Best places to buy books online

[UCF612]

Recommend your favorite online sources for book buying.  Things like abebooks.  I'm trying to price out things we need for next year but I'm sure there are sources out there that I've never even heard of.   Even favorite Amazon sellers would be great. 

[u2006kids]

https://www.rainbowresource.com/

 

slow... but decent prices

[CAtoVA]

Use www.bookfinder.com 

 

Type in the ISBN number (you can get the number on Amazon) and this search engine finds you the best prices on the book either used or new with shipping costs included.

 

I couldn't do without Bookfinder!!!

[OneStepAtATime]

Better World Books

 

http://www.betterworldbooks.com/?mr:adGroup=944285530&mr:ad=62380922320&mr:keyword=better%20world%20books&mr:placement=&mr:match=e&mr:referralID=NA&mkwid=s7adT1Mgy_dc&pcrid=62380922320&pkw=better%20world%20books&pmt=e&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Branded&utm_medium=Better+World+Books&utm_term=better%20world%20books&mr:adGroup=944285530&mr:ad=62380922320&mr:keyword=better%20world%20books&mr:placement=&mr:match=e&mr:device=c&mr:ext=&mr:tid=kwd-1188397546&mr:ploc=9028167&mr:iloc=&mr:referralID=NA&gclid=CjwKEAjw_7y4BRDykp3Hjqyt_y0SJACome3TOD1DyGQ9knJH3PkeLqAiILvJV0bdrr6We2uLOHY97hoCY1zw_wcB

 

I usually use Abe books, Amazon or BWB or Half Price Books when I am so inclined

[domestic_engineer]

https://www.rainbowresource.com/

 

slow... but decent prices

 

I sped up my delivery times immensely by always ordering something that would not be allowed under media mail.  ;)  magnets, pencil grips, balsa wood airplanes, dice for math

[Lanny]

The majority of textbooks (and others) we buy are from Amazon Marketplace Sellers.  I now have a very special place in my heart for BetterWorldBooks in IN (and their other company, whose name I can't remember as I type this) because last June (?), one night when I was searching for the 9th grade English textbook I needed to buy for DD, to my astonishment, BetterWorldBooks listed it on Amazon for one cent plus $3.99 shipping.  That particular textbook had *not* been in a "price war" on Amazon. They just came in and created a new listing, for one cent.  DD is using that textbook now.   :hurray:   For months, that textbook had been starting at about USD$38.00 on Amazon.

 

I have purchased 2 textbooks for DD from people on eBay. Both books were priced much lower than they were from reputable Amazon Marketplace Sellers at the time.

 

There are lots of excellent sellers on Amazon. The big sellers, even those who ship thousands of packages a day, usually have Positive Feedback ratings of 90% or higher, which I consider astonishing, since they obviously are working very quickly on each order.

 

DD received one (1) book with a major issue. I think it was the Spanish Workbook she is using now. It has about 5 missing pages in the front. We are in South America and when she began using it and noticed that, it was not possible for us to get a replacement copy for her, quickly.  I think she found the pages (.PDF ?) online or that her Instructor sent them to her.  I believe when big companies "inspect" books before listing their condition, the employee doing that has less than one minute to do that. I ask our Receiver to inspect things, when they are Consolidating our purchases, to Forward to our house in South America, but I can see how easy it was for someone to inspect and not catch the missing pages. 

 

Many of the books DD has received are in better condition that the Seller stated in their listing.  At least one book was one notch down from the condition the Seller stated.

 

If I am contemplating purchasing from a small Seller, I message them on Amazon or eBay to ask a few questions and in general, to be sure they are there, before clicking to buy.  

 

I never pay for "Expedited" shipping, because I've read Feedbacks on Amazon from some customers who did that and their packages were delayed.  Sometimes MediaMail packages have arrived incredibly fast (our Receiver is in Miami, FL, USA).  

 

At times, you can purchase the same textbook, "New" (or with a School stamp or remainder mark) for less than a "used" book, or for slightly more than a Used book.

 

ALWAYS SEARCH FOR AND BUY TEXTBOOKS BY ISBN NUMBER

[Lanny]

<snip>

 

I usually use Abe books, Amazon or BWB or Half Price Books when I am so inclined

 

Not recently, but we have purchased a number of books from Half Price Books in Dallas and their other company I think is Last Page Books or something like that. I believe they bought a number of other book sellers and their listings on Amazon usually say something about "since 1972"

 

A childhood friend wrote that he has purchased some books on AbeBooks. I've never purchased from them, but once or twice, I noticed their price, for the same textbook, from the same seller, was lower than it was on Amazon.

[smarson]

I have always found the best prices a abebooks.com.  If I find something on Amazon, I usually go find it on Abebooks from the same seller for less.

[theelfqueen]

I use addall.com for comparison shopping used books.

 

[TriciaT]

I am a fan of all those mentioned, especially Thriftbooks, but I have to give a warning about Better World Books. I like their prices and that they fund literacy programs, but on three separate occasions they have sent me the wrong book or missed a book from my order. 2 of those times they sorted it out (once refunded me, and once sent me the correct one.) However, the third time they sent me a replacement book which was also the wrong one, and then would not respond. I hate to be a downer about a company doing good stuff, but they have officially lost me as a customer.

 

 

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Edited April 16, 2016 by TriciaT