The book I ordered was hardback large print and I got a paperback in less than good condition that is obviously not large print.  I did send the sender a pm and ask for my credit back because obviously this is SO not the book I wanted.  I have never run across this problem before that I can recall.  Is asking for my credit back too much to ask?  Should I also offer to send back the book and if so, who pays the postage?

No it is not too much to ask for your credit back.  When posting a book, there is a reminder to the poster to double check the type and ISBN of the book they are posting because there can be various versions of a book.  Because they did not follow this procedure, you should get your book back. 

I suppose it is up to you whether you want to send the book back or not.  However, it is yours now so you can do whatever you want with it; even repost it.  I would think you would probably be the one to pay the return postage if that is the route you go ... but I could be wrong.

Hope things work out for you.

I'm pretty sure when R&R sent out a newsletter a while back there was something mentioned in it about large print books. I'm pretty sure it said it had to be a large print book when received or you do get the credit back. I'm not sure how you get it back but I would think you would have to contact them directly. I was trying to find an answer in the help but so far I couldn't find it. Anyone else remember?

Yes, you should get the credit back.

No, you do not have to return the book.

If the sender wants the book back they need to buddy you an additional credit to cover postage.

This is one case where the sender needs to give you the credit back.  If you requested a book that was large print, the book that you receive must be large print.  PBS states that large print is not a preference, it is a neccessity. 

I think R&R also said that if the book said it was large print and what you received was NOT LP, then you were supposed to mark it received with a problem and say that it did not meet requestor conditions - someone please correct me if I am wrong.  And yes, you should get your credit back and if the sender wants the book back, then they should send you another credit to cover that cost.  It says in the help section that you DO NOT have to send a book back to get your credit back.

-Layne

Not to hijack this thread, but I don't understand why wrong book received doesn't automatically net a credit back to the receiver. I mean, if it's an ARC, or the wrong binding, or even the whole wrong ISBN, the sender is at fault completely for agreeing to the questions when they posted the book. I can kind of understand the reasonable doubt in sending a book that has everything right but may be damaged in some way. Some people don't check books very well if they haven't read them.

Anyways, I'm sorry for ranting. I just received a paperback with a completely different ISBN when I had a hardcover wishlisted. If it wasn't clear from that alone about what I was interested in, there were already paperbacks ready to order, at that point. The person wants the book back to return my credit. As a person with social anxiety, I am having a tough time with all this, let alone asking for compensation for returning a book on what should have been a huge obvious mess up, that being the ISBN being completely different, let alone the book binding. Thanks for letting me rant a little, I feel better now.

The Help Center is so specific on books received with a problem, they spell out what is and is not a valid reason for marking your book received with a problem. Type the word PROBLEM in the slot, and one of the answers is

There is a problem with a book I received!

The first thing that is incorrect for your book is that it was listed as a HC and they sent you a PB. If the book listing had LARGE PRINT in the title or as an indication in it's official listing, then it is a wrong book. But, just because the ISBN elsewhere lists it as a LP, does not mean PBS does. If you search for that ISBN in the advance search, with LP clicked, and this book comes up, then you have the second reason for them to give you your credit back, but one would assume that one reason is enough.

Remind them that they must match title, author, binding and ISBN. If the title had LARGE PRINT, and the listing had HC, then they were not honest or unobservant when they entered the book. In either case, it is not your fault, and they should return your credit.

Jozlyn, The only thing I can think of is that automatic would allow people to cheat, manual makes people have to confront the sender so that the sender can state their side, in case the receiver is scamming. Just a guess. Also, be sure to point the sender to the Help Center where it specifically states that you do not have to return the book to get your credit back. Also remind them that R&R do monitor "received with a problem" transactions to see if the problem was resolved.

