Whe a Book Is Temporarily Unvavailable When Do You Know When Its Available Again
Q –
My Amazon list says this in the right side buy box:
Salvage an extra $13.96 (74%). Buy the Kindle Edition instead.
FREE Shipping for Prime members once available.
Usually ships within one to two months.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.
Why are they telling people that it takes i to ii MONTHS to ship???!!! I have notified them that this is an error and they say they've contacted my publisher but they did NOT. It is disruptive my buyers!
A – Back in 2008, Amazon started making phone calls to impress on demand publishers, threatening to remove their buy buttons from Amazon.com if the publisher didn't start paying Amazon to print their books. This meant the volume would not be available for purchase direct through Amazon. Readers would just be able to purchase copies through re-sellers who had listings on Amazon. Buyers want to be able to buy straight through Amazon because they don't know those re-sellers. Buyers trust Amazon, a proper noun they do know.
At BookLocker.com, we received the same threatening phone call from Amazon. We afterwards filed a class-activity lawsuit against Amazon for (alleged) federal anti-trust violations. Our main concerns were: 1. Amazon's printing partitioning'due south prices, and two. The quality of their books was not acceptable to us. Later on a federal judge refused to dismiss the case, Amazon chop-chop settled our case, and paid our attorneys $300K. Yous tin can read more than near our example, and the events leading upwards to information technology, Hither.
Things quieted downward afterward that but Amazon appeared to exist happy considering many of our competitors had caved to Amazon's demands, and signed their contract before our case ended up in front of a federal judge.
Over that period of fourth dimension, Amazon was sending orders for print on demand books straight to Ingram'southward printing division, which would and then impress and ship the book direct to Amazon's customers, even using an Amazon.com return address characterization. (And, that printing segmentation and Ingram recently confirmed to us that Amazon yet does that for many orders.) Ingram was fifty-fifty shipping some books published by traditional publishers directly to Amazon'south customers. Everything was working great and customers were getting their books very quickly. Amazon didn't even demand to lay a finger on those books. The transactions were automatic and Amazon was earning money on copies sold fifty-fifty when they didn't demand to warehouse or transport books.
Fast-forward a few years and, now, at that place are MANY more publishers and fifty-fifty more impress on demand printers offering their services to authors. Plain, Amazon isn't printing books for all of them.
At that place is speculation in the industry that Amazon has institute another manner to effort to get publishers and authors to utilize their press services.
In a nutshell, Amazon is:
List impress on demand books either as unavailable or "out of stock," bachelor only through third-party resellers, or available but with very long pb times that don't accurately reflect how quickly buyers can really obtain that book, even if Amazon orders it from the benefactor. For example, information technology does NOT have 1-two months to obtain a re-create of a print on demand book! Rather, information technology takes only a few days.
Amazon's latest shenanigans have been affecting a diversity of print on demand (and other) books for quite awhile now. Based on numerous reports we've received, this appears to be what's happening when an author or publisher notices their book can no longer be purchased directly through Amazon (which is called "Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Become it past (insert appointment here – some are available in a picayune as ii days)."
Authors hear from their readers that people tin no longer buy the book straight from Amazon. When those authors mutter straight to Amazon, Amazon offers up a variety of excuses, including everything from "your publisher needs to open up an Amazon business relationship," to "we tin can't obtain whatsoever copies of your book from Ingram (the benefactor)," and more. With print on demand books distributed past Ingram, those excuses aren't flight at all. Ingram is, of course, not only denying the books are unavailable, merely they are also happy to provide screenshots of their system, proving the book is indeed available. Publishers can only login to their ipage account at Ingram to encounter the book'southward availability. Of course, the same automated Ingram feed about the impress on need books goes to other stores as well, like BarnesandNoble.com, and those books are listed as available on those sites. Amazon is the only retailer we know of that's altering the listing info. for impress on demand books.
When confronted with proof (2 screenshots) that one book in particular most definitely WAS available through Ingram AND their printer, Amazon connected to contend their case, but backed down when they were asked for a screenshot of what they were seeing on their cease, claiming the information was proprietary. Magically, that volume'southward buy push appeared once again a week subsequently, after the author got upset. During the discussions, Amazon pitched their press division to that author. Their actions backfired. The author was and so upset about the whole scenario that he has no involvement in doing concern direct with Amazon.
Based on reports from numerous publishers and authors, this appears to be what's happening now with Amazon's "availability" bug:
NEW BOOKS
one. A new impress on demand volume goes upward for sale and the purchase push button on Amazon works just fine.
2. The buy push button disappears a few days after, and is replaced by a variety of different things, like:
* Temporarily out of stock. Social club now and we'll evangelize when available.
* Only two left in stock. Ships from and sold by (name of a third-party reseller on Amazon).
* 2 Used from $x.twenty; i New from $10.xx (too from resellers on Amazon – and those "used" copies aren't always used; in fact, many don't even be notwithstanding!)
