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

[Balakin]

UK Media Source through Amazon: the book was cheap but it took 12 days to arrive (including dispatch time and weekends). The packaging was weak and the book has a huge sticker on the frontcover which I couldn't remove so far (started to peal at the corners but after a few milimeters it didn't come off completely...looks really ugly). Also there were some post-it papers stuck on some of the pages.
I've already complained and waiting for reply but really didn't expect the book to be in this state, the seller has really good reviews on amazon and there were no warning about any possible stickers on the book.

[kodave]

UK Media Source through Amazon: the book was cheap but it took 12 days to arrive (including dispatch time and weekends). The packaging was weak and the book has a huge sticker on the frontcover which I couldn't remove so far (started to peal at the corners but after a few milimeters it didn't come off completely...looks really ugly). Also there were some post-it papers stuck on some of the pages.
I've already complained and waiting for reply but really didn't expect the book to be in this state, the seller has really good reviews on amazon and there were no warning about any possible stickers on the book.

Just get some rubbing alcohol. Dab it onto the sticker. Let it sit. Then peel. You might have to repeat the process a few times. But it works and doesn't damage the book. Not that it's an excuse for it arriving like that in the first place.

[Racci]

Recently ordered Absolute The New Frontier from Tankerous Media via alibris.co.uk for a reasonable price 77 euros, with the following description:

Attributes: Slp Hardcover
Description: Fine 1401210805 This item is like new. Please allow 4-14 business days for Standard shipping, within the US. Thank you for supporting our small, family-owned business!

I picked up the package from the post office yesterday. Much to my surprise, and dissappointment when I opened it, there was just the book, without the slipcase. Immediately I sent them email about the matter. This morning they replied:

I apologize that the Absolute DC The New Frontier did not meet your
expectations. As such, we will be happy to process a return/refund for you.
Please print out a copy of this e-mail, enclose it with the item, and send
the return package to our main warehouse, located at:

which is fine, but I kind of wished they'd had the slipcase lying around somewhere, and could have send that to me, because the book itself is in fine condition, and now I have to hunt another copy...

[Balakin]

Recently ordered Absolute The New Frontier from Tankerous Media via alibris.co.uk for a reasonable price 77 euros, with the following description:



I picked up the package from the post office yesterday. Much to my surprise, and dissappointment when I opened it, there was just the book, without the slipcase. Immediately I sent them email about the matter. This morning they replied:



which is fine, but I kind of wished they'd had the slipcase lying around somewhere, and could have send that to me, because the book itself is in fine condition, and now I have to hunt another copy...

yeah, that's kinda crap, and while a full refund for returning the book sounds fair, I would have better things to do with my time than to go to the post office, stand in line...etc. All for nothing.

[Racci]

Exactly. I was pondering should I just keep the book... but nah, I want the slipcase, and reselling English lang. comics in Finland is not as easy as in the US, or the UK.

[sax]

Wordery giving me the runaround about a refund they should have processed a month ago.
They couldn't fulfil an order and promised a refund.

Just got this from them - "Thank you for contacting us.

The refund would have been issued to the original payment method "

Except, I can find no trace of it having been made.

Going to avoid them if this is the sort of service they provide.

[Balakin]

Wordery giving me the runaround about a refund they should have processed a month ago.
They couldn't fulfil an order and promised a refund.

Just got this from them - "Thank you for contacting us.

The refund would have been issued to the original payment method "

Except, I can find no trace of it having been made.

