In the past week I have had three book requests denied ostensibly because of my condition...

Here is my condition VERBATIM:

"If the book I am requesting is a hardback, I want hardback books to have their dust jackets.

Paperbacks should be in a condition that meets PBS guidlines."

All three denied my request telling me that the book I requested was not a hardback and since it was paperback they couldn't send!

My condition is not in the least bit vague and I would have thought that people on this site would be able to read.

Back to bookmooch.com

I just don't think it makes sense to use RCs anymore.  People are too quick to deny a book with any Requester Conditions of any kind.  I no longer have any RCs, and honestly I haven't yet recieved a book that was in bad condition, so it hasn't mattered in the long run. 

Anyway, if you receive a book that doesn't meet your conditions, but does meet PBS's guidelines, just put it back up for swap and request another.  Chances are the second book will have the dust jacket.  Sorry for your bad experience, but it seems to be the growing trend to deny any book with a RC. 

Elizabeth...

Thanks for the reply...

What frustrates me more than anything is that I spend a good deal of time packing up and sending out books (even pouring over RCs to make sure my books meet them) so that I can build up credits to get books I want.

Now that I have those credits my requests are being denied and I don't even have the recourse to either explain or negotiate with the person that has the book.

I don't think my RC is abrasive, insulting or rude...

And it definitely isn't vague...

I would suggest changing the order of the RC...

If this request is for a paperback and your copy meets PBS guidelines, please send the book, I can't wait to read it.

If this request involves a hardcover book, I only want a copy with a dustjacket.

OR you can remove the paperback portion entirely (because if it isn't a PBS postable book you have recourse through the system anyway).  Then leave your paperbacks on auto-request.  Turn off your RC's and put all of your hardbacks to 48 hour.  Then when you are notified that you have a HC book being offered to you via WL, go to your RC's turn them on and then accept the request.  Once you've done that, turn the RC back off until another HC book is posted to your WL.

It may seem like a lot of work but you'd avoid the whole issue of people with PB books not reading your RC's correctly.

I would just turn off your RC when requesting a PB.

As for RCs that re-state the rules or suggest that you send books in PBS postable condition - I think those are completely unnecessary.

IMO I would leave your condition to just "If this is a hardcover book, I only want a book with the dust cover.  Paperbacks are fine.

Thanks for all the suggestions...!!

I actually re-wrote this RC once to include the last part about paperbacks because the first denial I got said that there was no hardback copy of the book I requested and then insinuated that I was wasting THERE time with my RC...

I am a longtime bibliophile and I know what editions there are of what books.

For the mostpart I am not picky at all about the books I receive.  I have even accepted some that have some water damage because all I really wanted to do was read them.

I do have a thing (irrational perhaps) about hardback books having dust jackets.

Most of the time I don't even care if they are book club editions or whatever, only that they have the jacket.

I guess I am just frustrated that what seems to me so simple has become this major point of contention and that there is nothing I can do to remedy the situation later.

Again, thanks for listening.

I would just turn the RC off when requesting a paperback. 

or I would just say

"My RC only applies if I am ordering a hardback from you.  I only want hardbacks with a dust jacket if I ordered any thing besides a hardback please ignore the rcs"  or something like that.

Although to me your rcs are pretty clear.

Sorry for your bad experience, Jeffrey.  Your RCs are very clear, although I think some other posters have some good ideas about small tweaks to them.

I was having trouble with a similar condition. After a fair bit of trial and error, I ended up with one that has only been denied once, and then for a book without a dustjacket. I don't know if my luck will continue to hold, but my rc is below. good luck!  :)

If your book is a cookbook or a paperback or a book that was published without a dustjacket, please send it.  I don't have any conditions on them. If your book is a fiction hardcover that originally came with a dustcover, I prefer it to have the dustcover - they look naked without. :)

Thanks very much!

I have found that the longer/the more wordy the RC, the more likely people seem to be to get refused.  I think that the best two choices are what others have said time and time again when this issue comes up---either turn on RC when ordering a book that doesn't need it OR leave it off totally.  I personally don't get the want-the-dustjacket thing, since I couldn't care less about it; I want the book to be in good condition, but I know many people do not want HCs w/o the dustjacket. 

