[net.sources] B. Dalton booksellers

cracraft@sonia.cs.ucla.edu (Stuart M. Cracraft) (01/22/87)

In article <1337@cadovax.UUCP> keithd@cadovax.UUCP (Keith Doyle) writes:
>Now, (and I've done this twice in the last 2 months) you sign the card, and
>a week later you get it saying they're out of stock of the book in the
>warehouse.
>

I have to agree on this one. In the past 6 months, I tried to order
two books at B. Dalton. Each time I signed a card, and each time 
a short while later I got a card back saying they were out of stock.

The two books were not especially rare or unusual and I later found
both of them on the bookshelves at other bookstores.

Stuart

li@tybalt.caltech.edu (James C. Li) (01/23/87)

In article <3911@curly.ucla-cs.UCLA.EDU> cracraft@sonia.UUCP (Stuart M. Cracraft) writes:
>In article <1337@cadovax.UUCP> keithd@cadovax.UUCP (Keith Doyle) writes:
>>Now, (and I've done this twice in the last 2 months) you sign the card, and
>>a week later you get it saying they're out of stock of the book in the
>>warehouse.
>>
>
>I have to agree on this one. In the past 6 months, I tried to order
>two books at B. Dalton. Each time I signed a card, and each time 
>a short while later I got a card back saying they were out of stock.
>
>The two books were not especially rare or unusual and I later found
>both of them on the bookshelves at other bookstores.
>
>Stuart
If you are looking for technical books, try your local college bookstore.  If
you live near Caltech, MIT, or Stanford(as 90% of you technical pepple do :-),
even better.  They are used to dealing with the publishers, and usually carry
a large number of titles.  If they don't have it, they can probably order it
for you(I've never done this), but expect to pay a premium price(full retail 
plus extra shipping and handling).  If you need a fix, what else can you do?




li@tybalt.caltech.edu (James Li)           __   __
(also li@citromeo.caltech.bitnet)            | |
"Official KANK symbol"         ------>       | |

phaedrus@eneevax.UUCP (Praveen Kumar) (01/23/87)

>From: li@tybalt.caltech.edu (James C. Li)
>
>If you are looking for technical books, try your local college bookstore.  If
>you live near Caltech, MIT, or Stanford(as 90% of you technical pepple do :-)
>even better.  They are used to dealing with the publishers, and usually carry
>[...]

Actually, the best place I have ever found for technical books is:

Books Scientific
18 E. 16th Street, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10003
(phone) 800-621-1220

They pretty much carry everything (especially Prentice Hall stuff) and
if they don't carry it, they *WILL* get it for you within two weeks.
They are absolutely fantastic!  They also give you a 10% discount off
the list price and they charge $1.00 per book for shipping.  So, any
book that is more than $10.00, you are going to save money on.

I don't have any connections with Books Scientific (except as a very
happy customer, of course).

pk
-- 

ARPA:	phaedrus@eneevax.umd.edu 
UUCP:	{seismo,allegra}!umcp-cs!eneevax!phaedrus

carlc@tekgen.UUCP (01/23/87)

What the )(*^&(*^$%) is this flamage about a bookstore doing in net.sources?
-- 
Carl Clawson
Solid State Research Lab / Tek Labs
{decvax, ucbvax, ihnp4, hplabs}!tektronix!tekgen!carlc
(503) 627-6304

salem@sri-unix.ARPA (Bruce B. Salem) (01/23/87)

	First, I have a feeling this discussion should move to a
consumers news group.
	I have several gripes against booksellers like B. Dalton.
The outright lie they give you about ordering textbooks
is only one example of the ruthless self-serving business attitude
they have. I have a particular dislike for D. Dalton's credit policies,
as well as their book ordering policy. For a book dealer to skim the
market by selling only fad books and not offering a quality book finder
service and then to refuse local personal checks is cause to write them
about what they dislike. I don't think people ought to go out of their
way to do business with them. 

Bruce Salem

oyster@uwmacc.UUCP (Vicarious Oyster) (01/24/87)

In article <962@sri-unix.ARPA> salem@sri-unix.UUCP (Bruce B. Salem) writes:
>
>	First, I have a feeling this discussion should move to a
>consumers news group.

   Done (from now on).

>	I have several gripes against booksellers like B. Dalton.
>The outright lie they give you about ordering textbooks
>is only one example of the ruthless self-serving business attitude
>they have. I have a particular dislike for D. Dalton's credit policies,
>as well as their book ordering policy. For a book dealer to skim the
>market by selling only fad books and not offering a quality book finder
>service and then to refuse local personal checks is cause to write them
>about what they dislike. I don't think people ought to go out of their
>way to do business with them. 

  My local B. Dalton's accepts personal checks, has ordered and
delivered, within 3 weeks at the most, every book I've ever asked for
(even one listed as out of print), and has courteous and knowledgable
staffpersons.  I make it a point to buy from them whenever possible,
because they obviously have their act together.  Now, is this store
the exception to the rule, are we only hearing the voice of the
dissatisfied (as all too often happens), or are we guilty of
(gasp!) generalizing?