Amazon Sent Me The Wrong Book. And Used.

Normally, I'm complaining about mid-sized bookselling operations  with too much work and not enough management or dim-witted individuals selling off their personal assets.
Today, my problem comes from the great Amazon USA Mothership itself: Amazon.com.


This is kind of bizarre.

I ordered this guy from Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0071101810

Comparative Politics: A Global Introduction

• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Higher Education; 3rd edition (January 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071101810
• ISBN-13: 978-0071101813
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds

Here's a picture of what I ordered. Notice the white cover:
.

.

I got a book, nicely packaged in one of Amazon's BK1 model book fold mailers.
I've attached a picture of the 'From' label, so Amazon management can see which warehouse made this mistake.

.

.
Now, here's a picture of what I received.

Front:

Rear:

For the record, here's the catalog entry:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0073526312

Comparative Politics: A Global Introduction

• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages; 3 edition (May 3, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0073526312
• ISBN-13: 978-0073526317
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds

Let's take a closer look at the sticker on back:

Notice that the ISBN number on the sticker matches what I ordered. The problem, however, is that I didn't want a sticker with the ISBN of what I ordered on it. I wanted the actual book.
If you peel the sticker off... well, it's a different ISBN than what's on the sticker. Also, if you check the copyright page of the book.. it's the purple version, not the white one.

What's more perplexing than this, however, is that the book is clearly not new. The top corners next to the spine have visible bumping; this thing has been dropped. A bunch of times.
The other corners have wear suggestive of substantial handling. There isn't any highlighting, but it leads me to wonder how Amazon got this guy mixed in with the new book inventory.
Also, why would Amazon buy books with bar codes on top of their real bar codes?
I know that Amazon has in-house stickers used to help with order automation, but how did this mix-up actually happen?
I know Amazon has sellers using its 'Fulfillment By Amazon' service. Perhaps one of those guys sent his book in with this bar code, then the automation took over and this book got lumped in with the new stuff?
Is some poor Amazon seller now missing his book?

If anyone working at Amazon has any info as to whether or not this is possible, please let me know. I'd be fascinated to know, and would be glad to preserve your anonymity.

Bad Bookseller Jeff Bezos, No Cookie!

and, in a new feature, here is the Cookie recipe that Jeff Bezos, CEO, would have gotten if he hadn't been a Bad Bookseller:

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/loris-awesome-cookies/Detail.aspx

This buyer clearly only eats at Denny's; No Cookie Needed

For today's Bad Bookseller installment, we take you to an amateur Amazon seller who goes by the name ChefLizzyRose.
Here is her feedback:
3.7 stars over the past 12 months (11 ratings, 73% positive)

Sellers with 11 feedback and 73% positive aren't a good thing, but the feedback stat, in and of itself, doesn't make for a worthwhile blog entry.
However, some of the feedback and responses are amusing.

Here is the most recent feedback:


1 out of 5: "Ordered item, but order was canceled because item was "out of stock." When I checked back on the Amazon site, though, the item in question was still listed for sale. Seller does not seem to keep track of what he or she is selling on Amazon."
Date: February 19, 2011     Rated by Buyer: Kenji H.

Seller Response: "By immediately letting you know the item was out of stock constitutes keeping track of what is being sold. Amazon site takes up to 15 minutes to update when something is changed. Again, I apologize for the inconvenience. Have a wonderful day."     Date: February 27, 2011


My remarks: 
If you really had been keeping up with with what was sold, you would not have had a stock-out to begin with.
If Lizzy had a walk-in store and advertised shelf stock on Amazon, she might have an argument. The 12-month feedback count of 11 pretty much tells you that we're not dealing with a full-fledged business, though. Feedback gets left for maybe 1 transaction in 10, so we're talking about an enterprise that only has to track 3 sales per week.

Here is another negative, with a response that speaks to the seller's business sense:



2 out of 5: "Never received item, mis-represented as a canister when she told me after the fact, they were packets."
Date: August 21, 2010     Rated by Buyer: CityGirl
Seller Response: "Refunded both of this persons items. So not only are they a cheat they are a liar too. Sellers beware. Amazon has does nothing to protect us sellers."     Date: September 3, 2010


My remarks:
What is the cheating here? The buyer ordered an item, did not receive it and received a refund.
Did you think that paying them the refund money binds them into some kind of contract that keeps them from leaving you a neg?
If just accepting a return and refunding the money bought you good feedback, then no one would have any negs.
If the buyer defrauded you somehow, you need to explain yourself. Otherwise you wind up looking like a ninny.

Here is the good one:


1 out of 5: "First of all I never got either of my products. I find out that the picture is of a canister and she sent the box which is misleading. No tracking. Nothing. She did refund one of my items but not the other. Horrible..."
Date: August 3, 2010     Rated by Buyer: CityGirl
Seller Response: "This buyer clearly only eats at Denny's and is able to order from only the menu with pictures. My products always have a description that is accurate. This buyer has also been reported to Amazon. Sellers beware!"     Date: August 3, 2010

My remarks:
Really? You're complaining that a customer needs to have pictures in order to know what they're ordering?
Amazon lets you upload dozens of pictures and illustrations of your product. Amazon lets you make new catalog pages; you can make a catalog page with whatever title you need, write a 10-paragraph description of the product and upload beautiful full-color photos of any aspect of the thing.
Bad seller!
No Cookie for you, ChefLizzyRose!

PS- If you ever wind up reading this post, could you please post a comment explaining what the fraud was in relation to the August 21 feedback above? I tried to figure it out, but it was making my brain want to explode.

