AbeBooks Reviews

2.4 Rating 116 Reviews
34 %
of reviewers recommend AbeBooks
2.4
Based on 116 reviews
Shipping & Delivery
Delivery Methods
Postal Service
Average Delivery Time
Over 7 Days
On-time Delivery
Greater than 25%
Accurate And Undamaged Orders
Greater than 73%
Customer Service
Communication Channels
Email, Live Chat
Queries Resolved In
6 - 12 Hours
Returns & Refunds
Refunds Process
Difficult
Returns Process
Could Be Better

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AbeBooks 1 star review on 6th March 2024
Jeffrey Gaudette
AbeBooks 1 star review on 6th March 2024
Jeffrey Gaudette
AbeBooks 1 star review on 20th October 2023
Anonymous
AbeBooks 5 star review on 16th September 2022
Grandma Sue
AbeBooks 1 star review on 12th April 2022
Stephanie Morales
AbeBooks 1 star review on 12th April 2022
Stephanie Morales
AbeBooks 1 star review on 25th August 2020
Anonymous
1
Anonymous
Anonymous  // 01/01/2019
This was my first time shopping with Abebooks... AND I WILL NEVER SHOP WITH THEM AGAIN. I ordered a total of three books, all at the same time. One was a gift and it came when it said. The second said it was delivered--it was not. The post office lost it, said it had been delivered, and just today I got an email notifying a refund. The third one I saw no update for 14 days (the longest it said it would take). I sent a response asking if it had even been dropped off and I got no response other than, asking for information for who I was, what the book was, and where it was going. I responded again, and have not received any reply. I checked the USPS today, and surprisingly my package should be here by Thursday (from Maryland to Nevada, over the Memorial day weekend... wth). I am a grad student, I need books for my classes regularly. This has been such a disappointment. I will probably never shop from Abe's again. I will stick to Barnes & Noble and Thrift Books.
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Posted 2 years ago
AbeBooks is WORST online book seller ever :(( EASILY get a refund for your unsatisfactory order by filing a DISPUTE with your CREDIT CARD COMPANY! I got my FULL refund fast!! I got the wrong book delivered and got EXTREMELY POOR customer service after sending AbeBooks 5 emails. They never gave me a return authorization number to return the book. In frustration, I called and filed a dispute with my credit card company - they will intervene directly with AbeBooks and reverse the charge back to you!! Do it and get fair treatment.
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Posted 3 years ago
Would not accept a return, when it stated that the seller agreed to 100% satisfaction. Did not list accurate copyright date. Ended up with a book of a later copyright at a high price.
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Posted 3 years ago
Ordered two books from Abe books on February 22, not realizing that they were bought out by Amazon. Both were shipped on the 23rd. One hasn’t made it to the post office yet, the other doesn’t have any tracking information but they estimate delivery around March 28. Never again.
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Posted 3 years ago
In my original email I was told I'd get a refund, but when I returned the books as "rejected, return to sender" exactly as instructed in an email they convieniently can't find the books and refuse to refund my money. Their customer service sucks and they are rude. I have the original email when I purchased the books stating I could get a refund. I have another email with the return instructions, but anyone else that I've corresponded with states no refund is available.
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Posted 3 years ago
This is the worst company I have ever ordered from and I now whish I had checked the reviews first. If you're smarter than me and read these, please please don't give them your business. They sent me something completely different than what I had ordered and since I sent it back to get my original item they stopped replying to me emails! So I paid for an item I will now never get. They literally stole from me! Run fast and run far!
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Posted 3 years ago
Very disappointed! Please be aware that this company is completely untrustworthy!! I bought one month ago a book (paid extra fee to get it in 1-2days) and still didn't receive my book or my money back. I was contacting the company, they didn't respond at all. I feel completely deceived and robbed. I tried different companies for second hand books purchase and any of them are much better than AbeBooks.
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Posted 3 years ago
Complete and utter clusterfuck from start to finish. Frist the the seller customer interaction is horrendous even after sending at least 5 message and 2 customer service complaints i heard nothing from the seller. The customer service sucks ass I ask for the tracking number and when I finally get that and see that the book is almost to my location the BUMBLING IDOITS at customer service process a refund/return that i neither asked for nor wanted and now what was going be a christmas present will not even get here and i have to rushed around like chicken with its head cut off to find something to give.
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Posted 3 years ago
I ordered a copy of a book on the website but when it arrived it turned out to be a German translation! The fact that it was a German edition was NOT REVEALED ON THE WEBSITE listing for the book. I returned the book after being assured in writing that the return postage would be refunded. They asked for, and I sent, documentation on the return postage cost twice but the company still refuses to pay as promised. IF POSSIBLE I WOULD GIVE ABE BOOKS A RATING OF ZERO STARS. The company is dishonest and incompetent. AVOID ABE BOOKS AT ALL COSTS!
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Posted 3 years ago
KEEP AWAY, sent wrong book, was sent back (at my expense) still no refund or reply email/response. Seems like a great scam!
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Posted 3 years ago
Abebooks does not have a friendly refund policy. They are saying that: "All return and refund requests, including reports of items that didn't arrive, must be received by AbeBooks within 30 days of the order's maximum estimated delivery date". The worse is they never remind you the deadline. If you forget the deadline, then you should forget your refund!
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Posted 3 years ago
Ordered a book from a seller Irish Books. Horrible customer service. They do not reply to messages. I paid 28.65 for second day delivery. The book did not arrive. Messages went unanswered. Book finally arrived with Media mail USPS 3.33 postage. Now messaging trying to obtain refund for 25.62 overage in shipping. Irish Books has terrible reviews. I wish I had seen or read them before ordering. Not reputable. And pocketed extra shipping fee.
