[Theepistle] Just a reminder...

[Tim Forcer]

At 18:04 12/12/2008, Ian wrote:

>  What intrigues me is the 1p difference between the two volumes if
>  you buy them as new from Amazon UK. Which is 25p more than their
>  pre-release price and about 10p more than they were last night...

Waterstones have gone down in my estimation.

On Monday, I trundled the dozen yards from where 
I work to the University branch of Waterstones, 
and set about ordering the books.

First problem - couldn't be found on the 
system.  This was because the titles were registered as volumes  1 and 2 of:

   The Best of the "Saint"

(note quotes) and because no author was 
given.  Searching for 'Saint Charteris' (a lovely 
thought) gave only results of the most recently available other volumes.

Second problem - price.  They could order at full 
price only - since this was the price shown by 
the in-house system.  All references to the 
online information were waved away with "we're 
nothing to do with the online system, despite my 
attempts to say that I was talking about online 
information about IN STORE pricing.

Not to worry, I thought.

Back online, I checked out the full details 
again.  Definitely £5.99 "in store".  So I 
checked stock - allegedly "small" at one of the 
central Southampton branch, "moderate" at the 
other (yes, there are two large Waterstones 
within a few hundred yards of one another).  I 
used a link to email the manager of the branch I 
prefer, asking about stock and requesting that one of each be put by for me.

On Wednesday, needing to be in town anyway, and 
despite having had no response from the branch, I 
wandered into my preferred branch.  Three copies 
of vol 1, two of vol 2 on the shelves under 
"Crime".  All at full price.  Wander down to the 
other branch.  Five copies of vol 1, four of vol 
2, again all at full price.  Give up, go home, 
order from Waterstones online - they are somewhere in transit right now.

Incidentally, Amazon UK have a somewhat 
Scrooge-like attitude to Christmas working conditions:
<http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/retailing/article5337770.ece>

Compliments of the season to one and all,

Tim