A relative abroad wanted a hard-to-find grad-level textbook. Amazon didn't have it, but a bookseller (SuperBookDeals.com) at the Amz Marketplace did have new copies available. I ordered one, and it was a positive experience, albeit very slow. The book was new as claimed, but printed prominently was the alert that it was an international edition and was not to be sold inside the United States (which it was, and the seller had no way of knowing I was going to be sending it off abroad).
I guess this sort of gray-market stuff happens all the time. Who knows, it may not even be an authentic McGraw-Hill book, but a superb knock-off from an Asian country. I've read and heard so much about the high-level of expertise that these guys have in producing knock-offs that even experts have a difficult time telling if the item is a fake or not. I've heard that the very best of the fakers do only Rolexes and Omegas - small size, high value, and that many reputed jewellers around the world sell these fakes without realizing it.
There's not a lot John Public can do other than stick with reputable vendors and hope for the best.
