PaperBackSwap

I used to love this site. I sent out old books to people who need/​want them. In exchange, I could claim a book I want (if it is available). The combined costs and hassle of using this site make it no longer worth it. The incredibly rude customer service bumped it down a 1-​star review.
I, like others, had a membership for some time. I sent out books, felt good about getting rid of them in a productive way, and racked up credits that I would eventually use on books that I want. I never saw much value in using credits for new books because prices were steep. Still, a book for a book (plus postage) was fine for older books.
Then came the change. We either had to buy a membership, buy postage through the website, or pay a per-​swap charge. Memberships were offered at different levels, with «free» meaning free to exist, but not free to swap. Postage was sold at a premium. No matter what, we were looking at paying a minimum of 49 cents (the per-​swap fee) to use earned credits.
The part that really got to me was the fact that I had earned credits well before the policy change. There was no grandfathering for preexisting credits. There wasn’t even a warning of the time at which credits could no longer be used for free. I had, at the time, about 14 credits. I decided that the $ 7 was worth not losing my opportunity to claim 14 books. When it comes time to pay the per-​swap fee (or pay for postage), you have to have PBS credit. To buy PBS credit, you have to pay a transaction fee. So, every price was not the price it claimed to be. It was more like a price in fictional money created by PBS, with an additional charge for currency conversion.
I sent a note to PBS and asked about their transition process. I asked where they had expressed that they could do that with earned credits in their terms of service. I noted that I had credits that I had been holding onto so I could claim one of my many wishlist books. I commented that I thought they were alienating customers by adding burdens to use earned credits. They responded back and told me that my opinion didn’t matter and they were doing just fine in customers and quality of books. They also said that the policy had changed (not answering my question) and that was that.
Shortly thereafter, I found that one of referrals to PBS (which gave the person I referred 2 credits along with free swaps after they listed a certain number of books) had been revoked. PBS basically gave a vague email that it was not a genuine referral and violated terms of service. It happened not long after I received the response that I did. A little suspicious if you ask me.
At that point, I decided enough was enough. I used the credits for which I had swaps, closed my account, and went on my merry way.
As to the other problems — I did see some ridiculous requests (there cannot be a single bent page, pencil mark, etc.), but I still sent books (only in good condition despite the occasional dog-​ear). I got credit for every single book I mailed. I also got every book I requested, and they were always in good condition. The one exception was a book that had been maimed by the postal service. It had some sort of tire track on the package and it looked like something had caught under the one bit of loose packing tape and the entire 400+page book got folded in half. I sent a note to the sender (and did not request my credit back because it was the postal service at fault). She still refunded my credit (which came with a refund of my free swap). I think the people that use this are generally quite reasonable, but maybe I had good luck. My issues, and the reasons I chose to leave, are with PBS business practices and customer service.

I used this site enthusiastically at first – what a great idea! I even bought a few of the books that PBS started to sell so as to support the site, because websites don’t come free. What’s done me in is some of the members.
It started when some lady refused to give me a credit, refused to send the book back, and refused to agree to donate it… the ISBN belonged to a hardback and my book was a BRAND NEW superior softback (not paperback). No idea why the ISBN was wrong, but she needn’t have been so really nasty about it – I was the one who was out a new book plus $ 4 for mailing. OK, lesson learned.
But then came the collectors, who put really offensive ‘conditions for credit’ on the books… if there’s a pencil mark somewhere in the book, hoo boy, you don’t get the credit. Ditto the ones who’d order a 30 year old hardback and say ‘it smells a little musty’ … and the ones who can’t even be bothered to say thanks.
After dragging a virtually new hardback to the Post Office recently and not even getting a ‘hey thanks, never expected to get a new bestseller so fast,’ I’ve finally realized that my time packaging and mailing the books, plus $ 2.70 — $ 6 for mailing, plus 50 cents transaction fee when I buy = So Not Worth It. Unlike some others on here, I do appreciate that there’s a lot of cost in running a site and the owners need to make a living. But sorry, this just isn’t working for me anymore.

I have had an account for years, however I took a break for about 1 year… I come back and now they are charing $ 0.49 to get a swap with a credit!!! If I would have known I would not have mailed a book to get the credit (cost $ 2.61). Next time I will pay the $ 0.01 + $ 3.99 s/​h on Amazon and get the book twice as fast.

