Bad experience at Chapters Bookshop Parnell Street, Dublin 1.

Desmond_T

BostonB wrote: »

I assume they make a judgement call on the person and/or the books. I expect they can't win though, some people will be offended if they tell them directly, that they/and their books are suspicions, or they simply turn them away with some other reason, as in this case.

Guess I don't like being grouped as one of those punters they arbitrarily classify as 'suspicious'.

cloud493

Desmond_T wrote: »

Only after my more extreme response encouraged you to do so. Looks like my more extreme reaction was the right way to go about it.

Not at all. If you go back a few pages, before you posted, I'd already said something

Toby Take a Bow

Desmond_T wrote: »

I will hereinafter refer to as ‘Tweedy Bitch’, or TB for short)

You sound like a child, and Chapters' response to your email was spot on (and this is sad to say, as I've had many a bad experience in Chapters). I can't believe you make a living from reviewing books given your lazy way with words.

Desmond_T wrote: »

I will stick to favouring southside secondhand bookshops with my custom, such as The Secret Book and Record Shop, on Wicklow Street, with whom I enacted a much friendlier transaction later in the day, for the same books).

And snobbery. I'm surprised that you would put your name to the letter, as it shows you in a really, really bad light.

I'd also say (not naming names, of course) that, during my bookselling days, if a particular bunch of books went 'missing' in the bookshop that I worked, I could nearly always be certain that they'd end up in a certain south-side second hand bookshop. So maybe Chapters were right to be suspicious of someone wanting to sell brand-new books in perfect condition.

ixoy

Toby Take a Bow wrote: »

And snobbery. I'm surprised that you would put your name to the letter, as it shows you in a really, really bad light.

Poor form to also include the name of the manager who responded to you as well. He's a nice chap too (I know him and no, he's not the person everyone else is talking about in this thread) - shows far more courtesy than you've afforded the staff to be honest.

Trisha XxX

Okocim wrote: »

I am all for seeing as many good second hand bookstores and 2nd hand music shops as possible but based on personal experience I would advise avoidng Chapters on Parnell Street like the plague. Real rip off merchants if you ever go in to trade in DVD's, CD's or books. The staff are very condescending and have a ''superior'' attitude problem. Very poor cash exchange rates for books and CD's and misleading and inaccurate and contradictory quotes given. Was quoted a cash exchange figure which was less for combined CD and books then if the two were brought in seperately!! ie the total cash exchange amount i would have received would have been more if I had brought the books in on one day seperately and the CD'S in the next day...the excuse was ''we can only use one receipt docket'' shady practices at work. I'd rather give them away for free to a charity shop then be treated with contempt like that. Will never go into Chapters again. At least Dick Turpin wore a mask!!!

Personally I love Chapters, I think their selection of both new and second hand books are amazing, I never thought the prices were bad. But I never traded anything their so i wouldnt know about that, and I agree with the comment about the staff not overly enthusiastic or friendly.

Grievous

Why are people ganging up on Desmond T? The Thread is about someone's bad experience at Chapters and he also had a bad experience.

Also, I'v spoke to people who have worked there before and who currently work there and they do NOT have glowing reviews for the we-won't-say-his-name manager who works on the help-desk downstairs.

I have witnessed his tone and snobbishness with my own eyes. The worst was seeing some man falsely accused of stealing from the shop and being made an absolute show of in front of lots of people. Oh yeah, turned out the guy did not steal anything.

Still, the second hand prices on the books upstairs are reasonable. I'm sure Desmond's letter has elements of transference in it due to his suspect treatment in the shop.

The buying/selling department upstairs is just not consistent. I tried to sell some books to one seller and they rejected half of them, I came back 2 hours later when I knew a different buyer would be on the till and I presented the same books and he bought them. It's not cool carrying a heavy bag of second hand books around town trying to sell them with no chance of making any money on them.

BostonB

Desmond_T wrote: »

??? The human touch?

Desmond_T wrote: »

Guess I don't like being grouped as one of those punters they arbitrarily classify as 'suspicious'.

The human touch isn't name calling, then posting it on the internet, the people readily identified. Simply because you don't like a stores policy.

BostonB

Grievous wrote: »

Why are people ganging up on Desmond T? The Thread is about someone's bad experience at Chapters and he also had a bad experience....

Its not "ganging up" its simply a number of people disagree with him.

cloud493

I don't think anyones ganging up, its been agreed he has some valid points.The way he presented those points however, wasn't going to get him anywhere.

