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Topic: PBS Test (tongue in cheek)

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bookaddict avatar
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Subject: PBS Test (tongue in cheek)
Date Posted: 7/29/2007 6:05 PM ET
Member Since: 8/30/2005
Posts: 829
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From reading the forums here, I am thinking they should put a page on the site for all members, with a short test on it, and not allow them access to their accounts until they have passed. 

These are some possible questions, off the top of my head:

(1) It's okay to post a highlighted book as long as you PM the requestor to tell her about the highlighting before you send it.

  • True
  • False
  • Only if it's a textbook

(2) If you put the ISBN in to post your paperback and the listing that comes up shows "hardcover", what should you do?

  1. Post the book using that listing and write "This is actually a paperback" in a Book Review.
  2. Post the book using that listing and PM the requestor to let her know that it is a paperback before you send
  3. Post the book using that listing and send it when it is requested; it's the same story, after all.
  4. Check your book to be sure it isn't an ARC; if it's not, use the Post a Book Without an ISBN feature to post the book so that the listing reads "Paperback".

(3) If you put the ISBN in to post your book and the title comes up with the words "Large Print" in it, what should you do?

  1. Post the book using that listing and send it out when it is requested.
  2. Post the book using that listing and write "This is actually not Large Print" in a Book Review.
  3. Post the book using that listing and PM the requestor to let her know that it is not large print before you send
  4. Use the Post a Book Without an ISBN feature to post the book so that the listing title does not include the words "Large Print"

(4) It is okay to post a book that got a little water damage (just an inch on the half on the bottom and it is completely dried):

  1. If you disclose this information in a Book Review.
  2. If you put a lot of heavy things on top of it for a month and the pages hardly curl up at all now, it's just a stain
  3. As long as the book is still readable.
  4. Under no circumstances.

(5) Dust Jackets:

  1. Are not required to be included on hardcover books swapped at PBS
  2. Must be clean and intact, with no tears or water damage
  3. Don't have to be included if you put the information that yours is missing into a Book Review
  4. Don't have to be included if you PM the requestor and tell her that yours is missing

(6) If you want a certain series of books in hardcover with their dust jackets, but you don't care about dust jackets for any other books you request, you should:

  1. Expect to get dust jackets with any hardcover you request; they are required to be included at PBS
  2. Put Requestor Conditions on your account that specify the book titles for which you want dust jackets to be included.
  3. Put Requestor Conditions on your account that say "PM me if you have any questions"
  4. Don't use Requestor Conditions, but PM the sender when you request a book to ask if the dust jacket is included; mark the book "received with a problem" if it arrives without a dust jacket.

(7) If you send a book to someone who objects to its condition, and your book had chocolate sauce on the last 15 pages and a tunafish sandwich on page 84, you should:

  1. Give the credit back after checking the guidelines in the Help Center; your book did not meet the criteria.
  2. Agree to give the credit back, once you receive the book back in the mail from her.
  3. Delete the requestor's PM without replying.
  4. Tell off the requestor: it's a used book club, for God's sake! 
  5. Accuse her of stealing your tuna sandwich and trying to scam you.

(8) If you send a book to someone who sends you a PM saying "The book I requested was Large Print (those words are in the title), and yours isn't Large Print," you should:

  1. Tell her "It's PBS's fault--I posted the book with the ISBN and the title came up with "Large Print" in it.  I didn't know what else to do."
  2. Tell her "I clicked Post this Book on the Club Wish List--it's the same story, after all."
  3. Tell her, "Yes it isn't Large Print but it's a really good book.  Hope you enjoy it."
  4. Apologise, give the credit back and read the Help Center information that comes up when you search for "Large Print".

(9) How are the situations in questions 7 and 8 different?

  1. They aren't; in both cases the requestor is splitting hairs.
  2. Question 7 involves a tunafish sandwich in a book, which is just gross.
  3. The book in question 8 does not warrant a credit refund from the sender.
  4. The book in question 7 should not have been posted; the book in question 8 should have been posted properly.

(10) If you send a book with DC purchased from the PO (not PBS-DC), and it is declared Lost in the Mail:

  1. You should expect to get your credit from PBS for sending the book.
  2. You should post in the Forums about how unfair it is that USPS DC doesn't work to guarantee your credit
  3. You should send an inquiry PM to the requestor a few days after the book has been scanned as delivered by USPS
  4. You should do exactly the same as in #3 above, and if she doesn't answer within a week, you should ask R&R to look into it.

 

Feel free to submit your own questions for the PBS Test!

 



Last Edited on: 7/29/07 6:39 PM ET - Total times edited: 1
CozSnShine avatar
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Date Posted: 7/29/2007 6:30 PM ET
Member Since: 2/5/2007
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LOL   Good reading and kinda sad.   I can see some missing all of them! 

lilynlilac avatar
Date Posted: 7/29/2007 7:43 PM ET
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HA!  Love the tuna bit!

krisbooks avatar
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Date Posted: 7/29/2007 8:15 PM ET
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Love it!  And it's sadly reminiscent of several forum threads I've read in the past few months.  Thanks for the laugh.  :->

Generic Profile avatar
Date Posted: 7/29/2007 8:26 PM ET
Member Since: 1/15/2007
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I love it! Thanks for the giggle. :)

ABCatHome avatar
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Date Posted: 7/30/2007 2:07 AM ET
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Oh, Liese, you're completely crazy!  LOL  I had a good chuckle at the tuna bit...just made me laugh!  :)  I really hope R&R read through this thread...they would probably enjoy it too!  If I think of any to add, I'll let you know.

