"So should I buy from Amazon?" Topic

Anyone here regularly buy books through Amazon?

I am after a number of F Hourtoulle's books for Christmas this year and found them all on local sites as well as cheaper on Amazon. Some research in the Amazon site revealled that in most cases I am not actually puchasing from Amazon but from a retailer that lists his stock on Amazon, similar to Ebay I guess?

So, can anyone recommend purchasing hard to find books this way or should I just go local and save the postage and time and risk. (I'm in Australia by the way)

David
wardepot.blogspot.com
6to20painting.blogspot.com

I buy used / third party books from amazon all the time. I have never had a problem. The only time I had an issue was when I ordered a book from a seller in Germany using Abebooks.com

If you can get it locally, go local. If security, reliablity a concern, I've not had a problem with the Amazon site.

I find their cost structure a bit confusing at times, but there are times when you find the book you want and cant find it here, so confusing cost structure be damned.

Hi Dave,

I've never had any problems buying from retailers attached to Amazon. You may want to have a look at Book Depository too: free postage, which tends to trim costs. They're fast, too – generally around 2 weeks to Brisbane!

link

I got all of mine through Amazons, I think it is the easiest way to do it if there is no local book shop to get them from…

I buy all my books on Amazon, never had any problems and the prices are cheaper than often going to the publisher.

I am in Perth and with the A$ being so high I am getting books from Amazon at nearly half (including postage) what the local bookshops charge.

Some of the more unusal military titles are over A$45 while Amazon might be between U$9 to $15. USD

I assume we can thank the Australian publishing industry for forcing up the price to local bookshops. Might have worked 20 yrs ago.

I'm down under. Amazon is good, but with current exchange rates and free postage Bookdepository is in some cases better. Check the prices, my next big order goes half to amazon, half to Bookdepository.

In WA and I use Amazon a fair bit, mainly from the US. Never had a problem.

I use Amazon for 2nd books a lot from both UK and USA sources. Never had a problem with delivery….only once the book was in poor condition and not as described

hussarbob1746.webs.com

I use Amazon regulary (about once a qauter), however have a look around in oz especially at Fishpond and at Crusader and Napoleons, as sometimes you can get the book in Oz sometimes cheaper

cheers
matt

Never had a problem with Amazon or their independant associates…

I have ordered quite a few books from bookstores who list through Amazon, and I have never had a problem.

Amazon is awesome . pricing, selection, service ..and I live in the US but order from the UK site all the time.

I have always had success with Amazon.

I reccommend Amazon's 3rd party sellers, with a caveat:

I recently purchased 3 DVDs from 3 different sellers. One week after receiving them, it just so happened that my CC was used fraudulently (for the 2nd time in a year).

I'm not saying that any of these sellers did it, but it is rather suspicious.

GregS

I rate it.

Amazon is probably the best bookseller on the web and I rate it A+

Regards
James

I order all the time through Amazon. Love it, just make sure you pay attention to shipping charges from 3rd party vs Amazon.

Dear All,

I mostly agree with all the above. However, from a small publisher's standpoint Amazon presents different issues. They can undersell local book shops which helps drive the locals into oblivion. While price matters to me, so does the continued existence of small locals. So, what we do is sell our first tranche of any new book, like "Crisis in the Snows" or now the "Crisis on the Danube" reprint exclusively through our website and selected world-wide shops that have supported us in the past, like "On Military Matters." Then, after the first bloom of sales is gone, about six months, we list the book on Amazon. Our current problem with Amazon is that they will not link my books unless, apparently, I pay a hefty fee. Consequently, buyers of Crisis in the Snows have no idea that we also still have available (the equally excellent in my biased mind!) Marengo and Hohenlinden. This frustrates us. Frustrations aside, Amazon does offer a reliable and useful service.

James Arnold
Napoleon Books

I use Amazon all the time, 3rd party and direct, no problems at all. I recently scored a bunch of GW books I couldn't even find on eBay.

Since more than a year I've turned to buy nearly all of my books (mostly from used ones) from Amazon and until now I've had no problems.

In Sydney and use Amazon all the time. US is well packed. UK not so well packed – last few have been loose packed hard backed books inside their cardboard box. So invariably they have arrived with usually minor damage.

Have also bought through the US site from another vendor. Not as quick as main amazon to get here – but was fine nonetheless.

Like anything else, sometimes they are the cheapest, sometimes not…shop around, having said that I've never had problem with anything I've bought via them.
Right now I'd praise Caliver books here in the UK -ordered some OOP second hand Ospreys on sunday night (cheaper than elsewhere), they arrived this morning, tuesday…can't get better than that.

play.com is a good site

Dear All
I would say that I buy from military book shops rather than Amazon. These include Caliver Books, OMM, Zinfigurin etc…

Alas there are so few military bookshop left. The only one I visit regularly is Caliver Books. I may be biased as I have written a number of books for them with another coming out next month on the Saxon Artillery.

