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Help Center - How does Box-O-Books work?

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How Box-O-Books works: the Basics

  • Once you enroll, your bookshelf becomes visible to other Boxers in the Box-O-Books area.
    • Your forum posts, your bookshelf and your PBS Profile will all have the icon on them.
  • You get offers for swaps from other Boxers
    • Boxers who browse your bookshelf select books they want from you, then offer you a "Box swap"
    • When you get a Box offer, you can browse that Boxer's bookshelf and choose books for your Box from them
  • You can also make Box offers to other Boxers
    • search all Boxers' books from the Box-O-Books area to find books you want, then choose a Boxer who has those books
    • or choose a specific Boxer's bookshelf to browse
    • create your box by "shopping" on that bookshelf and then make your offer
    • Box swaps are normally "even" (e.g., 4 books for 4 books), but they do not have to be. If you want to send out 6 books in exchange for 4, that is fine.  Each audiobook is generally swapped for two bound books, but this is not required
    • Requestor Conditions can be applied to Box-O-Books swaps
    • You can decline any Box offer at any point up until the time you have clicked to accept it
    • You are not obligated to accept a Box offer if you would prefer to get a credit for a particular book (or books) on your bookshelf.
  • Boxers "negotiate" until they have reached a satisfactory swap; then they accept the swap and send the boxes to each other.
    • Your books remain visible on your regular PBS bookshelf until both Boxers have accepted a swap; then those books are removed from both bookshelves
    • If you get a "regular" for-credit request AND a Boxer request for the same book, you can choose how you want to swap the book: as part of a Box swap or as a regular swap for a credit
  • Once a Box-O-Books swap has been accepted on both sides:
    • The package label is printed from the Box-O-Books transaction
    • PBS Printable Postage can be applied to Box-O-Books swaps
    • Both Boxers mail the packages to one another.
    • When a Box is received it is marked received on the pending swap page;  there is a place to leave feedback on each swap.
  • You can pause or suspend your Box-O-Books subscription at any time, for any length of time
    • Doing this does not affect ongoing (pending) Box transactions
    • Doing this also does not affect your regular PBS bookshelf