Frequently Asked Questions

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Shipping

What's the best way to package books for shipping? Here are some ideas:

  • Reuse old bubble-wrap envelope
  • Wrap in a recycled and recyclable plastic bag, then wrap in Kraft paper with tape reinforcement on the edges and corners
  • Please do not use Saran-type plastic kitchen wrap as the polyethylene can not be recycled
  • #2 bubble-wrap envelopes are 50¢ to 33¢ at most dollar stores
  • Hardcovers should be wrapped in stiff paper or a padded envelope
  • FedEx® padded shipping envelopes wrapped in a plain manila envelope
  • Simple Tyvek® envelope for paperback, padded for hardcover
  • Brown paper and clear shipping tape. If brown paper grocery bags are used, there must be at least two thicknesses of paper, especially on the ends. A single thickness almost always wears through even with routine handling, exposing the page edges to soiling.

How much does it cost to ship?

  • In the US, it might be cheapest to use Media Mail or, for very light packages, First Class Mail.
  • For international shipping, use whatever is cheapest (even if it means it's slow).
  • Shipping calculators:

How do I change my address? Go to your profile page. Double check that you enter it correctly!

Can I opt-out of international shipping? Yes. Go to your profile page and find "I am willing to send books to". Select "My Country...".

Points

When do I get awarded points? You receive points for the following:

  • Adding a book to inventory (1/10th point)
  • Giving away book domestically (1 point)
  • Giving away book internationally (3 points)
  • Acknowledging receiving a book you mooched (1/10th point)

When do I lose points? You spend points by:

  • Removing a book from your inventory (1/10th point)
  • Mooching a book domestically (1 point)
  • Mooching a book internationally (2 points)
  • Smooching a book moocher (1 point)
  • Giving points to charity (give)


Isn't the point system unbalanced? Yes, extra points are added to the system. The extra points help encourage good behavior and to keep the system well lubricated. This will be monitored and adjusted as needed. Should valuable or heavy books be worth/cost more points? This is up for debate. The simplicity of one book, one point, is favored. It's hard to say exactly when a book should qualify as "valuable" because 'one person's junk is another's treasure'. Heavy books typically do not cost twice as much as light books, so charging two or three points for a heavy book wouldn't be fair. Internationally shipping does usually cost two or three times as much as domestic, so that's handled differently.

How do I give points to charity Go to Member Home -> Your Account -> Charity and you can choose how many points to give and to whom.

How do I give points to another book moocher? Click on the Smooch button, on the member's bio page. More about Smoochees.

How do I suggest a charity, such as a community library/project? Go to Member Home -> Your Account -> Charity and click Suggest

Finding and listing books

How do I find books to Mooch? Start at the browse page. There you can search for available books by name, or browse by topic or member.

How do I add books to my inventory? Go to the add page. From there, you can search Amazon for books by title, author, or ISBN. It's best to search by ISBN so that you can be sure to find the correct edition and binding.

  • PLEASE NOTE: Amazon's database isn't perfect, and it is entirely possible to enter the ISBN on your book and have a listing pop up that shows the wrong binding type (hardcover vs. paperback), edition, cover art, etc., or even a different book entirely!! It is the Sender's responsibility to make sure that the book they have in their hands matches the listing they are adding to their Inventory. So be sure to look at the listing information, and double check it matches what you have to send. IF THERE ARE ANY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES, you should either: 1. look for a more accurate listing, 2. create an accurate listing using the "Hand-Enter a Book" feature, if the correct listing doesn't exist, or 3. at the VERY least, note the differences in the Condition notes.

Can I list items other than books in my inventory? No. Items such as ebooks, VHS, DVD, CD and cassette are not permitted. If you do list such items you will be asked to remove them. If you do not remove them, your account will be suspended. You may list audio books on CD or cassette.

What are "Condition Notes"? Condition Notes are where you can tell potential Moochers about any specific problems, or positives, about your book. Many books have multiple copies available, so it is smart to "set your book apart" if possible. Also, accurate Condition Notes makes sure that the Moocher knows exactly what to expect from the book they are getting, and will prevent possible disappointment, unhappiness, and negative feedback.