L avatar
L. G. (L)
Date Posted: 7/30/2007 4:32 AM ET
Member Since: 9/5/2005
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Awesome, Liese - R&R PLEASE implement it!!!  After getting a PB instead of an HC, on top of getting a stinky Culinaria, I am feeling pretty cranky!!!

dawgsncats avatar
Date Posted: 7/30/2007 10:33 AM ET
Member Since: 11/28/2006
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Here is my contribution to the quiz:

(11)  You need to mail 3 books to the same requester, and you have this Priority Mail box that's a PERFECT fit.  You figure this is the best way to mail the books, so you pack them in the box.  You can then mail this package at media mail rates if:

1.  You mark out all the Priority markings on the box.

2.  You turn the box inside out (who would ever know?)

3.  You bring brownies in to the Post Office to bribe the clerk.

4.  You cannot mail in that box by media mail.  Use of that box will require Priority Mail postage.

bookaddict avatar
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Date Posted: 7/30/2007 10:52 AM ET
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LOL good one, Marjorie. 

 

TxBookDiva avatar
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Date Posted: 7/30/2007 12:37 PM ET
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Love this test and have been on the receiving end of many of these in the past few weeks! 

I have taken to opening up my books with a "perfect" send sitting next to me in the hopes it will remind me that you have to take the bad with the good.

I have 3 books to mail this afternoon, so I am printing out question 11 and handing it to the clerk. :)

RockStarGirl avatar
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Date Posted: 7/30/2007 12:56 PM ET
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I love #7!  I recommend the answer...."Well, aren't you ungrateful!  I thought you might like a snack while you read the book...next time, would you prefer peanut butter and jelly?!?" Only then the requester points out that snacks do not qualify for media mail......

georgiagymdog avatar
Date Posted: 7/30/2007 5:26 PM ET
Member Since: 2/14/2007
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This is hilarious!  I think I've been on the receiving end of every single question! 

 

keeponreading avatar
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Date Posted: 7/30/2007 5:36 PM ET
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LOL, enjoyed reading this.

LaurieAnne avatar
Date Posted: 7/30/2007 6:35 PM ET
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Okay, I have one to add.

If you receive a water damaged, moldy book from someone you should:

A.) Report the book as received with a problem and request your credit back.

B.) Throw a hissy fit, e-mail the sender and threaten them.

C.) Pass it on to the next person in line. They won't care, it is a FREE book, right?

D.) Throw the book into the nearest trash can.

 

 

Generic Profile avatar
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Date Posted: 7/30/2007 8:09 PM ET
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How about this: I did not read the book description carefully enough and ordered the wrong book I should: 1. Just relist it...it was my fault 2. Gripe at the sender because they were supposed to read my mind 3. Sit on the book until the system registers it as lost in the mail and I get my credit back 4. Send a scathing PM to the founders because I still have not realized that I messed up
SassyLady avatar
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Date Posted: 7/30/2007 8:37 PM ET
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Liese, you made my day.  I thought I was the only one getting these crappy, stained, moldy books. One was so bad (it was missing the page corners and looked as though a rodent type animal had been gnawing on it). After I marked "received with a problem", the book went right into the trash can - it actually made me itch so I figured it had fleas, too. I did get my credit back. Only about the second time that's happened. I'm so tired of hearing the whiney "well, this is a used book site" comment I could scream. I don't mind a used book - the library is full of them; however, I do mind books that are clearly unpostable and senders who don't take the extra minute to check out their books either before posting or before mailing out. When I have to clean up a book in order to stand to touch it (food sticky, pet hair covered, really dirty covers) it makes me wonder what these people's homes look like. Rant over.

bookaddict avatar
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Date Posted: 7/31/2007 4:25 AM ET
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Wow, thanks for the nice comments.  I am glad this made you guys smile.  I actually worried that I would get smacked for being nasty LOL.  But I was just on a tear here.

Oh, and for the record, I have had very few bad swaps myself.   This was inspired by the experiences of others.  The tunafish sandwich was pure hyperbole.   :)

vintagejoy avatar
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Date Posted: 7/31/2007 10:41 AM ET
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I'm not sure what Marjories' answer to no. 11 is, but I re-use priority boxes all the time.  I use a sharpie to mark out all the Priority info on it and I've never had a problem.  Never even had to bring brownies to the Postal Clerk.  :)

boxtopmom avatar
Date Posted: 7/31/2007 11:09 AM ET
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For question number 4 it should be none of the above right???  Isn't the correct thing to do is "Iron the pages".

 

marciac10 avatar
Date Posted: 7/31/2007 11:20 AM ET
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For info on reusing priority boxes  read this thread :

http://www.paperbackswap.com/forum/view_topic.php?t=58383

Generic Profile avatar
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Date Posted: 7/31/2007 1:26 PM ET
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Joy: that's very dangerous. If a postal inspector decides to look at your media mail to be sure it complies, you would be charged the full Priority Mail postage. The boxes are only provided free of charge so you can use them with the 'premium' services, and media mail ain't one of them.

However, if you use *FedEx* boxes, the USPS doesn't care one bit. :->

Cathy avatar
Cathy A. (Cathy) - ,
Date Posted: 7/31/2007 1:33 PM ET
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If the Priority Mail box doesn't get detected until the delivery end of the transaction, then it can be delivered to the addressee postage due. That's really not a nice thing to do to someone!

bookmuncher avatar
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Date Posted: 7/31/2007 4:00 PM ET
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Thanks - not only was that worth a few giggles, but it actually hit me at a teachable moment (with #8). I had a large print book whose ISBN is associated with a regular print book, which I got from PBS from someone who PM'd me to explain. I wanted to repost it, and I had a feeling that wasn't the best way to handle it but wasn't sure - so your question reminded me to go check the Help list (duh!).