Worth using, albeit with caution.
Written: Mar 24 '07 (Updated Mar 24 '07)
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| Full Review |
Abebooks.com is not a strict vendor but a database for a multitude of booksellers to sell their books. That makes shopping experiences dependent on the individual sellers and not the site site itself. The vast majority of the sellers, like BookByte, are honest and deliver textbooks promptly. Use the site often enough, and you'll eventually get one of the not-so-good apples that slip inaccurate information in there, but those sellers can be avoided in future Abebooks visits (and reported to the site).
I've used Abebooks multiple times and subscribe to their newsletter. Usually, I can save $100 or more a term by buying my books through Abebooks, but sometimes I have to keep an eye out for international editions. Not all sellers give thorough or accurate information on their books, and that's a risk I always consider. I'm not exactly comfortable with receiving international or teachers' editions clearly marked "not for resale," but that's not Abebooks' fault. Most sellers that I've seen selling those, though, admit that's what they're selling.
Of the thirty or more times I've used the site, I had only one massively problematic case. It took me 2 weeks for me to find out the bookseller had already sold the book I ordered, but they did provide a full refund. On a more humorous note, once a seller literally neglected to bill my credit card—someone on their end had evidently messed things up for a few weeks—so they later requested the payment.
Only a few buys have resulted in overlong shipping results; I get my books swiftly and for much more cheaply than I would have otherwise. I check my books there every term. For science and other pricey textbooks, Abebooks majorly saves the pocketbook. For shorter books like novels, shipping makes a big enough difference that often it's cheaper to buy from your university bookstore, so make sure to check your college prices before buying.
On top of that, the Abebooks pages tend to load pretty quickly and has a very easy-to-use search engine, and refining search results (and removing the refinement) is a breeze. The site's arrangement gives all the information you need for buying decisions in an efficient format, and different book sellers' shipping costs are conveniently placed on the web pages.
I strongly advise you try them. If you have a bad experience with a seller, just report that seller and avoid him in the future!
P.S. This is my first website review, so please critique it if necessary.
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? Textbooks
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About the Author
Member: Misti Wolanski
Location: Housed
Reviews written: 31
Trusted by: 2 members
About Me: Creationist, sabbatarian, reformed presbyterian, literal thinker, freelance writer, and wannabe novelist.
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