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Posted 3 years ago
Terrible book seller. Had to wait a month for a book sent from a location about an hour from me. Do NOT but from this company. They totally suck...you cant get a refund...i will never buy from abebooks again...TERRIBLE SERVICE...DO NOT BUY FROM THEM. If i could give 0 stars i would. Worst book service on the internet
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Posted 3 years ago
A book I ordered was delivered as "Examination Copy" and "Not for Resale". This is not allowed by the publisher. AbeBooks is allowing is booksellers to sell books that are not full editions and not allowed to be sold by the publisher. It is fraud. They refused a refund. DO NOT BUY FROM ABEBOOKS. There are plenty of other reputable booksellers out there.
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Posted 3 years ago
I should hope that when an item is submitted for sale the terms of that sale are honest and forthright. When I place an order and am charged for that order it is unprofessional to then be asked for an additional $70 for shipping, above and beyond the $30 (as stated) fee already charged. The weight of the book did not change between advertising and purchase.
AbeBooks 1 star review on 25th August 2020
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Posted 3 years ago
This merchant is straight up a scam. They don't even hide it. They will take your money. Including money paid for expedited shipping. They will hand over the order to some vendor and they will simply blame the vendor for everything. I thought I would give them a chance (instead of buying from Amazon all the time). Now I know why Amazon is the best - at least they deliver. Abebooks should call themselves I-scam-you.com
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Posted 3 years ago
Horrible, they still using and old obselete tactics "Bait and Switcht". I placed an order on your website. The next day you notified me via email that the order was canceled, due to seller didn't have the book available, even thou you had it listed "for sale on your website". I went ahead and searched for another copy of the same book on your website, and found a different seller. I ordered the book. Well, well. I also received the "Defacto" email from ABebooks, "Your order was canceled". Again. I asked myself. How is that possible. I really wanted this book. I went ahead and searched for a more reliable, trustworthy vendor online. I found a copy of the book and placed the order. I tried to contact you via phone, but of course, you are using the "Coronovirus excuse". No phone calls. Ok. So I wrote via email. Instead of received a personalized response, I got a "Boiler Plate" response, repeated the same darn thing. The order was canceled and no charge. Even tho I stated on my email of the 2 separate orders I had placed, and yet both were canceled. I wrote again, and got the same response. Is there an echo on the internet? And that's is when I realized that Abebooks's customer serviced is based in a Developing country/3rd world, where they don't read or answer emails. Instead, you will get a "Boiler Plate". as shown on your Training Manuals. I wrote several times, got the same response. I was dealing with a computer not a human being mind you. I then received an email with a tracking number for a shipment. What shipment? All my orders were canceled. I contacted my bank and indeed there was a charge by Abebooks for the second order. Remember the pseudo "Customer support rep." Kept repeating me "Your order was canceled" because that was the easiest way to deal with a customer. Why bother to read the customer's emails? Then got another emails staying that I need to check my bank statements and dispute the charges with my bank. Come again? Did I read it right?????? I asked to escalate the issue. Again, I got another "Boiler Plate" response " we appreciate your business, we will refer your email to another department." I am still waiting, I guess I need to wait until there is a cure not a Vaccine for COVID19 before a human being will contact me from ABEBOOKS. As you can see, you have screwed up, not once, twice. Many, many times. You have total apathy for the customer and are hoping on the law of average that you will survive in this competitive world. But keep in mind, that every chance I get. I will tell people to STAY AWAY FROM ABEBOOKS, PERIOD !!!! So now I am facing with the extra book that I didn't have to get You are WORTHLESS.........
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Posted 3 years ago
BUYER BEWARE IRISH BOOKSELLERS via ABEBOOKS! AbeBooks does not protect buyers from the fraudulent activities of this disreputable seller. I have read nearly identical reviews to mine. I am not alone in my experience. Irish Booksellers via AbeBooks sent me a $15 paperback (via amazon.com!) instead of the $45 audio cd version. (Note: I did originally confirm it was the audio cd version w Seller.) I immediately returned the incorrect item and advised the seller & AbeBooks. But the Seller refused to issue a refund and AbeBooks refused to honour my repeated requests for a refund. This is disgraceful customer service. Irish Booksellers + AbeBooks = Fraudulent
AbeBooks 1 star review on 23rd June 2020
Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
BUYER BEWARE IRISH BOOKSELLERS via ABEBOOKS! AbeBooks does not protect buyers from the fraudulent activities of this disreputable seller. Read the previous reviews. I am not alone in my experience. Irish Booksellers via AbeBooks sent me a $15 paperback (via amazon.com!) instead of the $45 audio cd version. (Note: I did originally confirm it was the audio cd version w Seller.) I immediately returned the incorrect item and advised the seller & AbeBooks. But the Seller refused to issue a refund and AbeBooks refused to honour my repeated requests for a refund. This is disgraceful customer service. Irish Booksellers + AbeBooks = Fraudulent
Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
BUYER BEWARE IRISH BOOKSELLERS via ABEBOOKS! AbeBooks does not protect buyers from the fraudulent activities of this disreputable seller. Read the previous reviews. I am not alone in my experience. Irish Booksellers via AbeBooks sent me a $15 paperback (via amazon.com!) instead of the $45 audio cd version. (Note: I did originally confirm it was the audio cd version w Seller.) I immediately returned the incorrect item and advised the seller & AbeBooks. But the Seller refused to issue a refund and AbeBooks refused to honour my repeated requests for a refund. This is disgraceful customer service. Irish Booksellers + AbeBooks = Fraudulent
Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
AbeBooks is rated 2.4 based on 116 reviews