airforcefamily Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 I placed an order with one of the big companies and, long story short, their computer system changed my address and the post office returned the package to them. This isn't the first issue I've had with them and even though I like their selection and prices it's not worth the multiples emails and phone calls each time. Normally I get books on amazon if I can but some things we need are not available there so I'm looking for a new go-to place to order from. Does anyone have a company they like and would recommend? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Barnes and Nobles. Usually pricier than Amazon but they have a good selection. They have WWE, WWS, SOTW, LOE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Another Jen Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 rainbow resource Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 CBD.com also carries a lot of homeschooling material. I have a hunch who you're talking about with your order. CBD has a much better shipping and tracking system. I will also order from the publisher for a few subjects. Also check Amazon as many third party suppliers and even some publishers keep a store on Amazon, even if their product isn't sold directly through Amazon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nukeswife Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 It would help if you told us who got your order messed up, or you'll likely get them as a suggestion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 I order from Rainbow, Amazon, or the publisher. Publishers are usually the fastest at getting orders out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 CBD.com also carries a lot of homeschooling material. I have a hunch who you're talking about with your order. CBD has a much better shipping and tracking system. I will also order from the publisher for a few subjects. Also check Amazon as many third party suppliers and even some publishers keep a store on Amazon, even if their product isn't sold directly through Amazon. :iagree: I've ordered through CBD and they're good. Usually I do Amazon, even if its third-party selling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnificent_baby Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 I really, really like CBD. Their customer service is really good and have been very good to me with returns/refunds. ETA: If they don't have an advertised coupon code going on, I always call and they have given me a code for free shipping if I spend a certain amount (less than their usual free shipping minimum amount). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 I also order a lot from CBD and Amazon. I've had good experiences with both so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Exodus Books (mostly Christian curriculum, don't know if that's what you're looking for). Also great selection of literature. http://www.exodusbooks.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kolamum Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Book Depository will be FREE shipping. :D I've never had issues with them & I live overseas. ;) CBD is not free shipping, but I've never had issues then either. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazakaal Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 I usually try to order directly from the publisher for the smaller companies that I want to support (PHP, LOF, etc). Other than that, most materials come from Rainbow Resource, Amazon, Book Depository, and CBD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane Elliot Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Exodus Books (mostly Christian curriculum, don't know if that's what you're looking for). Also great selection of literature. http://www.exodusbooks.com/ :iagree:I just received my first order from Exodus Books. I wish I had found this company much sooner. I was very happy. Prices were reasonable, and it came quickly. They have a large selection of used books. Definitely I will use them again. www.Timberdoodle.com is possibly my favorite place to order. I've been ordering from them for almost 20 years. Their customer service is impeccable and their prices are reasonable. They carry many unique products I never would have found elsewhere. They've helped me think outside the box when planning for my children. Sometimes it's helpful to look for companies in your region. The books generally arrive more quickly that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airforcefamily Posted September 27, 2012 Author Share Posted September 27, 2012 Thank you for all the suggestions, I'm making a list to refer to. I never thought about it that way but it makes a lot of sense to order through the publisher so they get all the money.... I just wish they offered free shipping. The immediate purchase is all about spelling, the publisher's price is the same as anywhere else plus shipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dina in Oklahoma Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 (edited) Amazon, Christian Book Distriutors, Home School Buyers Co-op, and I just placed my first order with Rainbow Resource. Christian Book Distriutors often has free shipping with $35.00 or more orders within the U.S. Call and ask for a code! ETA: Also this board Edited September 27, 2012 by Dina in Oklahoma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 :iagree:I just received my first order from Exodus Books. I wish I had found this company much sooner. I was very happy. Prices were reasonable, and it came quickly. They have a large selection of used books. Definitely I will use them again. Glad you are happy with it. I have no connection to them other than as a long-time customer but I love to hear good things about it. I used to live in the area and could visit the store - it's a wonderful place and the owner and employees are so helpful. I try to order from them when I can now. I think it is a business worth supporting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dina in Oklahoma Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Exodus Books (mostly Christian curriculum, don't know if that's what you're looking for). Also great selection of literature. http://www.exodusbooks.com/ Thanks for the resource, I had not heard of them.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airforcefamily Posted September 27, 2012 Author Share Posted September 27, 2012 It would help if you told us who got your order messed up, or you'll likely get them as a suggestion. I don't want to badmouth a company. I've ordered from them a bunch of times and each time there is at least one problem. They're easy to contact but resolving problems takes forever. I placed an order September 4th. It didn't ship until the 11th and that was only part of the order. When it had almost arrived the post office sent it back. I contacted the company who determined that their computer system had automatically changed my address to what their computer system thought it should be, causing the post office to declare the address invalid (which it was after it had been altered). I asked them to just cancel the order. They said I would be refunded. I just talked to them again today to try and determine when that refund will post and was told they received it back a few days ago and the refund will take 4-6 weeks. After they've finally done the refund I have to wait for a check to be mailed since I used a debit card. All in all I will be out several hundred dollars for 7 weeks at a bare minimum, all because of a mistake their system caused. I was able to order the things we needed elsewhere but what if I wasn't able to? There are families that wouldn't be able to spare that money meaning their kids would have to wait to start new curriculum. Other problems haven't been so bad but not one order has been completed without some issue that necessitates phone calls and emails to resolve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nukeswife Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 I don't want