Are there any laws governing book sellers on Amazon?

cpwp

My partner bought me a book for my 60th birthday from a seller on Amazon.
Unfortunately, she just wrapped it up and waited until my birthday (16th July) which meant she had had it for a couple of months. My joy turned to sorrow when I opened the book and a page fell out. Then I noticed other pages had been cut out of this book.

She complained to Amazon. The book was described as
DUST JACKET VERY GOOD BOOK VERY GOOD/FINE
It was a very expensive book way over the original price.
She had a response from the seller pfcbboks
As you ordered the book on the 24th June and you email was dated the 19th July you have failed to notify us within 14 days of receipt. If I ordered a book for my husband from a second hand dealer (which is what we are) I would inspect the goods the day that they arrived, not 3 - 4 weeks later
Surely there are some consumer laws covering this? Otherwise anyone can sell a mutilated book which is worthless for a princely sum and the poor buyer will be caught.
This was her first buy on Amazon. I have made many and tend to use the sellers I have had good service in the past.

cyberbob

You have up to 90 days from purchase to open an amazon a-z claim so you should just be within the time frame

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=help_search_1-5?ie=UTF8&nodeId=3149571&qid=1280051529&sr=1-5

Hintza

Goods should be examined upon delivery though, that is common sense.

To suggest that there should be laws that allow you to sit on goods for months and then claim they are damaged just wouldn't stack up.

cpwp

I did look at the book when it arrived, but it's over 300 pages. It wes only when my partner started reading the book that the damage became apparent.

If you bought a book on Amazon, would you count each page when you received it?

If I went into a used book store, I would not expect to pick up a book with pages missing. A book is a cover to cover item, anything less makes it not an item to buy. I this normal that books are defective from online sellers?

fthl

to be honest, if I were buying a book from a second hand book shop I think checking it is all there would be one of the first things I'd do.

cpwp

True. so would I, but you can't online. One would expect the seller to have done due diiigence. If they had checked it as you mention, then they would have had to describe it as pages missing surely?

jb66

cpwp wrote: »

I did look at the book when it arrived, but it's over 300 pages. It wes only when my partner started reading the book that the damage became apparent.

If you bought a book on Amazon, would you count each page when you received it?

If I went into a used book store, I would not expect to pick up a book with pages missing. A book is a cover to cover item, anything less makes it not an item to buy. I this normal that books are defective from online sellers?

300 pages is too much to check if it is all there, im with you on this one

lincroft1710

fthl wrote: »

to be honest, if I were buying a book from a second hand book shop I think checking it is all there would be one of the first things I'd do.

I have bought hundreds of books from s/hand booksellers, charity shops and car boot sales and have never checked every page of any of the books I've bought.

cpwp

The the price she paid which was double the original price, you would expect to get somthing whole.

OAP60

I too would not have thought of going thru page by page on a book that has 300 pages or more especially when the description said in good condition.

Surely the onus is on the seller not the buyer?

cpwp

Let’s be clear here, this was not a cheap book. When buying on Amazon you can buy new or used. Typically used books are cheaper. This book was out of print. Its original price was £40. On Amazon these books sell for twice the price or more.
If my partner went to a used book seller in the high st the description
DUST JACKET VERY GOOD BOOK VERY GOOD/FINE
Would lead one to think it was a complete book. If there were pages missing then the seller would have to point that out. Who would expect to get a book with pages cut out when described above?
But that is only half the problem. For the seller to state
“If I ordered a book for my husband from a second hand dealer (which is what we are) I would inspect the goods the day that they arrived, not 3 - 4 weeks later.” Is very poor. We would never buy from PFCBOOKS again. I have bought many books on Amazon. I have my trusted sellers and will pay more than the cheapest seller because I know I will get the book in the condition they describe. The consumer law states 6 months. Are these sellers on Amazon excused from the law even when they describe themselves as “a second hand dealer”?
If it was a used book seller on the high st then are they are bound by the 6 month rule?
She bought it from a seller on Amazon and trusted that what she received was what she paid for. It was a present for me which is why she did not look at all 300 plus pages.
Either the seller did not check the book thoroughly or they sold it knowing that pages had been cut out.