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Odd or sinister? Someone else on Amazon is offering my book for a much higher price
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Wow, I just clicked on their "shop" and found they had listed another book for 3,900 $ .Not sure how these list prices would benefit them in any way. The price is clearly set to discourage people from buying it. Maybe they're "reserving" it for a particular customer? But then why still list it?
Very odd.
I noticed that there are both higher and lower priced alternate sources for the hardcovers of my novels. Clearly impossible on the used versions because only 3 have sold so far and I own them all. Some of it is computer driven for one reason or another, but I think a lot of it is a come-on to get you to click to their website. Often you'll see your book offered as a free download, but when you click on the website your book isn't listed.
Same or similar thing happened to me--I wouldn't worry about it, just a sign of our times. They don't sell anything anyway. It may have a positive effect in drawing more attention to your book . . .
I see this a lot - used books offered for exorbitant prices. I'm sure they never sell any of the books listed at these crazy prices. I'd ignore it.
With physical books, anyone can resell them and they can price them any way they want. However, when you see something like this, where the price is outrageous, there's typically some sort of scam going on. Most likely, they're trying to lure you to their website, which is probably loaded up with malware. Best to ignore them.
I saw something like this yesterday on Amazon where a book was going for almost 1 million..so Yeah definitely a scam.
JimMy paperback was listed on 2 different sites at $49.99 and $98.00. I contacted amazon and found out they can sell your book for any price, even before they purchase a copy.
I took screen shots of each site for my records.
Who in their right mind would purchase a book listed higher than the author's list price of $17.99? I was actually quite flattered, maybe it's better than I thought. smiles. Eventually, they disappeared.
Reminds me of an "ordinary paper clip" bid up to approx $20,000.00 years back on Ebay, before it was removed, but we'll leave that for another day. It was hysterical watching it happen in real time!
Andrew wrote: "...found out they can sell your book for any price, even before they purchase a copy..."Yep. This has been around for a long while. They do it to like all books in hopes that someone will be dumb enough to buy it, I suppose. Then they order a copy and Bob's your uncle.
Hard to believe anyone would be dumb enough to buy them at those prices, so it's still likely they're more purveyors of malware.
Justin wrote: "I saw something like this yesterday on Amazon where a book was going for almost 1 million..so Yeah definitely a scam."For a million that book better be made of solid gold with a diamond encrusted cover and come with a lifetime supply of hard liquor and at least one favor from the mafia.
Oh, and no typos, of course. ;p
The extraordinarily high prices appear to be 'click-bait' for the curious.Other sellers offer slightly lower prices and buy the book from Amazon at a vendor discount, to make money on 'shipping and handling.' Sometimes they offer new copies, while others offer 'used' copies.
PT Barnum's business model was 'there's a sucker born every minute.'
Justin wrote: "I saw something like this yesterday on Amazon where a book was going for almost 1 million..so Yeah definitely a scam."Well, I suppose one could use it in adverts. A copy of my book goes for 1 million per copy, but I'll let you have one for 9.99. :-)
Mod
Well, I suppose one could use it in adverts. A copy of my book..."
You know, that might not be a bad idea....
Could be a scam. Could also be that someone pushed wrong currency button. The Yen to USD is around 200 to 1; Rupee to USD is about 66 to 1, and then some currencies are really of the chart. Exchange rates fluctuate a lot. I haven't seen odd numbers like that for sales directly from Amazon, but have seen it with second sellers.
I've seen this happen with my books (though most of the time they're listed for like $80 rather than $200) and I've seen it while buying textbooks for school. Christina is right - people can price used books however high they want, so it's not a big deal. I always just laugh at how no sane person is ever going to pay that much and I go back to my business.
You'll probably also find your books on eBay if you have paperback versions.
I couldn't find the one I saw earlier but I did come across a book for $16,177...woo!http://www.amazon.com/Stolen-Blessing...
Justin wrote: "I couldn't find the one I saw earlier but I did come across a book for $16,177...woo!http://www.amazon.com/Stolen-Blessing......"
I love that you can also pick up the audio version on cassette for 97¢!
I heard that once a book is in someone's used book system and they don't have it in stock, that it's easier for them to change the price to something they know will never be purchased than it is for them to remove it from the system. Supposedly, the book would then be priced back to normal once they had it available again. Don't know the truth to it, but it made as much sense as any other reason for doing it.
Just try publishing and update on your paperback while waiting for final proof on Create Space, and be amazed. Once it is not available anymore on Create space, you will see other vendors offering it for ridiculous prices. Mine sells for something over $11, but when I was waiting on republishing and update, vendors were asking for $50 & $60!
I've seen my books go upwards to a few hundred bux. i sometimes write the sellers and inform them readers can order direct from the publisher less than 20 if they want the book that badly. i sometimes jive with them saying i want part of the cut since the seller is selling a 'rare' book new for a high price when all it's going to is a pod publisher. the numbers revert the next day slightly higher than base price lolz
I've seen that happen, and I at first thought it was piracy (it's not). It's weird, but it happens.
Someone else, called Kotobukibooks, is offering the paperback version of my book at $222.03.
Actually, the price they have posted changes every day or two, it seems. Yesterday (9/8) they had it priced at over $800.
Uh, OK, hmm, is that just odd or is there something sinister going on that I can't figure out?
There are the usual "More Buying Choices" options where you can buy the paperback version for different prices from different Amazon sellers, but those are all found under the main posting and are all presented with plausible pricing. The Kotobukibooks weirdness is a separate listing.
If you're curious, just search for "Jim Brinegar" and you'll see my study guide, then the Kotobukibooks listing, then a scattering of movies and things that featured Paul Brinegar (no relation).
I can't decide whether to be bemused or outraged.