What should be listed in the Condition Notes? You should absolutely list any differences between the listing and the actual book. For instance, if there is a picture of the cover art in the listing, and it is not the same as the cover art on the book you have, mention that in the Condition Notes. If the book has a different binding (the listing says Paperback, but your book is a Hardcover), you should definitely list that as well. (Technically, you should find the correct listing, but if you can't find one, at the very least, make sure the difference is noted in the Condition Notes.) Other things that are important to mention: Any rips or tears (in the cover, spine or pages), any writing, highlighting or underlining, any water stains or warping, any mold or discolouration spots, any smells, if the book has been repaired (ex. taped), if it is supposed to have a dust jacket, does it?, missing or loose pages, parts of the cover cut off, any "remainder marks", any stamps or stickers present (especially things like Bookcrossing, as some people specifically do not want to take Bookcrossing books out of circulation and some people specifically do want to contribute to Bookcrossing books), significant bends, completely broken or "cocked" spine, is it an ex-library book, gouges or pressure marks that damage the cover and/or pages, is it an earlier edition than the listing says (this falls under the same umbrella as binding; if possible, list the book under the most accurate listing, but if not, at least let people know the difference in the Condition Notes.), does it have "worn through" spots on the cover or spine? This is not an exhaustive list, but it should give you a good idea of what Bookmoochers would expect to see talked about in the Condition Notes.

You can, and should, also list in the Condition Notes positive things about your book. If the book is "like new", brag about it! If the dust jacket is in excellent condition, let people know! As noted, many books on Bookmooch have multiple copies available, and one of the best things that can help get YOUR book mooched is telling people what to expect from it!

What do you mean "weird smells"? Well, the most common one is smoke. If you smoke in your home, around your books, your books are going to smell like smoke to some degree. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you let potential Moochers know this, as many people are allergic. The easiest way to do so is to put that information in your Status message. This message shows up next to the Condition Notes on the mooch page (as well as your Bio page), so it will be seen by anyone attempting to mooch your book. While you customize your Condition Notes individually on a book-by-book basis, a Status message is uniform; whatever you enter into your Status message, it will show up for all of your books. This makes it ideal for letting people know blanket information, like if your books have been exposed to smoke. Other weird smells can be caused by mildew or mold.

I smoke around my books/have pets/have gotten my books from people who smoke or have pets. How do I let potential Moochers know? As people have varying degrees of allergies to things like smoke or pets, it's a good thing to give potential Moochers a head's up before they mooch, to avoid any unhappy situations. The very easiest way to do that is to indicate the issue using your Status message. This message shows up on the mooch page in red, so it will be easily seen by any potential moochers, as well as appearing on your Bio page.

How do I set a Status message? Go to your Member home page. Click on "Your Account". Then click on "Bio". Then click on "Edit Your Profile" (it will be on the right hand side of the page.) Scroll down to the bottom, and there will be a text box labeled "Status Message".

This is a free "used book" swap site isn't it? So shouldn't people just expect books to show up in any old condition? Yes, this site is free to join, but the books aren't "free." People still have to pay for the shipping costs (which can definitely add up!), supplies to safely pack and send the books, getting to the post office, etc., etc. And yes, it is a "used book" site, but, as anyone who has ever been into a used bookstore knows, "used books" come in a HUGE variety of conditions, from falling apart to mint. If there are no Condition Notes listed, people will generally expect the book to have: Some shelf wear on the edges, some creasing on the spine, perhaps some minor creasing in the cover. They are NOT going to expect the book to have: tears, writing (or underlining or highlighting), worn through spots, a loose binding, pages falling out, mold spots, pages missing, a missing dust jacket, wavy pages from bending or water, weird smells, excessive creasing or wear, and so on, and so forth. If your book has one or more of these things, you can DEFINITELY still list it; just LET PEOPLE KNOW, by leaving Condition Notes. If your book has one or more of these things, and you don't mention it in the Condition Notes (or check with the Moocher before you send it), it is likely that the Moocher is going to be upset and disappointed, and that may well be reflected in a +0 or -1 feedback. It saves time, and heartache, to let people know the accurate condition of your book right up front.

