I wanted to share with you all what happens when a seller does not package their books correctly. I am active on the Amazon.com seller forum and I have recentlyrun into a situation with buying a book from a seller. The packaging method, or lack there of that this seller used cause the book to be very damaged. Here is the conversation I have posted about it thus far. Hope you find it interesting.
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Posts: 48
From: Texas
Registered: 10/16/07 |
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What should I do?
Posted: Jun 13, 2008 8:19 AM |
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| Okay, so I bought a book from another seller, who will remain nameless, for a class I am taking for the summer. I paid like 60.00 for it. It was listed as very good condition. When I received the book it was stuffed into a flat rate box with no wrapping and it was all bent up. the corners of the book were mashed in the binding was tearing away from the page. It was just warped like crazy. So I sent the seller this email: I was very disappointed in the way in which you shipped this book to me. You shoved it in a flat rate box to save some money because of its large size. It had no protection or wrapping of any kind. When I received it the spine was all bent out of shaped and was beginning to detach from the pages. All of the corners were smashed in and the book will not lay flat. I ordered this book for a summer class and I need it so I am unable to return it. However, the book was not in Very Good Condition as you described it. Please do not ship your books this way. You can wrap the book in bubble wrap and then put it in the cloth material flat rate envelope at the post office and still ship for the same price. I am seller and I understand how much feedback can hurt your business. Please respond and I will rate your customer service instead of your packaging methods. Partial refund perhaps?
So he replies:
Sorry for the problem w/ your book. I sold over 50 psychology books – I would estimate over half of them went into a flat rate box w/ no other issues. Thanks for the email w/ your problem. I will look at different shipping methods or different flat rate boxes.
Thanks again for the email!
I am pissed. I don’t think he really gave me any response here. An apology doesn’t cut it. He needs to give me a partial refund or something. Right?
So I reply:
What are you going to do about the damage to my book? It was not as described.
I haven’t gotten a reply yet. I can’t return the book because the class already started. I have to have the book. It is just that I don’t package my books this way and all the other sellers I have purchased from don’t do it this way. It’s just unprofessional. Should I give him poor feedback. I hate leaving bad feedback but this is just not acceptable from another seller. I hate that he says I didn’t have a problem with the other books I sent out so … implies: you must be lying. Opinions, suggestions? Please…
P.S. I posted this here so new sellers can see what happens when they don’t package their books properly.
Message was edited by:
abookintime2 |
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Posts: 6,977
Registered: 2/8/06 |
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Re: What should I do?
Posted: Jun 13, 2008 9:02 AM  in response to: abookintime2 |
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| You have a few choices. Before you do anything wait for his e-mail back to see what he says. Then…1. File an A-Z claim. You’ll get your money back this way.
2. Settle for a partial refund if the seller agrees.
Either way leave appropriate feedback. |
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Posts: 3,259
From: An island of tranquility between two major cities
Registered: 2/8/06 |
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Re: What should I do?
Posted: Jun 13, 2008 9:47 AM in response to: abookintime2 |
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| What a jerk!You’ve got to tell him what you want–don’t leave the solution in his hands. I’d tell him I want a 50% refund. If you don’t get that within a few days I would file an A-Z claim. If you do get a full refund through A-Z you might want to return the book wrapped properly so he knows what that looks like.
No matter what happens with the refunds I would leave him the appropriate neutral/negative feedback after everything is resolved to your satisfaction. |
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Posts: 48
From: Texas
Registered: 10/16/07 |
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Re: What should I do?
Posted: Jun 13, 2008 1:00 PM in response to: happeeface |
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| Thanks you two. I felt like this wasn’t right. He still hasn’t responded to my last email. The thing is though is that I can’t return the book until after my class if I do return it. |
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Posts: 932
Registered: 6/12/06 |
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Re: What should I do?
