Jump to content

Menu

Paperbackswap.com - Please tell me it gets better!


Recommended Posts

I was really excited about joining PBS and had a book I posted in my first 10 show up wish-listed right away. That was 8/10.

 

First book I sent was accepted, printed and mailed by me within 14 hours and I did not mark it mailed until DH confirmed he dropped it in the mailbox at the post office. Now I realize that PBS gives more time than that, and I do not expect every transaction to go that quickly. I am just saying that is was possible and not too difficult on my part to do so.

 

First book I requested:

 

Request #1

Request Date: 8/9/2010 8:21 PM ET

Date Accepted: 8/13/2010 3:40 PM ET

Wrapper Printing(s): 8/13/2010 3:43 PM ET

Date Mailed: 8/15/2010 8:03 AM ET

4 days to accept the request, then 2 more days to mail it, which is slow but not too awful I guess; but when I get it there is *severe* water damage and mold in the book. The sender resolved the issue by returning my credit but tried to say that they didn't look at the book before mailing and that they didn't realize there was anything wrong with it. I don't think there is anyway they could have put their hands on it to wrap the book without noticing the damage, it was that bad. :( Oh, and they made sure to put a note inside reminding me to mark it received so they would get credit.

 

Request #2

So I request the same book from another member on 8/17; it is accepted and label is printed on 8/18. On 8/20 (2 days after accepting) the member emails me to say that the book she has isn't the same one I requested. :( At least she caught it before mailing, but now there are no more of this title listed so it went back on my wishlist.

 

Next book is:

 

Request #3

Request Date: 8/9/2010 7:26 PM ET

Date Accepted: 8/10/2010 10:15 PM ET

Wrapper Printing(s): 8/11/2010 5:48 PM ET

Date Mailed: 8/13/2010 4:48 PM ET

Date Received: 8/20/2010 6:53 PM ET

Not a horrible transaction, but the sender said they would mail in the next two days and it took three. *But* I am really surprised the book even made it because it was wrapped in packing tape, then addressed with a marker on top of the tape, but it looked like they used an overhead marker because it was almost completely rubbed off and unreadable. I honestly don't know how the postman got it to my house unless the complete address is in the barcode sticker on the postage label?? This one easily could have been lost in the mail and it wouldn't have even been returned to sender b/c his address rubbed off, too.

 

The third book:

 

Request #4:

 

Request Date:

 

 

8/10/2010 9:22 PM ET

Will Mail By:

 

 

8/20/2010 11:00 PM ET

Label Print Date(s):

 

 

8/22/2010 11:30 PM ET

 

Date Mailed:

 

 

8/22/2010 11:30 PM ET DH needs this book for a class for the fall semester, so I was already worried about waiting until 8/20 for it to be mailed. But now it looks like they won't actually mail it until at least tomorrow (8/23) since the label was just printed late tonight and they marked it mailed at the same time the label was printed. :( If worse comes to worse, we will go ahead and buy a copy here but it makes me sad because if it would have been sent according to the PBS guidelines, there wouldn't be an issue.

 

Request #4

I put in a fourth request on Friday 8/20 and it was accepted. The person printed the label on 8/21 and said they would mail by 8/26. We will see how this transaction goes. Hopefully it is a smooth one although I am somewhat dismayed that it will apparently take the person 6 days to get it in the mail. This is a reader for DD's phonics and it's not scheduled until much later in the year, so I have some time, but still...

 

I guess I am just wondering if this is the norm for PBS or if I am just having a run of bad luck?

