Hidden Shipping Charges

• Flat Rate Shipping
  Many merchants offer flat-rate shipping. In this case, the seller of the shipping rates are the same for every listed item, or classified into a simple and easy to understand tiered structure. Rates are dependent on the delivery speed, and the destination country or continent. This is the best shipping option for buyers. This includes Amazon and most retail merchants.
  
  
• Unregulated Shipping Rates
  Some sites do not regulate shipping charges, such as auction sites, classified sites, and sites with international shipper. These sites allow sellers to set different shipping charges for each individual item, on a product by product basis. In some cases, sellers have been know to list artificially low product pricing in conjunction with excessive shipping charges. A book whose actual shipping cost of $3 may have hidden charges of $10 - $20 or more. In many cases, the merchant will not aid the buyer and you must read all shipping charges carefully.
  
  
• Merchants Affected
  This consumer alert applies to auction sites such as ebay.com, and sites with international merchants such as Abebooks, Alibris, and Biblio.
  
             

International Editions

• International Editions May Differ Slightly
  Some items are published in different countries to appeal to differnet consumers. Americans are willing to pay more for better packaging, pretty artwork on the cover, or colorful photos and diagrams. Developing nations are not willing to pay more for these qualities. These "internation editions" are often printed without color photos, use less durable materials, and use differing units of measure or grammar. These editions may also censor differing opinions of a cultural nature. They have also been know to contain additional chapters of a regional nature. They will be assigned different ISBN numbers.
  
  
• Sellers May List International Editions Under Domestic ISBN Numbers
  Some merchants properly identify international editions and denote them prominently for consumers who wish to save money. These merchants include Valore Books, and TextbooksRUs. However, other merchants do not prevent improper listings, and it is up to the buyer to read listing descriptions carefully to ensure that you are receiving the edition that you prefer.
  
  
• Merchants Affected
  This consumer alert applies to almost all merchants such as ebay.com, Half.com, Amazon.com, Abebooks, Alibris, and Biblio.
  
                   

Rapid Price Fluctuations

• Accuracy of Merchant Pricing
  Merchants use multiple methods to deliver price data, some of which is more current than others. Some merchants deliver pricing to us only once per day, while others deliver prices instantly. In some cases, pricing data may vary in different sections of the merchant's own web site. Popular merchants are more likely to have variances in prices.
  
  
• Real-time Marketplace Behaviors
  Items are bought continuously throughout the day, and items are listed by merchants throughout the day. Consumers tend to purchase the least expensive item, causing the price to rise as the supply diminishes. Merchants add new items during the day, causing the price to fall.
  
  
• Seasonal Merchandise
  Some items are of a seasonal nature, such as textbooks, and may experience dramatic pricing changes during specific days or weeks of the year.
  
  
• Merchants Affected
  This consumer alert applies to popular items from popular merchants such as Half.com, Amazon.com, and Abebooks.