Upfront Summary: Is ThriftBooks Legit & Worth It?
Thriftbooks is entirely legit. It is the world’s largest online independent used bookseller. The company claims all the books in their inventory are hand-graded, and their books are available in various formats and conditions for their customers. Although it has a couple of negative reviews online, ThriftBooks is still one of the best online e-commerce websites for books, and the platform definitely deserves your time and attention.
You can find a wide variety of books, including those that are out of print, on ThriftBooks. They pride themselves in their wide assortment of quality, used, and accurately graded books provided to their customers at everyday low prices. Since its inception, ThriftBooks has sold over 210 million used and new books to customers worldwide, and its customers keep coming back for more.
While the naysayers will try to convince you that this website is a scam, it is a genuine and excellent place to shop for your favorite books. With every page click on their website, you will find more and more treasures to order.
Table of Contents
- ThriftBooks Company Information
- What Is ThriftBooks?
- Is ThriftBooks legal and safe, or is it a scam?
- Is ThriftBooks reliable and trustworthy?
- ThriftBooks Shipping Information
- Does ThriftBooks have good customer service?
- Canceling orders with ThriftBooks
- Does ThriftBooks have discounts or promo codes?
- Does ThriftBooks have a return policy?
- ThriftBooks Payment Methods
- Pros and Cons of ThriftBooks
- Careers with ThriftBooks
- Best Alternatives to ThriftBooks
- Additional FAQs
ThriftBooks Company Information
| Official Website: | https://www.thriftbooks.com/ |
| Founded: | 2003 |
| Owner: | Daryl Butcher, Jason Meyer |
| Location: | Tukwila, Washington, United States |
| Customer Service Contact: | (888) 979-1408, support@thriftbooks.com |
| Social Media: | Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest |
What Is ThriftBooks?
ThriftBooks is a large-scale e-commerce site that primarily sells used books. However, they also sell collectible books, DVDs for movies and TV series, music CDs and tapes, and video games on various platforms. Their array of titles is fantastic, especially for older books that are hard to find. The company enjoys positive ratings across different review sites, including a 4.8/5 star rating on TrustPilot from 1,093,350 reviews.
ThriftBooks’ founders sold books on their own via other websites until 2003, when they decided to start their own bookstore by creating the ThriftBooks website and finding ways to help distribute books to readers at an affordable cost price. Today, ThriftBooks has over 13 million available Titles, with books going for as low as $3.
Is ThriftBooks legal and safe, or a scam?
ThriftBooks is legal, safe, and most definitely not a scam. Their shipping is quick, prices are affordable, and they have an excellent book selection. Many reviews affirm how great a company they are and how great their experience was with purchasing books. It is one of the best websites, and once you join the train, you will definitely get addicted, as there are so many interesting books to get lost in on the platform. While some people have had problems and claim they are a scam, these instances seem few and far between.
Is ThriftBooks reliable and trustworthy?
ThriftBooks is reliable and trustworthy. Reviews across many of the business review sites confirm their reliability and trustworthiness. Many aspects of their business continue to stay above board. There are very few e-commerce websites that are as good as ThriftBooks. Very few websites provide such great products for such a great price. And when things don’t go quite right, they do well with the customer and make it work for them.
ThriftBooks Shipping Information
Shipping with ThriftBooks is one of the best parts of their service. It is straightforward and almost always ahead of time unless the postal service has delays.
Average Shipping Time
For standard shipping, their timeframes are eight to twelve business days for new items and five to twelve business days for used items. However, if you pay for expedited shipping, you can get your orders in one to six business days; they rarely go past these timetables.
Cost of Shipping
The shipping cost for ThriftBooks runs from free to $11.99 per order. Shipping cost is based on standard shipping to expedited shipping rates. FREE Standard shipping is available on all U.S. orders of $15 or more (excluding taxes). International shipping depends on the country and doesn’t fit their standard shipping protocols.
How to Track Your Order
You can track your orders through your account page under the ‘history tab.’ They claim their tracking tab is 100% reliable and that customer service will make things right if any problems arise.