Posted: Jun 13, 2008 1:21 PM in response to: abookintime2 |
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| I don’t think you made it clear what you wanted. You wrote a lot about how to ship properly and the condition of the book. And then at the end are three little words- easily missed If a partial refund was important, you should have made it more clear.See what the seller responds to the second email, and go from there |
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Posts: 3,259
From: An island of tranquility between two major cities
Registered: 2/8/06 |
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Re: What should I do?
Posted: Jun 13, 2008 2:14 PM in response to: abookintime2 |
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| You’re welcome.I wouldn’t wait for an answer. Just write and tell him what you want and that he has until Monday to respond. Then, if you aren’t satisfied you should file an A-Z claim. I wouldn’t threaten the claim, just do it if you aren’t happy after a few days. Let us know how it turns out.
Good luck! |
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Posts: 48
From: Texas
Registered: 10/16/07 |
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Re: What should I do?
Posted: Jun 13, 2008 3:11 PM in response to: happeeface |
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| I wrote to him again following your advice. This is what I wrote:Maybe I was being a bit unclear about what I want. Just because the other books you shipped didn’t have damage does not mean mine doesn’t. You just got unlucky with me I guess. I don’t appreciate the idea that you use this excuse as a means not to give me a partial refund for the book since it has been damaged. I want a 50% refund on the book. I have to keep the book so I guess 50% will be fine. I am sorry but you packaged the book incorrectly and you have to deal with the consequences of that. Please respond. Thank you but a simple apology will not placate buyers in this business, including me.
I will keep you guys updated okay. |
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Posts: 269
Registered: 2/8/06 |
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Re: What should I do?
Posted: Jun 13, 2008 3:49 PM in response to: abookintime2 |
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| Sorry, but if I received an email demanding a 50% discount on a $60 book because of some transit wear I would be telling you to return the book immediately for a refund.50% is just greed for greed’s sake. I’ll bet any money that acceptable copies of that book are on sale for $58 in much worse condition than the copy you currently have.
If you actually wanted a partial refund you should of sent a request asking for a reasonable discount . 50% on a textbook that the seller can sell again in a matter of days is plain outrageous.
All you have now accomplished is to tick off the seller and make yourself look like a scammer.
20% maximum is appropriate.
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Posts: 763
Registered: 3/1/06 |
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Re: What should I do?
Posted: Jun 13, 2008 4:28 PM in response to: abookintime2 |
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| If the seller reads this thread{and many do}, now they know you need the book and probably won’t return it. It looks like a A to Z is your only option. |
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Posts: 48
From: Texas
Registered: 10/16/07 |
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Re: What should I do?
Posted: Jun 13, 2008 4:45 PM in response to: sevenne |
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I’m sorry but I fail to see how this is greedy? You seem like you are mad at me. I am certainly not a scammer. The book was damaged and was no longer in the manner described. If you were a seller maybe you would be upset but if you were the buyer you would definitely be upset. $60 dollars is alot for one book and I expect to get what I pay for. I am not asking for the whole price back. Why 20%? Is there some sort of set limit on this? Anyway I was merely following the other posters advice. Maybe you should have posted earlier. By the way would you ever send a book in this manner to a buyer. It was so wedged in the box that I couldn’t even pull it out. I had to get my boyfriend to hold on to the box while I pulled. If you were the buyer, trust me you would be upset. If I bought something at a retail store and took it home only to find missing pieces or broken parts I would get a full refund. 50% is not mean. Message was edited by:
abookintime2 |
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Posts: 48
From: Texas
Registered: 10/16/07 |
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Re: What should I do?
Posted: Jun 13, 2008 4:47 PM in response to: abookintime2 |
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| Also, this wasn’t transit wear, this was improper packaging. |
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Posts: 48
From: Texas
Registered: 10/16/07 |
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Re: What should I do?
Posted: Jun 13, 2008 4:48 PM in response to: jettyfisherman |
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| Am I supposed to return the book? |
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Posts: 48
From: Texas
Registered: 10/16/07 |
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Re: What should I do?
