Aha! It's My Own Credit Card Companies Flooding My Mailbox!

Damn!  I hate credit card offers.  Especially when I dutifully went through the Opt-Out process to make them go away.  Why are we still getting so many, especially from companies like AMEX, where I already have one?  A little research reveals that your own credit card company is the source - they can send you offers and share your name.  I have 3 credit cards, my husband has 1, my daughter has 1.  You can see why we are still getting them.

Go to your credit card website and nose around for your security and privacy settings.  Or call.  Tell them you do not want any offers, nor may they share your information.  I hope this helps!  This is what Capital One sent me after a lengthy Robo conversation:

Linda: •If your name was previously selected for any of our upcoming mail promotions prior to this request, it is possible for you to receive information from us over the next several weeks.
Linda: •It may take up to 30 days for your do-not-call request to be removed from all offers. If you receive a Capital One telemarketing call during this 30-day period, please inform the caller that you have recently made a request not to receive telemarketing calls or ask the caller to submit a new do not call request
Linda: •If your name was previously selected for any of our upcoming email offers, it is possible for you to receive information from us over the next 10 business days.
Linda: It may take up to 6 weeks for your request to take effect with regard to not receiving further checks by mail.
Linda: It may take up to 12 weeks for your request to take effect with regard to not receiving further checks attached to your monthly statement
Linda: Your request to be excluded from the sharing of your personal, credit, or eligibility information with business partners or companies owned by Capital One will be honored within 30 days.
Linda: These choices do not include information we may send you in our regular communications, like your billing statement or when you call in to our Customer Service Center, about products and services that are directly related to your account, such as balance transfer or purchase check offers.
Linda: Your choices will apply to all of the Capital One accounts for which you are financially responsible

If this works, I will be delighted!

 

BookCycler: Books Be Gone!

The last decade has seen a total disruption in book publishing and purchasing.  Remember before the internet, when one bought books at stores, either new or used, or perhaps for a specialized book, through a mail order catalogue?  Now single-click is a verb. We purchase books, cheaply, and two days later they arrive at our doorstep.  If that’s not fast enough, we download the books on Kindles or Nooks in a few seconds.

The internet created a new opportunity for anyone with a connection to sell used books online.  I was so gleeful when I first discovered this about 7 or 8 years ago -  it was simple and intuitive. By under-pricing the bottom used offer, I nearly always unloaded my books, many of which I had bought used myself.  I also reevaluated my library and sold books I didn’t use and realized were just sitting there taking up space.  It was ecological – reusing – and economical.  And it kept the bookcases neat!

Amazon Prime, which features free shipping on all orders for a $79 charge, has reshaped the used book market.  Now new books are often cheaper than used, when one calculates the cost of shipping.  (Amazon does not provide free shipping for used books coming from second party vendors.)  The ease of listing used books has increased supply, further driving down prices.  Entrepreneurs have grown significant niche businesses reselling books on Amazon, many of which are listed for $.01.  Ever wonder why?  It’s because the have large enough volume to get discount postage, so they can make a tiny profit on the $3.99 ship charge.

Amazon has also increased its commission on used book sales.  These factors have all combined to cause used book prices to plummet.  New hard cover books depreciate in value within weeks of publication; when the paperback comes out, they crash further.  While digital books are eco-resource-light, they cannot be resold.  If they ultimately replace hardcopy books, that has interesting implications.

Recently my son brought me a carton of high quality newish books, with an offer.  If I would resell them, all profits could go to charity.  A few books fetched decent prices, but most were not worth the time and hassle to sell.  I discovered Better World Books, a social business with a free-shipping model, which makes it economical to buy and sell used books.  Their supply is all donated (they pay the shipping), and while they are a for-profit, they donate a percentage of their profits to their five international and domestic literacy partners.  They are a B Corp certified social venture.

This experience inspired me to launch a project, BookCycler, accepting people’s used books and cycling them forward, with any profits going to the Kibera School for Girls in Kenya, of which I am a board member.  Most books will be shipped to Better World Books for them to resell.  The hope is that amidst all the books with little resale value, I will find a few which will fetch more, and those dollars will help fund the school.

If you live in the Philadelphia area, here is the deal: I accept up to 15 books at a time.  They must be in good condition and have ISBN numbers, so no advance reviewer copies.  21^st Century copyright is preferred, and the newer the better.  The ideal would be to buy a new book and donate it as soon as you’ve read it, before its price plunges.  Please email me for drop-off information: