This just in from a Colleague

 I do tend to bemoan the lack of professionalism demonstrated by many - not all - on-line book sellers. The true Bookmen are OK, but these folks comprise only about a quarter of the internet selling community. One of our colleagues sent the following our to our Bookmans Guild members for our information, and delectation:

 From Our Colleague to "Better World Books", Indiana regarding a copy of Ian Fleming's Casino Royale they have for sale, a purported First Edition:

Wondering whether this copy of "Casino Royale" could really be a Macmillan 1953 or '54 edition (as advertised) in the classic red & green dust wrapper, not the far more common book club edition in gray banded DJ with tiny silhouettes of babe and pistol (of which every used book dealer has thrown away dozens)
From Better World Books to our colleague:

Hi, Thank you for your inquiry! This is the first edition of the book that was published in 1953. It is not the book club edition. It does still have its dust jacket, but there are two tears on the front cover of the dust jacket. If you have any additional questions please don't hesitate to let us know. Thanks for your interest in Better World Books!
Sincerely,
Stefanie
Better World Books

From Our Colleague to "Better World Books"
The book has now arrived, in its unpadded plastic body bag. Yep, tears to top of DJ front panel: check. But it's the 5 3/4 X 8 1/2-inch later BOOK CLUB EDITION, hardly worth the postage.

"Book Club Edition" is clearly stated at bottom of front DJ flap. Nowhere in this book is "First Printing" or any other printing stated, as required on any trade edition by Macmillan's 1947 publisher's statement, per Zempel & Verkler Fourth Edition, page 359. Unclipped DJ shows NO PRICE. Copyright page (the page Stefanie would have had to check to determine whether this was a first edition) carries zip code "10011" as part of publisher's address. Since U.S. zip codes were first introduced in 1963, how could a zip code appear in a 1953 first edition?

Nor was this error caused by a scanner. There's no bar code to scan; no ISBN anywhere.

I didn't try to buy this book via Amazon or from some Scannerboy via eBay; I used the Antiquarian Booksellers Exchange. I didn't just cross my fingers and hope, I e-mailed an inquiry and waited for a reply.

This is not even some "hard one," where trade edition and BCE look identical save for deboss to rear board or something even trickier.

It's been only a few weeks since you advised me not to even bother returning the "1952 Go Tell It On the Mountain" (which, upon receipt, turned out to be clearly identified as "Eleventh printing 1972" with ISBN) and the "1957 From Russia With Love" (actually clearly identified on copyright page as 1972 with ISBN, listing 9 later James Bond titles, and with the full-page ad for the posthumous Ian Fleming biography on rear panel.)

Even if it I were presumptuous enough to try and advise you re. your business model, I would hardly know where to start.
Do you want this one back?

From me to you: Be careful out there, not everyone is as honest or as knowledgeable as many of us in the Valley are.