i've had the book "Water for Elephants" on my wish list for a long long time.  in fact, i've had about 10 different copies on my wish list - i just want to read the book, i don't care what "version".

this morning i get an e-mail that the book has been posted.  i order the book.  then i went and deleted all other versions of the book from my wish list.  and now this afternoon i get an e-mail saying that the book poster can't mail me the book since they are still reading it.  idiot.

i'm so mad.  granted i've been put back at place #1 on the wish list for that particular version of the book.  but i've lost my place in line for 7 or 8 other versions of teh book.  i am so mad.

just need to vent.  i know there is nothing i can do about this.

** see page 3 for latest update **

That stinks Nancy!  Maybe if you e-mail R&R and explain this they can put you back in the positions you were at during the other versions?  Man oh man.  It IS worth waiting for though.  What an engaging book it is!!

I don't think there is anything you can do about it.  When I have different versions on my wishlist, I wait until I have one in hand before I cancel the others.  If a new version is offered to you while the first one is in the mail, you can just decline it then. 

I too have multiple versions of the same book on my WL. The important thing to remember is that you can't assume any one transaction is a done deal until you have the book in your hot little hands.. ;-)
While posting a book before being ready to mail it is perhaps less than smart (ok, that could fall into idiot-land maybe...), frustrating as it is, it's not really anyone elses fault you lost your place on the other books.

Having had the same thing happen, my advice would be to call it an educational experience and let it go. Oh, and if you have any other sets of books on Auto Request, when you get the first nibble, be sure to turn all the other versions to 48 Hr Request.

Of course, it'd still be possible to be offered a second copy so quickly as to require a response on the second before you know on the first - but life's too short for me to worry about it, when if that ever happens, it would be quite rare. Your mileage may vary, of course!

I would have included this from the Help Center in my reply PM:

Before you Post:

• Please make sure to post only books that you are ready to part with. Posting a book that you are not prepared to send when it is requested creates a false sense of expectation in the member who requests the book.

I would also fwd their pm to R&R since, to me, it violates PBS rules to post a book you KNOW you cannot send.

I've posted books I'm not quite finished with yet.  I know by the time it gets ordered, I print the label, etc., I'll be finished reading.  Of course, I could have something crop up that would prevent me from finishing when I thought I would.  Perhaps that's what happened to this person?

I agree the polite thing to do woudl be to rush to finish, but sometimes life gets in the way. 

I also list multiple versions of the same book on my WL. I've learned from my past mistakes and do not remove any of the other versions until I have the book in my hot little hands. I've been burned by other members in the past as well. Not sure you can be replaced on the WL for the other versions.

I didn't delete the other versions from my WL until the book was in my hand today. But I have had one come up and them poof another so I had to decline it in hopes the first one gets here. I would never list a book until I finish it.

The last time I got a Wishlist book that I had multiple versions requested, they system asked me when I marked it received if I wanted to delete the other versions. I was a little suprised the system was that "smart", but it seemed like a cool feature.  I thought about doing what the original poster did, but then the book took a LONG time to get here and I'm glad I didn't. It turns out, it was coming from Alaska, so the extra time ended up being no big deal.

For the very reason that "life sometimes happens", it's unwise to post a book you're not ready to part with. As far as I'm concerned, if you post it and it's requested before you're done - well, tough. You gambled that "life wouldn't happen" and you lost - it's YOUR problem - YOU took the gamble. It's happened to me - and I sent it on, unfinished, just as I would hope the other guy would do.

Like the man said, don't post it unless you can send it!

This is one thing for which I'm looking forward to the WL changes. When offered one version of a WL book, the others can be put on hold until the ordered one arrives. Then if something goes wrong, just take the others off hold.

Nancy,  Is the person that you ordered the book from planning to read it soon?   Maybe they would be willing to post their book directly to your wishlist when they are done.

They shouldn't need to post the book directly to her WL though, if she's back at #1 on the list...it would go to her automatically. I do agree that you shouldn't post a book you aren't ready to part with. I often post books when I'm only halfway through them, but I read between 4-5 books a week most of the time, so usually by the time the book is actually accepted, I'm done and it's sitting in a pile ready to go. Even if it gets accepted right away, I know I will finish in the next day or two and can mail it well within the timeframe allowed.

I rarely have multiple versions on my WL, but when I have, I don't usually delete the others til they've been marked mailed. I do take the others off of "autorequest" though.

Cheryl

How rude!  Why did she even post it if she knew she couldn't send it?!

thanks everyone for the "sympathies".  i lucked out - another copy of the book was posted today.  and the sender already mailed it.  so hopefully i will have the book soon.

i think in the future i will not delete other versions from my wishlist until i have the requested book in my fat grubby little hands.  by deleting the book from my wishlist - i prevent myself from becoming "that person who does not accept their wishlist books".  which will lead to another wish list vent thread, whereupon we all will agree "you shouldn't have a book on your wish list that you aren't willing to accept". 

     ~nancy

and great thanks to the pbs'r who offered to send me her copy from her tbr pile under the understanding that i send it back when i was done.  it goes to show that most members here are good people who try to do the right thing.

BUT , BUT, But

That is why we are given a choice to say:  Cannot sent in two days, but will send it a little later, no??

I often finish the book after it is asked for.  Just takes a couple of days and you have already told the requester you will not mail it till 5 days (or whatever) from when requested.

Nancy, how about pm'ing the member and asking her to reserve it for you when she is finished with it, since she did disappoint you unfairly it would only seem right.

Margaret

I didn't realize that you had been moved back to #1 on the wishlists Nancy,  that's great!

Actually, Rochanah, PBS members are supposed to only post books that you are ready to trade now - i.e. mail now.  Although I do know a few people who post books before they have read them, that not a wise move in my opinion.   What if you get a request for 5 books within a few days - can you really read that many books in 5 days before you have to mail them?

The reason that you are given the choice to mail later is because not everyone can get to the PO or get the book wrapped right away.   You are given a few days to do that - that time isn't meant for you to be able to read the book.

I had a few series on my wishlist (Satin Slippers, Royal Ballet School Diaries), and thought I had completely lucked out when someone posted three of them the next day! So I ran out, bought credits, and accepted the offer - only to have it be cancelled by the sender for no discernible reason :(

More wishlisting for me...Those Royal Ballet School Diaries are hard to find...

If I'm not mistaken, I believe that if the book on your wish list comes up in ANY form, you get a notification just in case you'll accept a different form.  I don't think this is going to affect your standing for another form of the book.

I  don't delete other versions of a book I want until I have confirmation that they have mailed the book out.

That stinks. I've only gotten about 3 wishlist books since I've been on  PBS, but when I had one come up that had multiple versions I took the others off of autorequest, but waited until I got the book to take them completely off.  Now I'm glad I did that! That's what I'd rec. for the future.

i swear i am destined to never get this book.  when it came up on the wishlist again, the person supposedly sent it out to me with delivery confirmation.  today i get a pm from the sender saying that it wasn't mailed until yesterday.  i''ve already gotten reminder e-mails from pbs checking to see if i've received the book yet. 

aaagggghhh.  i'm so frustrated.