 

When I joined PBS, I took all the books I posted and put them in a box, along with some large manilla envelopes and packing tape. That way if I get a request, all I have to do is print the label and I have everything together and ready to go. I realize if I had a ton more books posted, this would be more difficult. I am just sad that it seems like everyone I have dealt with so far is pushing the window for mailing as far as possible, trying to get around the rules by mailing a damaged book, or not paying close enough attention to even post books correctly in the first place. :( I realize that people will make innocent mistakes occasionally and if any of these things happened once or twice out of many smooth transactions, I wouldn't worry, but since I have yet to have a completely smooth transaction go through (except from my end as the sender) I don't feel quite as forgiving. I really like the concept and I am willing to hang in there a while longer to see how things go. I just hope it gets better because i really want to like PBS! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just joined a couple of months ago and I've only had 2 things "go wrong" (24 transactions so far). One book never made it here and another book was so severely damaged, I complained and received my credit back. The seller said the same thing as your seller. They didn't look at the book and didn't realize it was damaged. I assumed they are a dealer of some sort. The book was a former library book, so I kind of wondered if it was a librarian getting rid of books or something.

 

So, anyway, after receiving great books in great to OK condition and sending off lots of my books and having no problems, I think you have to remember you get what you pay for. :001_smile: Here are my thoughts:

 

1. If there are conditions you're not willing to accept, list it in your conditions. I have that the books can have no writing in them. If there's a name on the front cover, that's OK. I've had other requesters say they won't take books that have a cracked spine or it must come from a pet-free home. Both conditions acceptable to PBS, but your sender doesn't know if you don't specify.

 

2. Don't request a book that you need immediately. Expect books to take the full amount of time to get to you. Remember, its a free book, and the person on the other end has to do all the work to get it to you. For me, it's hard and frustrating to ship books out within two days. When my book list isn't on "vacation," I generally say I'm going to take the full amount of time to ship the book. What I found out very quickly was, if I said I was going to mail it out in 2 days, something came up, or I rushed to get it to the PO, and someone requested another book from me and I had to go back to the PO!:lol: Especially if I'm mailing media mail. Then I have to physically go into the PO and stand in line. NEVER a quick thing for me.

 

3. If you need a book right away, or it's important to you to have it, I would buy it. It's Murphy's law. The book that you NEED is the one you're going to have problems getting. I have requested and received curriculum, but I requested it back in June when I joined. As time went on, and other curriculum requests went unfulfilled, I deleted them from my wish list and bought the books new. I figured after August 1st, it wasn't worth waiting on.

 

4. And lastly, on the shipping, PBS actually wants you to use their shipping label. If the book is oddly shaped, or too thick for the regular printer paper, I use a brown paper bag. I've had no complaints and I always receive my books in great condition that way. That one person shouldn't have packed it that way, and I would complain about that transaction. However, don't waste your money on special envelopes. You don't need them :D

 

HTH!

 

I'm enjoying PBS! I can't wait to take my shelf off vacation and get some more books!

 

Blessings!

Dorinda

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've traded quite a bit on PBS & had no problems.

 

Until lately. :glare:

 

Just recently, I've had numerous (6-10) problems in a row. Stuff like the person saying they would send it (& sometimes even showing that they had already printed the mailing label), then for whatever reason cancelling it. Books that have been posted as being mailed & they haven't ever shown up. Books that were mailed after the deadline (after PBS already cancelled the order because the person had never followed up on their end).

 

Anyway, I'm trying to think this is an aberration, not the norm, especially since I had no problems for the longest time.

 

Sigh.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yikes! I have never had a problem. I have been PBSing for a long time and had numerous transactions. The closest thing to a problem I had was media mail taking a month! But that's par for the course with media mail. But all my experiences have been good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tamara,

You certainly have a knack for drawing the short straw where PBS is concerned. I have only been a member for about 2 months and everything has gone fine except for one swap that was shipped but never arrived. I was given my credit back and I put the book on my wishlist when someone posts it.

 

I am like most everyone who has posted on this thread. I mail my books as soon as possible either the day requested or the next day if it is requested late in the day.

 

I love the idea of the PBS. My requested books have all been in excellent shape. I have been looking for a few books the entire time I have been a member but no luck yet. I hope someone posts them soon. Don't give up on PBS yet, I think it is a neat concept and I love the idea of sending my books to someone who actually wants and needs them. It has been much easier to let go of my books (friends).:seeya:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was really excited about joining PBS and had a book I posted in my first 10 show up wish-listed right away. That was 8/10.

