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Archive for September, 2005

Policy on Cancellation of Book Requests: Newsletter – August 2005

Wednesday, September 14th, 2005

While we have plenty of things to celebrate, we also have some challenges for our club to address. Let’s review one tough item first, and then get on to all the great things that are happening in the club!

Calling All Members . . . Policy on Cancellation of Book Requests
Book requests are a wonderful thing to receive. However, following through with them is even more wonderful. In order to maintain the integrity of the club we must enforce the club’s cancellation policy when rules are not kept.

It is important to note that any member that ships a book AFTER the specified grace period WILL NOT earn a credit for that book. While this may appear harsh to some, it is a necessary action so that we can be fair to all members.

Some members may not even be aware that we had a policy. Therefore, we want to take this time to enlighten all members on this important topic. Once a book request is received, a member has a 5 day grace period to respond. (If the request is from the Wish List, the timeframe is 48 hours.) After accepting a request, the sending member has a 5 day grace period to print the wrapper, mail the book and mark it as completed in their account. If any of these grace periods are passed without action, the book request is automatically cancelled and passed on to the next available member with the book. If no other member has the book, then it will automatically be placed on the requesting member’s Wish List.

Why do we do this? Because it is not fair to make members who want a book wait more than 10 days for someone to mail out a book. We think that this is more than ample time to wrap a book and mail it. And often times there are other members who have the same book who could also mail it in a reasonable timeframe.

Sending members should be aware that if they cause a request to be cancelled, the book is always removed from their bookshelf. It will need to be reposted in order for them to trade the book in the future. A requesting member can cancel a request up until the time the wrapper is printed by the sending member.

Thank you in advance for understanding the need for enforcing this policy.

Top 50s: Newsletter – September 2005

Monday, September 12th, 2005

Ever wonder which books get swapped the most? Wished for the most? Posted the Most? Well, you don’t have to wonder any more! Now, in addition to the Top Swappers List, you’ll be able to view lists of all of these. The PaperBackSwap Team has been working overtime to compile Top 50s lists based on the last 7 days, last 30 days and all time. Check out this fun-fact feature today.

Double Your Credits . . . Double Your Reading Fun: Newsletter – September 2005

Monday, September 12th, 2005

October is the last month for our ‘Double Credits for Referrals’ program. We’ve had lots of members take advantage of this rewards program. Don’t miss out on your chance to earn 2 credits for each referral that becomes an active member by midnight, ET, October 31st.

Dear Book Family: Newsletter – September 2005

Monday, September 12th, 2005

What a year we’ve had at PaperBackSwap. Those that have been with us from the beginning know that our growth has been explosive in the last six months. More importantly, the club has evolved into a national network of book lovers who value the ability to exchange books with others.

This site would not have been possible without the valuable input from all of you – our devoted members. You continue to offer ideas for new features and improvements that make the site better each day. Our sincere thanks and appreciation for your kind words of support and direction.

We’ve enjoyed seeing friendships forge and camaraderie blossom within the club. It warms our hearts to see members reaching out to each other beyond the realm of books. From birthday wishes to baby announcements to first days of school, you are sharing more than books. You share your lives with one another, becoming more and more like family each and every day.

We thank you for joining us on our journey as we all pursue our dreams of building the world’s largest virtual library and the best book club in America. Thanks for a great first year.

Sincerely,
Richard and Robert
and the PaperBackSwap Team

A club like this is long overdue in the reading community. I love the clean and simple design of the website and the ease of the swapping system it sets up. Finally! I now have a place to get new reading material for myself and to send my used books to others…for worlds less money than the other used book websites charge. Thanks for taking a chance on such an incredible idea!
Rachel M. – Chicago, IL – 9/19/2005

Wish List 2.0 The New & Improved Wish List 2.0 Has Arrived! Newsletter – September 2005

Sunday, September 11th, 2005

The Wish List feature has recently been updated to meet the growing needs of our club members. What we like to call it Wish List 2.0 which has many changes from the previous version.

When you are searching for a book and it is not available in the main library, you are given an option to add that particular book to your Wish List. Keep in mind that you should never place a book on your Wish List unless you are ready and willing to request it when it becomes available. This helps to minimize the disappointment of members when their books are wished for – but not requested. You can even select to automatically request any book on your wish list by turning on the auto request. Simply click ‘yes’ on the Auto Request option for each book you would like to automatically request when it is available. That way you won’t miss your chance to get any book on your Wish List.

If you are the first person to wish for a particular book, then you will be first in line to be offered the book when it is posted. The next person who adds it to their Wish List will be second, and so on.

When a member posts a book to the system that is on the Club’s Wish List, the first person in line for the book will be notified and given first chance at requesting it. If they do not respond within 48 hours, then the book is passed on to the next person in line. This process is repeated until all members who have the book on their Wish List are given a chance to request the book. If none of the members who had the book on their Wish List request it, then the book is placed in the main library for any and all members to request.

Important Note: If you have a book on your Wish List, and you do not request it when it is offered to you, this book will be taken off your Wish List and placed on your Reminder List. Because you made a decision not to request the book at the time it was offered to you, you cannot add it back to your Wish List until the newly posted book has been requested by someone else. This policy makes sure that the member posting the book has the best opportunity of having another member request their book.

Book Transaction Stats: Newsletter – September 2008

Saturday, September 10th, 2005

At PaperBackSwap, keeping up with things just gets easier and easier. Now you can keep track of all your transaction statistics. Simply go to your account and click on Book Transactions. In addition to having all your sent and received books listed, we now list the number of books sent and received and calculate the savings for you. Check out this feature and let the numbers speak for just how great this club is for all its members.

NEW Reminder List Feature Added to Enhance Your Wish List! Newsletter – September 2005

Saturday, September 10th, 2005

The Reminder List has been created to allow members to list books that they are interested in but not quite ready to request or add to their Wish List. This is an important distinction from the Wish List.

Books that go onto your Reminder List are books that may or may not be available in the system. If they are currently available, members will be given an option to order them directly from this list at any time. (Unlike Wish List books, these books are not placed on hold for members.) Books on your Reminder List can be ordered from this list as long as they remain in the system.

Keep in mind that you should not place a book on your Wish List unless you are ready and willing to request it when it becomes available. This helps to minimize the disappointment of members when their books are wished for, but not requested. If you are not ready to request the Wish List book when offered to you, please keep it on your Reminder List until you are ready.