AbeBooks Reviews 

1,023
•
TrustScore 1.5 out of 5

1.6

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Looking at 155 reviews, most reviewers were let down by their experience overall. People frequently experienced frustrating shipping delays, with orders taking multiple weeks to arrive or sometimes failing to show up completely. Consumers frequently received heavily damaged items or completely wrong book titles, making the overall product quality highly unpredictable. When trying to fix these mistakes, buyers struggled with complicated refund processes and unhelpful communication. However, some reviewers were happy with the service, noting that specific orders arrived quickly and items arrived in great condition. A few consumers also mentioned having smooth purchases in the past without encountering any major trouble.

What people talk about most

Product

Reviewers highlight ambiguous aspects of product quality, with some consumers expressing delight upon... See more

Order

Clients share profound dissatisfaction regarding their order experiences, frequently reporting that purchases... See more

Website

Users describe negative interactions with website features, noting that pages send people in circles and fail... See more

Delivery service

Customers had negative experiences with delivery service, reporting that shipping took forever and orders... See more

Refund

People report negative experiences with refund policies, expressing widespread frustration over delayed or... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Ordered twice at two different sellers. Paid already more than normal British postage rate for getting book shipped to Nethrrlands and, after placing order got request for additional shippibg fees for... See more

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

I have bought books from Abebooks before with no problem. This time I bought a used book described as "good" condition. It had a pea soup-like substance on the cover and the pages were wilted like i... See more

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

I was ready to place an order for five books, but changed my mind when the shipping rates were higher than the value of the books. Not sure why: there are options out there, and I've purchased dozens... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I ordered expedited shipping and didn't receive it. Abe books will not help. They do not care about their customers enough to have a contact option available. You're much better off using thriftboo... See more


Company details

  1. Book Store
  2. Hobby Store
  3. Rare Book Store
  4. Used Book Store

Information provided by various external sources

AbeBooks is your source for Used, New, Rare and Out of print books. Find classic collectibles, rare signed editions, used textbooks, and inexpensive bestsellers from independent booksellers worldwide.


Contact info

1.6

Bad

TrustScore 1.5 out of 5

1K reviews

5-star
4-star
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1-star

No history of asking for reviews

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1.6

All reviews

(1,023)

159 reviews in the last 12 months

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

If I could give zero stars I would

If I could give zero stars I would. Never received my book and there is zero customer service. I did not purchase the book under an account. If you don't have an account there is literally no way to contact this company. You click "customer support" and it just tells you to log in to your account. no email, no phone, no chatbot. SUPER sketch. Should have checked reviews before buying from them.

9 April 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Ripped Off

Ordered a book 02-08-26. It's now 04-07-26. No book received. They have no customer service phone or email. I had to contact my credit card for a chargeback.
Avoid at all costs!

6 April 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Out of 7 books I ordered

Out of 7 books I ordered, 3 were not available. Is it that hard to keep the website updated? Then on top of that, I went through my purchases and compared them to the charges on my card and found an additional charge that did not match any of my purchases! Leaving an email for their customer service isn't easy and then they say to wait over 24 hours for an answer. I will be going back to Thriftbooks.....never a problem there.

7 April 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I am extremely disappointed and…

I am extremely disappointed and frustrated with my experience. I ordered two specialized books and waited for almost a month, only to have my order canceled unilaterally.
​AbeBooks did not even bother to ask if I wanted a replacement or if I could wait longer; they simply issued a refund for the books and closed the case. To make matters worse, they REFUSED to refund the shipping costs. This is an absolute scam. They failed to deliver the product, kept me waiting for 30 days, and then kept my money for a service (shipping) they never provided. As a professional who relies on these materials for my work, this lack of integrity is unacceptable.
​I will never use this platform again and I strongly advise everyone to stay away. They are not a marketplace; they are a trap that keeps your shipping money when their sellers fail to perform.

6 April 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 2 out of 5 stars

My account history makes it look like I…

My account history makes it look like I kept a book for free
​"I am extremely frustrated with AbeBooks' technical system. After a shipping delay, I received a refund. When the book finally arrived, I contacted customer service to be recharged because I wanted to be honest and pay the seller. They took the money, but my order history still incorrectly says 'Refunded'.
​When clicking the tracking link, it clearly shows the book was 'Delivered', yet the site status says 'Refunded'. This makes it look like I kept the item for free, which is an insult to an honest customer who reached out to pay. Support told me their system 'does not have the ability' to update the status to 'Paid'. It is ridiculous that a company of this size cannot fix a simple database discrepancy. My honesty is being met with technical incompetence.

