We Need the Book Police!

[intermedia46]

Well, I've been ranting a lot lately!

That's because I keep finding plenty to rant about!

Like all these unscrupulous , unethical chiselers whom could have a proper career if they applied their guiles somewhere else! Maybe I'm being to kind! Methinks they would be beaten black & blue in the real world.

Here they are safe, hiding behind the anonimity of the madding crowd.

I thought I had found one culprit...than yesterday found another, with a different kind of scam.

Now, upon further sleuthing , I think they are both connected or in fact the same identity.

Both guys( or girls ) or whatever gender they wish to be, seem to use a catchphrase on their website!!

Yep! They may use sharp practices, but eventually they are not as sharp as they think.

I'd love to exchange notes with other discerning readers to see if my suspicion is correct.

At any rate, the real reason for this post ( other than to vent ) is the all ethical sellers should band together to observe & divulge any suspected fraud and once reported to the monitors , we will see prompt action (LMAO, see my other post ) Nobody is listening, and the monitors are asleep at the monitor!

I'm reminded of Sysiphus and the boulder...methinks we are doomed!

What say you...share your thoughts on this sad state of affairs! I'm out of here!

Bonne Nuit to all!...crap, it's morning!

[1786davycrockett]

@intermedia46 

So. . .what's the problem?

You state that you "keep finding plenty to rant about" -- but then don't describe anything.

Details. . .details.

[1786davycrockett]

@intermedia46 

Speaking of a need for "the Book Police":  Several of the items listed on your site are magazines, which USPS does not allow to be shipped at USPS Media rates.

Here's the memo from USPS --

"MEDIA MAIL SERVICE

Media Mail shipping is a cost-effective way to send educational materials. This service has restrictions on the type of media that can be shipped. Media Mail rates are limited to the items listed below:

• Books (at least 8 pages).
• Sound recordings and video recordings, such as CDs and DVDs.
• Play scripts and manuscripts for books, periodicals, and music.
• Printed music.
• Computer-readable media containing prerecorded information and guides or scripts prepared solely for use with such media.
• Sixteen millimeter or narrower width films.
• Printed objective test materials and their accessories.
• Printed educational reference charts.
• Loose-leaf pages and their binders consisting of medical information for distribution to doctors, hospitals, medical schools, and medical students.

Media Mail packages may not contain advertising. Comic books do not meet this standard. Books may contain incidental announcements of other books and sound recordings may contain incidental announcements of other sound recordings."

End of USPS memo.

Those magazines which you have listed with USPS Media shipping thus should be revised with USPS Ground Advantage or USPS Priority.

Then maybe the Book Police will call off the dogs.

[kensgiftshop]

Maybe the book police could crack down on sellers shipping magazines Media Mail, when they don't qualify for it.

[picture*books]

Can you kindly be more specific about the problem you are ranting about?

   - Is it sellers offering "first editions" when the book certainly isn't?
  - Is it sellers describing a book's condition as "good condition for it's age"? 
  - Is it sellers describing the copyright date as the publication date of a book?
  - Is it sellers offering a book without DJ at the same price as a book with DJ?
  - Is it sellers offering a book without DJ as 'as issued' when the book was published with a DJ?
  - IS IT A SELLER OFFERING A BOOK WITH THE DESCRIPTION IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS?
  - Is it a seller describing a book as "scarce" or "rare" when the book is certainly not?
  - And so forth ....

If your complaint is about any of the above then I would happily contribute to your dialogue.

[policequilts]

You called for Police !

Oh . . .

Wrong Police call. . .  😉

[selsa84]

" good for it's age" is a tell tale sign that the book is in horrible condition. 

[intermedia46]

Since when!?...media Mail is for all Media...CDs...movies...magazine like Playboy sell like hot cakes...all you have to do is go to P.O. and mail there!!

That's a far cry from what I was talking about...I provide a service and do it very well!

You just can't please everybody!! Sheesh!

[intermedia46]

Most of the things you mentioned are small peccadillos in my view...I'm talking about real scammers, swindlers...meretricious people that hide behind the anonimity of the big web...like one guy ( I suspect is the same guy with another account ) he has no pictures, no descriptions, I'm biting my tongue I want to use his name, but I want to be a 10% sure of his/her identity...probably same guy who inflates feedback by 1000 %...all fake testimonials...that's what Im talking about...fraudulent mountebanks, charlatans, call 'em what you want ...they are scum!!

[intermedia46]

or how about antique book!?...what is it...some incunabula perhaps...antique book my butt...published in 1930 thaqt he's his idea of antique!?...What chafes my hide is that 90% od these folks never bothere to learn the terminology, aqnd I don't mean that you should know what a "yawp" or a French cuff" is, but you should have a small degree of understanding...what say you! Just my humble opinion ...and should be yours too!  🙂

[dreambooks]

Ebay wouldn't let you buy Media Mail if you list it in the Magazine category. So eBay is kind of a book police.

[dreambooks]

This is eBay, the world's biggest online yard sale, flea market. Don't waste your emotion on other unscrupulous sellers.

----edited to say this is the wrong reply. I was trying to reply the OP.

[kensgiftshop]

---

@intermedia46 wrote:

Since when!?...media Mail is for all Media...CDs...movies...magazine like Playboy sell like hot cakes...all you have to do is go to P.O. and mail there!!

That's a far cry from what I was talking about...I provide a service and do it very well!

You just can't please everybody!! Sheesh!

---

Magazines never have been allowed to ship Media Mail.

[1786davycrockett]

@intermedia46 

"Since when!?...media Mail is for all Media...CDs...movies...magazine like Playboy sell like hot cakes...all you have to do is go to P.O. and mail there!!"

It's written, plain as day, in the USPS notice PSN 7610-07-000-4037, dated October 2012, and updated from many, many previous USPS memos:  "Media Mail packages may not contain advertising."

"Not" means NO.

Are you sure you want to call "the Book Police" on other booksellers?

[tobaccocardyahoo]

Many Internet Booksellers, independent of the site they sell on have no bookselling skills.

They could not write a citation for a book.

They could not identify an edition.

They have no ability to grade the condition.

They have no rationale for how they price.

Other booksellers who sell on the Internet have all of these skills and more.

It is usually quite evident to experienced book buyers which group any particular seller belongs to.

If not, simply reduce the condition by two grades, assume it is not a rare collectible edition, and assume it is miscategorized. Never pay more than you think it should be worth in Good condition - if you are willing to buy a book in good condition.