Mongoose Publishing and Amazon UK IT FR DE ES

[Baldo]

I'm a strong Amazon customer, and I have bought goods from all the various Amazon stores in Europe. However, most printed books from Mongoose Publishing are NOT available from Amazon here in Europe, and I VERY rarely go to Amazon.com (because of shipping charges and customs tariffs). I do know Mongoose has an online shop (I've created an account there too), but what is the problem with Amazon in Europe?

[MongooseMatt]

In a nutshell, it is very expensive for us. We have a few titles in the UK store but we really don't get the best of deals with Amazon, if you get my meaning.

[Baldo]

In a nutshell, it is very expensive for us.

What about releasing Print-On-Demand books through Amazon then?
Some time ago, Steve Jackson Games started doing this with great success/sales (yep, new SJG customer here ), and I've noticed you DO have a few POD books* on sale.
Is Amazon "very expensive" for PODs too?

*Back in October 2012, you said "We plan to, eventually, have (Print-on-Demand) on all titles!"... Any news?

[MongooseMatt]

The POD system we are using is Drivethru - we have a lot of back catalogue books already converted, but with 600-odd titles, this is not a quick job by any stretch!

[Baldo]

Returned home from a short vacation, started surfing Amazon.it for a few things I need and... WHAT?! Element Class Cruisers Blueprints (€28,89) and Naval Adventure 1: Shakedown Cruise (€8,56) on sale HERE?
Needed some time to overcome the shock first (really!), but managed to grab all the available books (2 only).

Is this:

A): A sign of things to come;
B): A sign of bad sales;
C): A sign I'm sorely deluded if I keep thinking EU customers would better served when/if Mongoose starts selling PODs and new books alike on Amazon.DE-ES-FR-IT-UK ?

[MongooseMatt]

Not really any of those:)

The reason those titles are on EU Amazon (and the Great Rift) is because we have a decent stock of them here in the UK, so they can be supplied to Amazon relatively painlessly. Other titles... not so much.

[Baldo]

The reason those titles are on EU Amazon (and the Great Rift)...

Yes and no.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=mongoose+t ... nb_sb_noss

Waited a few days for developments, but only Amazon UK has the various Great Rift titles (and the Naval stuff) available for order, Amazon DE-ES-FR-IT have Islands in the Rift and Flatlined only (I'm not counting the independent shops selling on Amazon here).

For those interested, the Amazon shop with the current lowest prices is Amazon.it , got Islands in the Rift for €8,51 and Flatlined for €8,45. In addition, Amazon mailed me Element Class Cruisers Blueprints and Shakedown Cruise with NO physical damage to the books (Amazon book packaging is flimsy, usually), for €37,45 TOTAL only (now I understand why Matt said Amazon sales are "very expensive for us").

[Moppy]

for €8,45. In addition, Amazon mailed me Element Class Cruisers Blueprints and Shakedown Cruise with NO physical damage to the books (Amazon book packaging is flimsy, usually)

At least, this applies for paperback fiction - Amazon packaging is fine but 3rd party sellers selling via Amazon don't always pack properly (look who it's sold by). They learn fast if you contact support, because Amazon does NOT like poor quality packing for its merchants. Amazon pays the merchant a rebate of just under 3€ for packaging a paperback, and they expect the merchant to use that for packing instead of pocketing it.

[Baldo]

Amazon DE-ES-FR-IT have Islands in the Rift and Flatlined only...

Deepnight Endeavour is available in the EU stores since last week (got a copy for €9,74), and a few days ago Amazon also added (still empty) pages for Mission to Mithril and The Calixcuel Incident.
My money is ready .

[Baldo]

The reason those titles are on EU Amazon (and the Great Rift)...

Yes and no.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=mongoose+t ... nb_sb_noss

Waited a few days for developments, but only Amazon UK has the various Great Rift titles...

A few days ago EU Amazon added The Great Rift Boxed Set to the stock (2 books), but with different prices: *100 EUROS* for Italy ( No thanks), 64-66 in France and Germany and...

https://www.amazon.es/Traveller-Great-R ... oks&sr=1-3

...30,73 ONLY for Spain (add 7 euros If you live elsewhere in the EU). Got my copy a few minutes ago (37,73 is a good price), one more boxed set is available if anyone is interested ...

[Baldo]

viewtopic.php?f=2&p=946970#p946970

"Over the past few weeks we have had a veritable fleet (or at least a decent flotilla) of new books rolling in for Traveller... ", yeah, this also happened on Amazon, you can now get Pirates of Drinax, The Calixcuel Incident, Vehicle Handbook, The Borderland Run, Traveller Companion, Showing the Sunburst, Behind the Claw, JTAS 3 and JTAS 5, but *ONLY* if you have a German address and buy from Amazon.de (UK is out of the equation: you aren't Europeans anymore ).
Do you think we can hope to see/buy the above stuff (and more) from Amazon.FR-IT-ES too or not? Untracked mail from your UK shop is now (Brexit+Covid) even more problematic (and costly) than before (yes, haven't received Order #100022116 yet)...

[MongooseMatt]

Hey there,

First off, give your order to the end of next week and then give me a shout if you get no joy - we will sort something out for you.

As for the rest, we are currently experimenting with Amazon EU.

The current system is something everyone is currently still figuring out and I would not expect present issues to continue (one way or another - I have certainly been bombarding my local MP about this). As things stand, we will guarantee the delivery of absolutely everything and I am afraid we must weather these troubles while they last.

[MongooseMatt]

Do you think we can hope to see/buy the above stuff (and more) from Amazon.FR-IT-ES too or not? Untracked mail from your UK shop is now (Brexit+Covid) even more problematic (and costly) than before (yes, haven't received Order #100022116 yet)...

You should be seeing items from us on these Amazon stores now...

[AKjeldsen]

viewtopic.php?f=2&p=946970#p946970

"Over the past few weeks we have had a veritable fleet (or at least a decent flotilla) of new books rolling in for Traveller... ", yeah, this also happened on Amazon, you can now get Pirates of Drinax, The Calixcuel Incident, Vehicle Handbook, The Borderland Run, Traveller Companion, Showing the Sunburst, Behind the Claw, JTAS 3 and JTAS 5, but *ONLY* if you have a German address and buy from Amazon.de (UK is out of the equation: you aren't Europeans anymore ).

Looks like these are actually Amazon US stock with the German customs fees precalculated. Kind of weird they’re showing up on Amazon DE.

[Baldo]

Do you think we can hope to see/buy the above stuff (and more) from Amazon.FR-IT-ES too or not?

You should be seeing items from us on these Amazon stores now...

Started my computer a few minutes ago, read your reply and checked Amazon.it and Amazon.es, but nothing new so far (the only "Drinax" I'm seeing on Amazon.it is this).
However I'm lurking and waiting to pay my fealty to Master Bezos ...

[MongooseMatt]

Can you see this: https://www.amazon.it/dp/1908460830?ref=myi_title_dp

Or this: https://www.amazon.it/s?me=ABU49ETDG5PB ... 6JRA9NG5V4

???

[Baldo]

https://www.amazon.it/s?me=ABU49ETDG5PB ... 6JRA9NG5V4

Yes, I see you joined the Marketplace (added your Link to my browser for future reference).
But does this mean you're sending Tracked Mail orders from somewhere inside the EU?

[MongooseMatt]

Yes, I see you joined the Marketplace (added your Link to my browser for future reference).
But does this mean you're sending Tracked Mail orders from somewhere inside the EU?

I am afraid at this time we still have to send from the UK - we can send from the US too, but I am guessing that will make little difference other than to increase delivery times.