I have been waiting for a particular cookbook for nearly two years.  It finally came available and the member refused to mail it because my conditions said that if the book was a harback I prefered it if it had t he dustcover.  Their response?  This is a paperback, not a hardback, so I'm not sending it. 

How hard is it to figure out that the condition applied to harbacks and not a softback book?  So frustrated...

It is frustating, but I have a slightly different perspective.  My books meet PBS conditions and I just don't want to deal with the risk of losing a credit due to additional conditions.  In your case, I would have been okay with it because it was very specific and actually didn't even apply to that particular request, but alot of times people write vague conditions that I just don't want to deal with.  for example, just today I declined a request because the conditions were "must have no water damage (duh, that is a requirement of all books) and must be in excellent condition".  Well, my book is in really great condition.... but what does excellent mean exactly?   This is not a new bookstore... and I just don't have time to fuss with what seems to me like excess pickiness.  AGain, not exactly your circumstances but there are some of us that are just leary of conditions in general.  To each his own, someone else will post the book my requestor wants, so it will all work out but doesn't mean I have to deal with it.

True some people get their nose in a snit over Any RC.

And some of us are easily confused.

I have declined a few requests regarding RC's for hardbacks with dust jackets because the wording threw me, and I didn't want to take the time to figure out what the requestor meant. You may have better luck with the RC if you expand it to say something like this. This does not apply to paperbacks. If the book I am requesting is a Hardback I prefer it have a dust jacket.

Very frustrating!

A new member may not realize that your RC applies generally to all your requests.   He may think that you wrote it just for this book, and that since you mentioned a hardcover, you thought you were ordering a hardcover.  I mention this because I sometimes get Live Help questions from confused new members on this subject. 

Some members have reworked their wording with that in mind, and others toggle their RC off if it doesn't apply to the book they are ordering. 

That is very frustrating and I had the same problems with my RC before I reworded it. I came to the forum and asked for help and received great advice.

My RC now reads as follows:

* If this book is a paperback book, please ignore this RC and send it.

* If this book is a hardcover book, please include its dustjacket.

Thanks!

Since I reworded it, I haven't had the problem you are getting, thank goodness.

"...some people get their nose in a snit over Any RC..." 

My $.02:  I get my nose in a snit over RCs, and it's because 1.  this is a club, not a bookstore, if you want new books or think you should get them you should be considered to be in the wrong place and not have everyone take up all their time catering to your whims.  2. people put all kinds of things in there, including the normal rules of the club, which I believe do not belong in RCs.  3.  I have no problems with legit issues based on personal health concerns: allergies, sensitivities, etc.  But if I want new books I go to Amazon or the PBS overstock section.  I think too many people in this country think they're entitled to something for nothing, and I do not mean the people on welfare.

Elizabeth, that is quite harsh, but you are entitled to your opinion and can always turn down all RCs as it is your choice. But, PBS gives its members also the choice to place an RC on their books. They may or may not get their books that they want as often as those without RCs but that is their choice.

Victoria, most cookbooks do not have a dustjacket, so you may want to add that in your RC as well. Something along the lines of: please send all cookbooks, paperback or hardcover.

Everyone (almost),

Thanks for your insight!  :)   In an effort to create an RC that was clear and not onerous,

I think I managed to write an unhelpful muddle of words  If it's okay, I may use one of the suggestions listed here. 

-Victoria 

Also not everyone pays attention to what binding they are requesting.  I personally have been RWPd by someone because they didnt' pay attention and ordered a hardcover when they meant to order an audiobook.  They didn't even notice that they only paid 1 credit instead of 2. 

Mary, ACK! Sorry that happened to you. 

Tangental note:

Sheryl and Nancy motivated me to borrow from the other posters here to simplify my RC.   This should be fun, not a chore!  :)

The other suggestion to deal with this is to not use the auto-request feature for your wishlist and put that RC only on books it would apply to--ie, hardcover books. That way it wouldn't appear on paperbacks at all, thus being just a 'normal' request.This would avoid turns-downs by those who decline ANY request with an RC and also avoids confusing those who are easily confused...and you get the books you want sooner.