 

First book I sent was accepted, printed and mailed by me within 14 hours and I did not mark it mailed until DH confirmed he dropped it in the mailbox at the post office. Now I realize that PBS gives more time than that, and I do not expect every transaction to go that quickly. I am just saying that is was possible and not too difficult on my part to do so.

 

First book I requested:

 

Request #1

Request Date: 8/9/2010 8:21 PM ET

Date Accepted: 8/13/2010 3:40 PM ET

Wrapper Printing(s): 8/13/2010 3:43 PM ET

Date Mailed: 8/15/2010 8:03 AM ET

4 days to accept the request, then 2 more days to mail it, which is slow but not too awful I guess; but when I get it there is *severe* water damage and mold in the book. The sender resolved the issue by returning my credit but tried to say that they didn't look at the book before mailing and that they didn't realize there was anything wrong with it. I don't think there is anyway they could have put their hands on it to wrap the book without noticing the damage, it was that bad. :( Oh, and they made sure to put a note inside reminding me to mark it received so they would get credit.

 

It's a bummer but you got your credit back. So no loss.

 

Request #2

So I request the same book from another member on 8/17; it is accepted and label is printed on 8/18. On 8/20 (2 days after accepting) the member emails me to say that the book she has isn't the same one I requested. :( At least she caught it before mailing, but now there are no more of this title listed so it went back on my wishlist.

 

You still have your credit. So no loss.

 

Next book is:

 

Request #3

Request Date: 8/9/2010 7:26 PM ET

Date Accepted: 8/10/2010 10:15 PM ET

Wrapper Printing(s): 8/11/2010 5:48 PM ET

Date Mailed: 8/13/2010 4:48 PM ET

Date Received: 8/20/2010 6:53 PM ET

Not a horrible transaction, but the sender said they would mail in the next two days and it took three. *But* I am really surprised the book even made it because it was wrapped in packing tape, then addressed with a marker on top of the tape, but it looked like they used an overhead marker because it was almost completely rubbed off and unreadable. I honestly don't know how the postman got it to my house unless the complete address is in the barcode sticker on the postage label?? This one easily could have been lost in the mail and it wouldn't have even been returned to sender b/c his address rubbed off, too.

 

You got your book just fine. So no loss. I see no reason to get worked up about what MIGHT have happened. It didn't. Be happy. :001_smile:

 

The third book:

 

Request #4:

 

Request Date:

 

 

 

8/10/2010 9:22 PM ET

Will Mail By:

 

 

 

 

8/20/2010 11:00 PM ET

Label Print Date(s):

 

 

 

8/22/2010 11:30 PM ET

 

 

Date Mailed:

 

 

 

8/22/2010 11:30 PM ET DH needs this book for a class for the fall semester, so I was already worried about waiting until 8/20 for it to be mailed. But now it looks like they won't actually mail it until at least tomorrow (8/23) since the label was just printed late tonight and they marked it mailed at the same time the label was printed. :( If worse comes to worse, we will go ahead and buy a copy here but it makes me sad because if it would have been sent according to the PBS guidelines, there wouldn't be an issue.

 

Don't order PBS books you need right away. Media mail can take up to 21 days and even longer sometimes if it's coming from Hawaii or Alaska. I had one I mailed to Alaska that took 2 months to get there. It took so long I figured it was lost for good. I was so happy when the receiver marked it mailed. I hate spending money on postage and not getting the credit. But that has happened very, very rarely.

 

Request #4

I put in a fourth request on Friday 8/20 and it was accepted. The person printed the label on 8/21 and said they would mail by 8/26. We will see how this transaction goes. Hopefully it is a smooth one although I am somewhat dismayed that it will apparently take the person 6 days to get it in the mail. This is a reader for DD's phonics and it's not scheduled until much later in the year, so I have some time, but still...

