The Book Depository OR The love-hate Relationship

My dearest friends,

If you are, like me, huge fans of books and reading is most definitely your favorite past time, than you may have heard about The Book Depository before. In case you haven't, you need not fear! I am here to enlighten you and give you the possibility of growing a love-hate relationship with this book seller. The Book Depository is a really cheap, but unfortunately very slow... way to fill up your bookshelves with the latest novels and at the same time with unique pieces that you don't usually find on an online shop. It's snail like movement and the uncertainty of the true moment when you will get your hands on your precious book, provide the "hate" part of the relationship. The numbers of items in the bookstore and their availability and the low prices, not to mention the best or all - the FREE TRANSPORT in selected countries, makes up for the "love" part of the relationship I have with Book Depository. 

My Instagram Picture From The Day I Received My First Order

I first heard about it about 1-2 years back, when I won a package of books from a fellow blogger. They were sent through The Book Depository and all came in perfect shape. I do not remember the timing, though, to be honest... I had quite a few books to keep me occupied! The first order I made thought The Book Depository was at the very beginning of the year, when I bought myself a book about the fascinating series on Mr. Selfridge. It was the first order and the first thorn in the side. In the order I placed was this item + another book that I really wanted to read, the Travelling to Infinity: The True Story Behind The Theory of Everything told by his amazing first wife, Jane Hawking - that's right, that would be the book the movie The Theory of Everything was based on ;) 

It is clearly stipulated, when you will make the order, that the books may come at different times, in different packages, due to the fact that the books are always send by different book providers - The Book Depository is a intermediar. It is also noted down that the order may take a while to reach you - between  2 and 10 working days! For me, it never found its way though to me in less than 10 days but I have read about cases in which they did make it in 2! But to their defence, the 2 days was always reached in UK, where the main centre is located. Alas I do not live in London, to be closer... My first order was completely messed up... I waited the 10 working days and then contacted them via email saying the books were not here. 

 ***

They checked and saw the packages arrived safely to Poland but they could not give me a tracking number. I checked with the Postal Office in Kraków and nothing had came in my name.  Contacted Book Depository again and they redone the order and send another set again. In the meanwhile... the Mr. Selfridge book appeared! So I told them they should cancel one book from the second order, as it came in... they replied there were no more The Theory of Everything books so they would refund me the money. The money came back in a jiffy and I thought that all was settled out, though I was sad about the loss of time and they book that did not come... 

***

Fast forward a couple of weeks - PPOOOF!  Miraculously the Post office brings us a pack from The Book Depository. I open it and... the 2nd, identical, exemplary of the Mr. Selfridge book ;))) skipping my amazement I get in contact, via online chat, to tell them my story and ask how to give it back... surprise! The support offers me the 2nd exemplar as a gift and promises to send me, no costs attached, a copy of The Theory of Everything, due to all the problem caused... now how do you respond to that?!! YES, PLEASE :)

***

In the meanwhile I did another order on two J. K. Rowling books, as addition to my Harry Potter related bookshelf - if anyone asks, I am doing this in order to create, in advance, a library for the kids :)  The order came in 10 days and books were fine. That gave me the courage to place even the 3rd order, on 3 Jane Austen related comic books... let's see how that goes, right? With the Book Depository I always feel like I am somehow gambling... or I may say that the Book Depository is like a box of chocolates... you never know what you'll get! :) 

P.S. I must admit to two more things:

1) I just love their site options: you can create an account and create your own wishlists, as many as you wish, and then share it with other people. If any of the books in the wishlist ever have a price-drop, you will be contacted via email and then you can just click on the link given in the email and shop-shop-shop until you drop :) Also, you can watch live what other people, around the world, are shopping for in the site, and maybe get ideas on the next book you will buy... Not to mention that on quite an often base, they have sell-outs and the prices can drop up to 50% - MADNESS!!!

2) I absolutely adore the bookmarks that are sent, once in a while, with the orders! They are free and designed by users of The Book Depository. Once I even got one designed by a lady in Romania :) Here are the winners of the Book Depository Bookmarks Contest 2014.

Have you ever ordered though the Book Depository? How was your experience? Will you share it with us? I would love to see if you have a love-haterelationship as well ;)) is it so addictive to you that you also come back, just to check the offers ans mark items on your wishlist?

Yours truly, 

The Twisted Red LadyBug that holds love-hate relationship with the Book Depository