need to do as mentioned above and contact PBS to be reinstated.

Cheryl

If you mark the book as RWP (received with a problem--wrong book) when you received it, the system should automatically put you back to the head of the line. - Unless this has been changed recently, it is absolutely not so, you always must contact them to get back to #1. I think I have had to ask twice, one RWP - wrong book and one RWP - icky. I had to ask on both. One I marked RWP - wrong book and read it anyway so it never went back on my WL.

I hadn't heard anything to that effect either, Melanie.  I think that for some people, at least in the event of a Wrong Book, it's not necessary to replace the copy, so it's not a default system action to put a member with an RWP back at the front of the Wish List line. 

Really? I'm trying to remember...this was awhile ago that I had that same thing happen--I'd had the HC version WL'd and the person sent the paperback--totally different ISBN so she must've posted it by title/author rather than ISBN--and I marked it RWP....I don't recall contacting PBS and it did go back on my WL...but ya know I've slept a few times since then and that's the only time that's happened so I most definitely could be misremembering. I did need it back on my WL as I had already read the book--I wanted only the HC version so I could add it to my collection. In fact, it is STILL on my WL! LOL

Of course it's still important to mark books RWP so that PBS has a record of people who habitually send the wrong and/or bad books, even if you do need to contact PBS manually to rectify the situation.

Cheryl

I had this happen not too long ago. I received a nasty moldy book even though I marked it RWAP I still needed to request my place back in line. The team was great about it. I did need to readd the book to my wishlist before they could "move me up".

My understanding is that if a book goes lost, you return to the #1 spot on the wish list:

From What if I never receive the book I requested?

But if a book arrives damaged, or is the wrong book (in your case the wrong binding = the wrong book) you have to ask to be returned to #1 on the wish list.  This makes sense, because sometimes the "wrong book" or "damaged book" may be readable, and you may not want a second copy.  (You are still justified in asking for your credit back, though, since either a) you didn't receive the book/binding you requested or b) your book can't be reposted here.)