eBay

writercranky · ‎02-17-2021

I just had a sold book returned from the State of Mississippi Department of Corrections, marked "refused." The package had clearly been opened, because the book was no longer wrapped in the bubble wrap I always use for trade paperbacks and hardcovers; plus a form letter was put into the envelope. This letter gave the reason for the refusal, which was that only 3 books per month are allowed, and this one exceeded that total.

The "refused" label also indicated that postage was due but the mailman didn't ask me for money.

And from somewhere long ago, I had the idea that if a package had been opened, it could not simply be sealed up again and "refused" on the original shipping label. Maybe the rules are different when it's a prison....

The buyer has been an eBay member since 2014, with 100 percent positive feedback, and all of the more recent transactions in the feedback have been from used bookstores.

For what it's worth, the book in question happens to be a Christian novel by Dee Henderson, which I could not imagine would be objectionable reading material for an inmate....

Anyone ever have something like this happen? Any suggestions as to any action I should take? Should I preemptively refund the buyer, since he did not receive what he paid for through no fault of his own? Or should I wait and see if he requests a refund?

1grandmashope_1 · ‎02-17-2021

Oh my goodness. I go back and forth with your question. You can wait for a request to refund, or you can just refund. I, personally, would just refund with an explanation as to why to the buyer.

I use to sell books many years ago here, and I had a particular inmate that would buy from me, but I never had that situation. Who knows. It is what it is.

I hope that whatever you do, your year is a fruitful one.

Grandma

inhawaii · ‎02-17-2021

Another good reason to stay out of prison ...... only 3 books per month.

Remember when we were kids we were told that prisoners were only fed bread and water? LOL

Telephone Line - Electric Light Orchestra

wastingtime101 · ‎02-17-2021

@writercranky wrote:
Any suggestions as to any action I should take? Should I preemptively refund the buyer, since he did not receive what he paid for through no fault of his own? Or should I wait and see if he requests a refund?

Subtract your fees and shipping costs, then send the rest as a partial refund.

GLORIOUS!

fab_finds4u · ‎02-17-2021

Only 3 books? That is sad. I could read one a day with nothing to do but read all day.

For the non-violent offenders I'd like to see no books no tv no radio no cards no commissary, no nothing but bread and water and keep them locked up SHORTER. When prison is not like a staycation maybe that's an incentive to go straight. It wouldn't take them that long to get the message, eh?

jack_bucks_ghost · ‎02-17-2021

only three books a month--that's harsh...i would recommend Norman Mailer or Tolstoy...

fab_finds4u · ‎02-17-2021

PS,,, maybe I'll feel different when I'm not in a bad mood.

TOTALLY off topic but wondering why 40,000 people can come to FL from other states and get a vaccination before the people that live here and pay taxes here get one? How does that happen?Mainly that's why I'm mad.

I'm over 70 and fullfill the medical requirements to get vaccinated but now I see they opened up appts for under 65 in my county. They WERE going by the oldest first after the front line workers. I don't think they should open it up to under 65 with medical problems until the ones over 65 with medical problems get theirs. OK. I'm done. Thanks for reading my rant.

mtgraves7984 · ‎02-17-2021

In Tennessee, our inmates can't have hardback books as they might be considered weapons. Zero hardbacks.

dhbookds · ‎02-17-2021

Some prisons only accept books from publishers.......

tellmemama · ‎02-17-2021

Whenever I get a package returned to me, I send a message to the buyer with photos of the package and any postal notes or labels like refused/undeliverable/etc. This way s/he knows I'm being honest and how to proceed isn't my decision.

Now this clearly is an unusual exception so I would still send the message with photos including the letter from the prison. Then I would try to cancel the transaction using problem with buyer's address and process the refund.

Probably in full since the buyer is already going through enough.

Joe

mtgraves7984 · ‎02-17-2021

@dhbookds

You meant sent from the Publisher, proper? Dang!

I was just trying to get an AA Big Book to an inmate... with nothing better to do for 48 hours. I had to find a soft bound.

I guess I'm lucky they allowed it at all, huh?

Edit: Duh... mine was a county jail... not prison.

moondogblues · ‎02-17-2021

"Another good reason to stay out of prison ...... only 3 books per month."

I would have to escape. I can read that many in a day. What are they afraid of, a prisoner might get literary ideas?

pburn · ‎02-17-2021

@jack_bucks_ghost wrote:
only three books a month--that's harsh...i would recommend Norman Mailer or Tolstoy...

I'd have to go with Kafka. He seems about the right tone for a prison environment.

futuremarine2011 · ‎02-17-2021

prisons have libraries, prisons have t,v, those guys have it better than some people on the streets. they get 3 square meals a day, plenty of exercise. dont have to pay rent, utilities, some of them wouldnt leave if the prison door was throwed open for them thats just state prison. federal prison they eat steak, everything you get at the store. heck, some of them even have golf courses. yea they are really being punished.