Posted: Jun 13, 2008 4:51 PM in response to: abookintime2 |
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| It’s a textbook, most people purchase text books for classes. This is probably part of the reason he feels he can get away with crappy packaging. He assumes people need the book and won’t complain. If he reads this maybe he will see how frustrating his actions are to his buyers. By the way all, I was putting this up here, not to argue but to make it clear to people how frustrating it is to get a book where the packaging was so bad. It is really frustrating to the buyer. I am going to redouble my own efforts for proper packaging as well. I don’t want to put my buyers through this. |
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Posts: 48
From: Texas
Registered: 10/16/07 |
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Re: What should I do?
Posted: Jun 13, 2008 4:53 PM in response to: abookintime2 |
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| I feel bad enough complaining about something to a fellow seller. I just can’t not complain in this situation. Seriously, it looked like he was trying to stuff an elephant into a walnut. |
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Posts: 47
Registered: 3/4/06 |
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Re: What should I do?
Posted: Jun 13, 2008 5:14 PM in response to: abookintime2 |
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| OP wrote “You can wrap the book in bubble wrap and then put it in the cloth material flat rate envelope at the post office and still ship for the same price.”I do not ship anything in a flat rate envelope unless there is ample room for bubble wrap. I understand your frustration. I am curious about the cloth material flat rate envelope you mentioned. I’ve seen the tyvek that are based on weight, but never a Flat Rate cloth material envelope. Is this somehing new? |
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Posts: 401
Registered: 4/29/06 |
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Re: What should I do?
Posted: Jun 13, 2008 6:13 PM in response to: abookintime2 |
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| Perhaps you should check the going rate of the textbook in “acceptable” condition, and use that as the basis for your refund request. |
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Posts: 3,259
From: An island of tranquility between two major cities
Registered: 2/8/06 |
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Re: What should I do?
Posted: Jun 14, 2008 8:46 AM in response to: sevenne |
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| I don’t see a 50% refund as greedy. The book sounds as though it arrived in terrible condition. And the stress and disappointment of the buyer is worth something. Asking for half back from the seller is a lot better than filing an A-Z claim and getting 100% of the money back–and keeping the book. |
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Posts: 3,259
From: An island of tranquility between two major cities
Registered: 2/8/06 |
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Re: What should I do?
Posted: Jun 14, 2008 8:57 AM in response to: abookintime2 |
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| I think your letter is very good.You could order another book from a seller with a high feedback rating and then return that book when the other one arrives–hopefully in good shape. What is the feedback rating of the seller you got the book from?
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Posts: 48
From: Texas
Registered: 10/16/07 |
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Re: What should I do?
Posted: Jun 14, 2008 10:18 AM in response to: happeeface |
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| So he just replied with this.It is normally not an option…I only take returns on problems. It gets very complicated and does not ever seem to work out. But, we’ll give it a try. What do you feel is an acceptable refund?
Let me know.
Is he suggesting that this is not a problem? What does he mean it does not ever seem to work out? He must be a new seller right? What should I say is acceptable? |
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Posts: 48
From: Texas
Registered: 10/16/07 |
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Re: What should I do?
Posted: Jun 14, 2008 10:24 AM in response to: snuglismom |
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| Snuglis,I am refering to the tyvek envelope. I was told at the post office it was a cloth mailer. I looked it up on USPS and it is suggesting that it is the normal $4.80 to mail something in this envelope. They list it as Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope: Tyvek. I live in a city where people at the post office don’t speak English most of the time. Seriously, last time I went to the post office I didn’t hear any English until it was my turn in line. When I asked what it was they said cloth maybe it was lost in translation. Good question. Thanks. BTW I happened to have another text book sent to me in this type of mailer so I tested it with the warped book to see if would fit with room to give and it did. I agree with you about not shipping without bubble wrap. |
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So as you can see this can be very frustrating. packaging a book the proper way it the first step to customer satisfaction. I will post more about how to package properly later. I will also keep this one updated.
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