New Harry Potter Novel Coming (pricing details too) (2 Viewers)

[Steve Tannehill]

Yes, this ultimately was a joint UPS / USPS delivery. But why Amazon would alert us to the UPS tracking number is beyond me--it clearly had no bearing on when we would be receiving the shipment. In fact, it still does not show as delivered when I check the tracking number.

It was only when I went to check mail Saturday night that I found the box in the mailbox.

- Steve

 

[Kevin Grey]

Holy Crap, am I happy I read this.

I had assumed it was coming UPS since I had a UPS tracking number. Even then I had checked my mail Saturday night at about 7pm. Living in an apartment if I get a package its placed in a package locker and the key is placed in my mailbox. Last night there was nothing in there but a few Netflix disks.

So just now I checked again- still nothing. Then I check all of the package lockers with keys in them (meaning the residents have come and picked up their stuff). Looking through them I find my Harry Potter package. Evidently the postman forgot to lock the locker and place the key in my mailbox letting me know I had a package. Anyone could have come by and taken it all weekend, especially since the identity of what was in the package was loudly proclaimed on the packaging. Still, its nice to have the book in hand.

 

[Steve Tannehill]

Kevin, I am glad to hear you got your book, but I'm even more glad that I was not the only one to think that the book should be coming from UPS. After all, that's what Amazon told us, wasn't it?

Before I checked my mailbox, I wrote Amazon to complain that I had not received the book. I waited until well after 7:00pm, which was the time they advised to contact customer service. I asked that they refund the delivery charges and price match themselves, since the price had gone down after my December preorder. They came back half an hour later with a total refund of the price of the book, since Saturday delivery had been promised.

Of course, Saturday delivery had been achieved, I just did not know it yet. So I wrote them back and said they should reverse the refund, but asked that they explain why they sent us the UPS tracking number and told us the delivery would be by UPS when it wasn't.

In the great scheme of things, this is a fairly minor screw-up during the insanity of 1.5 million preorders of one title, but someone at Amazon clearly was not thinking things through.

- Steve

 

[Malcolm R]

UPS does not deliver on Saturdays, so the only way to get them delivered en masse would have been via Postal Service.

Why Amazon did not make this clear to their customers is a bit puzzling. Had I pre-ordered and they told me it was going to be delivered via UPS on Saturday, I would have immediately been suspicious (and probably assumed I wouldn't see the book until Monday).

 

[Steve Tannehill]

Amazon did say in email that UPS was handling some deliveries, so when the tracking notice said UPS, I did not give it a second thought.

- Steve

 

[Kevin Grey]

I know Fedex will deliver to businesses but not residences on Saturday so I assume UPS does the same. I too was suspicious though when I saw the UPS shipping but assumed that Amazon had made some special deal waving the business requirement considering the bulk of the orders involved (almost a million copies of Harry Potter came from Amazon alone).

 

[Steve Tannehill]

Speaking of prices, I just found the book on CD, some 19 hours on 17 CD's, for $37.62 at Sams. The retail price is US$75, and this pretty much blows away other prices I've seen advertised.

- Steve

 

[NeilO]

Thanks for Costco advice. I was visiting my parents this weekend and was able to go there Saturday with them and get our copies for slightly under $15.99 + tax.

Neil

 

[Kevin Grey]

Not surprisingly, Potter just broke a bunch more sales records, outpacing the sales of Book 5:

AP Story

 

[Craig S]

I ordered HP&tGoF from Amazon in 2000, and it was indeed delivered on Saturday by UPS that year.

 

[Carlo_M]

Here's the link to US/UK difference for Order of the Phoenix.
Unfortunately it is quite a bit more than a dozen (and I also would consider UK to US spelling changes to be a difference (for both Rowling and Tolkien) though this site generally does not include them as differences.

Not trying to nitpick as I realize most won't care about this. But for those that do, I want to show that there is a significant amount of difference that some people may care about, and to aid those people in their selection process.

 

[andrew markworthy]

Carlo, thanks for the link, which makes fascinating reading. I found it interesting that in the USA 'eating his chop' was changed to 'eating his chops'. Do you eat smaller cuts of meat over there, necessitating chops rather than a chop in order to get your ration of meat?

 

[Clinton McClure]

In the US, we are notoriously know for over-indulgence. Huge cuts of meat and many of them. :wink: Also we associate with 'chops' better than with 'chop'.

 

[Carlo_M]

And here's what gets me. A lot of the changes are just "Americanizations" but someone at Scholastic actually changing Rowling's writing. Now granted, no one is perfect, but unless there's a gross error, give me the original author's lines! Here's an example...

UK Version
he virtually bounced off to the library to pick up Ron and Hermione before their afternoon lessons

US Version
he headed off to the library to pick up Ron and Hermione before their afternoon lessons, walking in a rather bouncy way himself.

Another
UK
but Sirius said, 'Petrificus Totalus!' and Snape keeled over again, rigid as a board.

US
but Sirius said, "Locomotor mortis!" and Snape keeled over again at once, rigid as a board.

Also, note the much lamer spell name for the US version :rolleyes

 

[Citizen87645]

Oh man, that's painful...

 

[Ray Chuang]

Carlo Medina,

I think those so-called Americanizations were done with the direct approval of Rowling herself, so if there's anyone to blame it's probably the author.

 

[TheoGB]

Rowling had to okay them, but I doubt she really had time to spend ages talking about it. Someone else would have said "they won't understand so and so" and Rowling would have to trust them as they would be the one who knew about the American language.

That said, whoever has suggested these changes is presumably about the most patronising person you could meet. I would hope there are no publishing houses over here changing books by authors like Elmore Leonard so they read 'pavement' instead of 'sidewalk' or whatever: I would be livid at being treated as such a moron.

If they are really concerned a glossary would be better as, apart from anything else, it's good for kids to be challanged like that, I think. They enjoy learning in that way. I know I did when I used to read more complicated books.

 

[TheoGB]

Ha, just noticed this from the Philosopher's Stone differences:

crumpets -> English muffins

Always wondered what on earth 'English muffins' were. Crumpets are nothing like either type of muffin, though. I mean, they're not remotely muffin-like. How strange...

 

[PeterK]

does anyone know how may copies have been sold so far? I can only find info on the opening day numbers. also, how much is the average cost of this book? $20?