Cheryl

Connie, not mad,  just curious as to why you see what I said as harsh.  I don't turn down all RC's.  In fact, I don't turn them down if my book meets their criteria.  I think it's harsh to the club to have people be so demanding that they think they should always have what amounts to new books.  I have friends who are very picky about their books, and they maintain them in perfect condition even if they're just mass market paperbacks.  I'm not that way, and that's why I'm in the club, and they're not.  They would not be able to stand to get a book that was not in like new condition.  To me, mass market paperbacks are not worth trying to keep like that.  Theyr'e not made to read and remain perfect.  What did I say that you think is harsh?  Just for my education, because I do try to be accomodating here.

1.  this is a club, not a bookstore, if you want new books or think you should get them you should be considered to be in the wrong place and not have everyone take up all their time catering to your whims. 

This is your opinion and you have your right to turn down RCs, but no right to tell members they can't ask for something the site doesn't say they can't ask for and that they should leave. There are hundreds of thousands of members here and many trade new and like new books. Just because you can't or won't provide them doesn't mean others are happy to. If you can't fill a request, deny it and move on, but don't try to define what the site's purpose is by your own expectations and tell other members that their expectations must match yours.  The site's opinion is that people can ask for anything (as long as its legal) in an RC and any member that can't meet that can turn it down. 

RCs are designed to help us fulfill our needs and whims that are not covered by the normal rules of the club. 

If I'm looking for a specific edition of Catch-22 where the cover artwork was drawn by my great aunt Millie, that's a great use of an RC.  I can say "Please send this book only if it has a blue cover with green lettering, and a red spiral in the bottom left corner."

If I already have a copy of Prince of Tides, but have read it until it is falling apart, and would really like a newish keeper copy for my shelf, I can set up an RC asking for a book in better-than-PBS condition, perhaps with a dust jacket requirement, or a "no dog-eared pages" rule.  I may have many senders pass me by, but maybe one day I'll get the copy I really want.

RCs are specifically designed to allow members to ask for more than the normal club rules require, and also to allow senders to decline to send a book with no penalty.  It's a brilliant system, IMHO!

I have a dust jacket RC that I only activate very, very occasionally. That way, I avoid any possible confusion for the majority of books I order that only require standard PBS postabilty.

I had this same thing happen to me a few times - a refusal on my dust-jacket RC even though I was requesting a paperback. I rephrased my RC and haven't had the problem since. It shouldn't be that hard to figure out that most paperbacks never had a dust jacket in the first place, but making it as simple as possible so that your RC isn't refused (except for legitimate reasons) is the goal. I overcompensated with a longer RC and then edited it down thanks to some feedback in these forums. Right now it reads: "Hi! Please, no ex-library books, or hardback books that originally came with a dust jacket but no longer have it. Thank you very much."

It occurs to me that being able to have an RC tied to a specific book on your wishlist would be really handy. Maybe PBS will implement that someday.

It occurs to me that being able to have an RC tied to a specific book on your wishlist would be really handy. Maybe PBS will implement that someday.

Great idea!  Have you submitted it -- either as feedback, or in the red "suggestions" thread at the top of the Club Members' Thoughts forum? 

For the time being, what I do is put a "personal note" on a wish list book if I want to add an RC to it when I eventually order it.  To add a note, I click on the title to get to the book's info page, then click "more options" --> "personal note."  When I'm offered the book, I see the note, and can set up an RC before accepting the offer.  For this to work, the wish list book must not be on auto-request. 

I have friends who are very picky about their books, and they maintain them in perfect condition even if they're just mass market paperbacks.  I'm not that way, and that's why I'm in the club, and they're not.  They would not be able to stand to get a book that was not in like new condition.

Elizabeth, I am one of those who takes very good care of my books.  If I buy a mass market paperback, when I'm done with it, it will look just like it came from the store.  Almost all of my books are in similar condition, and even the ones I get through here are that way.  I have an RC to ensure that's the case, but most of the books I get from PBS actually come through the games forum, and most of the games players are like me and take excellent care of their books.

Your friends could easily be in this "club", and post their excellent condition books and request the same in return.  If they set up an RC for the condition they want and many people (like me) would be fine sending our books out to them, since we have excellent condition books to send.

Even if I were to only get books through FIFO, how soon would I be frustrated if I consistently sent out pristine books and filled others wishes for books in excellent condition, but I got only well-worn paperbacks in return?  I think many members get frustrated by that, and that's one thing RCs are for.  Because I have an RC, I get books in the condition I want--similar to those I send out.

