*** I originally posted this in January 2008 ***

I know we live in the internet/instant gratification age, but if we let each transaction go through the allotted times for having someone order or accept a request, the postal service to deliver the package, or whenever time is a factor.... we'd get our books or we'd get our credits.

I've been here for a year and this is the biggest lesson I've learned: Patience.

I so agree.   A lot of the complaints I read really are saying "I don't have the patience to let the system work."   

I let the system work the way it should but sometimes wish that people would check in once a day if at all possible.

but I'm trying to be more patient!

Well said.  Patience is key.    Let the site work things out for you.

I must be a bit nuts, but the waits or the time that it takes for transactions to go through has never bothered me.  it's just the way it was, you know?  and I think I operate differently than others.   My TBR pile is so freaking high that I always have something else to read until a new book shows up.

Melani - I so agree with you.  Which doesn't surprise me, because I just realized that you are the reason I found this site in the first place.  When you created a little book "club" relating to another site.  :)

Kerry

Melani pretty much covered what I was going to say :)

Wait times never bothered me either. I'll get the book when it gets here if it goes lost I'll get my credit back. I'll get the order when I get it if Ive already been to the PO this week I'll take it next week. Never been an issue for me.

True that there isnt much instant gratification but oh, when a book comes in the mail, that feelings beats instant every time!

Oh I have a hard time waiting!  It doesn't matter how huge my TBR pile is, there's just something about getting a new book in the mail!

I do agree though, you need to let the system work.  I may get impatient waiting on my end, but when I'm doing the sending, sometimes the extra time given is needed.  The wise ones who started this site knew what they were doing in setting up the system. 

I have never had a hard time waiting for books. I also have plenty of books to read and plenty of other things I should be doing.

Oh, I remember being impatient for those first books to arrive, and to get my first credits for books I had sent...I think it was the newness of the site, the excitement of all those books just waiting for me, and wanting to see if this whole deal really did work...

But now, with 200+ books sitting around waiting to be read...yeah, not in such a hurry : )  I never did mind the system time frames, though...always found those pretty reasonable.

I agree, so many complaints are made before the deadlines are even reached.  I can see someone brand new being anxious to see how this site works, but once you get the hang of it....patience.  Unless you pay extra for overnight delivery when shopping around, you have to wait, according to estimated delivery times.  For instant gratification, buy the ebook and download, lol, or grab another book from your TBR pile, I bet most of us have healthy ones.

(I was looking for this post)

Well, for a different perspective, impatient people are the ones who are more likely to buy new books rather than wait, and ultimately get those new books into the system.   I'm one of those impatient ones, and I've probably put 80-100 wishlisted books into the system in the 6 months or so I've been here.  I'm also one of those who'd like to see the response and mailing times cut down to a couple of days each, no matter how many books I have in my TBR.  The more frustrated I get with wait times, the less likely I am to post more books into the system.  I'll just trade them at Half Price Books or donate for a tax cut.

And you're absolutely right Pam.  I got the ebook reader, and have downloaded several heavily WL e-books that won't be put into the PBS or any other system.  Eventually I'll stop posting any newer books here, since most or all of my purchases will be digital.  What's going to happen to PBS when a substantial portion of us impatient new book buyers get frustrated and do this?

I don't think PBS has any worries over that happening, Sharon. There are just too many die-hard "gotta have a book in hand to read" people out there. And there are too many already published still to be drug out and posted, for it to be a problem yet. Too many of us want those OOP books, and sooo many others are willing to wait for the newly printed ones, that PBS will survive the digital changing people jsut fine.

Not that we wouldn't miss you if you left, but just that PBS won't lose enough to be hurt.

I agree with the patience and everything works as it is intended. When it comes to mailing a book, we are totally at the hands of the Postal Service. I always mail books the next day and some get there quickly but others travel like a snail. There is no rhyme or reason to it--mail moves as it pleases.

I too like new books and I used to be standing at the book store every day when there was a new release but since I started to use this site I find that I am willing to wait for a book because I have such a large TBR pile. I still pick up some new ones and then those go into the system when I finish them. I would never go to the ebooks because I am 1 of those that wants the actual book in my hand. If a book is a must have right now, I still just purchase it with a good sale or coupon at Borders. This is just me.....   

It's not like the wait guidelines are a mystery to everyone here at PBS.

As a requested book, it can be in the "wait area" for an hour (if it ordered manually) or 48 hours if it is on someone's wishlist. The Sender has FIVE days to respond, then up to FIVE more days to send the book. The System allows 28 days for the Postal Service to deliver the book. If it does not, then the Requestor automatically gets the credit returned.
Like I said in my first post, sooner or later you will get your book or credit.

On a side note, I do buy new books at retail book stores, Costco, amazon.com. I buy used books at yard sales and Goodwill. I am also a book buyer for my spa, so I get some at wholesale. My favorite way to aquire a book is through here, PBS, because of the online members and the website itself.

I dug out this old post I started because we often have new PBS members who are enthusiastic about books!!!

I'm not new but I'm still enthusiastic about books!

I have 2 that I'm waiting for them to be mailed to me...but it isn't like I don't have 350 other books to read (thanks PBS for increasing my TBR pile from about 25 to 350!)

As a requested book, it can be in the "wait area" for an hour (if it ordered manually) or 48 hours if it is on someone's wishlist. The Sender has FIVE days to respond, then up to FIVE more days to send the book.

I'm one of those impatient members, but I have to add that as frustrating as it is to wait those 5 + 5 days, it's worse when people don't follow the rules, forexample, by taking advantage fo the two-day grace period after those five days or (worse) marking a book mailed and then not actually mailing for several days.  I once received a book that had been postmarked 3 weeks (!) after the date the member marked it mailed. 

Preaching patience is one thing, but following the rules is another.  They're called rules, not suggestions, for a reason.