Store legitimacy is a big concern of online shoppers nowadays. There are fake online bookstores here and there which is one of the major risks in buying online. Online scammers are constantly coming up with ways to trick even the most competent browsers. It is really a struggle to find a legit online bookstore that will allow you to shop safely and have a quality book.
Book Depository is one legit bookstore that you can find online that can be trusted when purchasing a book. It is a UK-based online bookseller owned by Amazon. The Book Depository is available in more than 160 countries and usually offers free shipping.
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Are books from Book Depository legit?
Yes, Book Depository sells legit books. They offer over 20 million books with free delivery worldwide. You can visit their website to check for the book you are looking for. They put a category to find the book you are looking for easily. Books are categorized according to the “Best” in each category like LGBTQIA, best books ever, best romance books, best history books, classic fantasy books, best autobiographies, best cookbooks ever, and many more.
They sell legit books like Harry Potter, Roald Dahl, Minecraft, LEGO, Man Booker Prize winners, Books on screen, and many more. They do not sell second-hand books but only new and legit books.
Is the Book Depository owned by Amazon?
In 2004, Andrew Crawford, a former Amazon employee, founded Book Depository International Ltd. He aimed to make all books available to everyone by giving better access to books at very affordable prices. In 2011, the UK-based bookseller giant was acquired by Amazon. Since then, Book Depository has become the biggest bookseller on Amazon Marketplace. Despite being acquired by Amazon, the Book Depository continues to operate independently from Amazon.
Why are books on Book Depository so cheap?
Publishing a book is not that easy because books also cost money like any other product. Certainly, there are costs associated with a book. From its writers, publishers, the paper used to the printing we can tell that books really cost money. So, how come that the Books Depository sells books at a lower price?
Books at Book Depository are not cheap because they sell brand-new authentic books. However, they offer books cheaper than their competitors. Since Book Depository is owned by Amazon, they have the financial capacity to buy in bulk at extremely low costs. Hence, they can offer their books cheaper than their competitors in the market. They can even offer lower prices for larger sales volume.
How legit is a Book Depository?
Online scams and frauds are the biggest threat for online sellers and buyers alike. So, it is crucial to know which stores are legit and reliable. There are several ways to spot legit stores:
- Check the URL and read whether you landed at the correct store. Check the spelling of the URL or better yet, type the URL yourself.
- Check the security information of the site by clicking the padlock icon on your address bar. Legit sites usually appear to have a valid certificate.
- Check the Better Business Bureau website to find out if there have been complaints filed against the online shop you are trying to shop with.
- Read customer reviews from several review websites like TrustPilot, SiteJabber, etc.
- Check if the store has a Trust Seal. The legit store usually has a badge indicator that you can safely enter your personal information like credit card information, address, telephone number, etc.
These are only a few of the steps that you can take to spot legit stores from scammy ones. Know the red flags and if you suspect fraudulent activities happening on that site, take responsibility to report to the authorities like the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center or Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency.
Book Depository Reviews
One great way to know if a store is legit or not is the review websites. These are the actual reviews and ratings from the customer who experience doing business with the store. Let’s take a look at the reviews for Book Depository.
Book Depository Reviews – Reddit
91% upvoted for the question, how legit is Book Depository? Although several comments said that shipping sometimes takes a little longer, they don’t discount the fact that the transaction was smooth, and the books are legit.
Book Depository Reviews – Trustpilot
The store got a 3.9 rating from TrustPilot with 12,125 reviews.59% agreed that it was excellent, 11% said it was great, and only 21% had a bad experience with the site. Most of the complaints are about late shipment or books not arriving at all.
Book Depository Reviews- Site jabber
Book Depository got a low score at SiteJabber with 140 reviews the store only got 1.97 stars which signifies that most of its customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases. Common complaints are about poor customer service, tracking number problems, and shipping issues.
