If you plan to be away from home or computer (or for any reason will be unable to send out books/respond to emails) for a period of time, you should use the Vacation/Hold feature to put your bookshelf on hold and prevent incoming requests.  You can set the start/end dates of the Hold in advance, and it will automatically end at 12:01 AM ET on the end date you choose.  There is no limit to the number of Holds you use, or their duration. You can end the Hold early, or adjust the dates you have chosen, at any time.

Please note: Vacation Hold does not affect active requests in your account that predated the hold. You can request books during a Vacation Hold. The system will send all the same auto-emails about incoming books; Vacation Hold will not prevent that.

Please also note: Vacation Hold will also hide your Wish List, unless you use auto-request.

• To keep your Wishes active during Vacation Hold, you can set those wishes to auto-request.
• To hide your Wishes during Vacation Hold, make sure no wishes are set to auto-request.

Why use the Vacation/Hold feature?

• To prevent receiving requests for your books when you cannot respond
• To prevent receiving requests for your books when you cannot send books out for any reason
• Excessive cancellations of book requests will jeopardize PBS membership.
• The Vacation/Hold feature also puts your Wish List on Hold
  • You can keep selected items (or all items) on your Wish List active by setting them to auto-request.

To use the Vacation/Hold feature:

• Go to the Vacation Hold page: 

  • From My Bookshelf: click the link "Vacation Hold" in the yellow bar at the top of the Bookshelf page.
  • From My Account > Settings: click the link "Vacation Hold" in the yellow bar at the top of the My Account > Settings page.
  • From anywhere on the site: place your cursor over My Account in the toolbar at the top of the site, and click Vacation Hold in the menu that drops down.
• On the Vacation/Hold page:
  • Choose the start date and end dates of your Hold from the options
    • • If you choose a start date before the current date, your Hold will go into effect immediately
      • If you choose a start date after the current date, your Hold will go into effect at 12:01 AM ET on that date
      • Your end date means that your Hold will automatically end at 12:01 AM ET on that end date
  • Click
• When your account is scheduled to go on Hold, an alert message (outlined in red) will appear on the My Account page, containing the start and end dates you have chosen.
  • You can adjust the dates of your Hold by clicking in that alert message
  • You can cancel your Hold by clicking and then clicking the "cancel hold" link on the Vacation Hold page.
• When your account is on hold, an alert message (outlined in red) will appear on the My Account page
  • You can adjust the dates of your Hold by clicking in that alert message
  • You can remove the Hold by clicking in that alert message.

How to tell if your account is on Vacation Hold:

To see if you have an active Vacation Hold (and see the end date), just:

• log into your account and look at your My Account main page:

http://www.paperbackswap.com/members/index.php

• If you have an active or scheduled hold, a message about that will appear in a pink box near the top of the page. (There will also be a button in that message to "unhold your account".)

How to remove an active hold or cancel a hold scheduled for the future:

• Log in and click My Account at the top of the page, to go to your My Account main page:

http://www.paperbackswap.com/members/index.php

• Click the button in the pink message across the top of the page to remove/cancel the scheduled hold.

Related Links:

How does the Vacation Hold affect My Bookshelf?
How does the Vacation Hold affect My Wish List?
How does the Vacation Hold affect Box-O-Books?
How does the Vacation Hold affect PaperBackSwap emails?
I go out of town a lot; how can I manage my account?
I will be away from my account for a prolonged time; how should I handle this?
I missed a request, and it canceled. Can I get the request again so I can send the book?
I have two residences with books in both places; how can I manage my PBS account?