Blackwell Books Reviews

Name: Blackwell Books
Address: Blackwell Mail Order 50 Broad Street, Oxford
Rating: 1.67

1.7 Rating 179 Reviews

16 %

of reviewers recommend Blackwell Books

Company Reviews

Questions

Metrics

1.7

Based on 179 reviews

Shipping & Delivery
Delivery Methods	Courier, Postal Service
Average Delivery Time	Over 7 Days
On-time Delivery	Greater than 21%
Accurate And Undamaged Orders	Greater than 79%
Customer Service
Communication Channels	Email, Telephone, Live Chat
Queries Resolved In	Over A Week
Customer Service	1.4 out of 5
Returns & Refunds
Refunds Process	Difficult

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Email:

blackwell.online@Blackwells.co.uk

Location:

Blackwell Mail Order 50 Broad Street
Oxford
OX1 3BQ

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Blackwell Books 3 star review on 20th May 2025

Anonymous

Anonymous // 01/01/2019

Sort by: Most Recent Most Recent Highest Rated Filter: None None 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Stars Helpful

“My order has not arrived and despite contacting customer support this has not been resolved. The whole experience is time consuming and unsatisfactory.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“On the 29th January 2021 I ordered a book from Blackwell.co.uk which was in stock and said to be despatched within 48 hours. I waited patiently till 2nd February 2021 for my book to arrive at my house but it didn't, so I messaged Blackwell's customer service who apologized and said my book had not been dispatched. However just minutes after receiving their apologetic message I received a further email stating my order has now been dispatched - which made it look more likely that they just FORGOT to process my order. It is now 9th February 2021 and my order has still NOT arrived at my house, that's 7 days the order has been in the postal process! I have posted items by Royal Mail 1st Class to Scotland (hundreds of miles away) and they have arrived within 2 days, but Blackwell.co.uk orders can't arrive in 7 days+ and they are located in the SAME country!!! This really shows why more and more people order from Amazon as their stuff arrives quickly and you are fully updated about the order. I will NEVER order from Blackwell.co.uk again and advise others to avoid them too, unless you want to wait ages for an order that may never arrive. An extremely poor service indeed.”

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Posted 4 years ago

“My order never arrived and when I emailed for information, I never got a reply. It feels like a scam.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Orders don't show up and customer services do not reply to messages, despite a 2-4 day promise. They have closed their phone lines so it is basically impossible to contact them.”

