SC - Buying books using the web

[Acanthus Books]

Stefan wrote:

>So, my questions are:
>1) How often are these databases updated? I checked again several
>days later and no entries seemed to have changed. I was using only
>the www.bookfinder.com address.
Bookfinder is a meta search engine with listings from a number of online 
book databases. Each individual database has its own policy, but generally 
a bookseller's update to a database is processed within 24 hours at the 
most. Bookfinder always searches the most recent versions of the databases. 
If you're looking for a title that has many copies listed on the databases, 
it wouldn't surprise me that the entries have not changed over a period of 
a few days. In cases where many copies of the same book are listed with a 
given database, it's a good idea to go directly to the database and do a 
search, because Bookfinder places limits on the number of listings each 
database can return for each search. Also, understand that some dealers 
list their books on more than one of the databases, so you may see the same 
copy listed more than once.

>2) Is there a glossery somewhere for all these terms on the condition
>a book is in?

See http://www.zorro.ioba.org/desc.html for condition descriptions
and http://www.zorro.ioba.org/terms.html for book related terms including 
abbreviations used in descriptions

>3) I just did another order for "To the King's Taste" and the merchant
>said he still had the book and would hold it. Even offered to send the
>book before the check got there. Is this what I should do, wait for a
>confirmation before sending a check, even if the merchants website
>says it is in stock?
Always wait for a confirmation from the dealer because books listed on the 
databases can sell quickly.

>4) Even if I get a email reply that says the book is in stock, will
>it likely be held for me or will I find that the book has been sold
>while my check was in the mail?
I'd recommend when you submit your order (either via the database, or you 
can always email your order directly to the dealer if you wish) you add any 
comments at that time. This would include any questions you have about the 
book or its condition, shipping, payment options, etc., and I would also 
specifically say "if this book is still available please hold for me". The 
dealer will send you an email confirming the hold.

If you change your mind and decide not to buy a book, email the dealer 
right away so it can be offered to another customer. My experience has been 
that the purchase abandonment rate on money order or check payments ranges 
anywhere from about 25% to 50%. I'll confirm the book is available and has 
been placed on hold, then never receive payment and usually don't hear 
anything from the customer, even if I make the effort to email again and 
ask whether I should continue to hold the book.

When a dealer confirms a book is on hold for you, it will not be sold to 
anyone else IF you mail your check within a reasonable period of time. Most 
dealers hold a book for 7 to 10 days. If there is a delay in sending your 
check but you still want the book, be sure to email the dealer and ask for 
the hold to be extended.

I do not recommend buying used or out of print books from Alibris, Barnes & 
Noble, or Amazon. Although Alibris has a limited amount of its own 
inventory, the majority of Alibris' used and out of print stock, as well as 
all of B&N's and Amazon's, is purchased from independent booksellers only 
after customer orders are received. The same copies these 3 are trying to 
sell can usually be purchased directly from the independent booksellers who 
own them, via one of the databases Bookfinder searches. The only difference 
is Alibris, B&N, and Amazon add large markups. In many cases the customer 
also has to wait longer for a book because it goes through an additional 
level of processing when it is mailed by the independent bookseller to 
Alibris, B&N or Amazon, who then mails it to the customer.

Amanda
Acanthus Books
http://www.acanthus-books.com