Packaging, Shipping, Refunds and Replacements - Share your Experiences!

[Andreas]

I've placed an order with their Amazon.uk Marketplace on 14/12/2020 and i received it without any issue on 29/12/2020. I now have an open order with them (BooksETC) again with their Amazon.uk marketplace which i placed on 07/01/2021 but it hasn't dispatched yet.

[Hive]

I've placed and order on December the 7th...
2 books, one arrived within like 2 weeks (UK, but it was Christmas period so whatever) the other is still pending, despite it being available to purchase and says ships within 2-3 working days.

Yeah last time I had a book like that, I ended up asking them to cancel it if they couldn't ship it within a reasonable time period. So they just cancelled it without even as much as an apology. Given their policy to withdraw money when the order is placed, and not when it ships, I think that's a bit shady of them.

[JPAR]

Bear in mind btw. that due to Brexit, you may now have to pay extra VAT and handling fees when importaing to an EU country.

Are there any changes? I thought with the deal the situation stays the same.

[Hive]

Are there any changes? I thought with the deal the situation stays the same.

The deal ensured no tolls and tariffs - but VAT will still be charged. So for me, I'd have to pay 25 % VAT + a fee for the post office handling the VAT. Rather cost prohibitive for me now, sadly.

[Raffi Ol D'Arcy]

My last order with Booksetc. was on 30 November and I received both books by 15 December even though one was initially sent erroneously to an address in Slovakia rather than Poland.

I'm also curious as to how ordering will be with them after Brexit as I've been pretty pleased with them regarding my recent orders in particular with DC books.

[The Cheat]

I buy pretty much everything through booksetc and haven't had any trouble. Normally dispatched within a week of ordering. I'm in the UK though, so may make a difference.

[JPAR]

The deal ensured no tolls and tariffs - but VAT will still be charged. So for me, I'd have to pay 25 % VAT + a fee for the post office handling the VAT. Rather cost prohibitive for me now, sadly.

I don't have that as far as I know.

[JPAR]

I buy pretty much everything through booksetc and haven't had any trouble. Normally dispatched within a week of ordering. I'm in the UK though, so may make a difference.

Normally mine too. But not this time.

[Balakin]

I got a reply from booksetc, saying they had an issue transporting the book from their warehouse to the dispatch area so they have to order it again for me.
Which is fine but...I've placed the order over a month ago. What if I don't message them?

[JPAR]

I got a reply from booksetc, saying they had an issue transporting the book from their warehouse to the dispatch area so they have to order it again for me.
Which is fine but...I've placed the order over a month ago. What if I don't message them?

Eventually they cancel it. Happend to me before. If they can't deliver (for what reason), they cancel.

[Hive]

Eventually they cancel it. Happend to me before. If they can't deliver (for what reason), they cancel.

But how long will it take them to do so? Clearly, a month wasn't enough time. Poor service.

[JPAR]

But how long will it take them to do so? Clearly, a month wasn't enough time. Poor service.

Overall I'm satisfied with their service. But the last couple of months it's bad. I received a damaged item for the first time. That got replaced without any hassle btw. Their packaging used to be great and now it's mediocre. The result is damaged books. Their stock is low. A lot of books that are new aren't in stock or very limited.

I know their policy is to only ship books that are undamaged in the warehouse. If they see it's damaged it won't get shipped. The result is that you've got to wait a bit longer for the items or cancelled items if they can't get it in stock fast enough. But what I don't get is why they have changed the way they pack the items if the result is damaged items?

[Hive]

Overall I'm satisfied with their service. But the last couple of months it's bad. I received a damaged item for the first time. That got replaced without any hassle btw. Their packaging used to be great and now it's mediocre. The result is damaged books. Their stock is low. A lot of books that are new aren't in stock or very limited.

That's my experience as well, the detoriation from previously good service. I only started buying there about half way through 2020, so I didn't build up years of good experiences with them to balance the many bad experiences recently.

I know their policy is to only ship books that are undamaged in the warehouse. If they see it's damaged it won't get shipped. The result is that you've got to wait a bit longer for the items or cancelled items if they can't get it in stock fast enough. But what I don't get is why they have changed the way they pack the items if the result is damaged items?

Now this here bolded part, I'm not so sure is true. At least not anymore. The amount of damaged books I've received in my last orders and the type of damage they had, I find it a bit hard to believe that it should all have occured during shipping. And like you say, their packaging has deterioated as well.

[JPAR]

Now this here bolded part, I'm not so sure is true. At least not anymore. The amount of damaged books I've received in my last orders and the type of damage they had, I find it a bit hard to believe that it should all have occured during shipping. And like you say, their packaging has deterioated as well.

That's my thought also after reading your experiences. I'm buying from them since 2017 and only since last year things are going downwards.

[Balakin]

I got a reply from booksetc, saying they had an issue transporting the book from their warehouse to the dispatch area so they have to order it again for me.
Which is fine but...I've placed the order over a month ago. What if I don't message them?

I got the shipping email today so yay!