AbeBooks Reviews

Name: AbeBooks
Rating: 2.04

2.0 Rating 165 Reviews

25 %

of reviewers recommend AbeBooks

Company Reviews

Questions

Metrics

2.0

Based on 165 reviews

Shipping & Delivery
Delivery Methods	Postal Service
Average Delivery Time	Over 7 Days
On-time Delivery	Greater than 29%
Accurate And Undamaged Orders	Greater than 55%
Customer Service
Communication Channels	Email, Live Chat, Telephone
Queries Resolved In	Over A Week
Returns & Refunds
Refunds Process	Difficult
Returns Process	Could Be Better

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AbeBooks 1 star review on 5th March 2025

Anonymous

AbeBooks 1 star review on 8th November 2024

Anonymous

Anonymous // 01/01/2019

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“Abebooks' seller ranking system is not foolproof. There are gaps in their metrics and buyer behaviors that complicate seller performance. The Plan of Action is not the place to highlight these flaws or explain what is beyond our control. If our Plan of Action suggests that Abebooks' system is flawed or that circumstances are outside our influence, it will likely be ineffective. Given the situation as it stands, here is how I intend to operate within Abebooks' boundaries outlined in their Seller Policy: https://www.abebooks.com/docs/BooksellerPolicies It is not compelling reading, but when you read it through, you will understand that is based on Amazon's Seller Policy. Equally important is understanding and acknowledging our business' issues. Abebooks' communication may be vague, but they have formed undisclosed and underlying opinions about our shortcomings. Try to tailor our Plan of Action to our specific issues and our specific business model. Our targeted response should align with their perspective and not just address their email's wording, but their underlying concerns. Avoid using generic templates and A.I. generated content, Abebooks administrators spot them instantly, and also avoid vague or generic explanations, be precise and honest. Keep it clear, concise, professional and solution-focused. Beyond the basics, you can also include supportive details, even those not directly tied to Abebooks. For example: Mention the implementation our new inventory management system, our automated inventory checks and our improved quality control, that will enhance quality of service and seller performance. Highlight our commitment to customer satisfaction and prioritize Abebooks sales over other marketplaces without downplaying those other sales channels. Ultimately, Abebooks wants to see that they are our priority and that we are taking concrete steps to reflect that. An effective Plan of Action states: I understand the issue, I have fixed it, and this is how I prevent the issue from happening again.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 week ago

“I ordered and paid for a book from this company on 10/8/25. To date (4/9/25) i have not received the book. I have emailed the company twice with no response. Consequently I have raised a dispute with my bank to try and get my money back. Other reviewers comments about being impossible to contact this company or tracking numbers they provide not being recognised are true. This is obviously a dishonest business who effectively have stolen my money. Do not use them is my advice.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 week ago

“I ordered a book from Gyan Books. The order was supposed to be delivered August 27,2025 and it didn’t arrive. Their shipping service said it was out for delivery with my local post office. It wasn’t. I checked with post office and they never received it. I tried to get a refund and couldn’t request a refund until Aug 30 if it wasn’t delivered. I again contacted AbeBooks and Gyan Books for a refund. They are telling me I have to wait another 8 days to get my refund which will take another 3-5 business days. I’m thinking I’m out the $45.00 for the book. I will never trust Abe books again! I can’t seem to get my refund from them.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 weeks ago

“Book Description mentioned "Book Condition: Good" But all page answers were marked!!!!”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 month ago

“I ordered a set of bedtime stories almost a year ago. Never received the books. Asked for a refund and they won’t even answer my emails”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 month ago

“I received a book form Abe books described as very good. I was awful, brown pages, pages turned over and cover torn. Admittedly it was an old book, 1987, but I have books in my bookcases older and are still presentable. I could not read such a horrible book. When I complained, I had no response so sent email again, to be asked why I was sending photos again? The company maintained it was as stated, should have been ‘poor’ in my opinion.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 month ago

