Ok... So I recognize that I"m just soooooo excited to have found this site. I have a request out (it's only been a day). I see that the prospective sender has 5 days to respond as to whether they will accept my request. It's a book there seems to be plenty of. So, this is for future reference as well.

I keep getting e-mails from PBS that there is another (same) book available. I've rec'd 4 of those now, one just posted.

I'm sitting here wondering. Well, maybe this person just doesn't check their e-mail daily (I try to imagine that...LOL). Or perhaps this person is just no longer active, and isn't going to respond. Or... the list goes on!  If this book was "rare", I'd be more bummed sitting here waiting to see. In the mean time, the sequal to this book is on it's way. It's likly to show up first, and will sit on the table taunting me!

What's the appropriate thing to do? Wait the 5 days? Move on? Does it just depend?

Thanks.

The Help Center (gray bar above) has a line called "BROWSE HELP DOCS" there you will find a search slot. Enter "time limits" without the quotes, and you will get answers that might fit your question, including

The sender hasn't responded and it's been a long time! 

Which does answer this question and more that you need to know about the time limits on swapping books here on PBS.

Welcome, btw :)

Keep waiting. I know it can be hard, but if it has only been a day, several things could be going on. You already mentioned one: some people check email less frequently than others. Also, some people like to re-inspect a book before sending it out and won't accept a request until they've had the time to locate the book and look through it again to make sure it is still sendable. Sometimes people have an unexpectedly crazy day (or two) and checking PBS books isn't in the forefront of their minds that day. Some people run the books to the post office on a certain day of the week (when they happen to be right by the post office anyway)...

Even if this person turns out to be a dud, leaving the request alone will keep your place in FIFO when the request times out. This is what would happen: The potential sender does not reply to the request at all. After five days, the request cycles to the next potential sender in the system, on a first in, first out (FIFO) order. That person has five days to respond, too, and so on until somebody accepts your request for the book.

If you cancel your request, you will lose your place in FIFO and the next time you request that title, it may go back to that first person that didn't respond again.

I hope you get your book soon!

Susan

Thanks... 2 helpful replies...

I know when I get a request, I always take the time to 1. check and make sure I still have the book(I moved a month ago and some books are still in storage) and 2. I want to double check the book to make sure I didn't miss anything that would make the book unpostable..  If it's on my days off I can get to it right away, if it's on the weekend and i'm working sometimes it takes a day or two because sometimes i'm beat when I get home and it slips my mind..

I don't think anyone would purposely keep you waiting for no reason, unless they aren't active anymore.

But, I know it's hard to be paitient.. I've been on here a few months and I still get super excited while waiting for a book request to be accepted! ha ha ha

One other thought: The sender could purposely wait to accept the entire 5 days so that the accept time & mail time coincide with payday or a trip to the PO

(Eg. If I click on May 1st that I can mail a book, the latest date I choose to mail by is May 5th, maybe May 6th.  BUT if I wait out the 5 days I can have, and didn't accept until May 5th that I could mail, then select the latest mail by date, it'll be May 10th or 11th, which might coincide with a payday/PO trip. Make sense? I don't know if I illustrated this well.)

The system is set up to allow senders latitude for things in their real life that may happen to make them not be able to mail or answer immediately  and still be part of PBS swapping.  This can include only having access to the internet a few times a week or illness or other kinds of problems like electricity being out dues to storms.  We had heavy thunderstorms here this morning at 4:30 AM.  The electricty did go out.  Fortunately, it's back, but we have been forced at times to do without it for a couple of days.  So as anxious as you are - please try to be patient because things happen to people and they have no control some times. 

Fortunately, as you build your TBR pile, you will become less anxious since you will have lots to read soon!  Trust me!

Ruth

One thing you learn at PBS is patience!