What if I want to enter a book that isn't in Amazon or doesn't have the correct listing data? You can always enter a book by hand using the "Hand-Enter a Book" button. Please double check that the book can't be found any other way.

I have a lot of books to enter. Is there a faster way? Try the bulk add page. (need info on the :CueCat and other methods of adding books quickly)

Can I see a list of the newest, most wanted, or most available books? Not yet, but these are features are on their way. Here are some unofficial lists:

How do I see the condition comments for a book I'm interested in? Clicking the mooch button for a book takes you to that book's mooching screen. The mooching screen lists the copies of that book available to you, as well as data about the owner of each book and condition notes that have been entered. If no condition notes are shown, then no condition notes were entered for that book. Viewing a book's mooching screen does not obligate you to mooch the book. Viewing the mooching screen is a way to get the information you need to decide whether to mooch the book.

Another way to see condition notes is to list a member's inventory and click the details button on the upper right. The inventory, including condition notes, will be displayed. If a book shows no condition notes it means no condition notes were entered.

What is the difference between mass market and trade paperbacks? Mass market paperbacks are usually smaller and printed on cheaper paper. Trade paperbacks are usually printed on higher quality paper and are nearly the same size as the hardcover version. The different versions should have different ISBNs.

Wishlist and Save-for-Later

What is the Wishlist? The Wishlist is a list of books that you want to mooch as soon as possible. Whenever someone adds a book that's on your Wishlist, you'll be notified by email. Wishlists are publicly visible. What is the Save-for-Later list? The Save-for-Later list is a list of books that you are thinking about mooching, but that you don't want right away. You will not be notified when someone add a book that's on your Save-for-Later list. The list is also hidden from other users.

What's the difference between the two lists?

Wishlist Save-for-Later
Causes Notification Yes No
Publicly Viewable Yes No

How can I add a book to my Wishlist if it's already available? You can add it to your Save-for-Later list and then move it to your Wishlist. In most cases, you should either mooch the book if you want it right away, or just add it to your Save-for-Later list if you don't want to mooch it right away. The exceptions are when you are seriously short of points or when the only person who has it won't ship to your country. In the second case, you could consider using the BookMooch Angel Network.

Members' pages

What do all these stats mean?

  • Points: The number of points that you've earned. You use points to mooch books.
  • Books sent: The number of books that you've sent, but that haven't been received yet.
  • Books received: The number of books that you've received from other members.
  • Books given: The number of books that you've given and have been received by other members.
  • Mooch ratio: The ratio of the number of books that you've mooched to the number that others have mooched from you.
  • Feedback: Your current feedback score.
  • Friends: The total number of your BookMooch friends.

What is the purpose of the Friends system? The main point of the Friends system is to give you easy access to the inventories of a group of people who may have books you want to mooch, or people who would be your preferred source of mooching.

How do I suggest a book for someone? Go to the page where the book detail is displayed, and click on the "Recommend" button. From there, you will need to enter either the person's BookMooch userid (not their name), or else the email address. They will receive an email from you with a link to the book.

How can I see any pending items? Click on the Pending tab.

How can I see my history? From the Pending page, click on the History button. You can also see summaries of the books that you have mooched or sent by clicking on the "Books mooched" and "Books given" links on your home page.

How do I change my address? Go to your Account Profile page and enter your new address.

Can I opt-out of international shipping? Go to your Account Profile page and set the "I am willing to send books to" option to "My Country".


What do I do if I'm going to be away for a while (more than a few days)? Go to your Account Profile page and set your Status Message.

Problems

What do I do if there's a problem with a book I requested? For the most part book moochers are a friendly lot, and the best way to resolve a difficulty is to send an email to the person concerned. If you are not able to resolve a problem, then please do contact the Bookmooch Admins so we can help you resolve the problem. We can be contacted by clicking on the "Report Abuse" button.

