From time to time, I buy books on the internet. My purchase arrived, and it was so completely different from what I bought that I sent the following to the "dealer:"
This book was listed, and portrayed, as the signed, limited edition. It is
a poor to good copy of the book club edition. Before I leave extremely
negative feedback, or contest the sale, what would you like to do ? I do
this ONLY as a courtesy to an amateur. I would recommend to you an
immediate refund of what I paid, and if you want this book returned,
also credit return postage.
His reply:
I'm so sorry about this transaction as it was listed carelessly. I already placed a full refund, and I decided that you can keep the book free of charge if you wish.
Sincerely,
No, it didn't do any good to keep a crap book, but I did.
But, but ... surely he signed only a "LIMITED" number of book club editions.
ReplyDelete-- V.
This week's variant over here was the "1973" copy of "The Rebel Outlaw Josey Wales" I found listed at a low, low price Online and grabbed a week back.
ReplyDelete(A very small first run under a pseudonym by an author who once ran for governor of Georgiabama on a white supremacist ticket, from a press curiously spelled Whipporwill, if I recall.)
The book arrived today ... and it's a movie tie-in SECOND PAPERBACK edition, Dell 1976, with the title changed to match the movie, "The Outlaw Josie Wales" (no "Rebel")
So let's see: wrong pub. date, wrong imprint, even the wrong TITLE? Anyone want to bet when I call to report there's a slight problem I'll merely be told, "Oh, the scanner does that sometimes."
Selling books without wanting to open them and see what's on the title page. Isn't that sort of like wanting to be a doctor, as long as you don't actually have to touch the icky patients?
-- V.