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原文地址：http://georgechen.idv.tw/wordpress/?p=1921
是的，Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 9th edition 已经出版，但我还没买到，且听我说分明。
A Broken package from Amazon UK网路上的讯息显示，OALD9 已在一月二十二号正式出版，这消息我很早就知道。我一直在观察，等待，直到 1/17 才在 Book Depository 网站下预购单。近一两年，国外购书我逐渐转往 Book Depository 买，某些品项，BD 的订价比 Amazon 还低，或者相当。但 BD 标榜免运费，确实替消费者省下不少购书成本。从美国或英国 Amazon 买书，为了运费分摊考量，最好一笔订单累积更多本书。但，包裹体积大了，运送风险跟着提高。加上台湾邮局粗心大意，灾难就常发生。
在 BD 下完预购订单，信用卡立即扣款。根据 BD 的讲法，他们要先请款，以确定客户有明确的购买需求，这与 Amazon 的做法大不相同，Amazon 要到出货或准备出货时才扣款。一月二十几号，Amazon UK 显示 OALD9 已开始出货，但 BD 未有任何动作，还在等待出版商出版。我写信去追踪，回答说，他们很确定延迟出版。接下来每隔两三天，我就追踪，有一次 BD 回答说，他们很确定 1/29 出版。
二月四日，BD 通知我 OALD9 书已到货，很快会出货给我。但我发现订单状态一直都还是 processing。2/6 我再催促，请求尽快出货，他们的回答是 I can confirm that has been released, your order is currently being processed and will be shipped to you shortly. 。正当我期待着农历年前收到新书时，2/10 凌晨忽然收到 BD 寄来这样的信：
Dear George Chen,
I am terribly sorry to inform you that on this occasion we have been unable to fulfil part of your order.
If your order was a pre-order unfortunately, information ahead of publication is not foolproof so a new title may be cancelled or postponed indefinitely. An edition scheduled for reprinting may be similarly abandoned by the publishers.
If you have ordered other titles, we will send you the remainder of your order immediately.
If you have any questions regarding your order, please reply to this email so that we have your full order details.
If you would like any additional help, please refer to the http://www.bookdepository.com/help on our website, or send an email to our Customer Service Team at [email protected].
Again, please accept my apologies and I hope we can be of service to you in the near future.
Thank you again,
Steve
Head of Customer Service
毫无预警直接取消我的预购订单并退款，我再写信去了解状况，他们的回答如下：
Hi I’m terribly sorry; it appears that the item was made unavailable from our suppliers. We tried every resource available to us in order to obtain this title for you. However we were, on this occasion, unsuccessful. I can confirm that a full refund has now been processed for this order; please allow 1-3 working days for this to appear back onto the payment method used when placing the order.
无奈，但也只能接受。回头看 Amazon UK 的 OALD9，订价 43.20 英镑，加上运费及处理费，总成本大约 50 英镑，以最近英镑汇率 48.3 计算，折合台币要 2,415 元。我要问自己的是，愿意花二千四百多元抢快尝鲜先取得这本新辞典吗？同一本书，BD 订价 32.22 英镑，这是我愿意向 BD 买书的原因。去年 LDOCE6 我也是从 BD 购入。
前一版 OALD8，我的书是 OUP 台湾办公室赠送的，先前写使用心得时已特别感谢过。其实，上个月也已与 OUP 台湾联系过，如果台湾已有样书，我可以就近买到，省得大老远从英国买进。顺便说明一下，我从来不向出版公司索讨辞典，除非出版公司主动赠送。没必要为了一本辞典的人情，坏了评论辞典的公正性。这回，OUP 台湾办公室也没样书，虽感到意外，但想想也没啥好惊讶，辞典已不再是明星产品，连发行单位的分支机构都不必放样本书。看来我这次也该放空慢慢等，不想勉强花大笔钱追逐了。 |
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发表于 2015-2-11 17:39:28
发表于 2015-2-11 18:06:52
