BOOKS etc. Reviews 207

I ordered a book, which was amazingly cheap compared to the RRP, albeit still £50 +. This was supposedly posted over 8 days ago via the Royal Mail, although sent without tracking - which seems madness for an expensive item. Beginning to think this was never sent, as they are now listing at a more accurate £91, but showing as “out of stock”.

Disappointing.

Brand new book received with multiple creases and damage to the cover. It was a gift so I felt I had to purchase an extra one for giving a damaged one.
I was offered a refund or replacement if I returned it but I needed to give it straight away so that wasn’t an option. I requested a partial refund or credit to compensate and was refused. So they had photos of the damaged book and packaging so could make a claim against the post while I had to suck it up and accept giving a damaged book as a gift.
Customer service were quick and polite until I complained.

Completely agree with previous review. I used to buy almost all my books from here but in recent months, with newly published books, one gets "sorry, no items match your search criteria" all the time. A month ago I called to challenge them about this and they promised to get back to me. Of course I never heard anything more.

I know they had trouble after launching a new web site in parallel with the old one. This new one appears now to have disappeared.

Speedyhen, Hive or Ebay are best for new books now. Books Etc are a waste of time. I've left 2 stars for old memories!

This used to be my go-to merchant of choice for buying books, with very competitive prices and fast service, but I have recently been frequently forced to shop elsewhere as newly published books are simply not listed, and the shipping has become much slower.

Liked: - The book as reasonably priced and arrived well packed in excellent condition.

Disliked:- There was no notice that the book had been dispatched, worrying as it turned up five days later than expected.

Purchased ‘Railways Remembered The Western Region The Blake Paterson Collection’. The book was sent promptly with no postage and packing charges. Very good deal as big discount off normal price. Great colour photos of the western region from Paddington west to Thames Valley and a little beyond.

My book was delivered within the timeframe promised on ordering. I was kept informed of the status of my order. It was well packed and so delivered in perfect condition.

Bought my book on 22nd April and waited over a week and it never turned up. Contacted Books etc and said it must be lost in the post and will send out another one. I'm still waiting for the replacement. This was a birthday present and the birthday has been and gone now. I bought from ebay. Wish I paid a few quid more and bought of world of books which I normally use. I'm not happy at all. It doesn't take nearly 2 weeks for a book to be delivered.

First order was for a large, heavy omnibus graphic novel. I have bought others from different sellers and know that they often get damaged if the packaging is not good enough.

Very glad to say Books.etc package my book very, very well and it arrived in perfect condition. I am a bit of a perfectionist so believe me I checked it all over and it was in great condition.

They are also the cheapest for these omnibuses. My new go to for these books from now on. Highly recommended.

Very happy with the service,post the first time was a bit slow.This was the second book i have bought, it was a gift for my Mam for mothers day and came quicker,with definately being using them, much more,price and availability of books is great,i have stopped using Amazon and go straight to company for my books now.

I purchased an imported book from them, cheaper than any other. Good service, speedy delivery.

Looks to be a new company still developing their web presence. Great: can't have enough books or bookstores.

The prices are good but everything else is poor. I was incorrectly charged postage which I eventually got refunded. Then the Royal Mail was instructed to not deliver the item but to return to sender. No explanation was offered. My purchase and delivery was time critical, so my intended gift has now had to be abandoned. I await a refund. Very frustrated.

I am impressed with the prices at BOOKS etc. New books are delivered quickly and at a lower cost than elsewhere - often at a better price than secondhand!

Just had some graphic novels delivered in a firm box, so no damage in the post. Quick, free delivery too.

The range is not as extensive as some other places, but worth checking out before you order from other websites; you might well be pleasantly surprised at the value for money.

They kept my money for 3 weeks for a book that was not is stock but appears as such on their site(they haven't corrected that still). I had to contact them otherwise I would just loose my money. The book now is OOP and if found costs way more. The only thing they had to say was "we're sorry". I had problems with customer service every time I ordered (lack of info for delivery on their part etc), but this was infuriating .

The efficiency of this book store is unmatched—I was thrilled to find the latest book I had been pining for, swiftly delivered to my doorstep, allowing me to indulge in its captivating narrative without hesitation. As always I can rely on Books etc to have the books I want that can’t be found - at a good price - elsewhere.

Took longer than expected for the book to arrive. When it did, it was badly marked and not in the 'brand new' condition advertised. I've raised this with Books Etc., but haven't even had an acknowledgement of my email, let alone a resolution.

Delivery was sooner than expected

I had waited too long to order a bird book for an upcoming bird watching trip. I didn't realize it was coming from Europe. The expected range of delivery gave the possibility that it might come too late.
I was holding my breath and hoping. The book arrived quickly, in plenty of time to pack. Thank you

I ordered a book from Books Etc. because I found it at this shop and the big A. Thinking that it'd be good to support smaller businesses and not needing the book urgently, I decided to purchase it from Books Etc. They give a delivery window of 2-3 days. The 2-3 days came and went and still being patient, I waited a while longer. Nothing. The status did not move from "Processing." Yesterday, I finally decided to get in touch with customer service via the email address on their website and asked for an update on my order. No reply but suddenly my book is down as shipped. This is not a coincidence after so many days so don't try to convince me otherwise. I read recent reviews of Books Etc and put them down to the Christmas period and the Royal Mail but I am starting to think that Books Etc are just not up to date with their orders, or how they process their orders. Either way, I am fairly disappointed and won't order from there again.

For the time being I am giving this experience one star. Happy to review and possibly increase the rating depending on how long it takes for the book to actually arrive on my doorstep, and the quality of the book.

EDIT: Customer service got in touch and my book is shipped, however, the shipping number is for the delivery group and not Royal Mail, which isn't really helpful to me. I have not received the book yet (3 days since shipment). Update to follow.

Also, provided further info to the company as per request.

Ist time buyer purchased 13th December attracted by competitive price but heard nothing for 16 days. Rather pay more and get it within a few days.
Rang them & they are 'resending' so fingers crossed. Received by 1st class after several weeks after 1st order. Maybe it was a combination of circumstances in and around Xmas

I have been using Books etc for some years now and found them to be very
Customer friendly good service and there books a reasonable price .always let you when your order as been dispatched.