AbeBooksReviews 715

I contacted customer service through email to get help with finding out where my package is and they were completely useless. They refused to help and said it showed delivered even though I never received anything. Do not buy your textbook from this website it's a scam!

And I learned through their website it will cost me more than half of what I paid to send it back. Don't use stock photography to sell your stuff!

I had a horrible experience buying from this website, the sellers on this site seem often not honest. The shipping date was changed after I placed an order, and I couldn't cancel it because the seller changed the status to shipped right away, but not tracking info. The seller does not respond to messages. Customer Service Does not exist. It is either automated, or takes forever
Then, I realized, Amazon bought this company and the worse experience that we get the better. We will all have to go back to buy on Amazon… and they will be able to control all the prices.

I hope everyone reading reviews for AbeBooks understands that they're a platform on which many sellers sell their books. I ordered a Precalculus book sold by BooXX in Stock. The terms of the sale gave them many days to ship, but within a very few days the book arrived. It was in like-new condition. 100% satisfied!

AbeBooks is just fine with its sellers shipping a different book than was ordered.The listing was for a 'New!' book in unused condition. When the seller realized the book wasn't actually in stock, she ordered one from Amazon and had it delivered to me. Needless to say, it was not 'New!'. And it cost me twice as much as if I'd ordered it from Amazon myself. When I emailed "customer service", they replied - "Occasionally, when you order an item from an AbeBooks seller and they no longer have it in stock, they will locate and ship the item from an alternate source rather than cancel the order." Really? How is that OK? Because cancellations reflect poorly on a seller's star rating, based on the percentage of successful (non-cancelled) orders. Cant have those sellers looking bad! So now I get to return the thing at my expense, along with two weeks I'll never get back. BTW I never have these issues with Biblio.com, who I recommend highly. Good luck!

After check out, estimated delivery date is 20 days instead of 5-10 as stated. Contacted customer service immediately to stop the order since I need it sooner. They suddenly say it has already shipped, but the delivery date hasn't changed. I live in the middle of the country in a large city, nothing takes 20 days to get here. Spend an extra buck and skip Abe!

Ordered a book with specific cover art that I wanted, but received some mass reprint instead. In order to return it I'd have to spend 55% of the overall cost to ship it back. Feels like I'm dealing with those websites from China. Last time I ever buy from AbeBooks.

I paid extra for the priority shipping to be received 1-5 days. That timeframe has come and gone. I am still waiting for this book! Tracking just show a label was created. The funny thing is, it shows it will be delivered today and it isn't even out for delivery, very comical. I will not be a returning customer.

I was amazed, their shipping was estimated to be a month. It was a difficult book to find though and it was a new book. But but in fact it was not new - it was inscribed on the front cover as a gift. I paid for new and did not get it. Will not buy from them again.

The company True World of Books that was selling the book via abebooks never sent me anything. They just took my money, and abebooks ignored all my emails. Total scam company.

This is not a real business! Do not use them! They use random sellers and do not stand by their sellers. You are better off lighting your money on fire.

Ordered a book described as "good condition"

Hardly! Writing throughout the book! I would say not even fair condition. I tried to contact and was told I could return for refund. It would have have cost me the amount of the refund to send it back. And the responses were much less than helpful, as well as very delayed.

Won't be using Abebooks again. Going with Thriftbooks! Do recommend them! I have had a great experience with Thriftbooks.

I ordered 2 used books and they are in better condition than the actual description of them. I must admit, it took a little longer to get them than I expected but they actually did come before the projected date. While waiting for them I read the reviews and feared I wouldn't get the books, but I did. I would not hesitate to order from them again.

All three of the books that I ordered were of great and accurate conditions. The shipping was quicker than expected/anticipated. I was able to purchase books that aren't available on other used book sites or that are super pricey at other online stores.

Beware, if you buy a book (plus shipping charges) from Abe Books (or "great" Book Prices), you really are only buying a book from a reseller, who is only as good as their follow up policy.

I purchased a book from Abe Books, or at least through I had.
See below:

Bookseller: GreatBookPrices
AbeBooks Purchase Order No.: *******
Purchase Method:
Visa
Estimated Delivery Date: August 28,2023
Approximate Shipping Speed: 10 - 20 business days

Title: Lonely Planet Pocket Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands
Author: Albiston, Isabel; Bremner, Jade; Kluepfel, Brian; Morgan, MaSovaida; Yanagihara, Wendy
Quantity: 1
ISBN: **************
Binding: Soft cover
Book Condition: New
Book Price: US$ 15.99
Shipping Price: US$ 2.64
Estimated Sales Tax: US$ 0.96

But the seller was not Abe Books, it really was (Not) "Great" Book Prices.
I paid for a book entitled "Lonely Planet Pocket Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands."

Abe, via "Great" Book Prices sent me a Money Planet book on New Zealand.
Neither Abe Books or Great Book Prices has a phone number to call someone, and actually speak with a Customer Service, who could help you.

If they sent me a pre-paid mailer, because I already have paid for the book, I didn't;t receive, I would gladly return the (wrong) book they sent. But this is not their policy.
I they, Abe or "Great" Book Prices, make a mistake, - they expect you to pay for shipping,
DON't waste your time or money with either Abe Book or "Great" Book Prices.
These are book sellers who do not stand behind their name.

Not only did I pay full price for a new book only to receive a filthy used copy, but now I have to pay to ship it back to get my refund. And USPS priority mail - which Abe Books says to use to provide tracking to prove you shipped the return - is nearly half what I paid for the book. I have been very tolerant of descriptions that did not match on some of the used books, but bait and switch should be illegal. And the seller (who turned out to be a national chain, not an not be an independent store) is hiding behind Abe Books. Yes, they admit they sent the wrong book, but then cut off communication when I said I wanted to return it. I am done with Amazon Abe Books.

I received a HEAVILY HIGHLIGHTED book after having contacted GoldBooks before ordering and having been assured that the Very Good classification of the book meant that its text would be pristine. The book sent to me was from a different bookstore 150 miles away from GoldBooks, and the invoice in the book said "Don't include the price paid because the book is a gift." My conclusion is that GoldBooks practices drop-shipping. Through AbeBooks, they advertise books which they don't have, and then when they get an order they arrange for another bookseller to ship a book which is in poorer condition than what they advertised, and they pocket the price difference. This sort of practice is reprehensible, totally dishonest, and should be made illegal. AbeBooks advertises for GoldBooks and other drop-shippers, so if you buy through them you may get a book of much worse quality than you paid for.

Over a few years, I have ordered 7 books from AbeBooks. I had significant trouble with 2 of them: the above described case with GoldBooks and a non-delivery from the UK that I failed to notice until AbeBooks 90 days for any complaint had passed. The reason I did not notice is that the UK seller did not provide a tracking number. Of the 7 books ordered only 3 had tracking numbers.

Bottom line is that you have high odds (28% in my experience) of losing money and time if you buy from AbeBooks.