Half Price Books Took in 50 Hardback Perfect Condition Books - Price Offered Obscene!!! Garland Texas
I took 50 hardback books that were in perfect condition, most unread to this store. 3/4 were former best sellers which I know they get a lot of and the others were high dollar art, photography, misc. The Buy Guy's FAQ from their website made it sound so easy. I had to load them on a cart and take them inside myself.
They called me up front after supposedly reviewing them. They told me they do not usually get books in such good condition and offered me $8.00 for them. I was completely shocked and said there are 50 books here. That averages 16 cents per book. I told them it was obscene and would not take the offer.
It was not worth my time, gas or effort to do this. I'm sure many people just give in and take the lower than low ball bid in order to not have to put them back in the car, but I refused to give them to them basically free!
I do have to say that he boxed them back up and loaded them in my car for me. And was very nice about the whole situation (probably embarrassed). But if this is company policy it really sucks.
Don't waste your time.
Kathy
Garland, Texas
U.S.A.
4 Updates & Rebuttals
Joe
Austin,Texas,
U.S.A.
HALF-PRICE BOOKS: AGE DISCRIMINATION, FALSE ADVERTISING AND RIP-OFF
#5Consumer Suggestion
Wed, September 15, 2010
AFTER TRYING TO SELL EXCELLENT LAW BOOKS AND LAW STUDENT STUDY TOOLS TO HALF-PRICE BOOKS -- WHICH WERE IN IMMACULATE CONDITION, BY THE WAY AND BEING OFFERED LESS THAN PENNIES ON THE DOLLAR, I NO LONGER TAKE MY BOOKS THERE.
THEY ADVERTISE THAT THEY BUY MAGAZINES, BOOKS, MUSIC, COMPUTER PROGRAMS, ETC. NONE OF THE HALF-PRICE BOOK STORES HERE WILL BUY THEM ---NOT AT ALL. I HAVE SOME VINTAGE ROLLING STONES, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHICS AND LIFE MAGAZINES THAT WERE PRESERVED IN ARCHIVAL BOXES BY MY LATE AUNT WHO WAS A RETIRED ARCHIVIST WITH THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS--FROM HER OWN PRIVATE COLLECTION AND A TREASURE FOR ANY SERIOUS STUDENT OF AMERICAN HISTORY. WHEN I TOOK THESE IN, THE DORKS AT THE STORE WERE GOING TO SHRED THEM AND CHARGE ME FOR THE PRIVILEGE.
I TALKED TO OTHER FRIENDS OF MINE ON CAMPUS AND THEY ALL AGREE THAT HALF PRICE BOOKS DOES NOT BUY BOOKS, MAGAZINES, MUSIC, ETC.
WELL, ACTUALLY THEY DO BUT NOT FROM PEOPLE ON THE STREET --THEY BUY OVERRUNS FROM PUBLISHERS AND THE MUSIC DISTRIBUTION COMPANIES AND THE BROKERS WHO HAVE TO SELL OFF THE DRECK THAT DOESN'T SELL.
THEY DO NOT BUY FROM PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS AT ALL --WELL, HERE IN AUSTIN,TEXAS --THEY WILL BUY FROM YOU IF YOU ARE A YOUNG MALE 14-20.
**** THEM!
THE WAY THAT THEY TREAT YOUNGER FOLKS, LIKE 15-25 WHO COME IN TO SELL BOOKS AND ITEMS AND THE WAY THAT THEY TREAT OLDER FOLKS LIKE ME IS UNBELIEVABLE. IT IS NOT WHAT WE READ BECAUSE I HAVE ALL OF THE BEST-SELLERS AND NEWEST PAPERBACKS, ETC. AND WANT TO SELL THEM FOR CASH AND SO OTHERS CAN ENJOY WHAT I ENJOYED. TRUE CRIME BOOKS SELL GREAT AMONG ALL AGE DEMOGRAPHICS.
IT IS LIKE THEY DO NOT WANT ANYONE OVER 25 IN THEIR d**n STORE.
THE SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM, AS I SEE IT IS TO DONATE YOUR BOOKS AND MAGAZINES AND TAPES AND DVDS AND OTHER PRINTED ITEMS TO GOODWILL AND IF YOU FILE A LONG FORM, YOU CAN WRITE IT OFF IN YOUR TAXES.
OH, YEA, AND DID I MENTION NOT SHOPPING AT HALF-PRICE BOOKS ANYMORE.
K-I-N-D-L-E! THE ELECTRONIC BOOK... COMING TO MY HAND SOON...
FenWolf
tacoma,Washington,
United States of America
Sorry you got offered so little but...
#5UPDATE Employee
Tue, May 04, 2010
This is sadly something employees have to deal with every day. I don't work at the store in question, but my store has simular expreiences every day. The key you have here is 3/4 former best seller in hardback. Condition at this point means very little. At my store those books would go out for $1-$2, sit on the shelf for 3-5 days then be donated to a local charity. For the 35-40 you brought us, maybe 2 or 3 would sell. Any that we would put out on the main shelf would go out at 5$, and displace the copy that's almost certainly already there, making it go through the 3-5 day $1-$2 cycle.
Art/photography books are an ugly beast, we look them up and go by the used price online. Given the low amount offered you, I would have to guess that most of them looked up online (amazon and other online reseller websites) for less than 5 dollars each. This is true for most non-fiction books, especially those that go out of date quickly, like law, medical, and psychology, or that lose popularity quickly when society stops taking an interest in the person/subject, ususally art and tv/movie actor/actress books.
Snotienose
Anywhere,Texas,
USA
No ax to grind
#5General Comment
Wed, December 30, 2009
I don't have an ax to grind, but I do know a ripoff when I see one and Half Price Books has been a ripoff for as long as I can remember and I wan't born yesterday. They have their employees act like their viewing your books and then announce over the PA very professionally, "Mr HalfPriceIdiot, your offer is ready"! You then find out you're getting 1 cent on the dollar for your books, and only the ones they want, not all of them!
Ashley
Springfield,Missouri,
U.S.A.
Why?
#5Consumer Comment
Mon, June 01, 2009
Are there so many complaints recently about some used book store in texas?
Just really seems odd that this half-price books would get so many complaints all of the sudden, mostly about what they pay for the books.
I'm really wondering if someone has a axe to grind with these people and keeps posting horror stories about them.