Shelia--I'm glad that works for you.  I just don't like RCs about things that are already in the rules.  Generally speaking I don't like them if they amount to requests for new books though.  I would not use them myself and I find that they dampen my mood when I come to the club website to look at requests.  I don't like feeling like my bookshelf is being used as a store. I send out good books and get crummy ones in return, but not often.  Sometimes I get a cool old copy of something that I'm interested to see the cover of.   I don't request a lot of mass market paperbacks anyway because the books I read don't come in that format usually.  It's all in what you like personally.  I'm not like that, that's all.  I don't object to anyone doing it and I fulfill lots of requests for books with RCs.  I don't send damaged books but some of my books are old.  RCs just spoil the fun for me.

Melanie--first of all, you're not saying what I said accurately at all.  I wasn't trying to tell anyone that the club rules are in keeping with my opinion.  I just said I  don't like burdensome RCs.  I know the club permits them.  i know that they are very useful to people.  I still think this is a club, and that websites don't think for themselves, so I think I'm entitled to my opinion.  The only times I do anything with it is when I turn down a request with an RC (which I thinki I've done twice now but that might be an exaggeration) or express it.  What's the big deal.  Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Holidays!

Melanie--first of all, you're not saying what I said accurately at all.  I wasn't trying to tell anyone that the club rules are in keeping with my opinion.  I just said I  don't like burdensome RCs.  I know the club permits them.  i know that they are very useful to people.  I still think this is a club, and that websites don't think for themselves, so I think I'm entitled to my opinion.  The only times I do anything with it is when I turn down a request with an RC (which I thinki I've done twice now but that might be an exaggeration) or express it.  What's the big deal.  Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Holidays!

Yes, you are entitled to your opinion, but your opinion doesn't matter to what members can do on Paperback. Neither does mine. The only "person's" opinion that matters is the site owner's. This isn't a club that dictates itself, the site has an owner and the owner sets the rules. I am sorry if you weren't trying to tell anyone something, but the way you worded your post you were, you said  "if you want new books or think you should get them you should be considered to be in the wrong place and not have everyone take up all their time catering to your whims". Maybe you meant "in your opinion anyone who wants new books should.." but I will correct anyone who states on this site that members who want new books do not belong here because they are just as welcome swappers as someone who doesn't care what they get. It IS a big deal to me as a TG that we do not have people running off good members because those members' swapping ideals do not mesh with another swappers. As long as someone is following the site's rules, they are perfectly welcome to swap here.

At no point did I say I wanted new books.   

Laura, viva la difference!  I love ex-library books!  To me they're kind of like stickers on old luggage and make my library seem well-traveled.  :)

I've been away for a while and  wasn't aware I could toggle my RCs on and off for individual requests.  How would this work with wishlist books?  Would putting the softbacks on autorequest bypass the RC?  Can I toggle the RC on and off for individual books on my wishlist?

I'm sorry I still think this is a club.  No one has to be here.  Yes, the website is owned by someone who is not a member.  They run a club here.  I come here to get books, but also to find community.  I don't find it when all people seem to want to do is to to "correct" each other.  i can talk to my mother any time I want to because she's still here.  I don't come to this website to find her.  I think different points of view are good.  Having a variety of books was what I thought part of the point was.  Driving people away who have something to offer shouldn't be considered a good idea.  Just because a book is not perfect does not mean it's not postable under the rules, and if everyone is so picky they have to have all perfect books I would think that a lot of people would be turned off by that, as I am.  I send out lots of perfect books, but I don't expect to get all perfect books, and I send out some books that aren't perfect, but they're postable. I can't always fulfill people's RC's, but when somebody is requesting a 30-40 year old paperback I don't see how they can expect perfection, and I think they're unlikely to get their book if they do.

The main issue is that there are two types of attitudes that senders typically have at PBS:

1. People who believe that other people are doing them a favor by ordering books from them, and so they are willing to fulfill any type of reasonable reqest that comes along.

2. People who believe that they are doing other people a favor by mailing their books out, and so they are generally unwilling to fulfill anything but the club rules.

Now, the attitudes that I find annoying are the people who seem to simultaneoulsy believe that they are doing someone else a favor both when they order books from someone else, and when they mail them out to other people.