Check out our latest communities fighting
AI scams on Reddit and Facebook

SmartCustomer Website Reviews and Complaints
business logo of Alibris

Alibris

4.7

On SmartCustomer, businesses may not offer incentives or pay to remove reviews. Learn more about our Review Guidelines.

From the business

We love browsing books, drinking coffee, and talking with people who love good stories.


alibris.com
Founded in 1998
Berkeley, CA, United States
How would you rate Alibris?
grey stargrey stargrey stargrey stargrey star

Alibris Reviews Summary

Alibris enjoys a generally positive reputation among customers, particularly for its wide selection of used books at competitive prices and reliable shipping. Many customers appreciate the timely delivery and the ability to track orders, contributing to overall satisfaction. However, concerns arise regarding the variability in book conditions, with some items not meeting expectations, and delays in shipping for urgent needs. Additionally, the separate shipping fees for each book can deter purchases. Despite these issues, the platform remains a favored choice for many due to its extensive inventory and user-friendly website.

This summary is generated by AI, based on text from customer reviews

service
1,032
value
12,670
shipping
12,660
quality
12,654
This company responds to reviews on average within 1 day

We monitor reviews for authenticity

California
1 review
0 helpful votes
Follow JOANNE R.
Unfollow JOANNE R.
Share Review
Report Review

Problems logging into my account
April 27, 2026

Problems logging into my account. There's no option to see my password as I type it in on my phone. So every time I make a mistake, my only option is to redo my password. It's a big pain.

Date of experience: April 16, 2026
California
2 reviews
0 helpful votes
Follow Kathryn D.
Unfollow Kathryn D.
Share Review
Report Review

I like Alibris a LOT
April 27, 2026
Updated review

I like Alibris a LOT. However, i generally choose one place to purchase things, if possible. In order to reduce shipping. I cut my order by more than half today because the shipping costs were so high on the seven or so books i was going to order.

Date of experience: April 16, 2026

I've used Alibris for years
January 7, 2026
Previous review

I've used Alibris for years. Always pleased. You have what i want at great prices.

Date of experience: December 27, 2025
New York
1 review
0 helpful votes
Follow Jeffrey G.
Unfollow Jeffrey G.
Share Review
Report Review

Easy to use website
April 27, 2026

Easy to use website. Searched by author and found several choices. The book rating and location of seller was helpful as could order several books from same store.

Date of experience: April 16, 2026
Missouri
1 review
0 helpful votes
Follow Carol N.
Unfollow Carol N.
Share Review
Report Review

First time customer
April 26, 2026

The only thing I didn't like was the cost of mailing but that wasn't their fault- cost.if shipping/mailing has gone up.

Date of experience: April 16, 2026
Illinois
1 review
0 helpful votes
Follow Robert M.
Unfollow Robert M.
Share Review
Report Review

Quick and easy transaction; no hesitation ordering from in the future.

Date of experience: April 16, 2026
Canada
1 review
0 helpful votes
Follow Shawneen D.
Unfollow Shawneen D.
Share Review
Report Review

First time customer
April 26, 2026
Updated review

My order was shipped out right away.
The condition of the used book was as described.
It took a little longer get to me but the delay was at my end here in northern Ontario, Canada.
Snow, ice, rain, snow, wind, and, yes, more snow.

Date of experience: April 16, 2026

Browsing and searching for books was easy
March 24, 2026
Previous review

Browsing and searching for books was easy. And the checkout page is clean ie not too busy or confusing.

Date of experience: March 14, 2026
Wisconsin
1 review
0 helpful votes
Follow cameron H.
Unfollow cameron H.
Share Review
Report Review

What happened to the 15.95 one?
April 26, 2026

What happened to the 15.95 one? Nice web site easy to navigate.

Date of experience: April 16, 2026
New York
1 review
0 helpful votes
Follow Lisa R.
Unfollow Lisa R.
Share Review
Report Review

Alibis is reliable and has a good selection
April 26, 2026
Updated review

Alibis is reliable and has a good selection.
I often shop for books here.

Date of experience: April 16, 2026

Found a hard to find book
July 23, 2025
Previous review

I was delighted to find the hard to find largely unavailable book.
It arrived swiftly and in very good condition.

Date of experience: July 13, 2025
1 review
0 helpful votes
Follow Kristine E.
Unfollow Kristine E.
Share Review
Report Review

Positive experience with Alibris
April 26, 2026

Successfully found and ordered the book I wanted. Received the correct book in a timely fashion.

Date of experience: April 16, 2026
Wisconsin
1 review
0 helpful votes
Follow Barbara S.
Unfollow Barbara S.
Share Review
Report Review

I compared the price and condition of the book I wanted to get from Alibris with 2 other online used/new books websites and found the best price at Alibris.

