I've had a book on auto order for quite awhile, that I want to give as a gift -- but I've never gotten it.

However, today when I checked my Reminder List, I noticed the same book was there and there were 5 copies available, so I ordered it.

My question -- how come it never came up as available via my WL if there were 5 copies in the system?

Most likely, there are two different ISBNs for the book - and one was posted by the other not. I can't imagine another reason.

Maybe -- but with 5 copies available, you'd think ONE would match! 

I  often go through my WL, clicking on the author's names, and it is not at all unusual to find 2 or 3 books that I have been wishing for in the system...I have learned to put one ISBN on my WL and all the other editions I add to my RL. I know you are supposed to get an email when a different edition of a wish list book is posted but I've only had that happen a few times.

I don't think you can have the same book (meaning same ISBN edition) on both your wishlist and your reminder list at the same time.

Those 5 copies on your reminder list were all the same isbn but they were NOT the same isbn as the edition you had on your wish list.

If it matched something on your reminder list it is not the same ISBN as on your wish list. You can't have the same book in both places.

The system won't generate an email if it's a PBS generated ISBN. 

Also when you are looking at one of your WL books: if you hit the RL button it will remove it from your WL and put it on your RL. So if you did this awhile ago and just checked it now: the book has been on your RL for some time and copies have been posted into the system. You were probably the only one on WL.  You can't put a book on your WL if it's posted into the system. So if the ISBN'S match then at some point you accidentally removed it from your WL. 

If I'm not picky about whether I get a HB or PB or whatever, I list every book with that title - I get the ISBNs from fantasticfiction.com, and then post every ISBN.  That way I'm covered if the book comes up regardless of the ISBN.  Sometimes you'll wind up with 6 copies of the same book on your WL, but as long as you don't put them on auto request, you won't get them all and you just have to watch your WL to delete the extra copies when you get one.  Pat