I understand the dusttjacket thing as wanting to keep books together on a bookshelf and have them matching, but recently I was watching the Martha on decorating with books, and she actually said to take all the DJ's off, and then you have a matching set of cloth covers, whih actually looks nicer on a shelf . . .

I think you should add the sentence about the paperbacks.  If I get an RC that only speaks to HB, and you requested a PB, I am going to wonder if you ordered the PB by mistake.  If I send the PB, you will mark it RWAP and I will lose my credit b/c you requested a PB instead of the HB you wanted.

When I've rec'd RC similar to what earlier posters have suggested, I have accepted and then PM'd saying "this is a PB, are you sure that's what you want" and it has worked out fine.  If I have any doubt, I decline.

I just declined 5 (!) requests because the RC said "due to allergies no cats".  OK, the cat lives downstairs, the books are all upstairs in a closed room.  The cat is nowhere near the books, and certainly hasn't rubbed on them.  But I don't want to risk some poor person having an allergy attack over some latent cat smell.  I also don't want to risk losing the credits and the postage money, so I decline.

Someone else in another thread said that they would deny all RC's like this since their books were home where they had no internet access and waiting (and remembering) to verify the next day was too much of a hassle.  I'd probably do the same if I didn't have a computer at home. I deny most conditions as it is (the hardcover with jacket and no ibrary discards usually being the only two RC's that I accept when they don't apply), having lived with pets and smokers and having no patience for lengthy conditions or people who come for pristine books.

I think that TPTB at PBS should have a few 'standard' RC's that members check if they want them to apply, like:

no books around dogs

no books around cats

no books around smoke

no hardcovers without jackets

no library discards

Etc., and then maybe a character-limit blank box to either add other conditions or clarify the ones listed.

Jeffrey, I hate to say this..but I think you can't win no matter what you do.  I used to have an RC that applied only to Audiobooks. (I want only unabridged).  Can't tell you how many times I got denied because I had ordered a "book", so they would tell me "This isnt' an audiobook, so I can't send it".  sigh.

The very best advice, I think, is to turn them off when you order a PB.  IT's a hassle, and sometimes you'll forget, but if the DJs mean that much to you (and that's fine, I don't mean they shouldn't. :-), then it might be worth it.

Once again, thanks to everyone who has responded...

It's comforting to know that others are having pretty much the same issues about the same types of things...

For now I have turned off my RCs...

I know I will fall into a swoon the first time I get a hardback that doesn't have the dj (I'm a bit like Monk about that), but there it is..

I just hate that so many people either simply can't lighten up enough to read, what is to me, a simple RC or have had so many bad experiences with PBS that they now just blanket deny all RCs...

It really is a bit sad...

I have the same condition - that I want hardbacks to have their dustjackets.  I have never had a book request turned down because of it in the two years of my membership here (except once when the book I ordered WAS a hardback without a dustjacket).   Maybe I've just been lucky.  Or maybe I got the wording in my condition right.   Here's what my conditions say:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please note that this condition does not apply to any paperback books.  If you have posted a paperback book, please IGNORE this condition and click on "Yes, my book meets the requestor's conditions."

However, if you have posted a hardback book, I would prefer that the book have the dustcover.

Thanks.

I find it quite frustrating too. For example, a book I've wanted for a long time was denied becasuse the conditions said "please, no highlighting or writing in books, but contact me first to see if there's an exception". Note the last part. But still, no contact was made. How frustrating! I don't know why I shouldn't be able to have RC when my RC are based on the fact that books w/highlighting and writing in them are distracting when I read them. Sheesh.

I dont under stand...I have a RC and I have recieve over 50 HB's and have only been denied maybe 5 times due to my RC.  Never been denied for a PB that I request.  Now from time to time a get a pm after they accept, telling me about the condtion of the book and asking if I still want them to send it, but I have had great luck with my RC...so much so that I copy and Paste is when I order a HB from Book Mooch as well.

Here is what my RC says:

This is for Hardback's Only!  If I have requested a paperback please disregard and thank you!

If I have requested this hardback from you its because it for my personal collection and I intend on keeping it.  On hardback's my Requester Conditions are that is has it's Dusk Jacket and that it in good condition. I would prefer on Hardbacks that they not be ex-library books.

I understand that a lot of these books came to you used, and I am not asking for a new book!  Just that it be in decent condition!

Thanks for understanding!