AbeBooks.fr Reviews 20

I ordered a book through Abe books France on 23-11-25 for the sum of $85.08 including postage to a business address in Roussy-in-France. AMEX debited me on 25-11-25. Instead of sending the order to the address I designated the third-party bookseller shipped through Mondial Relay track#07626630 to Locker Autosur Roissy! This meant I had to pick the parcel up; but I was not in France to do that and the bookseller did not ask me for my permission to ship to an alternate address. After non-collection after 5 days, Mondial Relay ships back to sender as a matter of policy. (Only on 26-01-2026 did I receive confirmation from the third-party book seller that Mondial Relay returned the package back to the latter. Yet, that package, according to Mondial Relay standard practice, had to have been returned to the third-party bookseller 45 days ago yet no action was taken neither by the latter nor by Abe Books France until I badgered the latter by email.) I sent the initial message through the Abe books site to the bookseller to ask for a refund but I receive no reply from that third-party vendor who, I suppose, was happy enough to pocket my money.) Afterwards, I contacted customer service of Abe books France. I was informed by Abe Books that the matter would be resolved in a reasonable period of time but, after following up Abe books customer service, I have not been told that my refund is being processed yet 60 days from the initial order date has been reached. Instead, they are still talking about shipping me this item after such an inordinate period of time. I have insisted on a refund although today (30-01-2026) I have been notified that my refund has been initiated. I am still waiting for it. Abe Books Customer Service cannot understand that the bookseller Pic de Mirandole voided the transaction when it failed to comply with the purchaser's delivery instructions. Instead, Abe Books claims that the delivery zip code Pic de Mirandole used was incorrect but, if so, logically the goods would have been returned to sender. Amazon France, in contrast, managed to deliver another item for me to the same address without any issue. I am awarding two stars rather than one because Abe books customer service does get back to customers via email within 48-72 hours; but customers get the run around when, under like circumstances, Amazon France would have given me a refund quickly under like circumstances. (I know as I had such an experience.) Part of the problem is Abe Books France outsourcing customer service to India rather than keeping it in France. It is also bad that there is no phone number to call so matters in controversy are further decelerated. I will ha e to wait till my next AMEX statement in mid-February to verify whether my refund has truly been issued or whetber I shall have to get AMEX to reverse these charges.
sales order: 755866038
purchase order: 712177023
third party bookseller: Librairie Pic de Mirandole
I would also say that e-commerce in France is poor relative to other countries (including Australia, Canada, Germany, UK and USA) with fulfillment being a big problem (relegating items to lockers without buyer permission, unneeded security codes complicating receipt by 3rd parties), websites not being updated with many discontinued products being listed (complicating searches), frequent electronic bugs requiring manual intervention by phone, VPNs being needed to access French e-commerce sites when outside France. E-commerce in France lags behind major OECD countries 15-20 years - quite pitiful!

I placed an order on April 7,2025, on AbeBooks for the book Elementary Number Theory, 6th by Kenneth Rosen, for a total of €82.77.

On April 14, I received the wrong book. I immediately informed the seller and AbeBooks customer service. The seller denied sending the wrong item, despite my checks and the photo of the incorrect book I provided the next day.

On April 15, the seller claimed to be sending the correct book without my consent and without me placing a new order. He disputed my right to return the incorrect item, even though I followed all procedures. Customer service, contacted at every stage, simply stalled. I returned the book at my own expense (€37.30), with tracking shared with both AbeBooks and the seller.

On April 29, I was informed that the parcel had been delivered, but the seller now claimed the item was damaged. At that point: no refund for the book or return shipping — almost €120 lost. No mediation was possible, since the seller is based in the U.S. AbeBooks refused to take responsibility despite all the evidence and my multiple follow-ups.

It was only on the same day I publicly shared this experience on two forums that I finally received a response from a customer service supervisor confirming a refund of the book price. The return shipping cost was quietly ignored, and I had to repeat my request with proof, which was finally accepted.

I'm still waiting for the actual refund. This resolution was delayed and frustrating, requiring over 50 emails. Customer service took far too long to comply with their own stated policies. This situation clearly shows how poorly protected buyers are on AbeBooks when dealing with foreign sellers. If you purchase through this platform, be aware that in case of a dispute, you'll be on your own — even with solid evidence.

This web company site sells second hand books from various sources, and when a purchase is made, supplies an email to the purchaser, giving a breakdown of costs including, in red, the total cost. I received one of two books I ordered plus a handling and customs charge which more than doubled the original total price. I contacted abebooks.fr and received a standard letter stating their terms and conditions.
I stll await the second book which I shall refuse.

Highly incorrect. False declaration. Order number:104477243
Bought a book via AbeBooks website. Waited for the reply for more than a week. Then, when asked to AbeBooks, they siad that the book store: L Books (Montrouge, France), cancelled the order:
-without advising me
-leaving me for a week to wait for nothing
-And most of all they wrote on the reason of the remboursment that I renounce to the order , which is false and I can prove it.
Avoid totally .