Alternatives to Amazon?

[Professor Bear]

I've been using Amazon as a handy one-stop shop more or less since I first started using the internet, but I think it's time I took my money elsewhere.  It's not the poverty wages, or the tax-dodging, or the union-busting, or the price fixing, or the bullying of authors, or the dismantling of digital comic book distribution, or the blacklisting of books whose content they don't like even when they themselves sell books denying the Holocaust and giving practical advice to the discerning child-lover, or remotely accessing customer's tablets and e-readers and deleting content - it's all of these things and all the other things I can't be arsed to list here.

So like the thread suggests, does anyone have any recs for reliable online retailers?

[Hawkmumbler]

The Book Depository and, more recently, Wordery are my two one stop buy's. If you buy from BD's own site you often save a bit than if you bought on Amazon Marketplace.

In terms of packaging, both employ padded envelopes as standard, though i've had almost all hard covers off BD sent in a fold-able (yet somehow pretty effective) cardboard case. They both get top marks from me for packaging anyway, with very few instances of damage to the products, the occasional scratch or split corner (always on paper backs, but then that's usually par for the course anyway) but certainly nothing i'd put down to how it was delivered.

They often also have a number of OOP titles available to boot, so always worth a mooch.

[radiator]

The Book Depository is owned by Amazon.

[von Boom]

If you don't mind second hand books try abebooks.com. I've bought a lot through them and never had a problem. Takes a bit longer mind.

[locustsofdeath!]

If you don't mind second hand books try abebooks.com.

Yep. Abebooks is great.

[The Bissler]

Forbidden Planet have been my first port of call of late.  They've been far cheaper than Amazon apart from anything else.  I would say that they aren't as prompt but who cares if it's cheaper and more ethical in the process?  I'll wait those extra few days for delivery.

[shaolin_monkey]

Forbidden Planet have been my first port of call of late.  They've been far cheaper than Amazon apart from anything else.  I would say that they aren't as prompt but who cares if it's cheaper and more ethical in the process?  I'll wait those extra few days months or years for delivery.

FTFY, based on my experience of FP.  Six months for one item, nearly eighteen months for another.  Never again.

[Jim_Campbell]

FTFY, based on my experience of FP.  Six months for one item, nearly eighteen months for another.  Never again.

No sign of the Sci Fi Special a fortnight after it went on sale in shops, no reply to email queries as to when it might ship. Cancelled the order and ordered it direct from the Future Shop (as I should obviously have done in the first place). Not impressed.

Cheers

Jim

[IndigoPrime]

direct from the Future Shop

Increasingly, I think that's the future model. I already do this with music much of the time, and so it follows that it's a good route with books.

[CrazyFoxMachine]

My brother ordered me two christmas presents once from FP and only one arrived in a torn and buggered package - when he contacted them to ask about the other they never replied.

I hear this kind of crap about them aaaaallll the time - I wouldn't touch 'em with a barge pole.

[HdE]

Yeah - I had terrible experiences with FP as well, back in the day. They're not a serious contender when it comes to mail order, in my opinion.

[Daveycandlish]

Me, I like proper shops. Where I get to choose a copy without creases in the cover and buggered spines.

[Arkwright99]

If you don't mind second hand books try abebooks.com.

Abebooks is also...wait for it...owned by Amazon.

[Frank]

If you don't mind second hand books try abebooks.com.

Abebooks is also...wait for it...owned by Amazon

I like to cut those evil corporate bastards at Amazon out of the loop by renting all my movies from LOVEFilm. I got the impression Pro Bear was looking for recommendations for different sources for all the different shite you get from Amazon. In the past, I've allowed them to dodge paying UK tax on transactions involving everything from stereo equipment to sunscreen.

The only other place that lets me buy that range of different crap without leaving my house is eBay. Other than that, you're left with the option of ordering stuff from individual, specialist retailers' sites, Argos, or asking your mum to get it from Kays catalogue.

[von Boom]

If you don't mind second hand books try abebooks.com.

Abebooks is also...wait for it...owned by Amazon.

I didn't know that.