If you have attempted to mooch a book and have not had a reply within 7 days, it may indicate that the person does not wish to continue with their account. You can cancel the mooch request by going to your Pending page and clicking on the "

If you have requested a book, and it has been marked as sent, but you have not received it in the time expected, then in the first instance please email the person sending the book. If you are unable to resolve the situation or they don't reply please click on the Abuse button and the BookMooch Team will investigate.

      • PLEASE NOTE: The standard shipping class for books in the US is by Media Mail. For other countries, the standard shipping class is by Surface Mail (1-6 months delivery, slower for most countries). These shipping classes are very low priorities for the Post Office, and the delivery times often reflect that. Because the delivery times can vary wildly, the standard wait time is 8 weeks for a domestic mooch, and 6 months for an international mooch.

What do I do if there's a problem with a book I sent? That really depends on what the problem is! If the book does not match the description you entered, or you sent the wrong book by mistake, the proper thing to do is give back the point you got for the mooch so that the moocher isn't out of pocket. If a book has been lost in transit, click on the lost button on the pending page.

How do I report abuse? Go to the abusive member's home page and click the Report Abuse button. Someone from BookMooch will investigate.

I have a problem with a member or a transaction, but it isn't really "abuse"? That's okay! While the button is labeled "Abuse", the Bookmooch Admins handle all sorts of issues and questions. Don't hesitate to drop them a line if you have a concern. Whatever the situation is, they will get back to you with an answer ASAP.

How do I report a bug? If you are coming across a technical problem with the site (a page that is giving you an error instead of loading, missing points, phantom entries, etc), report it immediately! The sooner the Bookmooch techs know about the problem, the sooner they can fix it. To report it, go to your Bookmooch home page (bio) and click on "About Bookmooch" and then "Contact Us". On that page, you'll find a button that says "Tech Support Email." Detail the problem there, and a tech person will get back to you.

How do I request a feature? The best way to request a feature is to make a post to the Forum area.

But I can't post on the Forum! What now? If you still have a burning desire to request a feature, you can send an email to Tech Support. If it's a new suggestion, Tech Support will pass it on to the site owner for consideration. There is a list of previous suggestions in this wiki under Feature Suggestions.

What do I do if my book smells like smoke? The trick is to get the smoke particles out of the book. Time and airflow do this; you can also use something with a greater surface area to absorb the odor. Kitty litter or activated carbon will do this.

Integration

What APIs are available? See the API page for details.

What sites integrate with BookMooch?

  • LibraryThing

Other

Are eBooks allowed? No. There are too many issues with copyright, DRM, and no shipping for it to work with BookMooch at this time.

What if I find a mislabeled book? Then email the person who posted the book, or failing that click on the abuse button and we will let the person know and make sure they change it.

Why are books in such weird topics? The topics come from Amazon. Sorry.

How long should I wait for a reply to my Mooch request? Four days to a week should be enough. At that point go ahead and send a reminder email. Be sure to check the status of the person you're mooching from. They may be on vacation or away from home on business.

Should I list children's (etc...) books? Yes, please do.

Shouldn't condition notes be mandatory? It is your choice as to whether to take into account the condition of a book or not, many bookmoochers say they only mooch when the person displays the condition, so it's worth doing it, but making it compulsory particularly when uploading a long list of books could put people off adding books and so, no, currently it shouldn't be mandatory. Books are assumed to be in fair condition if there isn't a note.

Is it ok to require people to mooch more than one book from you? It is okay for any member to ask for a 2-3 book minimum mooch for international shipments. There are also a few countries (Canada, Australia, Russia, Finland), where domestic rates are very steep, so they can require multiple domestic requests. For all other countries, including the USA and the UK, it is okay to encourage, but NOT require, multiple domestic mooches. Please click 'abuse' if you see a requirement for multiple domestic mooches. Although if it is a brand new member, perhaps try a politely-worded email on your own first, pointing out that this is not allowed.

Thanks to Aaron McBride for the initial version of this FAQ.

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