In response to  PM's from me re: condition of a books received ...RWAP  (and my request for my credits to be returned)......

• I don't have any credits to return to you
• That's the way I got it from another member
• I know it's an ARC but it's in better condition than some books I receive
• It was in perfect condition when I mailed it
• The post office did it ....[when the wrapping has NOT been damaged in any way]
• You ordered a hardback..the paperback is all I had  ...[posted a wrong ISBN]

Have you gotten any other responses?

Ugh, I haven't (yet, and I hope I'm not jinxing myself, as right now I have more books out there on their way to people than ever), and I find those you've listed SO annoying. I'm sorry you've gotten so many of these! What a pain! I don't have a very good opinion of mankind as it is, and stuff like this just icks me out even more. Just seems like most people think they're above the rules.

Some variation of "what do you expect for free?". The books we get through PBS are NOT free, and I expect them to meet posting guidelines.

Yup. After sending him a PM saying the book was highlighted and written on on every page and I was requesting my credit back he asked me to send the book back to him. I asked him for an extra credit to cover postage this is what he said:

Two PMs from him combined (all his own words):  "I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt.  I paid the postage to send you this book out of the kindness of my heart. Now I need for you to stop reading the book and underlining it or whatever, and return the baby to me so I could generously give you a credit. Enough said. My kindness is not without limit."

I hope he is not a member anymore. Ugh.

Edited to make something slightly clearer.

wow, I would have taken pictures and given him a link for that.  how do you miss underlining and highlighting? 

I received a book about a year ago that had disgusting brown stains on the first 35 or so pages of the book.  I PMed the sender and politely explained the problem and asked for my credit back, and while she did refund my credit, she accused me of lying.  When I offered to send pictures of the stains, she told me not to bother, and not to ever order another book from her again.  Ummm, no problem there!

Copying and pasting from the help section is your best friend in these cases.  I even add "I can't update the transaction archive to mark this problem resolved until you return my credit".  Usually that takes care of it.  There's always a few losers in the bunch though, but I imagine they don't stick around long.

one more:  Send me the book back and THEN I'll return your credit.

"If you wanted a book without underlining and highlighting you should have had Requestor Conditions to say so."

Works both ways though. There is nothing worse than getting an RWAP against you on a book you just bought at Borders last week and only read once.

I paid the postage to send you this book out of the kindness of my heart.

Are you kidding me? The "kindness of his heart" would have been sending it without expecting a credit or anything else. What you effectively did was buy the book from him. Sheesh. I hope he's gone, too!

"It's still readable"

I got the following after sending a polite PM about an ARC I received. I had also cut and paste the relevant guidelines.

It is the same story so another has said and quite readable( in fact more so due to the larger text). I  will give back the point but I dislike the fact that I paid to ship it out and that it is a waste of a great book if you don't wish to read it due to the "uncorrected proof"

"Return the baby to me?" What baby? Hello? That is the dumbest thing ever.

- I bought it new and there were no stains on the book.

I had that excuse twice.

"That's how I received the book from another member and it was good enough for me"  Nevermind that the book's nearly split in two.

I got a "I got it from another member like that, didn't even look through it. I did my part so  why should I be out a credit". 

Recently, one had the cover falling off the spine and first couple of pages ripped bout 1/2 inch.  I sent photos and he claimed first that there was nothing wrong with the book when he mailed it. Then admitted that it was a manufacturing (glue quality) issue but that it was totally readable as is so he refused to return the credit (said he had plenty but on principal would not return it).

Another one was from a postal delivery person no less who stuck one of those very large paperbacks in a plan manilla envelope (no tape at all).  I took the time to explain about how tape is necessary and what was wrong with the book (it came with the envelope shredded and one end of the book crushed) and she replied with a "it's just a book, you didn't need to be so wordy".

Wish there were a list of these clowns so we could all avoid further hassles. I'm guessing though that this might be against PBS rules?  Its totally subjective but hey, it'd be worth it to avoid the folks who are not conscientious and with attitude.

Lauren

"It's just a little stain!" <--on a book that looks like someone spit tobacco juice on it...

I'm still knocking on wood every time I mention how few problems I've had--over 1150 received books and I can count on one hand the number of problem books I've received...and most of those were before they even instituted the RWP process. If nothing else, you guys have made me realize just how lucky I've been.  There have been a couple of RWPs but were easily resolved with nice, polite people who were new and just needed a nudge in the right direction--I didn't ask for my credit back but did warn them that others might and would be justified in doing so. One did return my credit anyway, weeks later. How nice, eh?

Cheryl

When I RWPed because the spine was missing for the bottom two inches and all the pages were loose in that area.

"You are getting 6 books for 3 credits and you want to make it better by asking for a credit back for a perfectly readable book? Don't ever order from me again"

Kevin

On a book with water damage...

You should realize that this was a well loved book that passed through many hands before it came to me.

I had one that said "post it and see if you can get someone else to take it first, then if you can't, I'll think about giving your credit back".  Uhhh ... right. :-)

Cheers,

Catt

The one tonight takes the prize, the person wanted me to send back at my expense to be reimbursed by postal money order.  The kicker, providing her work info as a "reference" to her good character.  Um, if you've already sent me a book that violates PBS conditions, a referral from a friend/colleage  is not going to make me think better of you.

"If you wanted the hardcover/paperback edition, you should have said so." 

Um -- I did.  When I requested the book. 

"This is the first RWAP I've had and I'm upset about it."

As upset as I am to receive a book that's so marked up I can't read it?