How to not package International Shipments of Board Games

I got a couple of board games last week from an Amazon seller in Malaysia.
Previously, I ordered a bunch and they came in a sturdy UPS box. That was awesome.
This time, two of them came in bubble wrap and a UPS mailer.
Check the packaging before I open it:

.
.

Not encouraging, but okay. It might be fine inside.
I peel off the UPS materials.

On gfirst glance, we might still be okay.
I look closer, though, and pull off the bubble wrap. Notice the bulge on the top edge of that side?

.

Okay. Here's another view of it:
.

Notice that the damage goes all the way through to the cardboard of the box. You could actually touch the exposed cardboard of the box *through* the bubble wrap.
Moral of the story:
Use a cardboard box, or three or more layers of bubble wrap when shipping any board game anywhere.
In defense of this seller, one of the two items sent was fine aside from slightly rounded corners to the cardboard of the box and looking at their feedback.. the last time they had a complaint about shipping damage that resulted in non-positive feedback was early November, and it looks like they sell at least 100 units per month.

Honorable Mention For Creative Seller Name: Fenouil Books with Tracking Number

Many booksellers choose a name that will inspire confidence or win the hearts of consumers.
I've never seen one that mentioned their shipping practices before.
Note this seller's listing:

• Seller: Fenouil Books with Tracking Number
• Seller Rating:98% positive over the past 12 months. (705 total ratings)
• In Stock. Ships from CA, United States. 
  Domestic shipping rates and return policy.

and here's his storefront link.

Solid feedback stats and all.
One weird thing is the book descriptions all end with some non-human-decipherable garbage, but if the feedback is good, I suppose it doesn't bother customers.
Examples:

The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn (Hardcover): Dust jacket missing............./ii

Creating Space: The Story of the Space Age Through Models: Apogee Books Space Series 24 (Paperback): Clean....................../4

American National Government and Politics in the Economy: Aprimer of American Political Economy (Paperback): Underlining with pencil on some pages.........................../7

Maybe the numbers are shelf numbering? I wonder why you'd mix Roman (ii) and Arabic (4) numbering systems, though.
Honorable mention to you, Fenouil Books with Tracking Number.
Keep up the good feedback, and you won't get any 'No Cookies' !

Well, if they get the money they're asking for this book they're a VERY GOOD bookseller, and I'll send them a cookie.

Today, in the high-priced book category we have Amazon's SDSU_Books.
I would assume they were South Dakota State University, but since they say they ship from California, probably not. The university's bookstore would probably have more than the 4 feedback they have as well.

Here's the book:

Money, Banking and Financial Markets (Paperback) by Stephen G. Cecchetti ‹ Return to product information

..

And here's their listing:

$87,564,320,112.99 + $3.99shipping

Used - Very Good

Seller: SDSU_Books Seller Rating:100% positive. (4 total ratings) In Stock. Expedited shipping available. International & domestic shipping rates and return policy. If you read this book, you'll be able to afford the price! Ships from CA

Notice the low, low price of $87,564,320,112.99 and $3.99 in shipping. You'd think they'd thrown in the shipping for free at that price, but maybe Amazon won't let them.

There is another problem with this listing, but it's more Amazon's fault than theirs.
The book in question is a McGraw Hill international edition. If you blow up the picture of the book by clicking on it at its Amazon page, you'll notice that it says, "This International Student Edition is for use outside of the U.S."
Amazon shouldn't have a catalog page for items like this, and has banned third-party sellers in the past for listing these. The look of the page leads me to believe that Amazon, not a third-party seller created the page. It's got a bunch of reviews, and they're not from yesterday, so this listing has been around for a while.
Here's a link to the product page for this item.

Student Actor Doesn't Understand Why You Can't Sell Photocopies Of Sheet Music On Amazon!

Bad Seller, No Cookie goes out to Amazon's apgilmore today.
Here's the product:

Grease (Vocal Score) (Paperback) by Jim Jacobs, Warren Casey ‹ Return to product information

for the record, you can find this by searching for 088188023X in the search field at the top of Amazon's front age.

Here's the listing:

• Seller: apgilmore
• Seller Rating:100% positive. (2 total ratings)
• In Stock.
  Domestic shipping rates and return policy.
• MINE IS COPIED ON PLAIN COMPUTER PAPER but its the whole musical section libretto/vocal book to the show. Some notes written inside from being in the show. 

Alright folks, that's all for now!

Even Booksellers Get Nigerian Scammers!

I got this email today. 

Subject: BOOKS

from John Coker

to robertlutz@ameritech.net

date Mon, Jan 10, 2011 at 12:04 PM

subject BOOKS

mailed-by yahoo.com

signed-by yahoo.com

Gooday am interested in your books i will need the list history books you have in store and there are price  your details concernng this item before proceeding with the payment. the method of Bank Check  Email back, if it still for sale.

Regards

 

I guarantee you this is a variant of the advance fee scam or perhaps the 'oops, I sent you a check too big, could you send some of the money back?' scam. 

I'd like to play with this guy like the guys over at this site do:

http://www.419eater.com/

but since he may know where I sell, there's a small chance of feedback manipulation or identity theft or the like. If it was at one of my anonymous Hotmail accounts I keep just for registering at websites with, then we could have some fun. 

Check 419eater out, it's great for a laugh. I probably spent two hours reading the first time I ran across it, laughing the whole time. 

Anyone want to guess which scam this guy was running?