Grievous

Toby Take a Bow wrote: »

You sound like a child, and Chapters' response to your email was spot on (and this is sad to say, as I've had many a bad experience in Chapters). I can't believe you make a living from reviewing books given your lazy way with words.


And snobbery.

Is this not name-calling, or ganging up?

Desmond_T

Grievous wrote: »

Is this not name-calling, or ganging up?

Thank you, Grievous Angel.

Desmond_T

Grievous wrote: »

Why are people ganging up on Desmond T? The Thread is about someone's bad experience at Chapters and he also had a bad experience.

Also, I'v spoke to people who have worked there before and who currently work there and they do NOT have glowing reviews for the we-won't-say-his-name manager who works on the help-desk downstairs.

I have witnessed his tone and snobbishness with my own eyes. The worst was seeing some man falsely accused of stealing from the shop and being made an absolute show of in front of lots of people. Oh yeah, turned out the guy did not steal anything.

Still, the second hand prices on the books upstairs are reasonable. I'm sure Desmond's letter has elements of transference in it due to his suspect treatment in the shop.

The buying/selling department upstairs is just not consistent. I tried to sell some books to one seller and they rejected half of them, I came back 2 hours later when I knew a different buyer would be on the till and I presented the same books and he bought them. It's not cool carrying a heavy bag of second hand books around town trying to sell them with no chance of making any money on them.

Thank you, Grievous Angel.

Desmond_T

cloud493 wrote: »

I don't think anyones ganging up, its been agreed he has some valid points.The way he presented those points however, wasn't going to get him anywhere.

You think I expected to get anywhere, no matter what strategy I adopted?

dukedalton

Grievous wrote: »

Is this not name-calling, or ganging up?

It's not name calling, it's a description of the sentiments he's expressed here.

And even if it was, it's nowhere near the level of abuse he gave to that member of Chapter's staff.

And I'm not sure what you mean by "ganging up". This is a message board. Desmond T posted on here to express his view. Others had a different one.

BostonB

Grievous wrote: »

Is this not name-calling, or ganging up?

No that's a single comment, not a gang?

No sure how else you'd describe the actions of going on the web, to be offensive for some imagined personal insult. Instead realising they get all types and have to give a generic response if they aren't sure of something.

Desmond_T wrote: »

...If the description used was offensive, that was my intention, in retaliation to the offense caused to me. .......

At best, that is not a professional response to this event.

dukedalton

Desmond_T wrote: »

You think I expected to get anywhere, no matter what strategy I adopted?

Well then why are you making such a song and dance about it?

cloud493

Well you might have got somewhere, if you hadn't descended to name calling.

BostonB

Desmond_T wrote: »

You think I expected to get anywhere, no matter what strategy I adopted?

If you are suggesting there's no way to establish your credentials or deal with people in a mature responsible manner then I can't agree.

BostonB

dukedalton wrote: »

Well then why are you making such a song and dance about it?

He said his intention was to be offensive.

Grievous

BostonB wrote: »

imagined personal insult. Instead realising they get all types and have to give a generic response if they aren't sure of something.

Oh, he imagined being insulted?

I have seen them insulting people. Sorry, I can only offer a subjective, unreliable point-of-view.

But yeah, I suppose insulting them back is not going to win the day.

BostonB

He's insulted because they refused his books. That's the crux of it.

Desmond_T wrote: »

...I am not accustomed to being treated like a common thief, nor as a receiver and seller of stolen goods....

What happened to someone else is irrelevant. Why would he be insulted because they insulted someone else?

BostonB

This is one of those situations where less is more. Confining criticism to the flaws in the policy of processing books in would have been vastly more effective.

Toby Take a Bow

Grievous wrote: »

Is this not name-calling, or ganging up?

Is name calling and ganging-up the same thing?

Anyway, it's a discussion board, people put forward their opinions, mine being that Desmond handled the situation in a bad way, and actually made Chapters seem reasonable. This is fairly impressive, considering the bad experience many of us have had at the hands of a particular person working the 'help' desk.

Grievous

I think we should all go back to discussing Literature :-) I'm happy with that.

Denerick

Desmond_T wrote: »

Here' a copy of a letter I have written to chapters, about my bad experience there last Friday (November 23rd, 2012):

To Whom It Concerns:

I wish to draw attention to your acceptance policy, and the implementation thereof, of secondhand books at your shop.

