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A Warning

(95 Posts)
Ilrina Tue 13-Sept-16 20:06:26

Hello All, I just wanted to warn everyone that if they are thinking of ordering a book online I woiuld strongly advise not to touch a company called WORDERY. I ordered a book from then on 3rd September, giving plenty of time for it to arrive as it was for a Birthday present. To cut a long story short there is no way you can telephone these people, only contact is by e mail or through Amazon. The responses I have from them are appalling and beyond belief, for example telling me there are plenty of other sellers on Amazon and if i wanted a faster delivery I should have gone elsewhere!, then they tell me they will not give a refund until I return the item, the whole point of me contacting them was because I never have received it!I have had to contact amazon who agree that I should have received item by now, they say I have done the right thing in contacting the seller first, but they have now filed a case against the seller on my behalf,will let you know how this pans out, thank goodness it was only a book mand not something which cost alot more money angry

Maggiemaybe Fri 16-Sept-16 10:40:08

No, that's not right, Swanny, market place sellers often do sell for less than Amazon. For example, I've just ordered a new copy of Amy & Isabelle by Elizabeth Strout for £5.29 including postage from a seller, and Amazon's own price is £7.99. Fourteen sellers are selling it cheaper, including Wordery grin. No, I don't know why they allow it either.

I wouldn't be buying from the seller who says s/he can't guarantee Christmas delivery though.

Swanny Fri 16-Sept-16 10:28:45

As jings said If I buy a book, say Nutshell by Ian Mcewen, I would pay £10.99 from Wodery with free delivery, and £7.99 from Amazon lus £2.99 delivery. So works out there he same.

Amazon don't care how much postage their Market Place sellers charge as long as the actual item for sale is not cheaper than Amazon for an identical product. Many Market Place items are used/secondhand and their condition varies.

If you have Amazon Prime membership you wouldn't pay the postage in this instance. Prime doesn't suit everyone I know but it's cost-effective for me as I also make regular use of their audio and video services

Jalima Thu 15-Sept-16 20:10:59

I have been out having a very interesting day, so only just catching up
grin

jinglbellsfrocks Thu 15-Sept-16 20:04:15

I expect everyone else lost interest long ago.

jinglbellsfrocks Thu 15-Sept-16 20:03:13

It's a department of Amazon. In Amazon's drop down menu.

Read some bad reviews about them. Would only want to deal with them through Amazon. You are safe then.

Linsco56 Thu 15-Sept-16 19:55:03

It will probably be a tripartite agreement. Much like purchasing a finance package or insurance via a broker.

Jalima Thu 15-Sept-16 19:39:14

It might also be worth remembering that, although Amazon will bend over backwards for a "customer" their actual customer is the book-seller.
But if Wordery operates through Amazon and the customer orders through Amazon, then the contract is between the customer and Amazon surely?

Gracesgran Thu 15-Sept-16 19:33:33

The overall price seems to be the same Jingle. I did sell the business a few years ago so things may have changed although I keep a passing interest.

jinglbellsfrocks Thu 15-Sept-16 19:29:04

Why do they make out they are an independent bookseller? No m,ention of Amazon on their site.

I will shut up if you like.

'ender now anyway.

jinglbellsfrocks Thu 15-Sept-16 19:27:39

I am confused and will stay that way. hmm

jinglbellsfrocks Thu 15-Sept-16 19:27:05

So, Wordery offer the book at £10.99 with free postage, which makes them the same as AMAZON (£7.95 £2.95 postage) Weird. (sorry for caps lock there)

jinglbellsfrocks Thu 15-Sept-16 19:17:33

So how come they have the book I mentioned at the differing prices I mentioned?

Maggiemaybe Thu 15-Sept-16 19:13:48

Hmm, perhaps I will offer a can of beer with every book, Jalima. I need to think of an appropriate name now. Sozzleread? Boozery? Beery Books?

Maggiemaybe Thu 15-Sept-16 19:12:06

Aw, come on GNers, this really hasn't been so bad. I'm sure most people on here can give as good as they get! Please don't anyone turn on me now - I've got my hands over my eyes and thumbs in my ears just in case

It actually turned into an interesting thread. I'm thinking about unpacking all those books I've got ready for the charity shop and becoming a trader (or maybe not, it sounds like hard work).

Jalima Thu 15-Sept-16 19:11:39

ps I had never heard of Wordery but I certainly have now

durhamjen Thu 15-Sept-16 19:09:05

A pound more at Hive but they do help to keep the local bookshops going.

Jalima Thu 15-Sept-16 19:08:57

I thought a widget was a little device in the top of a beer can to make the beer fizzy
confused
I had visions of a free can of beer with every book.

I always read the bad reviews first, especially on Amazon and Trip Adviser, then the excellent reviews. Good to know what I might be up against grin

Gracesgran Thu 15-Sept-16 19:05:14

Jingl Amazon brought in a rule quite a few years ago that you were not allowed to offer the same book anywhere else for a lower price than you offered it on Amazon.

kittylester Thu 15-Sept-16 19:02:18

jings grin

jinglbellsfrocks Thu 15-Sept-16 18:58:48

(I do find your market stalls comparison slightly patronising. We will stop now)

Thank you for your input. smile

jinglbellsfrocks Thu 15-Sept-16 18:55:45

Sorry for typos

jinglbellsfrocks Thu 15-Sept-16 18:55:06

It's very odd. If I buy a book, say Nutshell by Ian Mcewen, I would pay £10.99 from Wodery with free delivery, and £7.99 from Amazon lus £2.99 delivery. So works out there he same.

Are they simply Amazon under another name? Is it some kind of conglomerate?

Pollengran Thu 15-Sept-16 18:54:40

Gracegran Despite your history lesson, you were very rude and sarcastic. Why did a complaint about a seller turn into "let me tell you about Amazon"?

You should apologise to Iirena, it was uncalled for.

Gracesgran Thu 15-Sept-16 18:46:06

I should have said that of course, Amazon sell books too.

Gracesgran Thu 15-Sept-16 18:41:35

I suppose Abe is a good comparison Jfb. It really is a marketplace. Amazon rent the space and provide the basics - in this case the online space, the systems and the marketing - and they go round like market managers, keeping it up to date and working and applying the market rules to sellers (think market stall holders - but in the warm). Just as a Market Manager would reprimand someone for abusing a customer or selling shoddy goods so do Amazon - for the same reasons. They want their market place to be attractive so they keep renting out marketplace stands (or whatever they are called) but, just in the same way, they will still not want to upset the big stalls that pay the biggest rents.

Quite a few market-place sellers also sell in other ways - they may even have a bricks and mortar shop. Most of the people I actually had contact with either worked from home or had a storage unit. I started at home and then rented a unit. I also sold directly when I had books I knew people wanted or I acted as a book-finder for them if it was worth-while doing so - often not. If you are smaller it is actually nice to be in touch with your customers and some of the back stories are lovely, interesting and/or exciting. With a smaller bookseller you should be able to tell them it is a birthday present.

Many of the sellers - more of the bigger ones I would suspect, now process their books (and they are theirs not Amazons) barcode them and send the to Amazon for warehousing. Amazon then do the picking and packing - for a charge of course so Amazon make more money out of the bookseller not his/her customer; the bookseller is doing that.

Both second hand and new Jbf some do both; I only had older books. It depends on your business model really. New books are often sourced direct and are, I imagine, over production.

I found it a fascinating world but was also my business as it is with many others although some are hobby sellers.