Like anyone with an Amazon account, I get regular emails with items that are recommended for me based on my past purchases. All part of the “service” designed to part me from my hard-earned money.

Offhand I don’t remember ever actually purchasing any of those recommended items, though I appreciate the suggestions. Yesterday’s though, from Amazon Canada, was a little over the top.

It wasn’t the book I objected to; Henri Nouwen’s Life of the Beloved. Nouwen has an excellent reputation and the book has a great subtitle: “Spiritual living in a secular world.” The book has great reviews and it is the sort of thing I am likely to read.

The price seems reasonable too.  At $20.15 Canadian, plus shipping, it won’t break my budget. There are even used copies available for $8.99, plus shipping of course.

What doesn’t seem reasonable is the suggested list price. Amazon is trying to convince me that they are offering me this book at 98% off the regular price. I know it was published in 2002, which means it might be out of print and hard to find. But you can’t convince me that anyone is paying $1,000 for it. I appreciate that I could save $979.85 by purchasing now, but I think I will pass on this offer.

What I would like to do though is buy a few copies from Amazon USA and sell them to Amazon Canada, at the usual 40% discount publishers give booksellers. The American website has the book for 11.71 (and a list price of 16.95). In fact, I’ll beat that 40% offer – I’ll sell it to them at 50% of list price.

I could make a tidy profit. There is of course no way they would go for it. But it is Monday – it is always good to dream on Mondays.

Admittedly the sale is through a re-seller, but you would think Amazon Canada would question why this book has a list price of $1,000 and is being sold for $20.15

Amazon USA has a much more realistic list price for this volume.