I ordered for a book, "Handbook of Tribology" online and fully paid with my credit card since mid-February. I received an email notification from Alibris CS that my book order was shipped February 27 and will be delivered March 17, 2011. Not receiving my order after March 17, I emailed Alibris but was asked to wait until 30 days after the shipment date (being March 29) afterwhich if not received they will fully refund me. I have email correspondences to this effect. I have emailed Alibris on March 29 and 30, notifying them I have not received my book order but so far their CS prefer not to respond. I earlier requested for their phone number, but none was given me. Now I am confused, sad and disappointed. If I know the appropriate Govt. Authority to complain to, I will hastily refer my complaint.

My story: I wanted to order as many hardcover copies of Hermann Hesse's works as I could find, and Alibris offered many. I ordered about twenty or so. One, in particular, Narcissus and Goldmund, was listed as, "Hardcover: New, New, Great Conditon." I paid $37.00 for that one book, plus a shipping charge of $3.99. What I received was a yellowed, worn paperback copy from the sixties--something one might find at a garage sale. Alibris and I traded numerous emails because I discoverd that there was no way to contact them by phone, and they refused to call me, though I requested a call back, leaving my phone number with, at least, two people in my emails. I was shocked to find that they did not even have a record of the sale! They told me to go to Google and find it myself. When I could not find it, someone at Alibris, finally, sent me a copy, but all it said was Alibris and the name of the book. No details--just the title of the book along with Alibiris, Alibris, Alibris repeated over twenty times: no book seller's name, no price for the book, and no shipping charge. Please know that if you need to return a book, for whatever reason, you, the customer, pay for shipping--which I did. When I complained that I should not pay for returning a book to a bookseller that was, obviously, a scam, at first, they stated that was there policy. After a few more emails, I was told that they would pay for the return shipping. Needless to say, they never did. I returned the worn paperback copy of Narcissus and Goldmund to a bookseller in New York City that offered only a PO Box and no phone number or email address on its "receipt." I even offered to accept the hardcover edition that was described on the Alibris site from that same bookseller because one of the emails Alibiris sent to me stated that "even a bookseller makes a mistake" now and then. I discovered that this was no mistake. The so-called "bookseller" never contacted me, even though I sent a letter with the book when I returned it stating that this transaction might be a "mistake, " and they could send me that hardcover edition that it lists on Alibris. I wanted to return other books because they were in paperback or not in the condition described on Alibris, I even was sent a dust jacket with no book, but paid for the book. Only yesterday my credit card company finalized the the payback. Caveat Emptor!!!

I going to said the same of the other.Please be careful when placing order with alibris. They are extremely slow in shipping and sometimes they claim that they have shipped, but the item will never arrive. The only offer a refund after 1 month of waiting and not receiving the item. Not to mention, they immediately charge your credit...

Please be careful when placing order with alibris. They are extremely slow in shipping and sometimes they claim that they have shipped, but the item will never arrive. The only offer a refund after 1 month of waiting and not receiving the item. Not to mention, they immediately charge your credit card even before shipping it.

I strongly doubt their practices and I would recommend everyone to shop somewhere else.