In what may be yet another attempt to lose money on a huge seller, Amazon.com is giving all customers who order Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows before 21 July (publication date) will receive a $5 gift certificate good for the month of August. Amazon is currently offering the concluding volume of the series at $17.99 (almost half off the cover price). With this additional promotion, one wonders if, like Lucy, they plan to make up any revenue shortfall with volume. At press time, their “Muggle counter” records “approximately” 1,014,941 US pre-orders for the book (a worldwide total of more than 1.5 million).
Pre-orders must be placed before 17 July in order to guarantee delivery on 21 July. And if you apply for the Amazon.com Visa card while purchasing your book, the $30 instant bonus means they’ll actually pay you $12.01 to buy the book.