Date of experience: April 16, 2026

Great variety of cookbooks!
April 18, 2026
Previous review

Great variety of cookbooks! I got 2 of the cookbooks I wanted to get at this time.

Date of experience: April 7, 2026
Australia
1 review
0 helpful votes
Follow john b.
Unfollow john b.
Share Review
Report Review

Excellent, quick
April 26, 2026

Excellent, quick. And no code to submit. Cant shop at amazon without code. When code is entered it tells me code is incorrect.

Date of experience: April 16, 2026
New York
1 review
0 helpful votes
Follow David M.
Unfollow David M.
Share Review
Report Review

Easy Ordering
April 26, 2026
Updated review

Easy Ordering. Great Pricing. Fast shipping. Excellent Communication

Date of experience: April 15, 2026

Great Selection
April 18, 2026
Previous review

Great Selection. Good prices. Easy Checkout. Free shipping for Alibris selections.

Date of experience: April 7, 2026
Pennsylvania
1 review
0 helpful votes
Follow Eric-Charles D.
Unfollow Eric-Charles D.
Share Review
Report Review

So far it is better than the last one I ordered from Abebooks. They screwed me over on this very same book. They DID NOT SEND the correct book but a completely different one than this one. How does anyone screw up that badly except it is intentionally done? I VERY MUCH like that you send the emails that you do. Abebooks does not have that kind of care. As a matter of fact, they've ignored ALL of my emails and still have not returned the funds as I did not order, "KILLER CHURCH," but, "SUING FOR PEACE." And, I am ashamed to say that I have lost a lot of peace with this as they have angered me a great deal.

Date of experience: April 15, 2026
Michigan
1 review
0 helpful votes
Follow Alexandra K.
Unfollow Alexandra K.
Share Review
Report Review

Good quality second hand books at good prices. Easy to find what you're looking for as well. I was surprised by their selection.

Date of experience: April 15, 2026
South Carolina
1 review
0 helpful votes
Follow Suzanne H.
Unfollow Suzanne H.
Share Review
Report Review

Multiple vendors result in excessive shipping cost...
April 26, 2026
Updated review

Multiple vendors result in excessive shipping cost when ordering multiple items.

Date of experience: April 15, 2026

Nothing remarkable happened...
March 7, 2026
Previous review

Nothing remarkable happened...

Date of experience: February 25, 2026
Pennsylvania
1 review
0 helpful votes
Follow Marilyn D.
Unfollow Marilyn D.
Share Review
Report Review

Your return policy requires me to spend more money...
April 26, 2026
Updated review

Your return policy requires me to spend more money to return books damaged by poor packaging. It would be understandable if I did not simply like a book but not for a damaged book. The customer service response simply sent a pre-written message without addressing the shipping issue responsible for the damage.

Date of experience: April 15, 2026

When I get a damaged book, I don't appreciate having...
February 28, 2026
Previous review

When I get a damaged book, I don't appreciate having to pay to ship it back. It makes me more cautious when ordering.

Date of experience: February 17, 2026
New York
1 review
0 helpful votes
Follow Susan O.
Unfollow Susan O.
Share Review
Report Review

I would like to figure out more easily how to choose expidited shipping. I am leaving on a trip I will need this book for, but couldn't see how to prioritize expidited shipping. (I saw the truck logo in your answer re expedited shipping, but not in listings.). I finally went with a vendor closest to me, hoping that would work.

Date of experience: April 15, 2026
1 review
0 helpful votes
Follow g.d. k.
Unfollow g.d. k.
Share Review
Report Review

Took two weeks to arrive.
April 26, 2026
Updated review

My order was sent evidently to an affiliate in Illinois (I had originally chosen one in Maryland, as that location is closer to
My address in Rockland county New York) and it was apparently mailed out to me in the slowest least efficient means possible.

Date of experience: April 15, 2026

Clear, quick, accurate
April 5, 2026
Previous review

Clear, quick, accurate. I think that about covers it. Good service indeed.

Date of experience: March 25, 2026
Illinois
1 review
0 helpful votes
Follow Tirsa M.
Unfollow Tirsa M.
Share Review
Report Review

I've been a customer for many years. My shopping experience has always been easy, fast, and excellent service.

Date of experience: April 15, 2026
Wisconsin
2 reviews
0 helpful votes
Follow Marcia C.
Unfollow Marcia C.
Share Review
Report Review

Alibris almost always has the book I am looking for,...
April 25, 2026
Updated review

Alibris almost always has the book I am looking for, and I look for some rather esoteric books. Alibris is the first place I go to when looking for a book.

Date of experience: April 15, 2026

Alibris is the only bookstore that carries books in...
January 3, 2026
Previous review

Alibris is the only bookstore that carries books in my eclectic taste in the languages I use. I know of nowhere else that I can find books in Greek and Hebrew and German in nontraditional subjects. I found what I wanted in short order today, at excellent prices.

Date of experience: December 23, 2025