I ordered a used book from a vendor in Amazon, advertised to be in “like new” condition. It is a single order consisting of 3 volumes of a book. There is a dust jacket/band/cover that “wraps” around all three books and it is ripped.
The actual books are indeed in “like new” condition, so I have no complaints there. But I’m dissatisfied that the dust cover came ripped. Am I being too picky here? I don’t buy a lot of used books online, so I’m unsure. I’d like to hear your thoughts.
Whoever listed this probably thought of the dust jacket as some type of packaging that isn’t important, because it doesn’t look like your typical dust jacket?
My experience with buying used books online is pretty good, a lot of them are in better condition than expected, but the condition can vary a bit. I guess when you’re buying from a big seller there are a lot of different people judging the conditions of books and their opinions might differ. Even when there are official guidelines.
I guess in your case, it would depend on the price whether I complain or not. Like today, I got a book that was more than 50% cheaper than new. It actually looks brand new, but for that price I would have accepted some damage.