I just want to agree with everything Sabra Z. said. I can see where folks who didn’t read the rules carefully going in might get disgusted when they do something not allowed (such as send out a book that goes against the guidelines) and then lose their credit. But for people who don’t mind playing by the rules and waiting for an out-​of-​print or very expensive title, it can’t be beat.
I have gotten some books that cost nearly $ 100 new, and the versions I got through the club were like new. I’m picky about the condition of my books, and most of the ones I’ve gotten through the club are very good, excellent or (about 50%) like new. Many who are given a book they’ve already read or don’t want simply post it here, and their willingness to share means someone else gets a like-​new book of their choosing for very little expense.
Regarding the new membership fees, my impression is that this has been an effective screening device to keep out people who are basically looking for something to gripe about. Since the membership fees were introduced, I haven’t gotten any shoddy-​looking books from people who disagree with (or don’t even read) the club guidelines. The membership fee keeps the quality of the club high by eliminating whiners, trolls and other disagreeable types. I think it was a good idea.
Bottom line — this site is for people who love and take good care of books, want to share, want to save money and/​or want to keep books in circulation and made available to others who may want them. It’s not for people who want to make money off their books, or who want them RIGHT NOW, or who expect to get more than they are willing to give. I have sent out over 415 books, and received over 350, and I think this is one of the best sites on the web for readers. As an aside, I’m a retired librarian.

Honestly, I had been looking at websites where I could get rid of books. I decided to try this website out by error considering I thought it was one where postage wasn’t paid by the sender. My impression of this site is $$$$, I thought it would be convenient to print my postage from the website itself. I soon found out that it was better to use PayPal rather than this website because they added a transaction fee as well as an additional amount. I could have lived with the fact that there was a transaction fee but where did the other additional amount come from? Luckily, cashback took care of me.
I don’t understand their system since it’s not free to send/​receive. I will try and explain how it works a bit since trying it out for 4 days.
Basically, there are three memberships (Not by their names)
Free
Limited
The Real Deal
I have the free membership since I wanted to get rid of books. I learned about credits and free swaps. I’m not going to discuss about receiving free credits but I will try to explain how the process works. I post books whereby other members request and I accept/​decline their request. When the book (s) arrive with the member, they notify the website of receiving the book (s) and I receive credit (s) for the book (s) they received. Thereafter, I would use the credit (s) for any book (s) I want but guess what? I also need free swaps (not free like the name indicates) which cost about 0.50 each.
I was a bit amazed that I received a lot of requests considering that the majority of my posted books were manga (Japanese comics). However, when I tried searching for manga myself, I couldn’t find anything that I wanted.
I never felt so lonesome in a website while trying to contact the members who requested books from me. I send a message verifying about the book, tracking information and I don’t get a response soon enough (indication that they are alive and not inactive). I am sure, that I have read of a feature where the member can choose for PBS to automatically request the book without any confirmation from the member which leaves me thinking what if the member hasn’t used PBS in forever and selected that? This I say since I have a member who hasn’t shown any signs of being active at all. This is where it fails the most to me.

I racked up a large number of credits on PBS, mailing my books to people. It was never a great value proposition, more like a labor of love, really, kind of like freecycle, which I also participate in.
Lately PBS has switched to charging membership fees, or «ala carte» membership. So I have to pay $ 0.49 to redeem each of my «free» books that I earned. Additionally I just learned I’ve been paying an extra $ 0.50 «kiosk fee» on top of that, so really I’ve been paying $ 0.99 to redeem my «free» books. Meh, indeed!
I will not be sending any more of my books out via PBS and resent that they changed their terms of service in such a way that people are not allowed to use existing credits under their original terms.
I’d recommend to people to share your books with your friends or local library, or contribute to one of the many «little free libraries». Or try to sell your books via Amazon. I now feel that Paperbackswap is exploiting its users. We have always supplied the product, packing supplies, and shipping & handling. Now they’re asking us to pay substantial fees on top of everything else. They’re raking it in for basically just running a website, which is cheaper now than it’s ever been.