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Posted 4 years ago

“My experience is common to many on this review site i.e book returned at my own expense as per instructions from Blackwells online and no refund or response to my many emails. There is no 'phone line active, just a recorded message saying that they have closed all telephone communications. I have a strong suspicion that there is something much more fundamental than a dreadful organisational structure with this part of the Blackwell business and would not be surprised if their refusal to refund customers and the interminable delay in fulfilling orders, is a strategy to keep cash in their accounts for as long as possible an attempt to keep the online business solvent. It's probably fine if you are able to shop in a Blackwells store where you can purchase the book of your choice and walk out with it, but I certainly would neither order in store or online. For now, I am out of pocket to the tune of £25, if I'd been robbed of that amount walking down the street I could reasonably expect the Police to be involved and for a criminal prosecution to ensue. Just imagine the amount of money that Blackwells online must have in their accounts from this, clearly common practice.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Short version: I did not get a refund on a book I returned to them. I returned a book to them in November following their instructions for their returns policy and heard nothing back. I never received my money back, or an explanation, despite numerous attempts to contact them. They are not reachable by phone and took a long time to respond to my emails. It's now February, I have given up hope of getting my money back, I am extremely disappointed, and I question the validity of the company. Long version: I ordered a book from Blackwell's via Abebooks. I ordered the paperback instead of the hardback. The entries on the website are almost identical. I telephoned Blackwell's and got an answerphone message saying, We don't answer the phone and we don't listen to voicemail messages. I emailed them asking if I could exchange and my email request was put in a queue. Eventually they replied and said, we don't do exchanges but you can return the book and reorder. They told me to send the book with certain numbers written clearly on the envelope, which I did, and they said as soon as we receive your book in the warehouse we will action your return. I sent the book to them on 16th November 2020 with all the numbers clearly marked on the envelope and to the correct address. I heard nothing back. I waited two weeks and when I went to email them I noticed an email from a completely different member of their team saying, we haven't heard anything from you, can we assume that you don't need any more help and we can close this query? This email was apparently sent the week before. I had not seen it, nor did I receive notification that I had a new email from them. That was why I wanted to phone them, and I was starting to realise why they don't pick up the phone. Confused, I replied and explained that my query hadn't been dealt with and that I had sent the book back. I heard nothing back. Then a long while after that I got an email from yet another member of their team asking for proof of purchase with no other explanation. Had they lost it? Were they not willing to process the refund? I sent them a photo of my postage certificate, issued by Royal Mail. I complained and said, it's very difficult to communicate with you, and now I don't know if I'm going to get my money back. I told them I was never going to use their services again. I heard nothing back. I am still to receive a refund and/or an explanation. I have given up hoping that I will. I am extremely disappointed.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“I bought here to avoid amazon and support a local institution. If I could give zero stars I would. Ordered two books in October, dispatched November - it's now late January and nothing has arrived and nor have Blackwell's responded to any of my attempts to contact them to find out what might have happened, etc. I worked out that the address on the delivery was missing my house number and so should have been returned to sender. Used online form to ask about picking up from store or refund - nothing. No response. Just the same bull autobot response to wait another 14 days and see. Tried calling store - couldn't get through, always cut off. 100% do not recommend.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Great book buying, packaging was just extraordinary and, if you're patient for delivery in these convoluted days (Blackwell doesn't own it's logistics as Amazon does) you'll likely agree it's prefered to Amazon. I won't take pictures because the care put into packaging is worth the surprise.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“I have ordered many books over the last year - as i choose free delivery - I don't expect immediate delivery . The book comes within expected time frame . Good choice of books at better than waterstones prices. I have not had a bad experience . I like buying from someone who owns an actual bookshop !”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Do not shop with this company, there is no way of contacting them other than email which looks like it goes to a call centre in India. I ordered a book 2 weeks ago for a Christmas present and obviously was concerned. I had to email and was then promised that it would be sorted in 2 days. I wrote to them again this morning and chased up and they advised that the book is not in stock and they will refund me. I have now gone to Amazon and the book will be with me tomorrow. So a few things, obviously the stock control is wrong, you can't speak to anyone and I don't trust that they will refund me. By the way no apologies, just an arrogant company that is living on the fact it has been around for so long - the business model doesn't work and people want to be able to speak to someone, especially when their order is going wrong!!”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“I was so nervous before ordering from Blackwells because of all of the negative reviews I saw. I asked a friend who lives in the UK, and she had only positive remarks and encouraged me to go ahead with it. BUT I just got my book only 14 days after it dispatched from the store (and I live in the United States), and it is in perfect condition. I would say communication is not great from customer service, but have faith that your book will arrive. I'm so happy! THANK YOU!”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“I received a damaged item after waiting for ages and as such Blackwell is legally responsible to bear the cost of returning, however, they have failed to respond to my query with a photo I sent 5 days ago. The phone line has been closed and I have been left with no means to communicate with them. I will have to look for a mediation service if they continue to ignore me. Don’t use Blackwell.”

Blackwell Books 1 star review on 7th December 2020

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“SCAM Waste of money and Space on this Earth. Im so angry. Just stick to amazon. No status on wether the order has been dispatched or not, non existent customer service. Everyone avoid this.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Bought new book, arrived in scruffy state with sticky surface where someone has made a half hearted job at removing some kind of sticker.”

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Posted 4 years ago

“Absolutely appalling -- incredibly slow dispatch time, with zero contact. Avoid at all costs.”

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Posted 4 years ago

“ordered a book despatch time 48 hours 6 days later no despatch advice no one to contact phone disconnnected for customer service avoid”

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Posted 4 years ago

“Wish I had seen these reviews before ordering. Ordered a book which is yet to be despatched and nobody replying to my emails on why. Avoid at all costs.”

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Posted 4 years ago

“I've bought a ton of books from them and every one has been entirely perfect. It takes a bit to ship to the US from the UK but it always arrive in good time and it's worth the wait.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“So far waited 3 weeks for a book and still hasn’t arrived poor service”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

Blackwell Books is rated 1.7 based on 179 reviews