Alibris

Your website needs quite a bit of work. It's difficult and counterintuitive to switch shipping information (it can't be done on the initial page in which shipping information is presented). I didn't see any place to save credit card information, meaning I'll need to reenter it anytime I want to place an order with you. This seems to be true even though I've registered a profile. The website itself is amateurish and unattractive. You're competing with Amazon. Step up your game.

Alibris claims to have shipped the book on Aug 18th, now September 2nd and tracking hasn't updated (USPS is saying Alibris never received package from Alibris) and Alibris is saying there isn't any tracking (then why did they send a tracking number? Every other order I've placed with them had tracking, and the tracking worked) and that they can't help. Usually Alibris is great, but customer service feels useless- how about just LOOKING INTO the tracking number?

It took me a little while to figure out which books were available for free shipping, and then when I was checking out, it didn't show free shipping until after I entered my credit card number, so I thought I was going to have to get customer service involved. Only at the last step did it come off. Also, items were supposed to stay in my cart for 12 hours, but a few hours after I put them in, one book was no longer available. This has happened once before to me and is frustrating.

Alibris is to used books what Air BnB is to rooms for rent. Because of this, Alibris are one part of a much bigger landscape. When you buy a book through them, the book is actually shipped by an independent seller. In my case, their website is outdated and poorly designed. If you want to ship books to a friend as a gift as I did, the site automatically changes your default address to the last one you used, a fact I discovered when I went to order books for myself only to see that they had been shipped to the gift address I had last used. When I went to their site to contact them about this illogical aspect of their site and to ask for a refund, it was clear that this problem was a regular occurrence because one of the drop down menu items is, "Shipped to wrong address." Even though they know this is an issue, they refuse to take responsibility for it or to change it. In my case, I asked for a refund or credit but was given a copy-and-paste unhelpful response instead.

As with so many businesses that have a corner on their market, there is very little pressure to innovate or stay current. If you have other options to buy used books, or start your own site, I would buy them elsewhere. Alibris cares neither for your time or, apparently, my business.

Great selection of books, but your web services leave much to be desired. I was not able to check out after putting a book in my cart, so I had to contact your help people, who suggested resetting my browser due to some unspecified "glitches". That worked. But about a year ago I had another problem, where whatever your website software was doing, it was not able to send anything to my comcast email address--which I've used for 18 years. This was never resolved, forcing me to create a gmail account. Your web people were distinctly unhelpful.

Straightforward user interface, logical, intuitive navigation, fast. You also have out-of-print books I want to read.
I might suggest that your vendors include a note with used books where text has been highlighted. Candidly, it's annoying (esp. When a previous owner (or owners) have highlighted in dark ink, and used multiple colors, as was the case with my purchase of "This Naked Mind." I would have ordered new had I known this would be so marked up. If it was noted in the description, it should be highlighted (no irony intended). Or I need to pay closer attention.

I LOVE Alibris, and have been ordering from you for several years, and referring lots of friends. It just took soooo long this time because none of the books that had the free shipping icons went into my cart! Every time I tried to check out the little truck had disappeared.
Just review my wish list. It's a frustrating, and tedious glitch in your system, which needs to be fixed, as it could easily be construed as a dishonest business practice.
The books that I was eventually able to order were fourth, even fifth choices.

There is much better information on Alibris than at Amazon or Abe Books. Your search engine is accurate, unlike the highly misleading Amazon searches, which can be wild. Your web site provides the best, detailed information about the book, its edition, its condition, and the bookseller. I prefer Alibris, so far, to Abe Books and by far in preference over Amazon, which has its overall advantages, but Amazon overall... well, it sucks. I would go for Alibris any day.

It's good but It could use a bit more simplifying when it comes to shipping and finding the right deal. Also a college/student discount should defiantly be offered. Seems to be a good website hopefully everything goes smoothly and I can repeat business with you guys. Also it seems like shipping is outrageously overpriced when it comes to multiple orders I was ready to spend $200 on DVDs but the shipping came out to $150? There's no way it costs that much to send that many dvds. Had there been a better combo deal for shipping I would have definitely bought them all.

I don't care for the shifting prices on the same item (perhaps I did not watch carefully enough, but it seemed to me that when I delayed the item I was originally interested in went up) or for items not available still showing as available when I check out to the point of having my card information received. Now I have more work, making sure I was not charged twice for similar items, and, I confess, that does nettle me and make me less inclined to check this site.