I’ve been a member of PBS for a number of years and have traded probably 100 books. I prefer this site to just dumping my books at a thrift store; I’d rather have an individual book get into the hands of someone who wants to read it.
I’m surprised by a number of criticisms of the site, and I’d like to address them with my own experience on the site:
1. Books arrive in bad shape.
Other than one book that arrived with a bit of highlighting, (which is not permitted in the basic PBS bylaws), I’ve not had any issues with condition of the books. Some are more worn than others, (some seem new), but none have been in bad condition.
2. Someone requests a book, and they have outlandish requests about the environment the book is coming from.
I’ve had a number of requests that specifically ask that they come from either a non-​smoking home, or one without cats, (I understand both of these requests). I don’t smoke, but I have a cat; so for the ‘cat request’, I click the box that says, ‘I cannot accommodate this request’, and the book goes back into the mix for another reader. As far as I know; as long as you respond saying why you’re not sending the book, there isn’t any negative repercussion to your decline.
3. The cost to mail the book is expensive.
This could be true, depending on your budget. I find the books to cost between $ 2.50 and $ 4 per book. I do find it convenient to buy the ‘printable postage’ off of the PBS site and just drop the book in a mailbox. If you go directly to the post office to mail, it may be cheaper, (I’m not sure).
4. Waiting for a book can take years.
This is true. I just looked at my list, and some requests for popular books were made in 2012. But this is one of those things. The wait-​time on the list is based on other readers posting that book. It’s not the PBS’s folk fault that someone hasn’t posted, ‘Life’ the Keith Richards autobiography, (I waited 2 years for this and got it in hardback.. .worth it).
5. The service is no longer ‘free’.
OK, so here I can see where folks are getting a bit cranky. (I said cranky, not, ‘you’re so outraged that you call the site ‘fascist’. .really?). Anyhow, up until spring of 2015; you paid to mail a book to someone, but if you wanted a book, it was mailed free to you. I found this to be fair and convenient.
However, in the past few months apparently you either need to have to pay .49 cents to get a book, have a membership, (currently $ 12 or $ 20, depending on the membership), or you get a free credit if you use the ‘printable postage’ on the site to print your mailing label, (there’s a small fee to use this service, so that fee is also covering the fee if you want a book from another member). I use the ‘printable postage’ so it’s not really a problem for me.
That said though; it sounds like the site did a poor job of communicating the policy-​change to it’s members. Also, they keep advertising the site as ‘Free’, which is kind of no longer the case. So to me it’s more of a PR issue than anything else.
I tend to get rid of more books than I receive, so this is less of an issue for me. Plus, I get free swaps because of the ‘printable postage’. I have more free swaps than I need right now, so it’s not as big of a problem for me than it is for others. I also would be happy to pay a few dollars for a membership to make it all easier. I have enough disposable income, so that would be worth it to me. But I could see how if you were on a fixed budget, that could be inconvenient.
6. There are now fewer folks swapping books on the site because of the new fees.
I guess this is true, (you can see how many members are online at any time when you log onto their site). I haven’t really paid attention to this, but I think the number is quite a bit lower than it was before the ‘membership’ kerfuffle. If users have reduced swaps due to the extra fees, then that is a shame.
Overall: I like the site and it’s premise that you’re getting your book into the hand of someone else who wants to read it. I’m sorry that the new policies aren’t for everyone; I just hope that folks still decide to use the service.

I’ve been a member for four years. Love the club and have shipped close to 300 books all over the US. There is something satisfying about giving a book (or a load of books) to people that really want/​need them. It is nice to hear stories about the generous people across the country that donate the books they order to libraries, schools, or their churches.
My personal libraries are always overflowing so this club is a great solution to keep my shelves in check. I always have deals like buy one book get one free to add something extra to the transaction. Many other people are willing to do the same. I haven’t encountered a single member that has been rude or unhappy with the process. I have received over 200 books as well, many of which are in excellent/​very good condition!
The one major complaint (of many, not me) with the club started last year. It went from being free to having an annual membership… which left a lot of people unhappy. I still think it is worth 20 bucks a year to be a part of this community. I hope their app comes out soon! I also have about 300 books on my wish list, so periodically those books get posted and mailed straight to you. It’s like xmas!
Typically, a book costs about 3 bucks to mail by media mail. Print up the wrappers and send em off. Way cheaper than a bookstore or amazon. I’m anti e-​reader so I forsee myself a nemeber for many years to come.

