Wrong Book

[JimC]

I just ordered "Why Didn't They Tell the Horses" on Amazon.
Expensive, but I wanted it.
I received "Little Bones".
Dealer appears to have been 'Glenthebookseller'
I don't have a good feeling about this.

 

[hitmouse]

I just ordered "Why Didn't They Tell the Horses" on Amazon.
Expensive, but I wanted it.
I received "Little Bones".
Dealer appears to have been 'Glenthebookseller'
I don't have a good feeling about this.

If you ordered through Amazon, you should have their backup. Dealers generally do not want to piss off Amazon.

 

[Orcadian]

I just ordered "Why Didn't They Tell the Horses" on Amazon.Expensive, but I wanted it.
I received "Little Bones". Dealer appears to have been 'Glenthebookseller'
I don't have a good feeling about this.

I wouldn't assume the worst. Amazon has a good system for when there's been a mistake. If you receive the wrong thing, just initiate a return and choose 'Different to what I ordered'. You'll get a free postage return label. It's a bit of a hassle but basically works fine. Do take a photo of your package with address label before posting, though - and get proof of posting.

 

[Snicklefritz]

I sometimes sell through Amazon, and they are totally geared to the customer (right or wrong) and force a refund. You should have no problem gettting your money back as long as you return the "wrong" book.

Also, Glennthebookseller is a very big dealer on a variety of sites -- Thriftbooks, Amazon, Ebay, etc -- with an excellent reputation. As I recall, I've purchased a few books from him/them.

 

[tinkerdan]

I've had this happen a few times on amazon.
One time they gave the money back so I could reorder and let me keep the copy.(Turned out they didn't have that book.)
I usually try to order hard editions if available and one time they sent the paper edition--by accident(I think). They let me keep that and sent me the one I ordered.

Another time like the above they sent a paper edition and that one I had to mail back and I reordered--from a different book dealer.

On a side note:
I usually look for used editions that are very good condition to like new.
So imagine my surprise when the book showed up and the hard cover was completely separated from the book and the book itself was so messed up it really looked like someone had ripped the cover off and then stomped on the pages. They gave me the money back on that one.

Another time when I ordered two new books the box showed up with the seal broken and only one book.
They promptly replaced the missing book.

They are really pretty good about customer service in that direction.

 

[JimC]

Good to know. Little Bones (the one I didn't order and don't want) sells for about $5. They offered to let me keep it in lieu of the book I did want for a 20% discount at only $35 approximately. To me, that sounds like $30 of profiteering for something I didn't order.

 

[hitmouse]

Good to know. Little Bones (the one I didn't order and don't want) sells for about $5. They offered to let me keep it in lieu of the book I did want for a 20% discount at only $35 approximately. To me, that sounds like $30 of profiteering for something I didn't order.

So don't accept the offer. Amazon has very clear complaint and remediation procedures as long as your point is reasonable, which sounds to be the case. If the seller does not do the right thing then amazon will take it up on your behalf.

Last week I received a second hand book through an Amazon seller, bought as VG. The spine was bowed and there was a coffee cup stain on the front cover. It was clearly not the copy shown in the photograph. I complained as much and pointed out the the book was fine to good at best. I have had a full refund including p&p and have been told to keep the one I was sent. Took 48 hours.

 

[Orcadian]

... It was clearly not the copy shown in the photograph. I complained as much and pointed out the the book was fine to good at best. I have had a full refund including p&p and have been told to keep the one I was sent.

Have had this experience twice when buying new from Amazon. Both times they told me to keep the book, and also refunded it. To receive a poor copy is annoying if it's for a gift but mostly I'm just buying something because I want to read it.

Where I have trouble is with the description of secondhand books. It will be marked 'As new' - and you pay a bit more for that - but when it arrives it is 'Very Good', or even merely 'Good'. There will be turned-down corners, gouges, indentations where someone has pushed hard with a pen, curly cover, clingons, etc. Amazon really should get their resellers to tighten up these categories.

 

[hitmouse]

Have had this experience twice when buying new from Amazon. Both times they told me to keep the book, and also refunded it. To receive a poor copy is annoying if it's for a gift but mostly I'm just buying something because I want to read it.

Where I have trouble is with the description of secondhand books. It will be marked 'As new' - and you pay a bit more for that - but when it arrives it is 'Very Good', or even merely 'Good'. There will be turned-down corners, gouges, indentations where someone has pushed hard with a pen, curly cover, clingons, etc. Amazon really should get their resellers to tighten up these categories.

Those categories have very clear qualifications, which makes it easy to object if they are incorrect.

 

[Orcadian]

Those categories have very clear qualifications, which makes it easy to object if they are incorrect.

Sadly none of the blemishes I've listed are part of the descriptions!

 

[hitmouse]

Sadly none of the blemishes I've listed are part of the descriptions!

From what you are describing above, it takes some stretch of the imagination to describe your book as "As New".