Do people get reported as resellers if they do not repost here?  I ask, because I send out a lot, but don't find much here I like.  I mainly request books for my husband, who keeps the books, for friends and my stepsons, who live in Minnesota and God knows what they do with them.

I also have a shelf of books I got here to be read. 

Are things that bad that people have to be super suspicious?  Thank goodness I have reposted a lot of popular fiction that I read superfast.

I really don't think you need to worry about it Susan, unless the books you are requesting are exceptionally valuable on other sites like Amazon.

Enjoy!

I wouldn't worry about it either.....I have family in Minnesota too and I have ordered books for them as gifts.

While the rules do state that the "systematic" gaining of books for the purpose of reselling is against the rules, it clearly states that occasionally selling a book obtained from here is find. Here is specifically what the HC says:

• PBS may not be used to obtain books for the purpose of resale.  Commercial use of the site is prohibited.
• When you receive a book you requested, it does belong to you, and you can do whatever you would like with it after you have read it.   An occasional resale of an item obtained here for personal use is OK.
  • Of course we would like to see you repost your books on this site when you are finished with them, because it makes more books available for our many members to choose from.
  • Again, the occasional PBS book that is obtained for personal use, and then ends up being sold elsewhere, is perfectly okay. However, any systematic attempt to obtain books for resale (instead of personal use) will jeopardize your membership, and may lead to criminal prosecution.
  • That means: if you obtain books to read, and sell an occasional one, that is fine. If you request a book not to read, but in order to re-sell it, that is NOT fine.
• We do have some booksellers who belong to the club.
  • They contribute a lot of books here, and booksellers are usually avid readers too!
  • Booksellers per se are not prohibited from membership.
  • But if there is a pattern to a bookseller's (or any member's account) of systematically obtaining books for resale, or if it becomes clear that a bookseller is attempting to use PBS to stock his or her (online or brick-and-mortar) bookstore, we will close his or her membership permanently, and legal prosecution may ensue. Again, commercial activity is prohibited at PBS.

I think that an entire page worth of conditions that boil down to "books in perfect condition" would be far more of a red flag than just someone who buys credits (or whatever) and orders books but does not list a lot of books. Lots of people just buy credits to get books instead of mailing books out.

OK. thanks.  I was reading the "conditions" thread and it sounded like people are really concerned about resellers syphoning books off the site.  Gosh, it's a tough subject.

I don't do that and hope that others would not too.  I think that things can be made hard by those who don't have respect for others.  I was just wondering if anything seemingly off would be a red flag.

Cookbooks are funny though. I can see being extra picky about them.  However, I have resolved not to send anymore out on this site, due to a bad experience I had with a James Beard book.  I had extensive correspondence about the book and turned out the person was unhappy after all of it.  I felt I should have just donated it to the library, which I do a lot of also. BTW, most of the books I have mailed out are in "new" condition and I have received a lot in not so great condition.  I just wich we could put condition on out posted books, but my gosh, if R &  R did every thing I wished, they'd never rest. And it's not like they're getting rich on it either.

Thanks for the feedback.

Please don't let one bad experience/member put you off the whole thing! I've only had a couple bad experiences, and I figure I'm still way ahead, so I don't let it bug me. There's a LOT of members and books out there, and life's too short to sweat much over any one of them!

I think it is a big waste of time to track to see if members repost books they've gotten here.  While I have gotten many books here to just read and repost I have also gotten many books that I plan on keeping and not reposting.  I figure it balances out with the books I purchase at Goodwill, The Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, garages sales, etc.  I've found MANY sought after books at those places, all at less than a buck, and posted them and had them scooped up immediately---so while I am removing some books from circulation, I am replenishing the system wth other books.  I think that is how the system works best. 

Now if everyone kept books they've ordered but never posted new books to replenish the system this site would have already collapsed and been a total failure.  Since it has only gotten stronger in 3 years something is working, wouldn't you agree?

Susan, your profile says -

"Bookseller on Amazon and EBay."

As long as your are honest, and using the site according to the rules, you should have no problems.   I do know that R&R look for a pattern of activity, but just being a bookseller does not disqualify you from membership.

I don't repost all the books I receive. *shrug* I figure as long as I keep putting books into the system I'm ok. I don't sell them either, just keep them on my keeper shelf. *lol* But like others, I too send books to friends and family out of state.

Most of the books I request are for home school. I have no intentions of reposting them until I'm certain we're done with it. Some of the nicer classics, however, will never be reposted, because I plan to keep them for my children's children. I figure, I buy the credits, I can use them how I like. Also, I try to keep books on my shelf to put back into the system.

I don't repost a lot of my books--I don't resell them either, I horde them.  I"m a book hoarder, the few I post have nothing on the ones attempting to collapse my bookcases.

I go through spates of cleaning out where I'll have a lot of books that usually go quickly and then it will taper off and I'll have maybe two or three dozen listed.  That means the point sithc can be feast or famine as well.  I often buy credits when wish list stuff starts coming in and  I don't want ot be disappointed or disappoint the person offering the book. 

I know the intent is for people to repost books after they read them but if some don't leave the system and new ones enter it, after awhile we'll have the same collection of books that are gradually wearing out to choose from.

I repost few books that I receive, most of them go to my sister in Florida, some to friends, and I keep a few.

I think someone pointed out earlier this year that PBS is not a cost-effective place to cruise for bookselling material. First, you have no guarantee, despite R&R's best efforts, that the quality of the book received will be salesworthy. Second, add up the costs involved: I post a book that I probably have paid something for, I pay for wrapping materials, then I pay postage to ship it. The credit I receive in return easily cost me $3.50. Then I post the book on Amazon or on eBay, where I pay significant fees to do so.  All for a used book that I might sell for $4 or $5. Nope, not economical at all.

I agree... it's not economical to get PBS books to resell.  I had one book (hardcover) in great shape I thought I could sell instead of post... I sure wish I had posted it!  It was a gift from an aunt, but not to my taste.  Anyhoo, the price it fetched on eBay was way lower than the price of a PBS credit.  Sure they paid for shipping, but I didn't net enough to cover my trouble in listing it.

I too am a homeschooler who will hold onto the books I get for a long period.  Right now I am acquiring American history books which I will use with my oldest son in 2008, and again with my younger son in 2012.  I do however pump books back into the system, even sending out four for one deals occasionally.  I found a great deal on mystery books at B&N, which I read swiftly and posted in excellent condition.  When I bought a book on half.com that was a WL book and it turned out to not fit our needs, I listed it right away, even though it's a $13 book if you pay retail.

I think those of us who have a hard time finding books we need sometimes have "odd" taste... nobody else WANTS those books so they don't show up in the system very much.

Another thing to take into consideration if you are paying attention to people's numbers is that they may have received free credits for referring!  People (like moi, TYVM! LOL) who tell everyone about PBS are growing the number of available books astronomically.

I think those of us who have a hard time finding books we need sometimes have "odd" taste... nobody else WANTS those books so they don't show up in the system very much.

Welcome to the club!  It's one reason I'm glad we're allowed the large number of wish listed books we have here.  Mine come up once in a blue moon and usually to groups of twos and threes!  :)