* 10 used & new offers (all from resellers on Amazon)
* Usually ships in ane to two months
* Commonly ships in 1 to three weeks
* Ordinarily ships in 1 to 4 weeks
* Usually ships in 5 to 6 weeks
and
* Ships from and sold past Amazon.com. Get information technology by (2 days from at present). Costless Shipping on eligible orders. (Some books remain available through Amazon with this listing. Possibly they have been inadvertently overlooked. Who knows?)
Here'south the beef. All of the books I simply looked upward on Amazon.com to copy/paste the text above have the exact same publisher, printer, and benefactor. And, Amazon can even so have that printer and distributor ship those copies directly to Amazon's customers, with 24-hour plow-effectually! Amazon's availability quotes are incorrect and ridiculous and authors and publishers alike are FURIOUS because this IS affecting their book sales.
3. Publisher/author complains to Ingram's printing division (the largest Impress on Need printer in the globe).
4. Printer opens "a ticket" at Amazon.
five. Amazon appears to fix a very pocket-size percentage of those book listings very rapidly subsequently receiving those tickets, simply appears to ignore virtually of the other ones. We know of "unavailable" books that were initially reported to Amazon seven months ago, and subsequently reported 3 more times over the post-obit five months, and they still haven't been "stock-still" at Amazon. If Amazon fixes ane book, and if that book has the same publisher, printer, and benefactor as all the others, why hasn't Amazon fixed ALL of those books?
half dozen. Unfortunately, the printer does non appear to follow-up on all these old tickets and only resubmits them if the publisher and/or author complains again. We're not sure what's going on at that place but I imagine they have tens of thousands of ticket open with Amazon. They would likely need to hire more employees just to continue up with the incorrect listings on Amazon.
vii. Some books that exercise become their buy buttons dorsum can lose them again a few days or weeks later.
viii. The author gives up on the publisher, printer, and distributor, and contacts Amazon directly.
ix. Amazon's usual response is to incorrectly blame the problem on the benefactor or publisher, saying they tin can't get the book from the publisher (non true – that printer is under contract with Amazon to print/ship the books to Amazon in 24 hours), that the publisher needs to open an account with Amazon (which is not needed since Ingram, the largest benefactor, which ships millions of books to Amazon each year, also carries the book), that the benefactor has the volume listed as "unavailable" (and Amazon continues to insist this fifty-fifty when provided with screenshots from Ingram's system showing the volume is available), and more.
ten. In some cases, Amazon pitches their own printing division to the author as an alternative. Sound familiar??
11. When the writer signs up for an "Writer Cardinal" account (which they might think they demand to practise to complain to Amazon), they kickoff receiving emails pitching Amazon's printing division (which has numerous complaints posted about it online). Incidentally, Amazon is rolling out a "new" printing service that many industry folks believe is just an endeavour to rebrand their old one. (If I had that many complaints about me online, I'd want to rename and rebrand myself, besides!)
OLDER BOOKS
12. Some older books are still available on Amazon. Mayhap the listings are too onetime or as well much problem for Amazon to jiggle them around.
13. Some other older books lose their buy buttons just similar new books.
fourteen. Go back to #3 higher up.
PLAYING WITH DISCOUNTS
Some publishers have tried increasing their discounts on some of their books while others take not. They call back giving Ingram and, afterwards, Amazon, a bigger clamper of each sale will change their book's availability on Amazon.
Some books with new, college discounts will remain unavailable while some volition be made available once once more. In that location is no noticeable design on which books Amazon will flip the switch on or non. The reactivated buy button on Amazon may have zilch at all to do with the initial discount, nor the changed disbelieve. At that place is no prepare discount rate that automatically makes Amazon plow the purchase push button back on again.
Some books that don't have changed discounts will suddenly popular up as bachelor once again (this seems related to how loudly the publisher or writer screams at Ingram and/or Amazon). Some authors take reported that purchasing copies of their book from Amazon (despite the long lead times) and/or Amazon's resellers accept spurred Amazon to make the book "available" through Amazon once over again.
At that place's no rhyme or reason to the process Amazon is using to remove the active buy buttons, nor for re-adding them, nor for leaving some old books alone vs. removing the purchase buttons from other older volume pages on their site. Neither Ingram nor Amazon is providing existent, right information to publishers or authors most what's happening behind the scenes. Based on correspondence I have received from some employees at Ingram's printing division, they are Non happy with Amazon, which is a no-brainer since they're the ones fielding the first round of complaints from publishers and authors, and they're the ones processing endless "tickets" with Amazon support, with very little success.
I recently asked Ingram for an official statement nigh the state of affairs that we and other publishers can requite to authors well-nigh this situation. They stated they are under contract with Amazon to impress/send books to Amazon in 24 hours and that Amazon does still have the printer/Ingram impress/ship books directly to Amazon's customers. Amazon chooses where each club will be shipped.
Obviously, Amazon and Ingram are notwithstanding butting heads. Perhaps legal action is brewing.