 

I always take as long as they give me to mail my books. If you want it FAST use Amazon. If you want it CHEAP use PBS. :001_smile: I personally almost always go for cheap. Used books at Amazon are $5.00 MINIMUM! I can get a credit at PBS for $1.50. You can't beat that.

 

I guess I am just wondering if this is the norm for PBS or if I am just having a run of bad luck?

 

I guess it depends on your definition of bad luck. My definition is losing money/credits. With the first book you were talking about...if it hadn't been posted in the system first by someone with a damaged book and 2nd by someone with the wrong book you would have just immediately gone to wish list mode. So it took a little longer to get there. Don't sweat it. :001_smile:

 

When I joined PBS, I took all the books I posted and put them in a box, along with some large manilla envelopes and packing tape. That way if I get a request, all I have to do is print the label and I have everything together and ready to go. I realize if I had a ton more books posted, this would be more difficult. I am just sad that it seems like everyone I have dealt with so far is pushing the window for mailing as far as possible, trying to get around the rules by mailing a damaged book, or not paying close enough attention to even post books correctly in the first place. :( I realize that people will make innocent mistakes occasionally and if any of these things happened once or twice out of many smooth transactions, I wouldn't worry, but since I have yet to have a completely smooth transaction go through (except from my end as the sender) I don't feel quite as forgiving. I really like the concept and I am willing to hang in there a while longer to see how things go. I just hope it gets better because i really want to like PBS! :)

 

I've been swapping books on PBS for 5 years maybe? I think longer. I absolutely love it and have had very, very few problems out of thousands of transactions. Adjust your expectations a bit maybe. I love your idea of keeping tape and packing supplies right with your books. You are on the ball!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, I've not had many problems on PBS, but perhaps that's because I've never actually checked postmarks & things like that? I just figure that it's media mail, and I expect to receive my book within 2-4 weeks. I've never been disappointed, though if I checked postmarks I might be able to catch people doing things like mailing it the day after they said they did. I know that sometimes books I mail from my little teeny bump-in-the-road post office end up with a postmark of the day after I actually took the package to the post office. It's just how things work around here, and nothing I have much control over. No one has ever commented. I don't think most people are checking quite as closely as that. With a bit of adjustment to your expectations, you can probably be quite happy with pbs! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, I've not had many problems on PBS, but perhaps that's because I've never actually checked postmarks & things like that? I just figure that it's media mail, and I expect to receive my book within 2-4 weeks. I've never been disappointed, though if I checked postmarks I might be able to catch people doing things like mailing it the day after they said they did. I know that sometimes books I mail from my little teeny bump-in-the-road post office end up with a postmark of the day after I actually took the package to the post office. It's just how things work around here, and nothing I have much control over. No one has ever commented. I don't think most people are checking quite as closely as that. With a bit of adjustment to your expectations, you can probably be quite happy with pbs! :)

 

:iagree:

 

Nitpicky requestors who didn't realize that I have a life outside of fulfilling their requests are the reason I just deleted everything from my bookshelf.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been with PPS for 2 1/2 years and have only ever had 3 problems. My conditions are pretty specific and I never order a book I would absolutely NEED before 6 weeks. My conditions read that if I request a hardcover book, to please make sure it is a hardcover. I won't take ex-library books or books with permanent writing in them (pencil is okay as I can erase it). I also will not take books from a smoking home. I've done over 170 transactions, so I say to only have 3 that have missed the mark is pretty good.

 

I have deleted all my books from my shelf though, because it gets tiring to be constantly printing postage. About 4 times a year, I go through my books and check to see if any I want to get rid of are wish listed on PPB and then I only list those books. I take the longest amount of time allowed to accept, print, and mail out the books and do it all at one time. If I need more credits, I'd rather buy them. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've had mostly good experiences on PBS... the worst I've had was when I received a book that was listed as a hardback but was really a paperback. Not a huge deal, even though I was disappointed because it wasn't what I expected.

 

I've had one book arrive with a damaged spine, and a fair number of requests cancelled for a variety of reasons. Recently I had a request cancelled because someone didn't understand my request conditions.

