If you cannot mail a book, you need to decline/cancel the request as soon as possible so that the requestor can try to get this book from another sender.   When you decline or cancel a request, it will be passed along to a new sender if there is another copy available in the system.  If there is no other copy available in the system, the requestor will get the credit back and the book will go onto his or her Wish List. 

Please note:

• When you decline or cancel a request, the book(s) will be removed from your Bookshelf.  If you want to offer the book(s) again, you will need to repost it/them.

• If you are declining because you are out of town or unable to mail any books for some reason, you should use the Vacation/Hold feature to put your bookshelf on hold.

• If you are cancelling because the book does not meet PBS criteria for swapping, you should not repost the book.

• If you are declining because the book does not meet the requestor's conditions, you need to use the "Does Not Meet Requestor's Conditions" button. DO NOT use this button unless the issue is with the requestor's conditions. This is not the same as the "I cannot mail" button:

  • The "Does Not Meet Requestor's Conditions" button keeps your book active in the system (and if you cannot mail it, this is not correct -- it should NOT stay active), while

  • The "I cannot mail" button takes your copy out of the system, so the other member can try to get another copy from someone else.

  • For more info about this, please read How to Use Requestor Conditions.

To cancel/decline a request:

• If you have not yet accepted the request:

• • Log into PBS, go to My Account   and click on the request.

• • If this is a Bulk (multiple-book) request, and you can send SOME books but not others:

• • Go to My Account:

    • Click to UNCHECK the boxes on the request next to the books you CANNOT send.
    • Then click or . 
    • ONLY the books you have left checked will be accepted; the others will be declined

• If you have already accepted the request:

• • Go to My Account and click on the transaction for the book.

    • You can do this up until the time you have marked the book mailed.

• • • If this is a request for a Wish Listed book, you must cancel it yourself.

      • Do NOT ask the requestor to cancel
      • If the requestor cancels, this will remove the book from her Wish List entirely, and she will have to get in the "back of the line" again if she still wants the book.
  • If this is a Bulk (multiple-book) request and you are unable to mail ANY of the requested books:
  • • Click on the bulk request on your My Account page.

• • If this is a Bulk request and you are unable to mail SOME of the books but you CAN mail others:

    • Go to My Account and click on the transaction.
    • Then you will be able to click on the individual transactions for the book(s) you cannot send.

If there is no button on the request (if you have already marked the book mailed and now for some reason cannot send it), you should contact us to cancel it for you.

If a sender has told you that a book cannot be sent but it was already marked mailed, the sender must contact us to ask us to cancel the transaction.

Related Links:

How do I cancel a request?
How the Vacation/Hold feature works
Book Condition Criteria for 'Swappability' at PaperBackSwap
What can be posted for swapping here?