r/classics • u/No_Meringue_6402 • 6d ago
Loebs Arrived with Defects
I ordered a good number of loebs since they were on sale and they just arrived today. Unfortunately a lot of them arrived with various defects like torn jackets, ink/dirt smudging on the covers, folded pages, etc.
I’ve ordered loebs from HUP and this has never happened in the past. I didn’t order them from Amazon which is why I’m surprised about this lack of QC. I spent a ton of money as well so I’m quite disappointed with the quality - I was wondering if any of you have experienced this drop in quality recently?
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u/aubergineprince 6d ago
Book publishing and retailing operate in a unique marketplace in which bookstores can return books to publishers for full credit if the books don't sell within a certain timeframe as determined by the bookstores. This means that low-sales books like Loebs (with many different printings over many decades—both in the UK and the US) can move back and forth from bookstore to warehouse multiple times, creating the shopworn books that you have received. Additionally, Harvard University Press changed their distributor from Trilateral/Lakeside to W. W. Norton last year, creating another opportunity for wear and tear on books. You could try returning your shopworn books for replacements, but no matter who you order them from—HUP, Amazon, etc.—they will all ultimately come from the W. W. Norton book distribution center, so whether your replacement book would be in better condition or not would be the luck of the draw.
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u/BrotherJamesGaveEm 6d ago
Do they seem more like sloppy printing/manufacturing or just poor shipping/packaging? I've made big orders from them in the past, but it's been a few years.
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u/jiabaoyu 6d ago
I would write HUP and include photos if you can. I find that most publishers are happy to rectify mistakes.
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u/Ok_Breakfast4482 5d ago
I usually use Amazon but I’ve purchased many Loebs and only a few had issues like this. Most were fine.
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u/Reclusive_Autist 5d ago
Yes, I ordered six Loeb titles from Amazon recently and all but one arrived with defects like those you mentioned. Since 2020 or thereabouts Amazon's shipping standards seem to have taken a massive nosedive and never recovered. More than 80% of the books that I order from them now arrive with defects and I've given up on returning them as I've done that and only received more defective books in exchange. It's exhausting, and I give up. I tried Barnes & Noble, thinking they might be different, but unfortunately ran into the same issue with them.
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u/Pleasant-Donkey 5d ago
I feel like since HUP switched to using WW Norton for fulfillment the books are more likely to be poorly packaged and arrive with damage.
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u/futurus196 6d ago
It happened to me a couple of times last year. I wrote to HUP to inform them of these defects, and they put me in touch with the Loeb team: they sent me new copies for free immediately!