 

But I've also received books in beautiful condition, and occasionally books that are hard to find. (After lots of patient wish list waiting!) So overall I would recommend continuing to use the system, and you'll find better luck along the way.

 

I do agree that you shouldn't have high expectations for ship times, and even book quality. That way you're only surprised when things come quickly or in like new condition, not the other way around. :-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do agree that you shouldn't have high expectations for ship times, and even book quality. That way you're only surprised when things come quickly or in like new condition, not the other way around. :-)

:iagree: Also there is nothing wrong with the senders taking the max amount of time allowed and it could be for a number of reasons. Sometimes I do it all right away and others I wait five days to even accept. If they're doing what's allowed they're are not doing anything wrong. It's annoying if the go past the time allowed and a bummer if it gets declined or timed out and there is not another copy but as long as the book was postable, ei. not liquid damaged etc., I'm generally happy and don't expect much else.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I haven't had any of the problems you've mentioned with shipping. Mainly because...I can't find any books I want that are actually available on PBS. It's been disappointing. I posted a bunch of books which were wish-listed, and immediately shipped them all. Now I have credits sitting out there that I can't use, and a ton of books on my wishlist.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I haven't had any of the problems you've mentioned with shipping. Mainly because...I can't find any books I want that are actually available on PBS. It's been disappointing. I posted a bunch of books which were wish-listed, and immediately shipped them all. Now I have credits sitting out there that I can't use, and a ton of books on my wishlist.

That is frustrating! I mostly use my pbs credits for light summer reading, or for classic literature to build our library. For that it works really, really well. :001_smile:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I haven't had any of the problems you've mentioned with shipping. Mainly because...I can't find any books I want that are actually available on PBS. It's been disappointing. I posted a bunch of books which were wish-listed, and immediately shipped them all. Now I have credits sitting out there that I can't use, and a ton of books on my wishlist.

 

You can sell your credits. If you look at their forums people are always doing it.

 

I have recently made a nice bit of spending money selling credits. :001_smile:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For all those telling me to adjust my expectations, I am expecting what is set out in the PBS policies:

-books that are not water damaged and moldy

-books that are listed correctly

-packages addressed so they will actually reach their destination

-packages sent according to the PBS time frame

 

Only one thing I mentioned was within the policy (the 6 days to mail) and just that I was "somewhat dismayed" - not really upset. I don't need that books for several months, so it's no biggie. I now realize that delaying shipping within the guidelines is the norm on PBS so I will live with that part. That is one is fine.

 

I do have requester conditions set to show smoke-free and that workbooks be free from writing and in usable condition. I do not expect "like new" conditions and no where did I state that, but I do expect to be able to read/use it. The only book I had a problem with as far as quality is *severely* water damaged. A whole section, including the entire index, is stuck together and would not come apart without tearing pages, and it has mold. Both of these conditions are specifically covered in the policies so I am not sure why people are telling me to adjust my expectations as far as book quality goes??

 

For those saying not to order a book I need fast, the book for my DH's class was requested over a full month before his class starts. I thought that would be enough time. And like I said in the OP, if we have to we will buy it, but if it was sent on time per PBS policy, that wouldn't have been an issue. In the case I listed, the book was not mailed until at least 13 days after the sender received the request which is longer than PBS policy, including the 5 days to accept, 5 days to ship and a 2 day grace period. Who knows when it actually went to the post office because it was marked mailed at 11:30 p.m. on a Sunday night at the same time the label was printed at a time already passed the grace period deadline.

