Today in the mail instead of receiving the wish list book that I have waited many months for, I received a completely different book.  I PM'ed the sender and asked her to send me the correct book.

My question is, what if she no longer has the wish list book?  How do I get my credit back?  How do I get back to the top of the queue for the book I wanted?  What do I do with the book that I don't want?

Thanks!

Carolyn

According to the help documents, don't mark the book received at all.  It's a little counterintuitive, but makes sense if you think about it.  You didn't receive the book you ordered.

First see if you can work something out with the sender.  It's possible she just accidentally switched labels and someone else is sitting at home with your book.  She could send you each a credit for postage and you can mail the books to each other.  If worse comes to worse, you cam let it time out, you will get your credit back, an go back to you place on the WL line.

Here's a good help doc on this:

http://www.paperbackswap.com/help/search.php?terms=I+received+a+book+I+didn%27t+request!

(It's called "I received a book I didn't request!")

If the right book isn't available, then you get to wait until the book is declared lost and you are put back on the WL.  That can be a very long wait.  You have two other options.  The sender can cancel the book.  Or you can contact PBS to be put back on the WL.  They can go in and mark the book lost or canceled, putting you back at the top of the WL.

If you didn't receive the book requested, do not mark it received.  This will leave your options open to deal with possible solutions to the error without losing your place FIFO.