Copies of OoTP already been sold.....

[Violet]

Some fool in a New York health food shop didn't realise that they weren't supposed to sell copies of the OoTP until saturday!!
they went on sale 4 days early!!! haha, what a fool!!!
I dont understand how someone can be so stupid, especially with all the hype around it!

[Mint]

And will all of the markings on the boxes!!!! I mean.....DUH

[Boycey]

Do you know whats even funnier, two other shops (one in indianapolis and one in montreal) have also done it also, and there the ones that we know of, im sure there are more. The thing is I like to know how the shopkeepers make that mistake, as before shops were allowed to have the copys of the book they had to sign an agreement that the copys were to be kept safe and that no copys where to be sold until the realise date, any companys that brech that agreement were to be prosicuted. To me it could be one of two things, the shops do not read what they are signing when they get a contract, or the more likely senario they want to make a quick buck by selling a product of great intrest before anyone else. I mean I guess it has to be somthing on little book companys minds to sell a book like this before the bigger companys get involved, and it seems some of them have fallen into that temptation. I think that JKR might want to sell her next book under the bigger companys first before the smaller companys to be more sure that the book will be kept secret until the realise date after this, I hope she does not though, as i feel sorry for the smaller honest book companys that have to deal with the big companys, but like I said some smaller companys are already showing they cant be trusted, so maybe she will have no option.

[RonanMD]

Same happened in Ireland... and only four people bought copies. Only one noticed that the book was early. When she pointed this out, the staff were clueless. Well, there's stupid, very stupid, and Tesco, Athlone.

[Holly Golightly]

I would agree with you Boycey that they probably did it on purpose, but not for money, for publicity. Everyone around that area will know the names of the stores that sold the books early, wont' they? And it's not like they were selling them for a couple of hundred a copy, so the money wouldnt' be a big issue... they would still get that same amount for them on sat...

It would have to be a publicity thing. And since there are so many of them that did it, they will probably get off if JK tries to sue... You know, the 'it's not my fault... the guy who sold them has never heard of HP in his life, and only started working here yesterday..." sob stories like that...

[Nothlit]

Yeah, you'd definitely have to be blind or stupid to put this book on sale early. I work at a bookstore, and snapped some photos of the boxes on Friday, before they went on sale... It's kinda small in this photo, but each box is clearly marked on multiple sides, "DO NOT OPEN BEFORE JUNE 21, 2003." Needless to say, I had already opened the one in this photo, but nobody came to arrest me. We didn't sell any till midnight on the dot.

[ElvenMist]

lol. yeah, at B&N at midnight, they wheeled the books through the crowd in the store, and the books were in a wheely carrier that was covered on both sides. but they didn't bring them out until about 5 of 12. so at least SOME stores were doing it properly... :/

[HuffleDuck]

Some fool in a New York health food shop didn't realise that they weren't supposed to sell copies of the OoTP until saturday!!
they went on sale 4 days early!!! haha, what a fool!!!
I dont understand how someone can be so stupid, especially with all the hype around it!

Ummm i might be wrong but i think he wanna sell his early to get more customers... But then again i might be wrong.. I doubt that he didn't know about HP went on sale June 21st.

[Lizzy Bennet]

Some fool in a New York health food shop didn't realise that they weren't supposed to sell copies of the OoTP until saturday!!
they went on sale 4 days early!!! haha, what a fool!!!
I dont understand how someone can be so stupid, especially with all the hype around it!

Ummm i might be wrong but i think he wanna sell his early to get more customers... But then again i might be wrong.. I doubt that he didn't know about HP went on sale June 21st.

I could be misinterpreting violet, but I think she was saying it would be foolish to sell copies of OotP early when everyone and their brother and sister knew the date it was coming out . It would never go unnoticed and undetected! Had it been another book--where nearly everyone didn't know when it would be released--he *might* have gotten away with it, but selling OotP early would be (and was!) easily noticed as being sold too soon, thereby garnering attention of all sorts, particularly those wanting justice for this injustice!

Considering the kinds of punishment/lawsuits that are out there for that sort of thing, making some extra money selling a book whose release date was so well known simply wasn't worth it--he was asking for trouble, and what money he got for it probably won't equal whatever lawsuit or such he faces. You're absolutely right, Friendsforever--I highly doubt he "didn't know"!

[Eol]

The same thing happened in WalMart. You'd think they'd be organised in a franchise that big but no.