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Book Depository how come so cheap?

  • 04-02-2009 11:50am
    #1
    April Raine
    Closed Accounts Posts: 363 ✭✭


    How can the Book Depository sell books at the prices they do? A certain book in easons is 15 euro,the BD have it for just under 10 euro and they pay deliverly which probably cost a fiver. So essentialy, they sell it for a fiver

    I am not complaining - as if ;) - just curious


Comments

  • #2
    snubbleste
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 31,117 ✭✭✭✭snubbleste


    Did you consider sending them an email and asking?

    They are an online-only operation, less overheads than a large retail network. Their prices are in Sterling which has depreciated against the € making it cheaper for us. They negotiate a bulk rate on shipping costs which is built into the price of the book.
    But send them an email, maybe they'll realise they should be charging irish customers a higher price!


  • #3
    rubadub
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,386 ✭✭✭✭rubadub


    They probably buy at a much lower wholesale price too. Look at books and most will have dual pricing £, $, €, they are very different prices in different regions.

    Hoever go to the "rip off" forum and you will hear of grown men reducing 17 year old sales girls to tears by screaming that they are being ripped off, as if dual pricing is only a new idea!

    Companies have to take flucuations into account, 1 year ago the rate was different and the price would have been closer (presuming you are paying sterling). If manufacturers were to change the covers of their books every week to reflect currency rates (like some assholes think they should) then your books would cost an awful lot more....


  • #4
    defiantshrimp
    Closed Accounts Posts: 241 ✭✭defiantshrimp


    Haven't a clue. They seem to undercut amazon on everything and the have free P&P to Ireland. I order almost all my books off them these days


  • #5
    jor el
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,713 ✭✭✭✭jor el


    Everything is cheaper online ;)


  • #6
    EdgarAllenPoo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,686 ✭✭✭EdgarAllenPoo


    Be careful though, sometimes when they have items listed as being in stock, the item actually isn't and the order will be declined. This doesn't happen straight away(and after they've taken the money for the book).


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  • #7
    defiantshrimp
    Closed Accounts Posts: 241 ✭✭defiantshrimp


    GDM wrote: »
    Be careful though, sometimes when they have items listed as being in stock, the item actually isn't and the order will be declined. This doesn't happen straight away(and after they've taken the money for the book).

    True that happened to me once, but they refunded me very promptly.


  • #8
    rubadub
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,386 ✭✭✭✭rubadub


    defiantshrimp wrote: »
    They seem to undercut amazon on everything and the have free P&P to Ireland.
    AFAIK amazon will charge you Irish VAT. I am not sure if book companies would force them to buy books for sale to Ireland at Irish wholesale prices.

    i.e. companies will charge much higher wholesale prices to Irish retailers, who could be working on the same or lower margin then UK ones, so even though a UK item like an ipod might be cheaper to buy at the counter, the UK retailer could really be the one making the higher profit. But of course people still bitch and moan about the irish ones being "rip-offs" when many are obviously struggling to survive.


  • #9
    ElNino
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,509 ✭✭✭ElNino


    rubadub wrote: »
    AFAIK amazon will charge you Irish VAT. I am not sure if book companies would force them to buy books for sale to Ireland at Irish wholesale prices.

    Amazon.co.uk do charge Irish VAT on music etc but most books are exempt from VAT.

    I would be pretty certain that Amazon.co.uk use the same supplier for books sold in the UK and Ireland and don't use Irish wholesalers.


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