/lit/ - Literature

>>12343472
they're only good for the "free" shipping to be honest

>>12343472
Who told you they were cheaper? Their entire business model is actually based on offering expensive books just so they can boast about their free international shipping.

They were purchased by Amazon and currently exist primarily as one of several sources for people to buy books online while thinking "At least I'm not buying on Amazon!"

>>12343472
they are cheaper if you are outside the us

>>12343472
They're owned by Amazon you goofball

>>12343570
no theyre not

>>12343589
rus anon here, can confirm that a lot of the time they are. shipping from us amazon goes as high as the price of the books themselves, and sometimes even higher. if i don't want a uk edition, it's cheaper to get the book on bookdepository, but heh one problem they don't ship to this shithole

I ordered from thriftbooks last week because someone mentioned it on here. Prices were good but I'm still waiting on the books.

I feel like a shill for it but alibris is the best and cheapest if you buy new books in the states in my experience. Like significantly cheaper than amazon

>>12343688
I order a lot from Abe Books, which is often really cheap but has the slowest shipping around.

>>12343472
If you are in places like east europe and such there really is no cheaper alternative. I would have to pay 15-20 dollars for shipping from US and even eu laws and laws in this country is so fucked that it is often at least 10 euros for shipping so buying from book depository is cheaper because it eliminates those prices. I can buy the book in new condition or used one with marking that costs 5 dollars but shipping is 15 and end up beyond the same price.

>>12343571
What's the point of this subsidiary?

>>12343810
eliminating a competitor

>>12343472
where should I buy books if I'm in aus?

what do you guys think of ThriftBooks

>>12343472
When you live in distant locations (like in the Middle East) they tend to be cheaper

>>12343589
slovak anon, also can confirm it's also cheaper in this shithole

>>12343472
I live in Poland. They have a lot of books that aren't available here and many books that are much cheaper (sometimes over 30% cheaper) than what we have here. Of course I'm talking about mostly "specialist" books, classical literature is still cheaper in local bookstores.

>>12344499
>>12344493
>>12344462
>>12343651
>>12343570
The conclusion is that they are better for shithole countries

>>12344438
Just opened a book from them in the mail. This one came alone from a separate warehouse. They ship their books in just a plastic cover if that bothers you.

Book was fine. Like new condition as described. Clean and just the tiniest bend at one corner of the front cover.

>>12343472
Cheaper than any retailer in New Zealand.

>>12343472
For us Australians, they are much cheaper. Plus free postage is a blessing. Most other sites charge like $20 just to ship a book here.

>>12345388
This, postage from AmaZOG is like 10 or 20 dollars if you're shipping to Australia

>>12343487
>>12343487
What about betterworldbooks?

>>12345388
Booktopia seems to do postage for 6$ every time even if they have to import it.

>>12343845
abebooks and book depository desu sucks here man

>>12347156
ok but where should I buy them then?

>>12346972
Booktopia hasnt got the best prices though

>>12347170
Ebay

>>12344504
This. I live in a shithole country and I can confirm this. This is the only option for my country. Ships are awfully expensive to my country and they're no local bookstores for English books. There're no other websites that offer free shipping.
I don't know why anyone in a rich country like USA would buy from it.

>>12343570
Argentine living in Japan here, no, they aren't. Actually it's cheaper to drop by a bookstore in Buenos Aires and buy an imported book than to order one from that website.

>>12348252
They sell below RRP in the UK. Now they're part of Amazon it's not as cheap as it was and basically just extends free shipping beyond the US, when most countries that is how Amazon rapes them. But they used be even cheaper than they are now because they used dependencies to stock and ship the products from places like the Isle of Man, and used a charity loophole to further evade tax. It's hubs are located for tax purposes still I think, but considering its originally very British tax dodge set up, I wouldn't be surprised if Argentina's prices were artificially inflated above other domains. I know anons have used proxies to get cheaper rates in other countries' prices, but whether that's currency arbitrage or BD policy, I don't know.
>TL;DR- are you sure they're not just subsidising the Falklands with your antipodean pesos?

>>12348277
Shit meant >>12348385 for (you) not >>12348252

>>12343472
You should be using thriftbooks. No more than $5 for most books you ever need. I even cross compared prices and thrift usually has them cheaper.

Alibris is the best for used books.

Cheapest and many sellers have reduced shipping if you order 2+ books.
Deliveries can take some time, though.

>>12345388
Aus anon here too, I buy from them all the time.