Amazon doesnt have 5.1!

[hellosmiletoday]

This week I received the Baby Bargains book from Amazon.com but noticed it is the 5.0 edition. They will allow me to return the book, but apparently do not carry the 5.1 edition (which is difficult to tell when you order the item).

Are the 2004 updates significant enough to where I should go through the trouble of sending back this book and finding somewhere else to purchase the 5.1. I really do not have alot of time to spare (due in May), and need this book ASAP for crib purchase and baby registry!

Does anyone know if local bookstores carry the book (i.e. Barnes and Noble).

[hellokitty1]

Yes, bookstores like B&N and Borders carry the book. I'd be peeved that I got a down-level version of the book. Unless it was heavily discounted for being down-level, I would personally want the 5.1 edition, though I don't know what the differences are. But as much as baby products change, it could be significant.

JMO

[hellosmiletoday]

It was not discounted (cost me about $11 or $12), but advertised as being the 5th edition...I'm not really sure how you could tell if Amazon was selling 5.0 or 5.1 without looking at the inside cover.

When I spoke to amazon, they said they would make an "exception" and allow me to return it for a full refund, but could not give me the 5.1 edition as they do not carry it. They do not seem to understand -- they think 5.1 is an entirely new edition. You would think that by Feb 2004, amazon would have updated their stock!

[alandenisefields]

Sorry about the confusion on this.

Let us explain: when we reprinted the book in December 2003, we made changes to the book. That new version is 5.1. As bookstores sold out of the 5.0 book, our distributor shipped them the 5.1 book.

As a result, some stores may still have the 5.0 on the shelves (although by now, in April, that is much less likely). And Amazon now has 5.1 as well.

This really isn't Amazon's fault; we don't change the ISBN number of the book when we reprint it. (That only happens with NEW editions, as in the 6th edition, etc). And there isn't a way for us to "recall" the 5.0 book from Amazon when we release 5.1. So, unfortunatley, this might happen during the few weeks when a retailer (bookstore, Amazon, etc) sells through their old stock and re-orders the new stock.

Meanwhile, there is good news: we ALWAYS offer a money back guarantee on our book. No questions asked. See the last page of the book for details. So, if you get a 5.0 book by mistake, return it to us for a refund of the cover price. Then you can get the 5.1 book!

Hope that helps explain what happened,
--
Alan & Denise Fields, authors
BABY BARGAINS * BABY 411 * TODDLER BARGAINS