I fell in love with a hardcover book in Barnes and Nobles. The artwork, the title, the subject. But it cost more than I wanted to spend. So I went on Amazon.com and ordered one for half the price. I was so proud of my impulsive buyer restraint. Then I got the book in the mail. Not only was it not the hardcover but the flimsy one-layer of brown paper packaging had ripped and the pages were bent. My heart instantly sunk. My mother, brother, and I love new books especially hardcovers. My brother and I stopped lending books out to people other than each other because we want them all to ourselves. The stacks on the shelf are a visual testament to our love of reading. We like the way they still look new after reading them. Therefore receiving this crap version of 'Johannes Cabal the Necromancer' made me want to openly sob in the US Post Office. I felt duped.
I decided to contact the seller and make it clear there was a misunderstanding. He wrote back stating it was my fault, that I didn't read the "description of the book". Funny because following the title was "[Hardcover]". That was when I decided to give him terrible feedback. He then proceeded to send me the following 3 emails on my personal email account (copied and pasted):
1) The item description clearly stated that it was the ADVANCE READING COPY. This is why it was brought to you at such a low price. Also, most books are not shipped in a box. If you want to make something "right," I urge you to first read the packaging slip. Thanks for your time.
2) Did you have a bad weekend or something?
3) You are probably going to win this one, but please read the item descriptions before you just click buy. Unless you did this on purpose. In which case good work.
I don't know about you but I would constitute this as harassment. I never wrote back to the guy and he continued to write me? Last night I hop on the Face Book to find a friend request. I always love the friend requests because you never know who it could be. An old friend, an ex, nope it was the book seller. Yup. The 24 year old and his wife asking me to be their friend on Face Book. Instantly a rush of fear flooded through me. This guy knows my address, email and has found me on Face Book. Does this '06 Ohio State graduate have nothing better to do in Mansfield, Ohio? Should I be expecting a Kaczynski birthday gift in the mail next? Is it a coincidence that the protagonist in the book sold his soul to the devil? Could my desire to get half off a book be considered damnable? Should I have truly thought about the subject matter and who I was buying from? Is the seller Johannes in the flesh?
My guess is he is just an arrogant, testosterone filled, married (thanks Face Book), 24 year old who thinks it's funny to harass someone who didn't get what they wanted via Amazon.
I contacted Amazon last night and had the worst customer service ever. I spent 2 hours trying to file a report. Two hours on and off the phone just trying to state that one of their sellers is a nutcase. To top it off I am awaiting the arrival of another book that I ordered 3 weeks ago. I will never ever use Amazon again. Or eBay. I don't care if this is a rare occurrence I will NEVER go through this again.
Barnes and Nobles I will pay you full price any time and I am sorry that I strayed. I learned my lesson.
P.S. Face Book is beginning to scare me
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