Brand approval to sell used books
Hello
I have a problem listing a used copy of 'The Gonzo Papers Anthology' by Hunter S Thompson because I need brand approval from the publishers Picador. This seems unlikely because I have been able to list other Picador titles without such approval required. I have listed it on Ebay without any such nonsense-any thoughts please,
Thank you
41 replies
Seller_ZVAz3d5lZuGid
A common problem with books these days, and not just Picador, but many other publishers. Amazon seem to think that selling used books is the same as listing other products ! They no longer understand about the second-hand book market/industry. You've done the right thing in listing elsewhere !
Seller_FQHkqHJI5SqTh
It's reportedly becoming an increasingly frequent problem when trying to list titles published by the big publishing houses.
Saying that I've only encountered it twice, with a Helm (Bloomsbury) title, sold it on ABE, and a Frances Lincoln (Quarto Group) title last week.
Considering the rapidly decreasing likelihood of selling used books through Amazon, I just shrug my shoulders and it will sell elsewhere if Amazon don't want to give themselves the chance of the commission on a £150 book.
Seller_19xPhE8YgkmxW
Hi Allen_Williams_Books,
My personal bugbear is Orbit which requires me to have ordered 10 copies from the publisher in the past 6 months - for a second-hand book!
But yesterday I had a similar requirement for a Dell paperback... and two Peter Owen hardbacks were rejected as their ISBNs were unrecognised,, although a well-known bulk lister had a copy (at 30x my porice) but had suppressed the ISBN or Amazon ASIN codes so these were not visible...
Level Playing Fields welcomed!
Brian
Seller_FQHkqHJI5SqTh
I don't do fiction, so I'm probably not as affected by this as those that do.
I really don't consider it a problem. If I can list it trouble free on Amazon, and there are many reasons not to list, I will, if I can't, can't say I care.
No longer list by upload as there are so many incorrect listings and check the listing for each title before listing.
Reaching the stage considering the lack of used book sales here, if it's even worth the time trying to list used books on Amazon, but after 24 years it's habit. You're probably aware many of the 'better' book sellers both here and in the US no longer bother with Amazon.
My inventory is 50/50 used and new, out of the the last 60 sales here just 4 were used. It's probably 60/40 used/new on the other sites.
Julia_Amzn
Hello @Seller_19xPhE8YgkmxW, thank you for your contribution to this discussion. You mentioned several publishers in your comments. Could you share the ASIN numbers for the following publishers?
Dell
Peter Owen
Orbit
Of course, I can also reach out to you via direct message.
Thank you, Julia.
Seller_19xPhE8YgkmxW
Hello @Julia_Amzn,
Thank you for your help with this -
Peter Owen - ISBNs 0726028350 & 0726025202
NOTE: These ISBNs were not findable on Amazon but the books - Anna Kavan's Eagles' Nest and I Am Lazarus Stories had copies listed for sale (but I've sold mine now)
Orbit ISBNs
1857238524
9780708882382
185723300X
1857237293
9780099201311
9780356502403
...
And Dell ISBN
0440196396
As has been said before, the requirements for listing used/second-hand books should not be the same as new books ordered from the Publisher...
Thanks for your help
Brian
PS I also recently had notification that I had 10 books by Fiona Mcintosh where the detail pages had been removed, so I Deleted the listings (so finding the ISBNs is now difficult) - but one was 1841493732
Julia_Amzn
Thank you for providing this valuable data @Seller_19xPhE8YgkmxW!
Seller_AlYpsVHv0gj21
What is even more bizarre is when you go through your listings to update prices or whatever only to be told you need permission to list. The book may already have been in the catalogue for several years!
Seller_drLRJgrBPnFBI
I have on my 'to do' list a task to have a talk with Amazon about this issue as what they are doing is not in the spirit of the law!
However, it's been on my list for a long time until I get the mental energy to do so.
Would it be worth tagging some Amazon people on this thread - sorry, don't know how to do this
Seller_IIN3x1w8KT2PI
Yes and when you are allowed to list, and you try to list direct to the Amazon site, you might be asked all the questions a publisher listing a new title would be asked e.g. details of audio book, e-book formats etc also. When you select 'minimum requirements'' you are not allowed to give condition details of your used item. You have to go back later to the live listing and add them then. These inconsistencies in software structures reflect the TOTAL lack of understanding of the wide range of seller profiles. Eventually Amazon will be no good to anyone? AI will just amplify its own generated messages and stop listening to the real world?
Seller_JuXmiUuCR8FoI
Thanks for the replies-good to know it's not just me! I just wonder what Amazon are thinking by doing this stuff. It can't actually gain them much and just causes long time sellers to look elsewhere for business. No chance of an explanation from Amazon I suppose!!
Julia_Amzn
Hello @Seller_JuXmiUuCR8FoI,
Thank you for opening this discussion. Could you please share the ASIN number that you are trying to list? If you prefer to share this information privately, I will reach out to you via direct message.
I will also contact a few other sellers to gather more details. This will help us investigate each example and find the root cause of the issue.
Best regards, Julia.