ABE
- New books and multiple copies I
tried some time back to persuade ABE that there were other, specialist, sites
for selling discounted new books, to no avail. I
was more annoyed, however, at what appeared to be (it wasn't necessarity so, but
I've been a "new books" bookshop and it certainly seemed it was to me) a wholesale
listing of current new books, without necessarily actually owning them to sell.
This would be
far worse in my opinion than simply offering "new" books, with potential to damage
the reputation of online selling for everyone. Just
because a book is listed (eg, in Whitaker's British Books In Print) it doesn't
mean that it is indeed physically present in ANY warehouse, never mind those blithely
offering it for sale at a "discount" (and, incidentally, some aren't even doing
that). No, a
not inconsiderable number listed as in print are in fact out of stock at the publisher's
warehouse, and may or may not be "reprint under consideration" (ie, don't hold
your breath). I've
my own suspicions as to why this happens so much, but the point here is that people
on ABE (and possibly some other sites) are offering for sale items they don't
own. They hope
to get them in time and at a (to them) discount before the customer starts wondering
where his purchase is. If they can't supply the book (now out of print or whatever)
they simply send a blithe "sorry, no longer available" and leave yet another customer
cursing delays and dubious e-dealers. As
there is no reason why such sellers cannot operate elsewhere, I see no reason
apart from dragging in a bit more cash why any respectable site should allow them
to continue. (Mrs)
E Mann
Forest Books
Cheshire
20.06.06 | 