“Do not buy from WORLD of BOOKS on Abe Books in Illinois! I canceled an order within 24 hours because I mistakenly purchased books that I already own. The seller claimed that the books had already shipped, which I know they hadn’t, To return the shipment, I would pay more in shipping charges from California than the book cost. There was no point in seller being this non consumer oriented and rude !!! Am done with the seller and most likely with ABE books in general!!!! I will donate the books!”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 months ago

“I ordered from AbeBooks for several years with great success. I placed an order for several books, & AbeBooks reversed the charges, putting "Amazon" on the caption on my bank account. No explanation. I stopped using AbeBooks at that time.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 months ago

“book never showed up and they want me to do the work of trying to get a refund from a different bookseller or tdelivery company, poor communication”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 months ago

“Shipping takes way too long. I know we live in the time of Amazon and Walmart and we're used to getting orders in a few days but this company takes weeks. I just see no reason why with our technology and infrastructure it would take 2 weeks to send a book a few states away?”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 months ago

“Fraudulent and misleading”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 months ago

“They have some good sellers and quite a few bad ones. AbeBooks doesn't allow reviews so there's no way to determine whether the seller is good or bad. Bad sellers make you return the book at your expense - definitely there are scammers like ThriftBooks-Dallas.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 months ago

“Would give 0 stars. Twice Abebooks has returned my books to seller with the excuse of “incomplete address” every single time I checked tracking and viewed my confirmation in my address on their documents were complete. It’s a total rip off. I will never buy from Abe books again!”

Helpful Report

Posted 6 months ago

“I ordered a book over a month ago and never received it and have not received a response from Abebooks about the book or a refund. I am totally discussed by this company and will NEVER order there again”

Helpful Report

Posted 6 months ago

“Garbage company. 3 days after I placed my order they canceled one of the books as "no longer available" from the seller. They shouldn't allow sellers who can't keep track of their inventory to regularly cancel. I emailed to inquire and received no response from abebooks. I'll stick with better world and thriftbooks!”

Helpful Report

Posted 6 months ago

“The book supplied was not as described, and had a few pages missing. Four pages were copies. The pages were clearly scanned with words curling around the edge. AbeBooks UK reached out to the seller, who did not respond, AbeBooks said they could do no more especially as I paid with Pay Pal. The seller didn't reply to Pay Pal either. This is sales by deception with no recourse. Even though AbeBooks is just a platform for sellers, as first point of contact, they should back up the buyer in these situations and get rid of the shonky sellers. Here's the funny bit, AbeBooks gave me a coupon to use, which I thought was good, but the coupon can't be used unless you use your own money and then get a refund. WTF!!!!!!!!”

Helpful Report

Posted 6 months ago

“I ordered a hardback copy of a book that I saw on the website of Abebooks, it stated the book was in good condition and the publisher was Penguin. What I recieved was the same title however it was a paperback with no similarity of the image that was on the website and published by a different publishing house. The condition of the text is the worse I have ever seen it was so bad that on some pages the text could not be read. I raised this as a complaint on the Abebooks forum on the website. I was given clear instructions to return the text to the original seller and a guarantee that the cost of the postage would be returned (£17). This all happened at the start of January 2025. Abebooks are now not responding to my emails and neither is the seller. So I now have no book and have paid for postage. Do not buy from this site.”

Helpful Report

Posted 6 months ago

“I've been able to find 40+ year old books from my youth here many times. But most recently i found a more recent book in like new Icondition for $5- i splurged for expidited shipping and it was still cheaper than the new version. If you love the feel of a real book in your hand the the smell of old backs start your search here.”

Helpful Report

Posted 6 months ago

“Never received my book. Never received a follow-up email. Website is ridiculous to just get to customer support. Stay away!”

Helpful Report

Posted 7 months ago

“Have bought successfully from these people in the past. Placed an order in October (approximately $75). Projected delivery date was December 12. When I still did not have the items on December 28, I emailed them. Never received the courtesy of a reply. No customer service telephone number, only a maze of a website to try to navigate. After four email and still no reply, I got my credit card company to reverse the charges. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THAT YOU ATTEMPT TO DO BUSINESS WITH THESE PEOPLE. NEVER AGAIN FOR ME!”

Helpful Report

Posted 7 months ago

AbeBooks is rated 2.0 based on 165 reviews