Is an asin unique as an Isbn?

[dely]

Yesterday I have bought some ebooks on amazon but on GR the asins match with two other editions.

I make the example:
Asin: B004SIYNWQ
The book I have bought: http://www.amazon.it/Faust-Trag%C3%B6...
The book I have found on GR: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11...

Second example:
Asin: B004SIYNUS
Book I have bought: http://www.amazon.it/Faust-Trag%C3%B6...
Book who is on GR: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11...

From the first example you can see that it is only the first part while on GR that Asin is for a complete edition (part 1 + 2).

Is it a mistake of some librarian or the Asins aren't unique and change randomly?

[Paula]

I have seen ASINS used for the same book but with different covers from different amazon countries.

Since ASIN's are Amazon identifiers to get an exact answer you would need to contact Amazon

Edit: That said amazon uk, com, it and fr all have the same cover and info but it looks like it was a GR import/ auto update that updated it with this cover

[dely]

Paula wrote: "I have seen ASINS used for the same book but with different covers from different amazon countries.

Since ASIN's are Amazon identifiers to get an exact answer you would need to contact Amazon

Edi..."

Can I can change the cover, add all the missing details and correct the wrong ones?

[Janet]

If you expect an ISBN to be unique, you will be disappointed. Although there are not many duplications, they do exist, particularly since some smaller publishing houses run out of assigned numbers and reuse.

[Cait]

dely wrote: "Can I can change the cover, add all the missing details and correct the wrong ones?"

That's generally a bad idea. Kindle editions can be reprinted (for electronic versions of printing) with the same ASIN and different covers just the way print editions can be printed with the same ISBN and different covers. It's safer to make an alternate cover edition unless you can confirm that the book was never published under that ASIN with that cover.

[dely]

Thanks to both.

@Janet: yes, it happened to see duplicated Isbn (though rarely) but I didn't know how it works with asins, if it is similar or much different.

@Cait: fine, won't change the tabs.
However, it isn't only the cover, also the titles are different (on GR one of the two titles is in English while the right edition is in German) and the first book is only the first part of the Faust while on GR the edition with the same Asin seems to be the complete edition, first and second part.

I wanted only to be sure how to behave.

[rivka, Former Moderator]

Sounds like it needs to be treated the same as if you had a duplicate/reused ISBN: add another edition with neither ISBN nor ASIN, but a Note that it is an alternate edition of ASIN [whatever].

[dely]

rivka wrote: "Sounds like it needs to be treated the same as if you had a duplicate/reused ISBN: add another edition with neither ISBN nor ASIN, but a Note that it is an alternate edition of ASIN [whatever]."

Ok, will do it as soon as possible. Thanks!