13 February 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Wrong 2 books sent

Wrong 2 books sent. Irequested the book , not 2 study guides to teach a class. No response. I am willing to send workbooks back. This is after multiple attempts to have this remedied

25 January 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I ordered a used book (trumpet music)…

I ordered a used book (trumpet music) that is supposed to have online accompaniment. When I received it, it had a CD for the accompaniment, Then I contacted customer service and was told they had so much inventory they couldn't verify that this book has online accompaniment, and that when you buy used books, they might not have all the included items that are advertised.

16 March 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Bad experience over all

Bad experience over all. Tracking number provided does not exist. After three months, the products have still not arrived. Mails are not responded to. Do not use this company!

17 March 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

DO NOT BUY INTERNATIONAL

DO NOT BUY INTERNATIONAL. I requested via email confirmation that my international order would have tracking #. They reassured me that all shipment has tracking. Then made my purchase and never received a tracking number and despite paying more money for shipping than the book itself, Abe books refuse to give me tracking # or any proof of shipping my book, or inform me which courrier they use. It's been now 21 days, still no proof my book was sent. DO NOT BUY INTERNATIONAL . I request refund for failure to provide evidence. No refund.

24 February 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Ordered, never received, no refund, no help

Ordered. Tracking provided. Never received then went to check tracking at it was invalid because shipper didn't receive item. Abe Books will do nothing to help you and you have to contact the seller directly and they will do nothing as well. It's a scam.

7 February 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I had a very unsatisfactory experience…

I had a very unsatisfactory experience with this company. I placed an order on the evening of February 13. When I checked my email the next morning, I noticed that my credit card was charged four times for the merchandise. In my more than 50 years of having a credit card, I never had such an experience. (The credit card company later removed the duplicate charges).

Nevertheless, I immediately tried to cancel the order. That's when I found out that this outfit has no customer service phone number. As such,I navigated through their rather cumbersome "customer help" process to stop the transaction. Shortly thereafter, I received an email from the actual book seller, the proprietor of Abacus Book Shop, who I found to be both arrogant and condescending. I made him fully aware of my desire to cancel the order. However, my credit card was charged for the merchandise, thereby, requiring me to file a dispute. This has been one aggrevating transaction!!

15 February 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Negative 5 Stars for ABE BOOKS

Sellers for Abe Books use OSM, a carrier that takes FOREVER to move the package through their network. Once shipped the order typically takes 2 full weeks to arrive. Abe Books and their sellers respond to inquiries with one size fits all answers that do not help one bit.

5 March 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

1.7 stars

1.7 stars. That figures. The website repeatedly showed me groups of pics. Id get one correct just to have to get yet another correct. Again & again! Gave up! Lost a sale! Fix your website!

28 February 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Abe books has saved me so much money

Abe books has saved me so much money, helping me find great primary and secondary sources for research while building my own library. I'm fine with books being used, or slightly marked up. And at least in the US, shipping and honesty of sellers has not been a problem for me.

27 February 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

No book shipped, Abe Books won't help

USPS has been "awaiting item" for over a month. Three efforts to contact seller (Half Price Books) failed. Abe Books refused (via automatic reply) to initiate refund saying "the seller says it shipped, so talk to them". No way to contact Abe Books, no way to get refund, no book, and I am out $15. Lesson learned: never buy through Abe Books

26 February 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Very unpleasant experience

I had a very unpleasant experience using AbeBooks. I found a product advertised through AbeBooks on Google and purchased it for $300. Two weeks later, I received a completely different item that was in no way related to what I had ordered and paid for.
It took numerous attempts to contact the third-party seller, Pages of Boston, to resolve the mistake on their end. After nearly two months, I finally received a return shipping label. However, I was later informed that the book did not arrive back to Pages of Boston in satisfactory condition. As a result, AbeBooks did not issue a refund of my $300, and I was not allowed to keep the incorrect book that had been sent to me.

This entire experience was a complete nightmare and a significant waste of my time, energy, and money. I will not be using Abebooks again.

24 February 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

NO Customer Service.

Do NOT use this company! NO Customer Service to speak of, and no way to get a hold of anyone at Abebooks. They have the wrong address for me, even though it shows the correct one u der my name. So, my orders go to the wrong address. It is beyond frustrating and inexcusable that they do not fix this issue, or even let you contact them to let them know there is an issue.

19 February 2026
Unprompted review

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