In the concurrently, each time Amazon changes a book'south availability, that increases the chances that an author is going to complain directly to Amazon. And, once that writer is in contact with Amazon, Amazon can then pitch their press division to the writer, thus bypassing the publisher (and Ingram) altogether.
What practise yous recall? Has Amazon found a new way to play the "turning off the buy push button" game with authors and publishers? They didn't threaten to remove the buy buttons. They only did information technology, with no alarm. And, at present they accept a manner to contact those authors directly, opening the possibility of removing the publisher and Ingram from the movie entirely. And, if they are successful, then Amazon gets the press business for that book.
On a last note, another publisher I know reported receiving the "switch to CreateSpace or else" phone telephone call in 2016. Hmmm….
What are your thoughts on this situation? First, please check your volume on Amazon. If you see these problems, immediately contact your publisher AND Ingram. Then, please contact me Here with your comments. We will not publish our name on WritersWeekly (unless y'all want us to). I'd REALLY like to hear from an Amazon employee or two but I know the chances of that happening are nearly impossible. REPEAT: We will not publish your name on WritersWeekly.
1 AUTHOR'South Feel:
I only came from your page, 'Is Your Book Suddenly "Unavailable" on Amazon? Are They Up to Their Erstwhile Tricks Again?!' YES, they are! The first book of my (title removed) series is listed every bit 'Temporarily out of Stock' on Amazon. That's strange (once more), since (name removed) IS the publisher of the starting time title, and (Ingram's printing partitioning, Lightning Source) DOES print books for us. I tried to phone their Customer Service Center (866.216.1072) — only to find out — they are Non ACCEPTING my 'kind of calls'. What exactly does that mean?
Today (3-16-2017) I get an automated reply that they are having 'technical' issues and tin only respond to sure full general questions. Anything specific— call dorsum afterward. OK…so I did…just at present.
I got a customer service rep who, the moment she plant out what my complaint was, tried to get on a 'chatty' first name ground with me. That didn't work out for her then she tried to transfer me 'up the line'. Now I am on hold for ten+ minutes……zzzzzzzzzzz
While I wait,I wonder why people are so stuck on Amazon? Barnes and Noble have the books listed as 'In Stock' and their shipping is by far and away much cheaper. I really asked people in our Facebook group to forget Amazon from the offset, or cancel their orders and become to B&N.
Ah Ha — persistence paid off –a human! Now the man claims not to know Lightning Source. The name 'CreateSpace' simply came upwardly and I but told the man that Amazon could take and #@%& CreateSpace, and don't send them to me after this call is finished! Now he doesn't know how to solve the problem of the 'Out of Stock' title. He simply said, "Where am I going to ship this? If it were as like shooting fish in a barrel as CreateSpace….."
That annotate died rapidly. At present I am in a 'holding blueprint' (the Black Hole I fear) while he runs off to the 'john' for all I know. He finally returned to the telephone.
"Have it up with Author'due south Central," he told me, "We tin can't fix their problems."
"Oh, but the problem is with Amazon — not Lightning Source or Ingram," I replied.
"Well, I can't help you," he said and that ended the telephone call.
And then, in the end, the book is still 'Temporarily out of Stock', even though Lightning hasn't run brusk of paper to print on, and the entire Ingram shipping department isn't grounded. This is the accident-by-blow of what only now happened to me (3-16-2017 @5:45 pm).
Update: three-25-2017
They are still listing (title removed) as 'Temporarily out of Stock', just Merely in the USA (Non in Canada, France, or Germany). So, a call to Amazon's Client service had no bear upon. The 'CreateSpace ploy' is however being touted as 'the solution' for all 'non-traditional publishers, according to Amazon. If y'all do get into a new litigation with the 900 lb gorilla, I will be pleased to exist involved.
ANOTHER Writer'S EXPERIENCE:
Amazon shows (title removed) as available merely through third party resellers. When I contacted Amazon, they told me that Ingram has listed my book every bit out of print (which is not true – this writer was provided with screenshots from Ingram and Lightning Source that his books were bachelor and they continued to exist available on other sites, like BarnesandNoble.com). Amazon has non responded to my latest email. Amazon will only talk to Ingram, and continues to insist that Ingram informed them that the book is out of impress (Amazon has refused to send me proof, citing their privacy policy and unwillingness to betrayal their internal processes). Other than Kindle sales and third-party sales, I have sold no books for six weeks.
UPDATE
I received a call from Amazon just at present, and they insist that Ingram ready the problem. They said it was probably a technical glitch that the Ingram management or technical people tin can solve. Aonce again, this was not true – the author had already provided screenshots to Amazon proving the betoken.)
THE EMAIL COMMENT FROM AMAZON WHERE THEY PITCHED CREATESPACE TO THE AUTHOR:
I sympathize that this is frustrating and we want to get this corrected as chop-chop as possible as yous do besides. The only other option is if you would like to publish this book through ane of Amazon'south Impress on Need channels nosotros can create a list fulfilled past Amazon…
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