Wanderer Ward
12 years ago
Wanderer Ward
Mage
I was quite unhappy when I heard the news....
I'm rather worried about what will happen.
Well that's put me right off. Why does big business have to go and ruin everything? I think I'll toddle off to Gleebooks tomorrow ... support the independents!
...Uh oh. I'll join you in having a bad feeling about this. :-/
I don't really buy online, so I have little personal experience with Book Depository; I know a lot of people who use it regularly, though, so I feel for them. I also just generally dislike the possibilities this represents. Who wants to bet Amazon will get rid of that free shipping as soon as it can?
There isn't actually free shipping on BD; they just adjust the price based on where your IP address or server (whatever - i'm not internet literate) is based. Try using a proxy server based OS and you'll get a different price. But still, the price of books is going to go up on BD ...
I've gone back to books and mortar bookshops. The relocation of Galaxy in Sydney was an eye-opener. Their new space is drastically reduced in size, and it's impossible to squeeze past someone when you're in the aisles. But this is the reality when there's a downturn in book sales: bookshops can't offer the service that they would like to offer.
Wasn't there an iconic Melbourne bookshop that closed this week?
Ugh, this whole industry is just falling apart it seems. It's downright depressing
Wanderer Ward
12 years ago
Wanderer Ward
Mage
Nef - Reader's Feast has/is closing, is that the one you were thinking of?
Ugh... I just spent my weekend going through town and seeing all my local bookstores closing down, now this? I agree, it really gives a bad feeling.
Wanderer Ward
12 years ago
Wanderer Ward
Dreamscape Artist
Has anyone used Book Depository since Amazon bought it? Has it gone downhill? I'm considering buying some things because I've moved home for the summer and the range of bookshops where I live isn't very wide.
I have bought many things. Nothing has changed. Absolutely nothing.
i've noticed a slight price creep - given the strong aussie dollar, the prices should be cheaper at the moment than they actually are. That they aren't going down is quite telling.
I'm just not enamoured of the site anymore (also, over the past year, even before the takeover, the shipping times have gone up - it now takes 3+ weeks to get a book. I'm just not prepared to wait that long).
I didn't notice much change, except as Nef said the time to receive purchases is waaaaay longer than it used to be. It's also quite inconsistent, a friend and I both bought a book each in the same order not that long ago; we live only a couple of streets apart and I got my copy a good week and a half after she did. I don't know whether it's got anything to do with the change, but it's still a little more iffy than usual.
12 years ago
Wed Dec 07 2011, 04:12pm
I've ordered two books since the announcement and they both came in less than a week so I think it's been just the way it always has been
Wanderer Ward
12 years ago
Wanderer Ward
Dreamscape Artist
Thanks everyone :) I've ended up ordering seven volumes of manga - I hope they don't take three weeks to get here!
Cat, I'll definitely check out booko next time I'm internet shopping :)
It has been taking quite a while but I guess that I just assumed that it would take as long as it did because I was ordering it from the other side of the world. I'm happy enough if I get my book eventually, I guess.
That's what I thought too. I just think with anything online that's not local there is guaranteed to be a bit of a wait. The good thing is that there isn't much noticeable change and it's still a great place to buy books. :)
