Unsatisfactory Book Quality: My Experience with Amazon and Dover Orders

[dijkarte]

Anybody had bad experience with quality of new books ordered from Dover or amazon? Defect pages, bend covers, ...books in not in perfect condition...?

My worst was a hole in one page!

Another was curved hardcover!

All from amazon. Is this why amazon sell cheaper than from the publisher because they sell very likely defect items?

 

[Jorriss]

Anybody had bad experience with quality of new books ordered from Dover or amazon? Defect pages, bend covers, ...books in not in perfect condition...?

My worst was a hole in one page!

Another was curved hardcover!

All from amazon. Is this why amazon sell cheaper than from the publisher because they sell very likely defect items?

Yes! More than anyone I've met, I'm paranoid about my books - I care about my book collection. I get a tad bit heart broken when I get a new book from amazon and the bottom-side has been crushed in shipping.

I've considered not ordering from amazon anymore but I can't afford elsewhere.

 

[dijkarte]

The funny thing yet scary, because you may find it when it's too late...while reading through a nice looking book you encounter a page where you can see through the next page words...probably good to give you hints about the next topic :D

 

[discoversci]

I'm having the same experiences as Jorriss. Amazon regullary sends already damaged books or are damaged during delivery (i.e. packaging just isn't sturdy). It has a good return policy, though. But you loose money when sendig back damaged books. BookDepository has similar policy - and I have with them prety much the same experience as with Amazon.(com/de/co.uk), BUT BookDepository has some books substantially cheaper. If possible, I almost always order used books in at least "very good" or "like new" condition and I pay way less.

 

[dijkarte]

No wonder why they sell for cheaper than the publishers...yeah their return options are not bad and they are very open to customers :)

I have no experience with specific publisher quality, packaging, and return policy. Any ideas?

 

[discoversci]

I've mostly used Dover. Their prices are a bit higher than Amazon's (et alii) but packaging is sturdy and shipping extremely fast. I was also checking Wiley directly, but prices of their books can go sky high. Springer (again directly) here and there also offers 50% discounts on their books. I think they have some discounts right now till July as I recall. I still advise you to buy used books in a "very good" or "like new" condition for a reasonable price.
Mind you:
1. Be careful not to get a copy (i.e. not original). Chinese folks are quite active in this. Better to ask seller to be certain and thus gaining the leverage for possible refunds via Amazon's "file a claim".
2. Some seller are using Amazon's automatic pricing and you can get quite high prices on some books - even ridiculous (http://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/The-perils-of-automatic-pricing-on-Amazon-1351782.php). I've also had a simmilar experience, when I came across a MIR book (forgot the title of the book) and it costed no more and no less that 6,666,66. Yeah well... it was a beast, yeah

 

[dijkarte]

Thanks.

So these sellers that offer lower prices have the risk of delivering defect items because they get them from publishers as low priced defect items?

And why do publishers sell the same items for higher price than non-publishers?

 

[morphism]

I've never had a negative experience in my years of using Amazon.

 

[discoversci]

Thanks.

So these sellers that offer lower prices have the risk of delivering defect items because they get them from publishers as low priced defect items?

And why do publishers sell the same items for higher price than non-publishers?

Maybe. Dunno about defects, but publishers offer lower prices to sellers because of quantity, I guess.

 

[discoversci]

I've never had a negative experience in my years of using Amazon.

Well, I've had a few. Especially with paperback books and one hardback - it's DJ was completely torn (not due to bad packaging). Anyway... if I pay for the new book, then I want a new book. Otherwise, they should stop advertising these books as NEW.

 

[dijkarte]

I've never had a negative experience in my years of using Amazon.

What's the point? :)

Anyway... if I pay for the new book, then I want a new book. Otherwise, they should stop advertising these books as NEW.

I agree. But at the same time I blame the publisher for letting some defect books go out to the market. Cannot they check papers for holes, defect hardcovers, damaged printing...?
Don't hide it, just trash it. :D