Stephen

I love browsing bookshops and I would rather support them, but Amazon does make it easy to purchase, are normally very very competitive in price and the delivery service is prompt and free on supersaver. I have ordered a fair few books from there associated retailers and never had a any problems. Recently ordered a book on Sikh Wars and found that it was badly bound, they dispatched a replacement within days before I had sent the original back.
Caliver also sell on amazon btw.

Dear Mors
Yes but you do pay a premium and cheaper direct.

Stephen

Sad to say I buy from Amazon all the time now.

Back in the day, I would depend on Wargames Shows and specialist retailers exclusively but then I found out how much Amazon undercut them, post free. Now I just check out books at shows and buy On Line later!

Still makes me feel like a heel but…… Hell, I didn't invent Capitalism; I'm just a willing victim!

Dr. Summerfield,

You may enjoy these specialist publishers/stores – I certainly do!

lelivrechezvous.com
clavreuil.fr
galaxidion.com/napoleon

Frayer

In the end we are indeed offered little choice. The books I bought this weekend I tried to buy last week over the counter at Foyles, Hatchards and Motor books. No shop in central London had them. Online there were a number of stores that could provide them.

Dear Frayer
Thank you. I have bought from the former but I will look at the others.

Thanks
Stephen

I'm a fairly consistent used of Amazon, from both their US and UK and have not had any problems.

Have you considered either of these sources:

thenile.com.au
bookworm.com.au

They are Oz based on-line book services.

I have used the following and purchased second-hand books from Oz, even if most come from the US and UK

abebooks.com

Thanks all. I have had trouble finding the books I want from local stores. Otherwise I would try and support them. I used to purchase from Napoleons all the time but haven't since they shut up shop here in Brisbane. A shame!

I have checked out thenile.com.au and the others and amazon are less than half the price. When I called up thenile.com.au about the books I wanted, they said they get from overseas anyhow.

Thanks for the feedback and I will step out and make a purchase and see how it all goes.

David
wardepot.blogspot.com
6to20painting.blogspot.com

I am a member here and sell books all over the world using Amazon. In fact, two of my recent customers in Australia posted great feedback about my books and the quick service. My Napooeonic inventory is limited at the moment, but let me know what your looking for and I will try to find it for you. I have a great selection of history.

link

Try monarchmilitarybooks.com

I have never bought a single book from Amazon.

I find this link useful

booko.com.au

I used to buy from Napoleon's here in Sydney, and occasionally do buy from Battle Bridge in Parramatta. Battle Bridge is the handier of the two.

The dilemma now is that which has already been raised here by others: being able (for me anyway) to drive up the road and check out the titles at the local retailer, thus supporting the local guy. The problem then is availability and cost. It's often cheaper, and quicker, to order yourself from overseas, if your local guy hasn't go it.

I buy local when it's there. Those local purchases through the year are offset buy the buying then done overseas at a cheaper cost.

Too many middlemen in Australia…..

Ducking..

I can't speak to anything in Australia but I've ordered a couple of books through retailers who go through Amazon. No problems and the books were as described (one was used).

I have found Amazon hard to beat. Cheaper than E-bay or Half.com most of the time.

Service is good. Products are just fine (I seldom want new anyway so . . .) and I have bought books for 99 cents that sold for hundreds on other sites (condition impaired but hey, I got the info I wanted dirt cheap). No way Yanks would ever have been written without books picked up on Amazon.com.

mjc

Book Depository is the way to go -great ranges, good prices and zero postage to Australia for any quantity.
bookdepository.co.uk
John

My nearest independent bookshop has a fair selection of titles, but, tends to limit my patronage through a not very friendly service, including a rather supercilious manner, and by playing jazz all the time!

I have come to use Amazon almost exclusively except for very specialized subjects.

Amazon does not spam TMP with every new product they receive, which is a significant plus in my book.

Allen

I can recommend AMAZON.
trailape.blogspot.com

try fishpond.com.au I go there nearly all the time now Free post over $50 USD a real saving over amazaon I live in the country ..otherwise it would be bookshops and Fishpond..

fishpond.com.au

I'd have to put in a vote for the book depository aswell.

Have bought loads of books from them and with the exchange rate from the UK at the moment i am finding that i am paying just over half price of locally bought books.

Cheers Andy

"tends to limit my patronage through a not very friendly service, including a rather supercilious manner, and by playing jazz all the time"

Never mind the first two, the jazz on its own would keep me away!

Well, I'm biased, but buying from local bookstores is better. As you can read around TMP, I offer service I think is fast and excellent, offer items from around the world, know books should you need a recommendation, and if you ever have a problem, you can call me direct (609-466-2329) and get it resolved. I also support local HMGS conventions and, of course, TMP.

Dennis from OMM
onmilitarymatters.com