It says right in the help center that you DO NOT have to return a book to the sender to get your credit back.  If they want the book returned to them, then they need to send you 2 credits - one for sending you the wrong book in the first place, and another to cover the cost of you shipping it back (or they can PayPal you the money to ship it back).  I'm finding the link right now that says this and will post it: http://www.paperbackswap.com/help/search.php?terms=book+received+with+problem  - scroll a little way down the page and you will see this: 

A requestor does NOT have to return the item in a "problem" transaction

• • if the sender wants the item back, he or she should send postage or a credit to pay for its return

I have had this same problem with someone sending me a book with some kind of gunk on the cover that stains quite  a few pages of the book.  The person who sent it was new and has not responded again.  It's been 2 weeks since my last PM to her, so I just sent another tonight.  Hopefull I will get my credit back, because I cannot re-post the book in that condition, and the gunk makes me not even want to read it.

Jozlyn, I hope you get your book resolved, too.

-Layne

Ok, but now they won't answer my pm.  I did mark it received but with a problem, so they get their credit and I am stuck with this book that is TOTALLY not what I wanted.  I've got a feeling she's not going to write me back, much less give me my credit back.  This is why I like the rules at another swap site I go to.  If there is a problem like this, customer service deals with it and you get your credits back, no problem.  This way she can keep her credit for sending me the wrong book and nobody is the wiser here.  It's frustrating because it's basically an honor system.  While I do LIKE the theory of the honor system, it isn't always going to work and it's not right for me, or anyone else to lose a credit on a book we didn't want.

Ok...have to take it back...she just pm'd me and is giving me a credit back.  Been a few bad days around here with fiance having major surgery and my patience is thin.  Anyway, I STILL do wonder though, there has to be a better way then depending on someone to gift a credit back to you because I know not everyone is going to do it when they know they don't have to.  Most people are kind here and most people care, I know this because almost everyone I've dealt with has been this way, but there are the few that aren't and that's who rules are made for, right?  Oh well...

I'm glad you're getting your credit back.

In the future, after several PMs, contact R&R

FYI here's what the Help Center Says for unanswered PMs in received with a problem cases (italics mine)

From the Help Center under  "requestor says there is a problem with a book I sent!"

•  Member-to-member communication is very important at PBS.
  • We do not expect our members to agree in every case, or even to reach a satisfactory resolution to a problem transaction, but it is never acceptable to ignore a PM from a member with whom you have conducted a swap, as long as the PM is appropriate and asks for a response.
  • If one member ignores PMs, we may step in; although we cannot assess the truth of a situation, if one member is refusing to communicate with the other, that member may be judged as "in the wrong" for this reason.
  • Also, the system does track resolutions to problem transactions, so too many unresolved "problem" transaction can mar a sender's account far more than the same number of resolved "problem" transaction will.

Thanks.  I'm glad you posted that Ruth as I'd never been able to find this.  I learn something new every day! :)

Here's my hint for requesting Large Print books:  Look at the member's shelf before finishing the transaction. If the member has only one LP book on their shelf, there's a good shot it's not an LP book. I only order LP books from members with multiple LP books.

I often pick up LP books at the FOL store just to post here.  I know many people want them and I try to get the word out.  If you see one on my shelf Ellyn, it may be an only, but it is LP.    I don't think I have any there right now. 

I also only have a few (2 or 3) LP books listed on my shelf, but the ARE LP - I got them at my library bookshop.  It doesn't matter to me what format they are in when I read them, so if the bookshop has a book I want that happens to be LP, I go ahead and get it, and then post it when I'm done, since I know some people on here need or prefer LP books.

-Layne

I can tell you from experience that ordering large print books is problematic. I ordered several awhile back for my father-in-law and discovered the ISBNs are often incorrect. The user may well enter a valid ISBN and simply not notice it showed up as "large print". I found I had to PM to sender each time to confirm and that about 25% of those listed as large print truly were.

Maybe to help make sure the book is LP, put in your conditions that if the book is listed as LP to please verify before shipping.  A condition is there is big bold print (well sort of big and bold) before a sender can say they can send the book.  not sure if that would help but might be an idea