More Than Free

I have owned this book since it was first published. It is my very favorite of all of the ones I own except for The Tightwad Gazette.

When my sister was here to visit, she asked if she could pick a couple of books from my collection of frugality books to read at night while she was here. She chose this one and another. She read the other one first and had only gotten less than half way through this one. I told her to take it home and just give it back to me the next time we see each other which most likely be another two or three years.

Since I liked it so much I thought she would too. So I set out to find another copy so that I could gift her this book. I looked at all the used book places in my area and the thrift shops but no luck. Next I looked online for a used book. I found one at Amazon.

It was marked as a Prime offer even though it was sold by another seller on Amazon. So I ordered it. Even though that was on August 3rd and it was marked Prime, they said it would not arrive until between August 10 -August 17th. I didn’t need it right away so that was not a problem. That started the saga I am about to tell you about.

I was charged for this book on the 4th. The next e-mail I got told me that the book had been shipped on the 7th but the seller had not given them any tracking number or any other details. So since it was coming from a state that was very close to me, I started to look for it every day when the mail came. No book arrived. Then I got another e-mail telling me the seller had shipped the book on August 11th and they gave me a tracking #. So I kept looking. Looking up that # daily, it kept saying that it was awaiting the shipment from the seller. Every day through the 17th it said that. I was running out of patience and decided there might be some kind of scam going on here.

Finally when it didn’t arrive by the 17th, I sent an inquiry to the seller and noted all the different dates I had been given and how it looked to me like he or she had no intention on mailing the book to me. I informed them that I wanted a full refund.

The same day I got an e-mail informing me that they were refunding my money and that I didn’t have to return the book. I am thinking to my self, huh? I thought is that a comment to make Amazon believe that they shipped the book and I probably got it. I ignored it and watched my credit card account for the refund. Amazon informed me that the seller was refunding what I paid for it plus a goodwill credit of $.74. Don’t ask why that much because I don’t have a clue. In about 3 days my credit card charge was refunded.


The saga continues! I get another e-mail informing me the book was shipped on August 17th. I track the # on the Post Office site and finally a day or so later, it shows up as the book finally arriving in their possession. The book actually arrived yesterday – August 23rd. That surprised me. I really didn’t believe that I would see it.


I was exhausted from all that went on regarding this. It took a lot of my time to track things. I have a question for all of you.  Would you give this seller a review? I am assuming they sent the book even though they had refunded it along with the $.74  goodwill credit so that they would not get a negative review. Would you give the seller a negative review anyhow but advise that they finally made good on it? Or would you not give them any review at all? I am tempted to do the latter. I don’t know for sure but I am thinking the seller didn’t have the book when she sold it. That is because the book was shipped from a different state than the one she lives in. It was an adjacent state to her.

Anyhow buyer beware!  After loosing hundreds of dollars on the Zaycon mess, I an getting very leary of buying from anyone except a reputable large business that has shareholders. 

Please leave a comment on what you think I should do as far as the review.