I've already posted this in CMT but will post here as well:

I often get the email on these offers whilst I'm here on the PBS site doodling about on CMT. Of course by the time I see the email the book is gone. Is there some notice I'm missing on the site? Is there some way to see the 'similar to WL' offer whilst here on PBS? Can I check for onsite notification on my settings?

I think these go to everyone who has wished for the book in some form, so it's basically whoever reads and acts on the mail first.

Well, yes, but it's so frustrating to miss out whilst I'm actually here on the site.

Unless there are multiple copies posted, the "similar to" offers are first come first served.  But if you add that edition to your wish list, then the next time a member posts a book with that ISBN, it will be offered to the member who is #1 in the wish list line (maybe you?), rather than having the "similar to" email go out.  I'm occasionally able to snag a "similar to" book that is offered, but mostly I look at the email as a notice to me that there's another edition out there that I should add to my wish list.

Isn't there a setting in our account preferences?  If you have already elected to received 'similar to' notifications, yes it's first come first served...and they often move quickly.

PS - My Account --> Settings --> Email Settings

I think what Marya is saying is that while she gets the email, she isn't on her email at the moment, and therefore doesn't know she's received it yet.  When she's here on the site, she wishes she would get notification here on the site.  Correct me if I'm wrong, Marya.  If I got it right, I couldn't agree with you more.  I don't have a smart phone and don't get instant notification about emails.  I wish instead of email, I had the option to get a PM here.  I'd see that much more quickly than an email.

Ah, I didn't catch that, but I think you're right, Sasssy.  That would be a good suggestion for the red suggestions thread at the top of the Club Members' Thoughts discussion forum.

Now when we are sent an email, a copy of it goes into our Club Communications folder, accessed from the yellow bar at the top of our main My Account page.  She could check that folder when she logs on and again before she logs off, but that's not the same as getting a notification that she has a message.  But maybe there would be a way where members who wanted it could get a notification anytime a new message was placed in their Club Communications folder, like the red dot that appears when we get a personal message while we are logged on here.

Have you enabled gmail alerts on your browser (if you use gmail)? That might solve the problem. I've received lots of WL books via the alternate version emails - with the caveat that most of my books don't have that many wishers, so there's likely not as much competition.

That can definitely help, Cavilglia.  I don't use gmail, but I set my email to give me a "ding" when an email arrives.  As long as the emails aren't delayed significantly by her email provider, that may be the solution.

what about looking at the expand wish list button on your wish list ?

would that be easier?

The expand button is great.  The "similar to" emails can alert you to editions that have come out since the last time you checked the Expand. 

I always look at the expand button, but often books aren't connected to the list or they get added later.  I have even seen a lot that have nothing to do with the original book that are listed in the expansion.  I always send in feedback on those, so they can fix them.

Sasssy's nailed the crux of the matter. I don't use gmail. And I can't expand to more versions on my WL as it's filled to the 300 brim. The only place for other versions is my RL which just sits there eventhough it is sorted by availability.

It would be great to get a PM instead of an email or even just a little flag up where the red PM flag appears, maybe a different color that indicates similar to wish---purple?

Many email programs have something installed that will alert you. Annoying, but if you're not getting your emails as quickly as you would like, there are things you can do. i.e. set up a designated PBS gmail account for which you can receive alerts, keep your email open in a browser window and see via the tab if you're receiving anything new, search in your email's functions to see if you can get an alert of some sort or have the emails forwarded to something you can receive an alert for. If it's a large enough concern, I'm sure there's something you can do.

Also - the problem might be the books you're being emailed for have hundreds of wishers and, thus, increased competition.

leave your e-mail open while you are browsing here. If something arrives in your e-mail you will know it even though you won't be looking at your e-mail.

I don't get any type of notifications for new emails.  I would have to look at my email to know if I got a new PBS email.  Since when I'm here, I get notifications of new PMs, it would be really cool if we could just choose to get those 'similar to WL' notifications (and any other notifications) as PMs instead of emails.

I have never requested one of those similar to books. They may be similar but they aren't the one I want.

AFAIK PBS doesn't send any communication via PM. One thing that might be easier is if there was some kind of alert for when a new Club Communication has been received, but it mot not seem worth the programming time from their end.

Sassy - what email provider/program do you use? With most, you can see a little number on the tab that tells you how many new emails you have. If you use outlook, or another email program, you can set up alerts.