Hi,

I was a member of another (and still am) trading site before I joined here. I am having to cancel several transactions due to a request on the other site first. Amazes me how a book can just sit there for months, and all of a sudden, requested at both sites overnight. So I am having to cancel some requests here, and some on the other site as well. First come, first served etc. I am worried that several cancellations will reflect badly on me, and would appreciate any input.

thanks

Carole

I am always amazed that it happens this way for me too. I'm on one other site. I usually prefer to give PBS preference, since the other site usually has nothing I want, so I'd rather have the points here. I think people will tell you the same old info - cancellations don't really count against you as long as you're not doing it every moment.

I think it has unfortunately happened to all of us that have books listed on more than one site.  I always list here first, and if not WishListed or Requested quickly, I'll post to my other site.  However, whatever the popular trigger is, it occurs at the same time to members of both sites, and then a book gets requested both places almost simultaneously.  (Example, I had a book about the Olympics languishing on both shelves for months, until the Chinese games were aired, then both places had a request for the book at the same time.)

I try to utilize first come, first served, so I've had to cancel on both sites at one time or another.  Most members of both sites understand, even if they still wish THEY were the ones getting their request filled.

As long as you aren't a repeat offender, and you are sending out other requests (not rejecting a majority of requests), I think the administrators understand and will not hold an occasional rejection against you.

Actually, I will have to disagree.

When you post a book on PBS you agree to send your book out when it is ordered. You really shouldn't cross post to other trading sites.

I think you can (and should) lose your membership here if you cancel a lot of requests.

Just my .02.

Well I try to only post books on that other site that are heavily posted here or unpostable on PBS. 
So I rarely have the same books posted on both sites. I make sure they aren't WL on either site before I post them.  I do have a couple heavily available books on both sites. So far I haven't had a request come in on both. 

I did have to cancel a PBS book request recently though. I posted a book that had around 50 copies posted. Then I joined another Virtual Box in the games forum and put it in that.  Of course the book got requested from my shelf at the same time that someone requested it from the box.  It had only been on my shelf a few days. So my guess is someone was looking at my shelf and ordered it. I felt bad for cancelling but I had to let it go in the box.  That person had taken a turn and put a different book in to get this one.  Whereas the person who requested it from me could get it from another member.

I think it depends on what you mean by "several transactions"--if you cancel once every few months I think it would be okay, but if you're cancelling more than that I don't think it's fair to the other PBS members.  The only way it works to use more than one site is if you are online several times per day and can catch the first order quickly enough to remove the book from the other site. 

I respectfully disagree with Cari.

I generally post my books here first and will wait a few days to see if there is a request (especially if it is the only one in the system).  If it isn't requested I will post it to a 2nd site and see what happens there.  If nothing, then I will post it to a 3rd site.

I want to get rid of books and while I would prefer to get rid of them here, that isn't always practical because of the sheer volume of books in the system.  the other 2 sites don't have quite the volume so it puts one into there system and makes someone happy.

It is rare that I have requests for the same book from both sites at the same time but when I do, I honor the first request because that is only fair. 

I should not lose my membership here because I want to get rid of books and there are no takers on PBS until it is posted elsewhere.  If you were to cancel the memberships of everyone that posted to multiple sites you would lose a lot of members.  In fact, if PBS were to start doing that (and I know they aren't) then I would probably spend my credits and leave.  Sure it is a better site but that doesn't mean it can control what I do to share my books

I also use that "other" site. ;-)

I would have to agree with the person pointing out that posting a book here on PBS commits you to sending it out if it is requested. What works for me is that when I get a request for a book, before ANYTHING else, I remove the listing from the OTHER site. Only then will I accept a request from that "other" site. It's a bit more of a hassle, but I figure it's my choice - if I don't want to spend the time to administer both accounts well, I shouldn't be doing it.

Similarly, if there are multiple books being ordered so close together such that you can't just remove a book from one site before accepting a request at the other, I think there are really only two legitimate* choices:

• Log in and check often enough so that the requests aren't so coincidental, or
• Pick just one site and do it well, rather than try to run two accounts and not be able to honor commitments

For whatever it's worth! :-)

Edited to add:

- While PBS does require an overt agreement to send out a requested book, I'll point out the other site does not - you're not dishonoring or breaking an agreement on the other site if you cannot fulfill an order. As long as you remove a book on one site before accepting it on the other (and check both often), this really should be close to a non-issue anyway. The odd outlier incident shouldn't be often enough to really cause a problem, I'd think.

I know that I check in multiple times during the day so the chances of it happening are rare, but it has happened once or twice.  Usually the request from here is first so I don't worry about it, but on occasion it has come from the other site.

but that is the key, if you are going to do more than one site, check in often!