I just received a copy of The Kite Runner.  The cover has a long tear on the binding and the 1st several pages have water damage.  The individual is a new member so I pm'd him/her and explained the guidelines.  Hopefully, my credit will be returned.   Last week I received a copy of The Time Traveler's Wife.  It had severe water damage on the 1st 60 pages.  The member stated that she didn't notice the damage but she immediately sent me 1 credit and requested that I return the book.  I mailed the book along with her original packaging so that she would know the damage didn't occur during shipping. She received the book but never gave me a credit for the postage.   I haven't been a member for very long and out of 11 books received, 2 are were in terrible condition. Although I need to report the books received with condition problems, I just feel uncomfortable complaining to individuals who aren't meeting the guidelines.  I just wish people would read the guidelines and take better care of their books!!  O.k....I feel better now!!! :)

Edit:  Almost forgot...here's my question:  Should I specify in my conditions that books must meet PBS quidelines?

Since they obviously don't know PBS guidelines ; ), I'd put the exact details, Something like - per PBS guidelines, do not send stained or water damaged books, books with their covers separating or cleaving from the book, and anything with tears more than 1 inch long..yada, yada.

I haven't felt the need to go that route yet, gotten a few ex-library books that had long since past their overly worn stage, but thankfully I've received mostly book in the same condition I send. I have added a condition no books that don't match ISBN and book type because the paperback for a HC, or vice versa just bugs me somethin' fierce.

Some people just need to obvious stated for them.

I admit that when I first joined, I didn't read the guidelines.  I didn't post books that were dirty or stained or falling apart, just on general principles, but I did send one or two that had mended tears.  To this day I don't quite understand the cleaved spine part, so when in doubt, I just don't post it.

Maybe they should give new members a quiz to make sure they know the basics before they can officially join.  : )

A cleaved spine, IMO, is when a book has a place where it tends to fall open at and when you look in the crack where that lands you can see a gap and/or part of the binding showing through there.  A book can have a creased back, but when you flip through the book you shouldn't see part of the binding when you look at the spaces between the pages.  That's how I understood it. 

The books I own tend to be in near mint condition so I've not been too worried about some of the more obscure sections of the guildlines so I tend to look at the guidlines when I am mailed a book that is mangled to see just how many things they ignored when they sent it to me. 

I have sent books that have not been perfect, but if I have any doubts, I PM the person first. I always take a good look at the book and ask myself if I would like to get it in that condition. So far, any book I have PM'd a person about have been gladly taken.

I would not mind getting a book that had a mended tear. Maybe if it was a hard-to-find book I would take worse than that.

I think you should state what you want as per Melanie D.'s suggestion. If I saw that, I would be sure to PM you first if I had any question as to the condition of the book I was sending you.

Margie-  The book you received your credit back on you DID NOT have to return.  That is part of the PBS rules as well. 

From the Help Section:

You are not obligated to return the problem item, but if the sender gives you an extra credit or postage to do so, of course you may. 

I'd be asking her for either a postage reimbursement or another credit.

As for not being comfortable complaining to people who don't meet the guidelines, you have every right to complain and don't feel bad for doing so!  I'm sorry your experience thus far hasn't been that great.  I've received almost 600 books through PBS and very few of them didn't meet the guidelines so don't be discouraged!!!

Since she told me that she didn't notice that it had a problem, I felt that I needed to return the book just to prove to her that it was sent damaged!  I don't mind not receiving the postage credit because I wanted her to know that I didn't lie about the condition.

You can put in your conditions that books must meet PBS guidelines, but be aware that there are people who automatically refuse any request that has conditions, regardless of whether their book mets those conditions.   Also, if you read through some of these threads on conditions, you will see that some members resent being told to do what they are supposed to do anyway.

BTW, I'm not one of the people I'm talking about above. : D.  I always read conditions and respond accordingly.  But I do agree that we need some way to be sure new members read the rules first.  I like Judy's idea of a test .  : )

I added to my conditions:    I have recently received water damaged & stained books which did not meet PBS guidelines. Please check your books before sending. Thanks!      Does anyone think that statement is too harsh?

I don't think you needed to prove it to her that it was damaged. Every time I've received a dmaged book the person says they didn't know it was that way.  After all, they aren't going to admit to sending out a book that didn't meet the guidleines! 

I've actually sent photos to one person of the condition of the book.  That was proof enough that it was damaged.  Sending it back just gives the person a chance to re-post the book and pawn it off on someone else. Better to get it out of the system entirely.

Kristin...you're right about the damaged book possibly being re-posted.  Although it was so bad I doubt that she would try sending it again!   Photos are a good idea.

Margie, I feel your pain.  I don't understand why it's so hard for peiople to follow the site rules. :/

I think your conditions are fine.

I have and will turn down requests if the conditions are wordy/annoying/etc. especially when I post a WL book,  but I don't think most people would have an objection to the conditions the way you worded it.

I agree that your wording is fine.

Personally, you should not have sent the book back at your own expense.  She should have given you another credit for sending it back, as you are still out the mailing costs now. 

The wording on your condition is fine. I wouldn't automatically turn it down.  I turn down the ones that are pretty much demanding a brand-new mint condition book.  But what you wrote is fine-I've had problems, please double check that it's postable. 

Margie, I think your added condition isn't harsh at all, and hopefully it will make a difference.  Carol Ann