 

My expectations are based on the stated policies, so I guess I am :confused: at why they would be unreasonable. I also don't think it is being "nit-picky".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is frustrating! I mostly use my pbs credits for light summer reading, or for classic literature to build our library. For that it works really, really well. :001_smile:

 

I thought about using them for that, but we have a library near us with a very active used book shop. I can usually find classics we're looking for there for 50 cents. So I don't want to waste my PBS credits. Maybe I will look into selling them as another poster suggested - I hadn't known about that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For all those telling me to adjust my expectations, I am expecting what is set out in the PBS policies:

-books that are not water damaged and moldy

-books that are listed correctly

-packages addressed so they will actually reach their destination

-packages sent according to the PBS time frame

 

Only one thing I mentioned was within the policy (the 6 days to mail) and just that I was "somewhat dismayed" - not really upset. I don't need that books for several months, so it's no biggie. I now realize that delaying shipping within the guidelines is the norm on PBS so I will live with that part. That is one is fine.

 

I do have requester conditions set to show smoke-free and that workbooks be free from writing and in usable condition. I do not expect "like new" conditions and no where did I state that, but I do expect to be able to read/use it. The only book I had a problem with as far as quality is *severely* water damaged. A whole section, including the entire index, is stuck together and would not come apart without tearing pages, and it has mold. Both of these conditions are specifically covered in the policies so I am not sure why people are telling me to adjust my expectations as far as book quality goes??

 

For those saying not to order a book I need fast, the book for my DH's class was requested over a full month before his class starts. I thought that would be enough time. And like I said in the OP, if we have to we will buy it, but if it was sent on time per PBS policy, that wouldn't have been an issue. In the case I listed, the book was not mailed until at least 13 days after the sender received the request which is longer than PBS policy, including the 5 days to accept, 5 days to ship and a 2 day grace period. Who knows when it actually went to the post office because it was marked mailed at 11:30 p.m. on a Sunday night at the same time the label was printed at a time already passed the grace period deadline.

 

My expectations are based on the stated policies, so I guess I am :confused: at why they would be unreasonable. I also don't think it is being "nit-picky".

I'm sorry it's not working out for you. It's definitely a bummer that your PBS transactions have been going wrong, and I don't blame you for wishing it was going better. Perhaps (as in your thread about children in restaurants) people are trying to soothe and reassure as much as possible, and help you to get over the frustrations that are just inherent in life. I don't think people are trying to tell you you're wrong, just that it might be better to choose a more relaxed attitude whenever you can. :grouphug:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love PBS, but I'm not expecting to get the books in a week. If I want something that fast, I'll pay for it. I think if you like the idea of swapping books for free than you need to realize that you're dealing with other folks like yourself that have things to do and it's not a business they are running.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been using PBS for a couple of years now, and I've never had anything go wrong. However, I'm not usually in such a rush to get a book that I get annoyed if a book is mailed late. It really fluctuates. I've had books take 3 or 4 weeks to get here from the time I requested it to the time I received it, and I've had books take as little as 2-3 days to get here.

 

I'm not always great about mailing my books out, and I do mark them as "mailed" as soon as I print the label (I've forgotten a couple of times to mark them "mailed" and lost the credit even though I've mailed the book -- I print the postage and delivery confirmation right on my labels). I also usually wait a couple of days to accept or print just in case someone who ordered decides to take another look at my shelf and request more books. I'd rather ship them all together and save, and I've had that happen a couple times.

 

I love PBS :) I don't buy nearly as many books since I've been using it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All this talk made me go check my account.

 

I have mailed 230 books and received 190 books.

 

I have never received a complaint and had at most 2-3 transactions that I was not 100% happy with it.

 

Pretty good I think.

 

I have more issues with UPS than I do with Paperbackswap.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been doing PBS for a couple of years now and for the most part I've really enjoyed it. Some of the books I've received have been less than stellar quality and not something I'd send out, but that doesn't mean I won't still read them then donate them to the used book store at the library.

 

One suggestion I've had success with is communicating with either the sender or the receiver. I've had a couple of times when I wanted a specific book by a certain date and have asked the sender if he/she could send it first class instead of media mail and I would compensate their effort with extra credits if I receive it by my specified date. That has worked out very well. The OP might pm the sender, explain the circumstances, and ask if the book has been sent.

 

I hope the OP is more satisfied with the books she receives in the future and that the book for her dh arrives quickly!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...