I have been a member at paperbackswap for several years. I get the majority of my books here. Most of the books I have gotten have been in like new condition. There have been a few books that were well worn. Basically you post all of the books that you have that you don’t want anymore, then another member requests the book and you get an email with the request. You can print postage there is a 0.55 fee for that but you get your credit immediately otherwise you take it to the post office, you mark that it has been mailed on their website and when it is received they mark it received and you get one credit. I get a lot of new releases but you have to put the book on your wish list if there are no copies of that book in the system, you can usually put books on your wish list several months before the book is released. I have a list of authors that I like so I will check their search tool frequently to see if any new books are listed in the system. They have started charging a membership fee of $ 20. You do get a free printed postage a month. This website can be a great place to go if you are looking for an older book because you aren’t going to find books written more than a year old in a bookstore unless it is a classic.

I’ve been a member here for a about 3 years and have traded about 100 boooks. It’s a great way to get all your popular novels no matter what genre for a very low cost. I don’t know why this site has gotten less than stellar reviews. Sure they started charging an annual fee, but if you are a big reader, it sure is worth it! Whenever I finish one novel by my favorite author, I I simply click on the next book by them, and it’s sent to me within about a week. And there are many other books besides popular fiction. I’ve gotten great books on history, art, economics here.
Really this is about the best site I’ve ever used. I am a big, big fan

To all the people whining about the memebership fee, Is $ 12 or $ 20 a year really that big of a deal, considering all the benefits you get? (500 book wish list, unlimited swaps, etc). And considering the cost of a brand new book, it is quite a deal! I have been a member for several years, and have really enjoyed using this site. Aside from receiving a few books that were in poor condition, my experiences have been positive. I would highly recommend this site if you love to read!

I have been a member of PaperbackSwap since 2010. The reason I’m so disgusted with them is due to the fact that they recently switched over to a fee based service (PBS is NOT free) with no input from longtime members. We were given 2 weeks notice and that was that. When i tried to voice concern in one of the «forums» I was given the brush off. Too bad so sad.
PBS now consists of cliques that exist in the forums that are basically paid chat rooms where the regulars meet, cat and play games. Unless you want a mass market paperback, don’t bother. I’ve had books on my wish list for years now. Some of them, I’m first in line.
Woudn’t recommend it at all.

Used to be a good place to swap books with other readers. Used to be a club. Now it’s a money-​grubbing, fascist corporation that is illegally holding member credits hostage for fees to use them.
I have been a member for just about 5 years, have traded many books and had a 10-​credit balance when they decided to change the rules. WARNING: They still call themselves a book club and the still claim, falsely, that swapping is free.
Do not get suckered in to a confusing fee format. There are better deals to be had elsewhere.
Boo PBS! Fail!

I found this book swapping site many years ago and have been an active trader ever since. It is a great website for book lovers. I send a member a book he or she wants and in exchange, I get a credit so I can order a book myself.
There is a large selection of books to choose from that are available at the moment and another option is to put the book title on a wishlist so that when one is available you will get a copy. There may be others ahead of you so you just have to wait your turn.
The website is very easy to navigate and if you have a question there are others there to help you either your tour guide or in the forums. The forums are a nice place for others to discuss a variety of topics and meet other book lovers.
There will be a nominal membership fee starting February 15^th as you can imagine how expensive it can be to keep a website running when technology advances so quickly.
A $ 20/​yr membership will give you a wishlist of 500 books, access to the forums and plenty of other great benefits. If you don’t need a large wishlist, then there is a $ 12 membership a year where you can order 30 books with your credits and have access to the forums among other benefits. Another option is to pay as you go and pay 49 cents for each transaction.
If you are a book lover like me, I am sure you will love this fabulous website and find a new home for some books you have already read and get some new books in return. You might even make some new friends in the process.

Very disappointed in PaperbackSwap. I had enjoyed using it for about a year, and recommended many friends. You mail a book, get a credit, and request one from another member. I had saved up credits from over this summer to use next fall when I go to grad school.
Now, however, they are switching their system over to a paid membership only plan. Even worse, they are not grandfathering any of us old members in and are giving members only two weeks to use up their credits (which is very difficult, it can often take up to a week to get a book requested and mailed).
After mid February, I have to pay *extra* just to use the credits I already have! What kind of cheating nonsense is this? Now all my credits are basically useless — I could easily purchase used books on other sites for the same price I’d be paying here, plus all the money I spent on shipping books for other members is down the drain.
I’m very disappointed in their customer service as well — I emailed the mods asking what I could do with my credits and basically got a vague response in return.

