The decision by Baker & Taylor to return books it acquired from Koen as part of the liquidation of the bankrupt wholesaler is making for some unhappy and confused publishers. Many of the Koen returns are being sent back in Koen boxes and with little paperwork, publishers said, and it is unclear to many what type of credit B&T is seeking for the returns.
Publishers have objected to the idea that B&T would receive full credit for the books, since the company bought them for below full price (B&T paid $4 million for about 875,000 books). Several publishers have said B&T is willing to accept partial credit for the Koen books, but others said they have not heard from the wholesaler. PW's calls to B&T were not returned.
While many small publishers have been vocal about their displeasure at receiving Koen returns via B&T, one major house has complained about the practice as well. "We've informed B&T we won't accept them," the company spokesperson said. "Our policy is to accept only returns from accounts who actually purchased the books."
