When you order books online, who do you buy from? I’m not talkin’ ’bout ebooks. I’m talkin’ ’bout paperback and hardback? When I first started buying stuff online I always ordered from B & N, because if you spend $25 or more you get free shipping and they’re usually pretty quick about sending stuff out. (It also helped that I’m a member of Club Mom. You shop online and earn points which are redeemable for gifts/gift cards.)
I joined Barnes & Nobles members club getting an extra 10% off my purchases (I think I paid $25 for it) and it made it all the better. At some point, I began looking at Amazon. The first time it was a fluke. I was ordering clothes for my daughter and decided to check out their book selection. They offer free shipping if you spend $25 too, so I started ordering from them.
I’ve noticed a major difference in shipping. Both are always free. (I’d rather spend $5 more on books than on shipping.) B & N expedites their shipping. They ship in three to five days and that’s standard for their free shipping. I ordered on Thursday and received notice of shipping on Saturday.
The last time I ordered from Amazon it took over a week for me to get my books. Their free shipping is standard not expedited. So, I’m back to ordering from B & N and getting points for it. When I get enough points I’ll trade them in for a $25 B & N gift card.
Scooper Speaks 
I live close enough to a B&N and Borders that I go and browse. It’s just part of my love for books. However, when I do buy online I’m usually looking for an older book and I’ve had really good luck with Amazon used book sellers.
You sound like you have a good system going though.
Rosie- I prefer Borders to B & N when I go into an actual shop. It’s just cozier. I like to order books though, because I can get a wider selection than in the store and I won’t drive to the store and leave with nothing.
I don’t have any preference between Borders and Barnes & Noble. We also have a Books-a-Million nearby, which seems to be packed with more books. I go to all with equal frequency.
I no longer order books online. I too, got frustrated with the slow shipping from Amazon when taking advantage of their free shipping. I’ve never tried ordering online from B&N; since they have expedited free shipping, I may just give them a try.
Tia- We don’t have to many other bookstores around here. Well, not ones that would carry new releases. Sometimes I hit Target up for the mainstream books for the 25% discount, but usually I go to Borders or order online.
i buy alot of ebooks but when a book i want isn’t available in eformat or i just need to hold a “real live” book in my hands i pop over to B&N, Borders and BaM – sometimes just brousing the aisles is therapy. So not much Amazon or online buying of shipped books.
rhian- Yep. Sometimes there is nothing better than walking the aisles of books.
I typically order my paperbacks and hardcovers from Amazon. I have done a lot of business with them, and I’ve been satisfied so far. Abe Books is another one of those sites good for those out of print and hard to find books.
I’ve shopped with Barnes and Noble twice, and both times they got my order wrong and I had to send it back. One order was with a gift card and the woman I talked to with customer service, was going to make me pay for the shipping from my credit card to cover what would’ve been free with the gift card. *_*
We got that straightened out eventually – or so I thought. I got my C’card statement the following month, and discovered she had not only charged my gift card, she’d charged the full amount to my credit card. So, another loooong call to customer service with a yowling baby in the room with me. Oi, a nightmare. I haven’t ordered from the since. Amazon for me. 😉