So I ordered a hardcover book... I got the same title, but in paperback... different ISBN.

I don't want this book, and I don't want to waste a credit on it.  It is obviously the senders fault for listing it incorrectly

I have had this happen a couple of times now that I get the WRONG book from what I ordered... different ISBN, edition, and once even the completly wrong title... and senders don't want to (or don't know what to) do anything about it.

In this case, she told me simply that she doesn't have the hardcover verion.  (why is it so hard for people to match up ISBN numbers when listing????)

So what I had done in the past, is click that the book was received, but checked the WITH A PROBLEM button... yeah, that didnt do any good... I simply lost the credit anyways, and did not ever address the problem

So I don't want to click that the book was received, because I know then I will lose the credit... what can I do???

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Stacie

Sorry about your problem.  But, marking the book received, but with a problem and requesting your credit back is really your only option.  Copy and paste the relevant help center sections into a polite, but firm, PM to the sender stating the problem with the book and asking for a refund.

The ISBN number probably matches. Many books have the same ISBN on the PB as the HC. The difference is that PBS requires the book to match the binding or it cannot be posted using that ISBN.

Copy and post the part of Help that says if your copy is a paperback an its listed as a HC in PBS, then the paperback must be posted as a book without an ISBN and then tell her you want your credit back so that you can re-order the book you were supposed to get. Make it clear that she posted the book in error and the rules are clear that when she does that, she should return the credit.  Be polite, but firm that it is her error and she needs to make it right.

You must mark the book as received if you received it, even one with a problem. That is the ultimate rule of the site. Yes you will lose credits when they refuse to return them, but better them getting in trouble for not making it right when they break the rules than you getting kicked of the site for not marking books rec'd when you get them.

You do need to mark the book was received but with a problem because you received the wrong book.  Send a PM to the sender stating that what you requested was the hardcover version, her book was listed as the hardcover version but she sent a papberback version.  Ask for your credit back from her.  If she wants her book back, she needs to send you the postage to cover that or an additional credit to cover it.

If she does not respond within a week, send in feedback via the "contact us" link at the bottom of any PBS page.

The problem transaction goes on her record here at PBS.

I was wondering if you put BOTH copies of the book on your wish list? I've done that before in the past. I'll look at my wish list meaning to clean it off and I'll see TONS of copies of the same books. Hard backs, paperback, different versions from different years and so on.

Could this be what happened? Or does it say in your request HARDBACK.

I'd contact the sender and let them know what happened. Maybe they grabbed the wrong copy from their shelf. I've done that before when I had two different books with the same names.

You didn't accept a "Similar to wish list" book did you? Those will not have the same isbn as the one on your wish list.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that once you order the book you have already "lost" the credit. It automatically gets deducted from your balence. The credit may not be released to them until you click that the book has been recieved, but really prolonging that process will do you no good.

She listed the book incorrectly, she owes you a credit. If she wants her book back then she owes you another credit to cover the shipping.

You are right Liesl. PBS is holding the credit in escrow (assuming the book was not sent with DC or printable postage). The only way you can get that credit back out of the escrow is by having the book go lost in the mail after 26 days. The only way the sender can get it is if you mark the book received. You can and should ask for a refund if you got the wrong book, but the sender won't have the credit to give back to you until you mark the book received.

I am confused as to how you requested a book, the PBS system matches your request to a sender, and the sender then sends you a completely different version.  There are ways this can happen, of course, but it would be somewhat unusual.  Before doing anything, check the book you recieved against the reuqested book listed on your account page just to make sure you didn't accidentally request the wrong book.

This just happened to me a few weeks back. I had the PB version of a book on my WL. ( I did not have the HC listed) I got an e-mail that my wish was granted. When I got the book it was a HC edition, different ISBN. I was only looking to read the book and pass it on. I did mark it RWAP and PMed the member letting them know they did list the wrong ISBN but that I would not ask for my credit back, as I was just looking to read and pass it on. I did explain (very nicely) that she needed to be careful when posting a book, to be sure that it was the correct ISBN and that It would be in my rights to ask for a credit back if I chose too. If it were for my keeper shelf and I was looking for a PB, then I would have asked for my credit back so I could re-order the book or in this case place it back on my WL. As it was the PB version still had a few people wishing, no wishers for the HC edition. So when I listed it i wasn't able to turn it over as quickly as I would have had I had the PB version.

This can happen when someone lists the book by typing the title in the search box. Once they bring the book up they list it using the, post this book link and then not paying attention that everything matches. Or they see it's on someones WL and just post it regardless of ISBN again by using the post this book link.

Stacie, if you were sent the wrong ISBN it is in your right to ask for your credit back. Just do so in a polite manner. There were plenty of helpful post as how to do go about it, so i won't add to that.

I did not get it through a wishlist.... she already had it posted and i ordered it directly through a search.  The order shows the hardcover version was ordered, but I got a paperback, and the ISBN does not match what the order says.  Thanks all for your input.

~Stacie

From the Help Center:

"Wrong-book transactions:  A "wrong book" at PBS means a book that does not match its listing in the PBS Database in one or more of the FOUR necessary aspects:  ISBN, Title, Author and Booktype.

All problem transactions, once they have been marked "Received with a Problem", will be archived in your Transaction Archive.  The sender DOES get credit when the book is marked received with a problem.  The credit should be refunded to the requestor if the problem described is accurate.   We can't intercede in individual problems, but if an account shows a pattern of problem sending, we will intervene.  In all cases of Problem transactions, the receiver does NOT have to send the book back to the sender."

I hope that helps!  :)