Alternative To Amazon?

Barnes & Noble & Strand Bookstore. I sometimes pre-order new books from them and I always receive them in immaculate condition.

CANADA?!! Can you imagine?

I've been buying things on eBay.

No more Amazon for me.

I read via Kindle, no problems.

Barnes and Noble for new, Alibris for used.

I go to ThriftBooks. Always get them within a week in good condition.

NO R2! Never in all my life!

I've never had a problem with Amazon with books.

I always buy brand new and in hardcover (if available). I've never once had any of those issues.

I really don't have problems with Amazon, including fresh food deliveries from Amazon Fresh. OTOH, back when I purchased lots of things on Ebay, I constantly had problems that I have to blame on Canadian Customs.

R9 Hardcover books are fine, the paperback ones often arrive damaged.

Check to see if you have a local brick & mortar bookstore; they need the sales to stay in business.

I go to a book store

R12 I do but they don't have the books I want. I tried 5 minutes ago to order some books on Barnes & Noble but they don't ship to Canada.

I'm stuck with Amazon I guess. There are many people online who complain about damaged books from Amazon.

bookshop.org is great, plus they donate to local bookshops

OP, with the damaged books, is each vendor [italic]only[/italic] Amazon itself, or is each vendor a third-party who is selling through Amazon? When I've received damaged goods or wrong items from an Amazon transaction, it has always involved a third-party vendor selling through Amazon, never Amazon itself.

R16 All the books are from Amazon, not a third-party vendor.

Did you get a refund or replacement?

It happens to me too, OP.

I don't buy new books. I buy used books from a 3rd party on Amazon, and I have no problems. Why pay $25 when you can pay $5?

Try going to the public library. Their books are free!

Powells.com, independent bookseller. Don't know about their Canada rates though.

For used books, I have been pleased with biblio.com and alibris.com. usedbooksearch.co.uk is also useful.

I’m in New York but usually order new books from Blackwell’s in the UK. The cost includes shipping and my books arrive within 7-10 days.

I also order from:

Thriftbooks

Better World Books

Alibris

AbeBooks

I second Alibris.com and Abebooks.com.

Also:

Bookfinder.com

Biblio.com

Professional used and antiquarian booksellers are meticulous about stating condition and defects (95%, I would say.). It's only amateur sellers who are less attentive or scrupulous.)

Buy from a book seller and you can trust that any defects have not been ignored or understated.

Most of the books I buy are out of print so I buy most everything secondhand. The price difference is worth some online comparison, but watch the shipping costs and read the condition.

You can buy books on ebay, too. I get a lot of used books there

R18 Yes, I do.

Just about any local bookstore should be able to get most of what you get on Amazon. It may be a few dollars more, but they'll be in great condition, vs. being tossed around in a giant warehouse.

I try to avoid Amazon and B&N online for those reasons.