AbeBooks Reviews

2.4 Rating 109 Reviews
35 %
of reviewers recommend AbeBooks
2.4
Based on 109 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
I ordered a book on November 19th for a Christmas present. The book never arrived despite a December 9th estimated delivery date. When I contacted the book seller, no tracking number was given despite being asked. Do NOT order from this site.
Helpful Report
Posted 4 years ago
I ordered a book and picked PayPal as my payment format. I received an email from abebooks saying my purchase was confirmed. Next day I recieved email that PayPal did not pay. After thinking about my purchase I decided not to get the book after all. I sent email apologizing for confusion and asked to cancel my purchase. The email I recieved back was rude " next time make sure your payment will go through ". I replied there will never be a next time due to the rudeness of their tone. I would never recommend anyone using this company. Poor customer service.
Helpful Report
Posted 4 years ago
Wrong product delivered, and they said for Print on Demand reasons, they can not offer what was originally ordered and I will have to ship the book back in order to receive a refund. I lost money and time on shipping a book back, that wasn't what I ordered.
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Posted 4 years ago
No customer service whatsoever from abebooks - no support for customers. IRISH BOOKSELLERS rip off. I specifically emailed confirming a book order to which they replied yes- only then to send out the complete wrong book that was worth nothing next to what I actually purchased. They stopped returning my emails and then ABEBOOKS WOULD NOT SETTLE THE DISPUTE even after I spent more money to return the incorrect book. Booksellers lied about receiving the return and abebooks refused to refund my money. LIARS AND THIEVES.
Helpful Report
Posted 4 years ago
Received wrong book. Sent multiple emails, nut no answer from abebooks and no answer from the seller.
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Posted 5 years ago
Abe Books is the WORST! Don't believe their listings as to where a book is coming from! Won't refund return postage EVEN IF it is their mistake or an incorrect listing! They may reply to emails, but then all email communication ceases and you will NEVER hear from them again, even if they say that they will refund you. BEWARE!
Helpful Report
Posted 5 years ago
I bought a used book from Abe books for my criminal law class. I paid $73.00 for it. The book has a whole chapter missing from it, many orher missing pages, and writing and highlighting all over and all throughout the book! That’s a lot of money to pay for a piece of garbage that I can’t even use. I had to rent the book online in order to keep up in class. I think it’s disgusting that abe books would even allow such a book to be sold. I’m a little surprised to see a high rating on this site, as every other site abebooks has 1 or 2 stars. Please do yourself a favor and don’t by a book through this company, they clearly have no standards and do not look out for their customers. I also emailed the help center, no response of course! I wish you had an option to upload pictures, then you all could see this garbage!!
Helpful Report
Posted 5 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
Helpful Report
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.........
Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
I ordered 6 books for our book club. Money went from my account immediately. Almost 4 weeks on and still no books, no refund, no explanation and no apology. Awful company. Will not use again and suggest others don't either.
Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
AVOID! As others have warned, AbeBooks is a disreputable website. The seller sends you a damaged book or wrong item? Oh, well. They will not refund return shipping for items that are incorrect or damaged. They will stonewall every attempt to make them honor their return policy. There are better options to use.
Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
BUYER BEWARE!!! Like everyone else I wasted time & money by purchasing from Abe Books/Irish Bookseller. What they sent me wasn't even a book, it was more in line of a magazine. It's clear they make money by jacking up the price of shipping and then send a bogus product. I called my bank immediately to file a claim. It's a pathetic way to make a living this way Abe Books/Irish Booksellers.
Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
They take your money, your are mailed a tracking with no actual tracking. The delivery is within 45 days therefore you will not get a refund because the time frame has lapsed with the American banking system.Total scam
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Posted 3 years ago
Book didn't come, no refund. Far more worst than Amazon.com.
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Posted 3 years ago
I'm giving AbeBooks a one star because they are difficult to reach if you have a problem. I placed an order, chose expedited shipping, and it took the seller 4 days to actually ship the item. They created a label on day one, it was day 4 before they actually moved the package to USPS. I contacted the seller and Abe Books service asking for a refund on day 3, of which i was denied. I saw another reviewer on here blasting other reviewers for giving AbeBooks a bad review when sellers are the problem, but AbeBooks is the front company for all the sellers. It's like saying the boss is not responsible for those under their leadership. AbeBooks is responsible for their sellers and if they set stronger requirements , their sellers would hold to higher standards and they'd have better reviews. I buy a LOT of books and won't purchasing through Abe again.
Helpful Report
Posted 4 years ago
After going through numerous complaints about the sellers on Abebooks, i have suggested to them so many times to leave the seller ratings to the customers like their parent company, Amazon does, as against such ratings are given by Abebooks. Their ratings are based on sellers’ fulfilment. Each book that is sold, Abebooks get about 18% of the total sale in addition to they charge a listing fee monthly to sellers based on the number of books they have listed. If a seller fulfill all orders, he/she gets 5 star rating, and if one order is not processed by the seller for whatever reason, the rating drops to 4 stars. Again these ratings are done unprofessionally. For no fault of the seller, some clerks in abebooks often go and snip the ratings. The customer has no clue about the seller. Does he describe the book honestly. Does he mail a battered softcover book when you asked for a hardcover book in good condition with a dust jacket, or the seller got your money and never sent out the book? If the customer has a voice to rate these sellers, others would take a note of it and would refrain from ordering from dishonest sellers - Believe me, there are a few doing well on Abebooks.com. My point is, let the customer rate their sellers, not the Abebooks who can spend that time to look after the customers. What do you think? Tell them!
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Posted 1 year ago
I had ordered a book from Abebooks, they stated that it would arrive on December 21, or before (2022). It is now December 30 (2022) and I still have not received my book. I have sent two emails to the company and they have not responded.
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Posted 1 year ago
Just awful. Every bit as painful and untrustworthy as Amazon and not worth bothering with. Books are badly described, often deliberately misdescribed, photos are terrible (or non-existent) and prices seem to just be pulled out of the air - they definitely don't reflect current market values. Anyone buying through Abebooks is getting ripped off and there's no customer protection or customer service at all.
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Posted 1 year ago
I ordered 3 books that showed as available. They where ordered as a set. Abe canceled one of the book orders, failed to notify me until after the other 2 shipped. I should have been notified BEFORE the others where shipped so I could cancel. Waiting to see what they are going to do. I don't want the other 2 books. WILL NEVER PURCHASE FROM ABES AGAIN
Helpful Report
Posted 1 year ago
Very bad service! I ordered 14 volumes of an architeture magazine, the seller send me 11 volumes of another magazine. I spend a lot of money to make a devolution when there was not my fault. I will never buy again from Abebooks. I'm big consumer of books but with Abebooks It was definitively the last time.
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Posted 2 years ago
AbeBooks is rated 2.4 based on 109 reviews