How long is too long to request credit back on a book?

I sent a book out in October, and today the receiver requested her credit back due to cleaving....I check all my books before sending them out, and did not notice any damage myself (not saying it was not there, just that I did not see it if it was there).

I politely declined her refund request due to the fact the the book has been in her posession for over a month.

What do you all think? How long is too long? Would you refund her credit?

How long ago did she recieve it? I would assume she had it a while it you mailed it in October. I wouldn't give her her credit back because she has had it a while and if there was a problem with it she should have said something when she recieved it. If I get a book and don't notice something is wrong with it right away and then notice it later I just chalk it up to not paying much attention and move along.  Reminds me to take a better look next time  get a book. 

I think if someone had a problem with a book I sent them I would want to know if there was a problem right away. They are suppoed to check it for problems when they mark it as recieved. I think I would give someone back a credit if they told me about the problem within a few days( 3-4). Give them some time to think about if they wanted to ask for credit back.

I probably wouldn't after that much time either.  I look over my books before I mark them as received just in case there is a problem. 

If she has had the book in her possession for a month, then she marked it received when she got it.

Did she mark it as received with a problem or received fine?  If she marked it fine, then I agree with you, I wouldn't send the credit.  Maybe if she marked it as soon as she got it as having a problem, then I might consider it more.  It seems odd though that she'd wait a month before asking for the credit.

Maybe a wishlist book came up and she needs a quick credit, lol.

I think if you've already marked it received w/o a problem then it's too late. I've received 2 non postable books. Actually both were in perfectly good, readable condition but were not technically postable by PBS standards.  Both were WL books.  One was "cleaved".  I didn't notice until I picked it up to read it a couple weeks after I got the book.  The 2nd had a very small amount of water dmg towards the end of the book. Didn't notice that either.  I've gotten more careful at checking the books for dmg before I mark them received.  I think a month is too long to ask for the credit back. 

If it wasn't marked received with a problem in the first place, I wouldn't refund the credit.  JMO

The book was mailed 10/27 and marked received on 11/5.

It was NOT marked recieved with a problem and today was the first time I ever heard of a problem with the book.

If she had contacted me within a few days of receipt I might have refunded the credit, but not 3 weeks later.

Thanks for the input!

What is "cleaving?"

cleaving is where the book is coming apart from the binding - like you open the book and you can see the book is coming away from the spine.

Betsy, I would post those books and then when someone orders them send them a pm telling them what happened, (unless they specific conditions that say no smoking or other smells, because sometimes dryer sheets irritate people too).  I think a  lot of the time the member would say ok- send them.