SC - Buying books using the web

[Elaine Koogler]

The only experience I've had with book search companies was with The Haunted
Bookstore", and when they found what I wanted, they notified me, with the price
and gave me a stated length of time that they would hold it for me.  On another
occasion, another company had a book I wanted in stock.  I immediately fired
back a response telling them I wanted it and would they please hold it for me.
They very kindly did so until they received my check.

Kiri

Stefan li Rous wrote:

> Amanda said:
> > I'm sure some listmates
> > will email to tell you where their copy was purchased, and trying addall,
> > bookfinder, and even meta search engines like dogpile and mamma will
> > illustrate there are many alternatives to buying from amazon.
> >
> > Amanda
> > Acanthus Books
> > http://www.acanthus-books.com
> > http://www.bookfinder.com       Bookfinder - 15,000+ Online Booksellers
> > http://www.addall.com           Book Search and Price Comparison
> > http://www.noamazon.com Say NO to Amazon's bogus web patents
> > http://www.ioba.org             Independent Online Booksellers Association
>
> After hearing this mentioned here I decided to try this a few days ago.
> The book I looked for was not a cookbook, but rather a book published
> in 1946, "Under the Red Sea Sun" about salvaging a port on the Red
> Sea. Anyway, I found a surprizing number of copies from $10 to $75.
> However a large number of the entries said the book had already been
> sold when I checked out the sites. After ruling out a few that I
> ruled out because they were in New Zealand, and I figured the shipping
> would be atrocious, I placed an order. That order required a check.
> Luckily before I got the check in the mail I recieved a message from
> the vender saying the book had been sold.
>
> 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.
>
> 2) Is there a glossery somewhere for all these terms on the condition
> a book is in?
>
> 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?
>
> 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?
>
> Thanks.
>   Stefan
>
> --
> Lord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
> Mark S. Harris             Austin, Texas           stefan at texas.net
> **** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****
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