Going to avoid them if this is the sort of service they provide.

never had any problems with their refunds. How did you pay? Paypal or credit card? Maybe your bank took their time to process it?
I had an occasion with my hungarian bank a few years ago when I got a $1 refund from tfaw (they checked if the card is valid and sent the money back straight away) but my bank refused to process it and the money wasn't available and had to email them the make that freakin dollar available.
If you payment method was paypal the money is probably there as paypal balance (that was the case with my speedyhen refund, paid via paypal but the money was from my bank account but when they sent it back it landed on my paypal as paypal balance)

[sax]

never had any problems with their refunds. How did you pay? Paypal or credit card? Maybe your bank took their time to process it?
I had an occasion with my hungarian bank a few years ago when I got a $1 refund from tfaw (they checked if the card is valid and sent the money back straight away) but my bank refused to process it and the money wasn't available and had to email them the make that freakin dollar available.
If you payment method was paypal the money is probably there as paypal balance (that was the case with my speedyhen refund, paid via paypal but the money was from my bank account but when they sent it back it landed on my paypal as paypal balance)

I should say I ordered it via Rakuten (Wordery).
Paid using a credit card as Rakuten don't take Paypal.
I have asked Wordery to provide details about the refund, if not satisfied, I'll email Will Jones

[Balakin]

I should say I ordered it via Rakuten (Wordery).
Paid using a credit card as Rakuten don't take Paypal.
I have asked Wordery to provide details about the refund, if not satisfied, I'll email Will Jones

oh that's on rakuten then. I remember having some problem with the refund one time when I ordered from wordery through rakuten but they contacted with rakuten to solve the problem.

[sax]

oh that's on rakuten then. I remember having some problem with the refund one time when I ordered from wordery through rakuten but they contacted with rakuten to solve the problem.

Yeah, fingers crossed they get there eventually.

[FluffySheep]

I placed an order with Speedyhen through their website on Monday for Aquaman Volumes 3 and 4 in HC. They were just delivered (Wednesday) and both were sealed. Pretty impressed considering it was free delivery! They did arrive in a cardboard envelope but no corners are damaged.

[Raffi Ol D'Arcy]

I ordered an Infinity Gauntlet omni from Indoo through Alibris a few months ago. It had just went out of print, and Alibris had a nice coupon going, so I got a good deal. A few days after the purchase, Indoo marked the book as "shipped." They didn't provide a tracking number, but I've seen other sellers who don't do that, so I didn't think anything of it.

2 weeks from purchase date, I still had not received the book. I sent an email through Alibris to Indoo requesting a tracking number to see where the book was. The response I got was a cut-and-paste reply saying the book was shipped and it would take 4-14 days, blah blah.

3 weeks from purchase date, I send another email asking if the book was ever shipped. I got a different canned email from them saying they "would have to initiate a postal trace that could take a few days" and some other bs.

1 month from purchase date, I file a claim with my credit card company to dispute the charge. A couple days later, I call my credit card company and they said Indoo didn't even try to fight. They just gave me my money back.

tl;dr version
I had a bad experience and won't use them again. They are one of those "drop ship" book sellers. It looks like they have 1,000,000 books in stock. In reality, the don't have anything in stock. They are just getting deals from somewhere else and just having this company ship the books to you. From their feedback on Amazon and Alibris, ~80% of people get what they ordered. The rest of us get screwed over.

Thanks for the detailed reply

I took the risk and ordered something from them through abebooks.co.uk before I read your post (just got round to reading it). We'll see what happens.

[legion_quest]

I ordered Avengers (Lee and Kirby) 2 and Hickman FF 2 omnibs from books_any on Amazon.

I have ordered from them before and never had any issues, but it has now been a full month and no books. I have contacted them via Amazon, but yet to hear anything back.....

[Iron Fist]

I ordered Avengers (Lee and Kirby) 2 and Hickman FF 2 omnibs from books_any on Amazon.

I have ordered from them before and never had any issues, but it has now been a full month and no books. I have contacted them via Amazon, but yet to hear anything back.....

They usually get back to you quite quickly, I've ordered from them before and three times omnibuses have just vanished. They've always refunded.

It's a game of chance with them and omnibuses, I've no idea what it is. I've never had this issue with TPBs from them.

[legion_quest]

They usually get back to you quite quickly, I've ordered from them before and three times omnibuses have just vanished. They've always refunded.

It's a game of chance with them and omnibuses, I've no idea what it is. I've never had this issue with TPBs from them.

I dont really want a refund, I'd rather than just send me the books. I am, however, not willing to wait another month. So if they cannot get the books to me within 14 days, then refund it is.