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Yo.
So I saw this company has been getting some consistent attention in the dumpster fire (NSFE) but without any actual updates or answers on them. I wasn’t going to put any thought into them unless they started placing orders with me, but…the dun’ started orderin’ from me.
Its only two orders right now, but for those in the know or with knoweldge - are they like ergode? Are they something to be weary of? I’ve heard rumors they are buying books to feed into their AI or something stupid and similar to that, but one of these is an audiobook…on cassette, so while still doable, doesn’t seem practical for a purpose like that.
Anyways, these all have to go out tomorrow and while I fully intend to ship as planned, knowing what to expect from this group, if anything, would be appreciated!
@Wade_Wilson have you gone through verification here to join the Booksellers group? If not, you should! Send a message to mods. There are several threads back there discussing Zoombooks that you might want to peruse.
I’ve sold about a dozen or so books to Zoom, many as far back as 6-7 weeks, with no returns, no problems. Several other similar seeming businesses have also been buying; generally extreme long-tail books, often willing to pay good money (I had three go to Red Sparrow today, all of which were over $75).
Yes, the leading theory, backed up by an article posted somewhere that I don’t remember the source, is that these are being used to train AI. But no way to really confirm that.
One thing I can verify is that books I’ve sold to Zoom have not shown up later being sold by Zoom, at least not on Amazon (some of the books had far higher “next best” prices, so OA was a theory for a while).
I say “ship 'em” and be glad to be moving what in many cases is nearly dead inventory.
My experience with Zoom is similar to that described by @Picks_by_Nisha. No problems yet.
All my orders to Zoom have gone to three addresses: one in NV, one in IL and one in MI (though I only got one to Michigan and it went to a physical bookstore that also sells online). I also have received a couple of dropship orders to Zoom that appear to have come from one or more of the innumerable (and growing) front operations that are all, in reality, Ergode Books out of Texas. Most of my orders from Zoom have been for cheap books that I’ve had in inventory for eons.
Zoom isn’t the only buyer name that has been doing this sort of thing (buying random, longtail books) over quite a few months now. It’s weird.
Same here, over 200 books sold to them over a couple of months with no issues. There is one seller on ABE books who has a couple packages to them stranded, but it sounds like more of a postal issue.
Like the others, I have had several orders from them with no issues.
My biggest problem is the way they set up their shipping information. Even with the changes that Stamps/Dazzle/Endicia has made it always glitches and I have to manually adjust it to make it show the needed information.
It takes a couple minutes (at most) but it is helping clean out old inventory. The WEIRD part is that they are also buying books that are in current production and they could save quite a bit if they went publisher direct and bought wholesale!
That likely would require setting up accounts, MOQs (the biggie), and likely be slower response time than ordering used copies from Amazon. Plus less transparent pricing for the AIs to look at and choose.
As for the addresses, I have no problems, but I buy shipping from Amazon, not a linked account. My biggest issue is that I find I need to print one-by-one, not because of any problems with the software, but problems with keeping straight slight variations in the addresses (I’ll usually print labels a stack of 4-5 books, mentally noting which one is which address; they come out in order, but I like to double check).
One question about these guys that came to mind while I was repricing (got to the point that everything over $100 has been checked; more raised than lowered in price).
So far, I’ve sold a couple of books in German, several in Spanish, and the vast majority in English (not surprising). But I wonder if anyone has sold them any books in languages that do not use the western (Roman) alphabet, such as Hebrew or Arabic? If they are buying anything in Hebrew, that will shift my strategy of what boxes to work through.
Don’t you send all of the books in one box for these types of orders? That is a big timesaver for us. Most of the orders we have received from the “Bird Buyers,” etc. have been on sites other than Amazon.
No; at least so far, the addresses are the same, but all have different names for the buyer. Perhaps that could work with sending all in one box, but as fast as I’m able to pack these up, I don’t think that would save any time; plus I’d have to find a box!
Plus, I didn’t think Amazon was really keen on combining orders; I’ve seen several posts on NSFE of not being able to add the same tracking# on multiple orders, which seems to be the only way to do it. On eBay, it’s easy, and now almost automatic; but they tell you when it’s allowed.
I combined orders ONE TIME on Amazon and never again. I do it all the time on eBay where there are few thieves.
On Amazon I still had the target on my account and the ‘buyer’ ordered two items on different orders. Being young and innocent /S (on the young part) I combined them and the thief received the $9.99 item that weighs 1 ounce but did NOT get the $100+ item that weighed over 1 POUND.
Amazon sided with the thief as they always do. Lesson learned as far as SCAMAZON is concerned.
AND, as @Picks_by_Nisha said, you can’t put the tracking number in on multiple orders. Amazon rejects it so you have a metrics hit for no tracking number!
Funny, I think the “Bird Buyers,” as I call them, have purchased only one book from me on Amazon. Scads of orders have come through ABE and Alibris, and a few via Biblio. Most are able to be combined if going to the same address–just remove the PO number and send in bulk to their warehouses. Alibris requires individual packing slips, as does Biblio, if I remember correctly, but ABE orders come all listed on the same 2-3 page packing slip.
Honestly, I don’t think there’s much for them to do; so far, I’ve seen a lot of people worried or even panicked about all the orders, but no reports of any returns or other problems. Many of my orders are well past the 30 day window, so I think there’s no issues to worry about.
I think the first orders I received were in early February, which are now long past the return date.
The Amazon posters seem so parinoid about the multi-orders. The people on SAS have a good idea about how these books are being deployed.
Some purist booksellers have posted online, knowing the end-users intentions for the books, that they have decided to reject the orders. Good luck to them. I can’t afford to turn down good sales of books that may have been on our shelves for many years.
I love books, and have been selling them for many years. I started out selling our own books, acquired thousands of books by various means over the years, and am now back to selling mostly our own books, since our son has said he has told us he has no use of them.
I can sorta understand that, but what is so much better about a book sitting on my shelf, never being read, until I die and someone throws it away compared to being destroyed while being processed into something else?
Like you, I’m not going to turn down these sales. And when they’re buying things like “1977 Report on Economic development in Egypt”, I really don’t think there’s any reason to mourn the loss of that particular copy (in reality, they’re buying stuff that makes me wonder why I ever even listed it!)
LOL, re: the Egypt book you sold. I am selling similar sorts of long-tail books whose highest and best use, after 10 plus years of taking up shelf space, is likely paper recycling.
One thing that’s kinda funny; a lot of the books being bought are on just 2-3 shelves; since so many of our books are from cleanouts, there tend to be concentrations of subjects grouped together. The two big ones are the archive copies we got from Africana Publishers (later H&M), and books from a Middle East scholar/author/part time statesman. Very esoteric stuff for the most part, but no one else has them!
And makes repricing simple; I’ve just gone through some of those shelves to make sure everything is getting max dollars!
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It feels more like, “glad you are all muddling through on your own. Nothing for us to suggest here.”