This is my third attempt at buy this bee book. 1st wrong book 2nd shipped 11/11 no tracking until two days after Alibris say it was delivered. I was not delivered here. I contacted the seller about it being stuck in Nashville for so long i got a canned ham email back about how slow things are. Checked tracking today emailed seller again got the same canned ham email back. Trying a different seller this time and I want my money back for the one i did not get.

It took me too long to locate and type in my credit card information. If you implemented Apple Pay a press of my thumb would have been enough. But, I guess, I imagine you believe books are very important cultural items which should not be subject to impulse buying: You deserve credit for that, I think.
And, please, don't get me started on you forcing me to allow you to share this purchase with that wonderful benign overseer of our culture known as Google. I totally agree to allow you to share this explanation of why I will never visit your site again with the whole world.

My only complaint about alibris is that many items do not include a description. Otherwise, I am super happy to have found an online bookstore where I can either splurge on a brand new copy or trade paperback, or be frugal and buy a lesser-priced used book. You even have music and videos. I love it! Also, I am highly satisfied whenever an item is shipped from alibris. Some other sellers are on my "do not buy from again" list. I would appreciate a shipping discount on multiple orders, but I never seem able to arrange my shopping list to get a "bundled" shipping price.

As I've ordered from Alibris the shopping has become easier to navigate. I still find the "free shipping" promo to be deceptive as for a long time I thought that actually meant everything was free shipping. So far, during those promos NOTHING I want has free shipping. Also, your discounts are minimal - frustrating if one doesn't plan to purchase huge amounts at that given time. Still, if I want to find a classic DVD or book I cannot find elsewhere this is where I can fine those.

I had chosen a couple of books from Alibris and then did not place the order right away. When I returned to my computer, the cart had nothing in it and when I searched for the supplier and book, it was no longer showing up on your website at all. When I went to Amazon to place another order all of a sudden the books that I was going to order from you were now on Amazon. Tell me I am not losing my mind. My phone is *******264. It happened on two different books. One was from a VA Goodwill store and it is out of print. The price for it was $53.

Alibris sold me an e-book with no content. I was not eligible for a refund because it had been more than 14 days since I ordered. I finally opened the book on day 20 and realized the $70 e-textbook I purchased for college had only the cover available--literally the only "page" available was a picture of the cover. Alibris refused to do anything to remedy the situation.

Update:
I received this response a few hours after posting my review. Thank you for taking this matter seriously. I will update my review again once I receive the refund.

"Hi Alyssa,

I'm not sure what happened with that ebook, but it clearly wasn't as it was listed. The policy is no returns on ebooks after 14 days which is why you received that response, but since the item you bought was basically useless, it doesn't make sense not to refund you. I've pushed through your refund now, so you should see it show up on your credit card statement within 2 to 5 business days. I'm sorry for the trouble.

Michael B.
Alibris Customer Service"

The commission percentage forces the good book sellers on this site charge far too much for shipping. I usually just eat that often shockingly high extra expense, for convenience. Recently I compiled a large order from a single seller, then mirrored the order on the seller's ebay site. I saved almost $100 on the purchase because the seller could offer discounted shipping for $300 worth of titles. Alibris has a fantastic assemblage of great bookmen, and I wish the commission policy didn't gouge them so badly.

Why do I not get free shipping? I thought this was eligible. What am I missing?

Since I did not understand the rules, but I very much wanted the books, I opted to pay for shipping despite it, in one instance, costing more than the book. That lead to dissatisfaction with the overall price. I cannot answer the part of the survey question concerning the products I have received, because I have obviously not yet received them.

Apparently I didn't buy enough books. Eventually I will put it all together and figure out exactly how much money I needed to spend on books to get free shipping, and how to put more than one book on an order, which should help with the climb toward free shipping. It is not fair to fault the company for my failure to understand it all.

Not easy to search for music. Cannot see any names in description on an album.
I had to change password, and when I tried to go back to my shipping cart, all selections had been deleted.
Otherwise, I like alibris very much. I like having an option that is not amazon!:)
Now that I tried to submit my comments, I am being forced to check an agreement to allow my comments to be made public. I do not like that at all as I have no way of knowing if my personal info/ ID would be also posted.

You advertise free shipping for alibris items for $39. I had many alibris books in my cart with free shipping symbol but when I wanted to submit the order, no free shipping was available. I removed almost all of them because i could buy them from other sellers with free or cheaper shipping. It happened to me many times on your website. You offer free shipping but never provide it. That's why I stay away from your store and try to buy from different sellers.