I have been a member for almost a decade and loved every minute of it.
This site simply provides a forum/​system for book lovers to share books. You send a book, you earn a credit to redeem for a different book. Pretty simple concept.
After almost 10 years of providing this service for no fees (other than optional supplemental membership perks), they will finally be charging either per swap or annual memberships to keep the site operating.
It seems that the majority of the complaints are regarding other users (common folks just like the reviewers) and their behaviors, which I have to admit, can be pretty horrid at times. However, those are other members not the business itself. This would be like my complaining on a restaurant business page about the couple at the table next to me with an unruly child.
So, if you love books and can spare $ 12 to $ 20 a year, consider joining. It can take a little while to move up the wish list lines, but I’ve gotten some amazing books through the years.

Oh, and one more thing… Apparently if you DECLINE to send a book to someone that requests it, but has conditions that it can’t come from a home with fish, because they are allergic to fish (even though you have no fish in your home) so you decline to send, you know, just in case… You will be banned from the site.
Does that make sense? I didn’t think so.
Support local/​buy local.

I’m puzzled at some of the poor reviews here.
I’ve been a member of PBS for 5 years, and I’ve never had a bad experience.
The only costs you incur are the mailing costs to other members (it averages to about $ 2.50 per book). You pay nothing when you request a book.
It’s very worth it to me, to pay $ 2.50 to mail out a book I don’t want, and to receive one I do want.
The rules are simple– send only unmarked books in good condition, and let the site
know when you’ve mailed them. When received by another member, you receive a credit that allows you to request another book.

***NOTICE: PAPERBACK SWAP STOLE $ 30.80 FROM ME. I HAD 8 CREDITS IN MY ACCOUNT, VALUED AT $ 3.95 EACH. PBS CLOSED MY ACCOUNT DUE TO MY FEE COMPLAINT AND KEPT MY 8 X $ 3.95 CREDITS.
***NOTICE: I HAD $ 2.55 CASH IN MY SWAPADVD ACCOUNT, AND THEY CLOSED MY ACCOUNT, THEY BLOCKED MY ACCESS TO MY ACCOUNT AND STOLE MY MONEY. I HAVE NOT GOTTEN IT BACK TO DATE. IN ADDITION, MY 2 CREDITS X $ 3.95 HAS NOT BEEN RETURNED TO DATE.
Don’t open an account or give away your books through them:
I was a member on PBS for years. THIS IS NOT A FREE PROGRAM. IT IS A «FEE» PROGRAM.
Fees increased:
Mailing labels they provide from the site cost .55 ON TOP of your postage fee. If you don’t use their labels, you don’t get credit for your book (that you just spent $ 3-​$ 5 mailing) UNLESS the receiver (weeks later) remembers to log in and record it.
In order to «buy member money» you had to put money in your account: another .50 transaction fee.
Your costs to trade a book:
.55 label fee + the cost of postage (averages almost $ 4.00
.50 transaction fee to «buy member money»
don’t forget the COST OF YOUR BOOK!
You may or may not get credit.
Members often trade dirty, damaged books.
Their sister/​affiliate companies (same owner) SWAPACD and SWAPADVD make you pay .49 for each movie/​cd you request. Cost of «credits» are more than the cost of DVDs/​CDs on eBay, Amazon, or at your local Walmart. When the new .49 fee PER DVD was rolled out (without much warning) I commented on their member forum, and listed my eBay page. Instead of resolving the issue, or giving me a «warning,» not to post my website address, they closed all my accounts:
PAPERBACKSWAP (I had 451 books listed and had 8 books shipped, they owed me 8 credits) STOLEN: $ 30.80
SWAPADVD (I had $ 2.55 in cash and 2 credits, worth $ 3.95 each, and I had dozens of requests to receive) STOLEN: $ 10.45
and
SWAPACD (I had a few CDs posted.)

This started out as a great idea, back when postage was cheaper. Now I spend over $ 2.50 just to mail a lot of the books. And I really wanted to reduce the books on my shelf — this keeps me even! Don’t find enough books I want. Their online postage set up has a fee, and I tried it once back when you had to pay money for CD’s — too small of a selection offered so now I have some change left in that account; not enough for postage and I don’t want to pay a fee to get more in.
Donate the books you want to get rid of — libraries sell them for $ 1 hardcover and 50 cents paperback. Gives you an idea of the market for real books.
And now there are tooooo many junk books listed and it is so hard to browse for anything worthwhile.