The main distributors like Ingram and Baker & Taylor allow bookstores to return books ordered from them for a full refund. Big publishers and some smaller ones who qualify to sell through these large distributors receive returned books all the time. They simply have to give a full refund for the books returned. Not a bad deal. These days most books come back in quite sellable shape especially considering there is no one policing the bookstores or distributors on this matter. Publishers seem to be happy with this or else I suppose they'd be screaming louder.
POD publisher's such as Ingram's Lightning Source have to pay shipping if they want the returned books back because they don't qualify nor do they pay for this unique relationship. Since I have now experienced first-hand one larger middle-man distributor blatantly sending out returned books (signed and dated by author and some with a sticker on the front from the bookstore itself) as new, I became even more concerned about LSI's not honoring their return policy as stated in the mode of operation PDF file.
The Yes-Deliver option implies, and rightly so, that the returned book will be returned to the publisher. You can read the exact wording in my previous post. LSI has gone around the world to tell me why this won't happen. "But we give you a newly printed book," they say. "We have good security. The books are actually destroyed." My response: "Talk to the hand . . ." When I signed on it was because of the yes-return option and now I'm being told by one rep. that in their opinion this should be reworded. My opinion is that it should be honored as that is why I signed up with LSI.
Already the book I have available through LSI is selling through on-line dealers for far less than what they should be able to sell it for if they had bought the book through LSI implying that perhaps the returned books aren't being destroyed at all. LSI also added in their last response an entire paragraph telling how books arrive back to them in horrible shape. Again, talk to the hand . . . I know better.
So if you sign on with LSI keep in mind that if getting your returned book back is a matter you do not wish to discuss, they do NOT honor the yes-deliver option in their mode of operation manual. They will keep your returned book and you will never know what has happened with it. And has I stated in my email to them, my paranoia is not the issue. The issue is that they are not honoring the yes-deliver option as stated. And furthermore, they are going all-around-the-world to say why they don't have to.
The result that they can make money in an instance where they shouldn't be able to leaves me at a loss for words. They wouldn't have to defend this if they'd simply send the author their returned book back as their Mode of Operation Manuel States, right?
This just in:
LSI decides not intend to honor what is stated in their Mode-of-Operations-Manual. Go figure. Upon my asking them to explain how option 2 could be interpretted any other way than the publisher being PROMISED their returned book back I instead get the three return options repeated to me but worded very differently than what is in the OM.
You have 3 returns options to select from they now SAY:
The Return-destroy option will charge your account back for the wholesale price of the book and the book will be destroyed)
Return- return to publisher (we will charge your account back for the wholesale price of the book plus $2 to return the book back to you)
Non-Returnable
The Return-deliver to publisher option called yes-deliver option in the OM is completely different than what is in the OM. I'm now being told that perhaps LSI isn't a good fit for me. *gasp*
No company that isn't clear about how they operate is a good fit. Duh!
I am so disappointed. Why in the world would LSI work so hard not to give me my returned book back when it is quite clear in the OM that this is what a publisher will get? Oh well. That's life I guess.
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