Everybody wants good worth when they buy books online - especially expensive ones. And everyone knows that many people like Amazon have transformed book buying to provide all the people with better assessment of worth than bookshops and other booksellers.

Dont they? Havent they?

Not exactly. I am telling you because I should understand . I too am a trader. I get the identical prices, presumably, as Amazon from the publishing houses. They may even get a bigger discount from me becuase they buy in bulk for their thousands of customers. So how can I charge less than me?

Is it because they add apostage charge of around 3 to all orders under around 39? Most paperback books are around 6.99. If you look at Amazons description of the book it may say "Our price 5.59. You save 20%". You are then invited to "buy now".

So you are saving 1.40 on the price you would pay in a bookshop but then paying 3 postage. That makes the price 1.60 MORE than the bookshop price. Thats the smallest village bookshop you might find, remember. Are you really going to order 39 worth of books at once? Can your credit card stand it?

But are Amazon making a loss by offering you a 20% discount in the first place? Not on your life. They almost always get 35% discount. So they paid around 4.50 a book they are then asking you to pay 5.59. How many everybody buying a popular book does it take for them to cover their costs and contruct a profit even if they DIDNT charge you 3 postage.

But they do charge you that. So its not even a question of making a small profit or loss on each sale and hoping selling to lots of people gets them a discount on their postage bill - which it usually does.

So how much should you pay? Well, we would generate a profit on that 6.99 book with 35% discount to us from the publisher by charging you 5.75 INCLUDING POSTAGE.

So, please. Dont think youre not paying shop prices rather than discount prices. And I mean corner shop inflated prices, not Wal Mart sell it cheap prices.

We welcome any enquiries if oyu want more facts on the subject. Email us at books_and_beyond@businessmailbox.com.

I am a mail order bookseller based in London, UK. I have 15 many years experience in the book trade which developed from my own positive need to have a continous range of dazzling and worth books available as a bookseller. My company supplies books online and could be contacted at books_and_beyond@businessmailbox.com for more experience.