Last Friday (November 23rd) I went in to sell two hardback books for credit, in your upstairs department, and the woman behind the counter (whose name I did not ask for, but who I will hereinafter refer to as ‘Tweedy Bitch’, or TB for short), informed me: “These books are new, we only take secondhand books.” I was rather flummoxed at her logic, but managed to inquire: “I don’t understand: if I’ve owned them, then they are secondhand.” To which she replied, “No, I’m not taking them.”

So I make my way out, and it is only as I am halfway down the stairs that the penny drops: she thinks the books are stolen. I decide to go back to the counter to say my piece: “You think they’re stolen, don’t you?” To which Tweedy Bitch replies: “I didn’t say that.”

I then explain: “I’m a book reviewer, that’s where I get them from.” To which TB has the audacity to respond: “Why didn’t you say that?”, as though the onus is on me to prove the books were not stolen. So I retort: “You didn’t ask.”
This terminated our exchange, with no apology forthcoming.

The point is that TB presumed the books were stolen, yet would not give me an adequate explanation as to why she would not accept the books. Furthermore, she implied that it was up to me to prove the books are not stolen, even though I was completely unaware of her suspicions.

I am not accustomed to being treated like a common thief, nor as a receiver and seller of stolen goods. I have been reviewing books for nigh on twenty years, for a wide variety of Irish and international newspapers, magazines, and journals:

http://www.desmondtraynor.com/books.html

yet never before have I encountered such an obnoxious and condescending attitude in selling unwanted books, or books I have multiple copies of, which presumes an ulterior and illegal motive for selling newly or recently published books.

Suffice to say, I will not be buying or selling in Chapters ever again. My only regret is that I have done business there in the past, and spent money there (all of which seems to count for naught). In future, I will stick to favouring southside secondhand bookshops with my custom, such as The Secret Book and Record Shop, on Wicklow Street, with whom I enacted a much friendlier transaction later in the day, for the same books). A quick internet search shows that your (bad) reputation goes before you:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056533617

I will also be letting all my colleagues in the National Union of Journalists know about my negative and humiliating experience in chapters, which will hopefully do some more damage to your business, however slight.

Yours sincerely,

___________________
DESMOND TRAYNOR

I got to admit, when I read this I thought of Ignatius O'Reilly. I suspect that wasn't intended. Which makes it all the more precious. (Incidentally I don't even like a Confederacy of Dunces, mostly because I presumed no such character could possibly exist, though this 'complaint' may have tipped that theory on its head.)

hooplah

Grievous wrote: »

The buying/selling department upstairs is just not consistent. I tried to sell some books to one seller and they rejected half of them, I came back 2 hours later when I knew a different buyer would be on the till and I presented the same books and he bought them. It's not cool carrying a heavy bag of second hand books around town trying to sell them with no chance of making any money on them.

Do you think its possible for this to be totally consistant though? It has to be a judgement call to some extent. In fairness to Chapters staff I sold them books previously and the people I spoke to explained why they gave what they did for each one.
That said the price they give is quite low - as one would expect really if they have to have a profit margin.
If you don't want to carry your books around why not ring ahead or sell them online through ebay or adverts?

cloud493

hooplah wrote: »

Do you think its possible for this to be totally consistant though? It has to be a judgement call to some extent. In fairness to Chapters staff I sold them books previously and the people I spoke to explained why they gave what they did for each one.
That said the price they give is quite low - as one would expect really if they have to have a profit margin.
If you don't want to carry your books around why not ring ahead or sell them online through ebay or adverts?

Cos if you ring ahead they tell you to bring them in.

Grievous

I have never sold any books anyone, so yes, that's worth a try.

As for ringing ahead, it's no use, they really need to see the books and judge on the day.
On the phone you get kind of a generic "No textbooks, no single issue comics, no large paperbacks" response.
They really need to see what you have to sell as regards to literary fiction, history books, classics, graphic novels ect ect, but yes, I agree that they are only human and on the day you could get someone in a foul mood or someone hungover. Hard to know.

ali123

We had a terrible experience with Chapters. My bf bought me 2 'new' books for Christmas but it turned out I'd already read them. He went back to the shop and was told that they were second hand and they would not exchange them. I find this disgusting. His receipt does not show second hand, he bought them downstairs with the new books and the were not second hand prices. When closely inspected there is a slight crease down the spine of both. So it would seem that Chapters are selling some of their least worn second hand books as new. Buyer Beware!

Desmond_T

dukedalton wrote: »

Well then why are you making such a song and dance about it?

Just to draw attention to the occurrence, and make others aware of it, so that they may be forewarned and forearmed.