What Countries does ThriftBooks Ship
ThriftBooks ships used books internationally; unfortunately, new items cannot be shipped out of the US. Also, international shipping is unavailable to APO/FPO/DPO addresses outside the U.S.
Does ThriftBooks have good customer service?
For the most part, everyone says they do. Whether you have an issue with an order or problems with their website, people tend to share that customer service could resolve their problems. Now, that isn’t to say that some people haven’t had poor experiences with their customer service. Still, most reviews in this area are very positive.
You can call their customer service line or email support. They will reach out to you and answer any questions or resolve any issues you may have. Very rarely do you find positive customer service reviews for an e-commerce website like you would find on ThriftBooks; impressive, isn’t it?
Canceling orders with ThriftBooks
Canceling orders with ThriftBooks is relatively easy. You can go to your account and your orders, and if your book hasn’t shipped yet, you can request a cancellation. If it has shipped, you cannot cancel your order. Nevertheless, it is pretty easy to do on their website.
Does ThriftBooks have discounts or promo codes?
ThriftBooks has a Reading Rewards program where you can get a free book after ordering many books. For every 500 points you earn, you will be rewarded with a free book! From time to time, they also have special offers for the rewards program or sales on books. However, they don’t have a lot of promotional discounts or coupons.
Does ThriftBooks have a return policy?
If you receive a damaged or incorrect item, you must contact ThriftBooks at https://www.thriftbooks.com/contact/ within 30 days. The customer service team will often correct the situation without needing to return the item. However, if a return is required, ThriftBooks will provide you with a pre-paid return label at no cost to you. You will be credited within 48 hours after ThriftBooks receives the returned item. Refunds typically take 2-5 business days to process (depending on your bank).
ThriftBooks Payment Methods
ThriftBooks accepts many payment options, including Visa, Discover, JCB, MasterCard, Maestro, Diner’s Club, PayPal, American Express, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. However, they do not accept personal checks, money orders, Venmo, Bitcoin, or Purchase Orders.
Pros and Cons of ThriftBooks
There are some pros and cons to ThriftBooks.
Pros
- Affordable books
- Reading Rewards program
- Over 13 Million Titles are available
- Free Shipping for all U.S. orders of $15 or more
- You can find books that are no longer in print on the website
- Shipping is inexpensive and quick
Cons
- Books can sometimes be in rough condition
- They don’t ship to all countries around the world
Careers with ThriftBooks
Asides from being a great place for shopping for used and new books, ThriftBooks is also an excellent place to work as an employee. The company is said to have a friendly work environment. Employees at Thriftbooks have reported receiving various entitlements and benefits, including health and dental insurance, bonus pay, flexible schedule, quarterly and yearly bonuses, paid time off, and life insurance, among others.
Is Thriftbooks a good company to work for?
People love working for ThriftBooks. After reviewing the job sites, it appears that people there love to work there. However, one common complaint is that management isn’t always the best.
Is it easy to get a job with Thriftbooks?
Warehousing is an easy place to get a job. Being part of their corporate business is more difficult since they are still a small company. However, working your way up in the warehouse is possible, but not into the corporate part of the business.
Best Alternatives to ThriftBooks
While ThriftBooks is an excellent choice, you may also want to check out other similar sites that are as good as ThriftBooks.
- Book Depository
- Abebooks
- Fishpond
- Christianbook
- Amazon
- Walmart
- Barnes & Nobles
Additional FAQs
How does ThriftBooks get their books?
They buy their books in bulk from thrift stores such as the Salvation Army, Goodwill, and others. They remove any books that are in poor condition to try and eliminate quality issues. Then, the books are taken to warehouses, where they are sorted out and processed for sale.
Does Amazon own ThriftBooks?
Amazon does not own them. However, they got their start selling books on Amazon and eBay. Since they have grown as a company, they still offer books through Amazon but do most of their business online.
Can ThriftBooks be trusted?
ThriftBooks has many great reviews and a lot of happy customers. Their customer service is exceptional, prices are affordable, and inventory is extensive. They are a trusted retailer of books, movies, and more.