Don't understand this Half.com seller.

[Cylenchar]

Also, as a big seller, they may hope that people will come to their site and purchase multiple items for convenience and not price shop all the items, so if they have a few that are overpriced the buyers don't notice or assume 'I'm saving overall by getting it all from one place'.

[DebbieL]

Sounds fishy to me. And no way would I look at that and think "Gee, these guys must have a way better quality book if it's 5 times as expensive". I would just go with a cheaper one. I'm not looking for a museum quality showpiece in a cookbook (or whatever type book). If the other seller says "very good" condition, and it's $4 - that's what I'm paying. I have bought several books online, and I usually go with the cheapest one (or the second cheapest if the seller's rating is much higher and the difference in price is very small, etc). I've never received a book that wasn't in good shape (just as described).

[mom-from-missouri]

Are you sure that is for one book?? I sometimes (being a homeschooler mom) buy multiples of a book and some sell them in lots of 10, 12, 24 or even 100. I got the little house series that way, then resold the extras to other homeschool familes and made 5 times my money back.

[DebbieL]

I looked it up, and it is just for one book. Crazy.

[Cassandra]

Very strange. I looked at the seller's feedback and noticed that a lot of the books he has sold are in the $3-10 range. Some are more expensive, but from the titles they sounded like textbooks/reference books. He has a lot of negative feedback from people who say they never received the book, or got the wrong book, or the book wasn't as described.

People are weird.

[Chewey55]

Reseller

As a general rule, Booksellers that have over 10,000 feedback are resellers. They have massive data base programs that their computer tweek and most of their sales are fullfilled by third party vendors.
Blue Cloud books is another example of these. Paying them for expediated shipping is a waste of money as there third party vendors are instructed to ship standard.
An example of this is I had a book, Beginning Glassblowing, listed on Half for $99. They listed the book on Amazon for $149 (some people don't shop). The book sold on Amazon and they immediately bought mine and instrusted me who to ship to and not to include an invoice.
Another way to tell that they are resellers in to look at the feedback they have given others. In bwibook case is 81110 as a seller 2 as a buyer. Their purchasing is done by other alias.
In other words they are MIDDLEMEN for people that don't shop.

[disneysteve]

As a general rule, Booksellers that have over 10,000 feedback are resellers.


In other words they are MIDDLEMEN for people that don't shop.

That's interesting, but I still don't quite get it. I understand that some people don't shop around, but if you go to half.com and search for a book, you get a list of all sellers offering that particular book and what each is charging. Why would anyone choose the $50 copy when the very same screen shows a $4 copy?

[zeldo]

I guess that it is because they have thousands of books and available and that some do not have to compete against other book sellers as they do not have the books, and thus people may be forced to pay the high price.

[cicy33]

As a general rule, Booksellers that have over 10,000 feedback are resellers. They have massive data base programs that their computer tweek and most of their sales are fullfilled by third party vendors.
Blue Cloud books is another example of these. Paying them for expediated shipping is a waste of money as there third party vendors are instructed to ship standard.
An example of this is I had a book, Beginning Glassblowing, listed on Half for $99. They listed the book on Amazon for $149 (some people don't shop). The book sold on Amazon and they immediately bought mine and instrusted me who to ship to and not to include an invoice.
Another way to tell that they are resellers in to look at the feedback they have given others. In bwibook case is 81110 as a seller 2 as a buyer. Their purchasing is done by other alias.
In other words they are MIDDLEMEN for people that don't shop.

Just so I am clear. are they selling a book they don't have in the hopes of buying yours? or are you in agreement with them to provide a book?

If it is the first that is a dangerous game (not to mention against the rules) and would explain some of the bad feedback. Example: They sell a book for 150 that they don't have. They then buy the book from someone else at a severely discounted rate and have it shipped to the person who bought it from them. Problem would begin is if the book was already sold to someone else and they couldn't get it at a good rate.

If it is the second then they basically are like those places that try to get you to open a website and become a drop shipper. They are a drop shipper.

[disneysteve]

It still doesn't make sense to me because I'm not talking about them listing at a high price at one site when the book is available much cheaper at another site. I'm talking about the very same site. The very same page, in fact.

Here's an example. This is a listing page for a book I currently have for sale.
Half.com / Books / Current Practice Guidelines in Primary Care 2009
There are 4 brand new copies listed for under $15 but under Very Good, there is bwibook with his 80,000 feedback rating offering the same item for $33. Why would any sane person buy that book?

[cicy33]

With the high rate of scammers that are emerging, some people feel better buying from someone that they feel is "safer". They may equate that with feedback or even think that the higher the cost the better the product and the seller. otherwise, people are crazy

[disneysteve]

With the high rate of scammers that are emerging, some people feel better buying from someone that they feel is "safer". They may equate that with feedback or even think that the higher the cost the better the product and the seller. otherwise, people are crazy

I can understand that to some extent, but when you are talking about a book, "the higher the cost the better the product" doesn't really apply. Plus, these high-priced sellers are often charging 2 or 3 or 4 times more than list price. The potential buyer could walk into their local bookstore or go to amazon.com or b&n.com and get the exact same book from a very dependable company for a lot less money.

[cicy33]

I can understand that to some extent, but when you are talking about a book, "the higher the cost the better the product" doesn't really apply. Plus, these high-priced sellers are often charging 2 or 3 or 4 times more than list price. The potential buyer could walk into their local bookstore or go to amazon.com or b&n.com and get the exact same book from a very dependable company for a lot less money.

again I must say: People are crazy!