To remind people that the book exchange thing is a scam

[whatsthecomingoverthehill]

It's doing the rounds again. Sigh.

For anyone not aware, it's a chain thing typically circulated on Facebook, and tells you that you can get up to 36 books just by sending one book to someone else. But no, it doesn't 'work'. The vast majority of people who join in will not receive any books in return. And if you are one of the lucky ones who did get lots of books, well done on scamming your friends.

Books are great. Giving books to people is a Good Thing. Scamming people isn't. That is all, thank you.

But...the price of posting a book would be more than buying one in a charity shop, surely? & who wants random books?

I'm slightly biased as I went full kindle a few years ago (moving overseas, flogged several thousand books on music magpie etc, haven't regretted it).

I thought this had died a death, but you’re right - I’m seeing it pop up again. Classic pyramid scheme.

You could suggest this to them as an alternative?

www.bookcrossing.com/

Have people not heard of local libraries anyway?

I didnt know there was a book scam. That sounds like such an odd thing to do.

The only book exchange I know about is the one in my local coffee shop! They have bookshelves full of books and you bring a book and then take a new one away! It's fun.

How are you scamming your friends? You can send it or not? I mean it's a lot of rubbish but I don't think I'd categorise it as a scam.

Well where is the scam? As with most pyramid stuff it just collapses but surely worst case scenario you have passed on some books?

I got roped into a knicker one for some reason when I was about 21. I never got my knickers 😂

They are a fairly weird and pointless pyramid scheme. Pointless in that nobody really benefits.

Me too on the knicker one! I think I was about 12. How did my mum let me?!

I remember the knicker one too, apparently something horrible would happen to you if you didn't pass yours on.
(It didn't)

Oh a good friend sent me this email and I didn’t realise it was a scam thing - it helped me reconnect with her for a chat, but I was quite pissed and didn’t really get the instructions so never got around to sending a book - quite glad now. I’ve got enough guilt about not reading as much as I should tbh.

Ugh, those bloody chain letters in the 80s when you had to write them all out individually, by hand, and pay for postage. Whoever thought they were a good idea?!

@Notnownotneverever

Have people not heard of local libraries anyway?

Most are closed at the moment.

A few people in our area have put book swap boxes outside their houses. The children’s ones are well used.

It's more of a chain letter than a scam.

I would think that most people over the age of 11 will realise that they might not get anything in return as people will break the chain or they might get 36 dog-eared copies Nigel Farage's autobiography.

It's like when I was a kid there were always chain letters going around where you sent 6 postcards of your hometown to the person at the top of the list and you "will get hundreds of postcards from around the world in return". If you were lucky, you got a few postcards of your local municipal park and one from someone's cousin in Grantham because everyone was just sending them back and forth at the same school or leaving them to languish with a half eaten KitKat at the bottom of their bag. Once in while you'd really strike it lucky and get a picture of a kangaroo because somebody had an Auntie in Adelaide.

I did the knicker one too! Had forgotten about that until now, I must have been an early sign up as I got loads!

As a PP said, you just end up with loads of random crap books. We're swimming in books and there are still loads I'd like to buy so wouldn't want to be stuck with 36 crap ones.

How is it a 'scam' exactly?
Who is being 'scammed'?
Why do you need to 'remind people'?

@Destroyedpeople

How is it a 'scam' exactly? Who is being 'scammed'? Why do you need to 'remind people'?

Because people join in in good faith, expecting to get their books, and don't. Because it's unsustainable.

Who wants books cluttering up their house? Apart from the odd coffee table book, Kindle all the way for me

Err... Knickers?? Please, someone explain!

On the plus side as scams/pyramind schemes go losing a second hand book and the price of posting it isn't too bad. But yanbu.

I thought it was one of those chain letter things, so I wouldn't describe it as a scam.

They were very popular in the 80s and I don't recall ever getting a single postcard, so I wouldn't bother.

Ok but it's not a 'scam' is it?
'Scam' involves someone parting with cash.
Such dramatic language!

Wtf? Knickers? Don't tell me they were second hand..