Amazon - I've always wondered.......

uncommonadvice

When I buy a second hand book trough the Amazon marketplace, does the seller actually have the item in stock, or do you think they are buying it from some wholesale source?

soolin

uncommonadvice wrote: »

When I buy a second hand book trough the Amazon marketplace, does the seller actually have the item in stock, or do you think they are buying it from some wholesale source?

We Amazon sellers are not supposed to sell things we don't hold in stock. All my stock (which is about 95% books) is held in premsies I own or rent.

RFW

uncommonadvice wrote: »

When I buy a second hand book trough the Amazon marketplace, does the seller actually have the item in stock, or do you think they are buying it from some wholesale source?

It would seem like a risky business model on second hand books, I wouldn't like to have an item listed that I was buying from a wholesale source that may sell out. I also couldn't imagine a wholesaler being happy with someone ordering one second hand book here and there.

Its possible that sellers of more generally available items of higher value may do that.

bap98189

Some do, but some definitely do not. Under Amazon Marketplace's T&C's you are not supposed to list books you do not have, but I have purchased a number of books only to have the transaction cancelled a few days later.

mattymoo

I've often wondered this on the really high price sellers. For instance, everyone 2 or 3 sellers may charge £40-50 for the book (hard to find type stuff or text books) but one seller, way down the list has it listed for over £100.

Out of curiosity I checked a couple of store fronts and found that all their stock is in this price bracket and they have feedbacks in the hundreds, if not thousands.

Do you suppose they just advertise at the high price, wait for an order to come in, source from one of the cheaper sellers and then pocket the difference?

Seems to usually be USA sellers btw.

uncommonadvice

Interesting mattymoo.