to badmouth a company. I've ordered from them a bunch of times and each time there is at least one problem. They're easy to contact but resolving problems takes forever. I placed an order September 4th. It didn't ship until the 11th and that was only part of the order. When it had almost arrived the post office sent it back. I contacted the company who determined that their computer system had automatically changed my address to what their computer system thought it should be, causing the post office to declare the address invalid (which it was after it had been altered). I asked them to just cancel the order. They said I would be refunded. I just talked to them again today to try and determine when that refund will post and was told they received it back a few days ago and the refund will take 4-6 weeks. After they've finally done the refund I have to wait for a check to be mailed since I used a debit card. All in all I will be out several hundred dollars for 7 weeks at a bare minimum, all because of a mistake their system caused. I was able to order the things we needed elsewhere but what if I wasn't able to? There are families that wouldn't be able to spare that money meaning their kids would have to wait to start new curriculum. Other problems haven't been so bad but not one order has been completed without some issue that necessitates phone calls and emails to resolve. I can see where you're coming from, but I never understand the "I don't want to badmouth a company" if you're having issues of some kind every time you place an order, why wouldn't you want to warn others about it? If a company has a bad computer system that messes up orders, or has awful customer service, I want to know about that so if I decide to order from them I go it to the situation knowing what things could happen/have happened to others. If the company consistently has issues or bad customer service then they deserve the bad mark they get from someone warning others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 I can see where you're coming from, but I never understand the "I don't want to badmouth a company" if you're having issues of some kind every time you place an order, why wouldn't you want to warn others about it? If a company has a bad computer system that messes up orders, or has awful customer service, I want to know about that so if I decide to order from them I go it to the situation knowing what things could happen/have happened to others. If the company consistently has issues or bad customer service then they deserve the bad mark they get from someone warning others. :iagree:I was thinking about this too, particularly when I read that you would be waiting 4 - 6 weeks for a refund made necessary by the company's error. Maybe that's the nature of ordering with a debit card, but that seems unreasonable to me. I don't necessarily think people are going to see your comments as "badmouthing" but rather relating your experience. If it turns out it is a company I've had (or heard of) great experiences with, I doubt it would change my opinion of the company. But if it's someone I've never dealt with, well, I'd rather not have a bad experience if I can avoid it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airforcefamily Posted September 27, 2012 Author Share Posted September 27, 2012 I'm just not comfortable giving the name of the company. I think some people have already figured it out anyway. It's not that the company has bad customer service, they're polite and get right on the problem but their policies make it impossible to resolve the issue quickly. I know many, many people who shop there frequently and have never had a problem. I've just had bad luck with them and would prefer to find other places to shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckabell Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 I've had good luck with CBD. They accidentally sent me the wrong Miquon book on my order and when I called them about it they were quick to send out a new one. I offered to send the other book back, but they said just to keep it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MooCow Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 I've had good luck with CBD. They accidentally sent me the wrong Miquon book on my order and when I called them about it they were quick to send out a new one. I offered to send the other book back, but they said just to keep it. One time they sent me part of my order and someone else's. They told me to keep it all, and sent out my missing order. The customer service is wonderful! Alas, their shipping time sucks for me.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeacefulChaos Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 I do Rainbow Resource and occasionally CBD or the publisher itself. I try to avoid the publisher as much as possible, though, because then shipping racks up more. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airforcefamily Posted September 28, 2012 Author Share Posted September 28, 2012 I do Rainbow Resource and occasionally CBD or the publisher itself. I try to avoid the publisher as much as possible, though, because then shipping racks up more. :) That's the problem I'm running into. I feel like they're have better service and make sure everything is right (no dinged book corners which bother me) but I don't know if I can justify paying 15% more in shipping charges. I don't see how a third party can charge the same or less plus offer free shipping when the company themselves can't do it. Maybe they just don't want to? I found that sonlight has what I'm looking for with free shipping, has anyone ever ordered from them? They ship media mail from 2000 miles away, will that take too long? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cin Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 I'm just not comfortable giving the name of the company. I think some people have already figured it out anyway. It's not that the company has bad customer service, they're polite and get right on the problem but their policies make it impossible to resolve the issue quickly. I know many, many people who shop there frequently and have never had a problem. I've just had bad luck with them and would prefer to find other places to shop. I haven't figure it out, so if someone DOES know, could you let me know? I'd like to be able to avoid them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellers Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 I order from Rainbow, Amazon, or the publisher. Publishers... I do the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 I found that sonlight has what I'm looking for with free shipping, has anyone ever ordered from them? They ship media mail from 2000 miles away, will that take too long? I have never ordered from Sonlight, but I regularly order from a company 3000 miles away; they ship media mail and I usually have it within a week though they quote 2 - 4 weeks. But no one is going to guarantee it will get there faster. The speed may also depend on the size of the box. Check the post office website and assume the longest shipping time. If it's quicker, yea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jpoy85 Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 I haven't figure it out, so if someone DOES know, could you let me know? I'd like to be able to avoid them. :iagree: I didnt put 2 and 2 together. :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StartingOver Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 :iagree: I didnt put 2 and 2 together. :001_huh: Me either, someone message me ! LOL :lol: I can't afford to have my money on hold for that long ! I would blow a fuse ! Now I am scared to order anything new. :lol::lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 Me either, someone message me ! LOL :lol: I can't afford to have my money on hold for that long ! I would blow a fuse ! Now I am scared to order anything new. :lol::lol: :iagree: ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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