Hi guys, I have one for you.

I received a hardcover book in the mail today. It looks almost brand new. Except that it is bent into a "U" shape. It looks like what might happen if you stood up a book vertically (like in a bookcase) and then you climbed up to perch on it and jumped up and down. The whole book is bent towards the middle.

So, the hardocvers are bent but not broken. The spine curves in a smile. But the spine is not broken at all, the covers are completely attached, the book is not falling apart in any way, and everything else looks brand new.

What do you think? Its a new one for me!

I would not send one and not be too happy to get one, but I would classify it as postable. It tends to push that "in good condition" IMO but since none of the rules clarifying that description are broken I wouldn't call it a RWAP. Maybe some time flat with weight on top could bend it back??

Whose fault? I had one folded to cram into my post office box.  Why they did that I don't know, but obviously the USPS caused the fold and not the sender.  Does the packing look like it was folded after the book was wrapped or was the book like this before it was sent?  

I've been able to flatten paperbacks like that back out by stacking a bunch of heavy HCs on them, But I've never had that in an HC.  I would try, but maybe with a cinderblock or something.  If you have one:P  I'd say it would take a lot longer to press out though & it may never be completely flat again.  Just depends on how bad the boards are warped.

I heard back from the sender (I marked it Received, not RWAP, but I sent her a PM to let her know what happened) ... she says she sent it brand new. I totally believe her. I think the PO managed to do something to it. The packaging was a used bubble wrapper, so it was worn, but it wasn't ripped or obviously damaged.

I don't know, maybe plastic could have saved it?

I don't think plastic would have helped.  If the PO put enough pressure on it to bend it out of shape, the plastic would not have prevented that.

It may have been jammed between very heavy packages in a mail truck when a load shifted, or something.