ThriftBooks: New & Used Books Reviews

by D_C1024

I used to love this website & app. I’ve purchased countless books for myself and my 3 year old daughter. However, after the most recent purchase, I’ve decided I would never order again. They clearly don’t check quality or even look at the book for that matter. I ordered a holiday book for my little one, and it was supposedly in “good” condition. When my order arrived, that particular book was not in good condition at all, but I didn’t mind; I know I’m ordering used. The issue that changed my mind completely was when I flipped through the book and found a dirty, used bandaid inside the back cover! Had I not checked beforehand my 3 year old could have gotten ahold of a strangers old bandaid, complete with dried blood and all. I reached out to the company, horrified, and I got some generic response about how they were sorry I wasn’t satisfied and I would get my money back. They didn’t even address the issue of the disgusting used bandaid and have since sent emails asking me to rate them. Thanks for the reminder this app! Here’s the rating, and I hope no one else gets something as disgusting with your zero quality, non-checked books that are being sent out! RETHINK BEFORE YOU PLACE AN ORDER!

by Apollo Jones

*NOTE* My review is not of this app, but of the this app APP. ThriftBooks is trash, but this app as a whole is great, and worth checking out online if you’re new to them.

I love this app, and while they’re not always the best price for certain books, I’ve never had a problem with the quality of books I’ve received, and the prices are often far better than anywhere else online. They’re decent books for good prices. You can choose the quality of book for a variant of prices, add books to a wishlist and opt for notifications when the books you’d like are available.

However, their app is trash.

While ThriftBooks was severely buggy before, now it won’t even load. It times out and crashes before I even get the option to log in. I don’t want to have to go onto the internet, load up their website, and re-log in every time I want to glance at my wishlist and tell my friends. It’s not worth the time, and the mobile website is frustrating to navigate. I talk about books A LOT, and ThriftBooks used to be so convenient. Now, it’s entirely unusable. I’ve tried redownloading ThriftBooks multiple times on multiple different occasions, and the same thing always happens. It is entirely compatible with my phone, and nothing has fixed it. All I can hope is that this bug will be repaired soon!

In summary: ThriftBooks isn’t worth it. Check out and order your books on the website, when you happen to be seated at a computer.

by Huskyguitar

I ordered Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone in Very Good condition and it just got here today. I was really excited because I wanted to read it again and when I got it I was super disappointed when I saw it being taped together. I know it wasn’t a lot of money, but I spent the almost 5 dollars to buy a book in very good condition. Whereas the book I got was in practically the same condition of my old copy except for the fact it was taped. The spine was falling apart and not in good shape at all. Normally I wouldn’t care, but the whole reason I bought it in ‘Very Good’ condition was so it was nicer than my old copy which was falling apart just as the copy i bought was. If I wanted it to be functional I wouldn’t have spent the money to buy another book and i would’ve just taped mine together.

by Dani7322

I purchased over $30 of books that were listed as being in "good" condition. 3 out of 5 books were in terrible condition. There was writing on every page of one book, a second book had most of its pages taped back in, and a third belonged to a public library. (I know libraries sometimes sell old books, but this book was quite new and popular so I doubt it was sold by the library) I was pretty upset about the whole situation so I called customer support. The lady who assisted me was so kind and understanding, it changed my attitude about the situation! She offered two solutions: a full refund or replacements. I chose replacements. They arrived in a timely manner and were in excellent condition. I think I'll give this app another shot.

by Stinaa822

I LOVE this app! I use it a lot and never usually have problems till now.
I just want to make this be known so maybe someone can see this and fix the issue. I am trying to buy books but it won’t let me continue. I pressed the address I want to use and it will load but stay on the address page.
Seems like there’s a glitch problem and I couldn’t find on ThriftBooks “help” button so I figured this would be the best option.

Other that this, this app is awesome! & I recommend ThriftBooks to anyone but just seems like they are having some issues right now which is fine! I hope they can resolve it sooner than later cause I would love to get these books ASAP!

by MzCare

First let me say ThriftBooks is wonderful. Haven’t had any problems. Ordered on Monday received on Saturday. I live in Arizona so most of facilities are not that far from me.

So I made my first purchase... I bought 8 different types of books. The thing with this is you can’t see the books or SMELL them!!!

I bought hard cover books. I also bought a variety of books so that I can see what condition each of the books were in by their standards.

I bought 2 like new books. Only one of them was like new. The other one had highlights throughout the book.

Now the one that really bothered me was the fact that they would ship a book that smells like Mold. It smells like it was stored in wet moldy basement. This was the very good condition book. Very disappointed. My other very good condition book looks like some spilled something on the front cover of the book.

Finally the good condition book was in better condition than the like new book, despite the highlights in the book.

I’m a serious book collector.
If I pick a book that’s like new. I would think that’s what I would receive. I’m scared to pay anything more than $4.99 for the books they have. I have books that’s $79 in my wish list... but I would refuse to pay that much for a book and get anything less than new. Don’t like markings in my books. Dust jacket needs to look like it was stored on a bookshelf and not a garage. Very disappointed with first purchase.

by Jon Autopsy

I’ve been isn’t this app for a few years and there’s some pros and cons to it...

Pros
- Inexpensive used books you won’t find cheaper anywhere outside of a yard sale
- A massive selection so you’re most likely going to find the book you need
- Free shipping on orders of $10 or more (which is 3 books at their least expensive)

Cons
- Shipping is odd. No matter where the books ship from, they always follow the same insane route (EXAMPLE - Some books ship from Phoenix AZ, I live in Tucson less than two hours away yet the shipping always sends the books through Nevada and other states before it ends up back in AZ). This happens no matter where the books are being shipped from and a shipment that should take a day or two to reach two hours down the road takes an entire week.
- The “Free Shipping” no longer includes the original price of the free books you’d earn in your rewards like it used to towards the free shipping limit
- Their customer service is pretty much non-existent

I do like this app and I’ll continue to utilize them but their shipping methods are insanely awful. From someone who’s spent most of his career handling shipping and receiving issues, I really don’t understand why the shipments ALWAYS go for a multi-state tour when the delivery address is less than 120 miles down the road.

by KJMB93

The bad; I would just assume that anything “Good” or “Acceptable” will show up in pretty poor condition. How to Win Friends and Influence People (supposedly in Good Condition) showed up with 4 out of every 5 pages dog-eared, notes on every page written in pen, and half of the notes scribbled out so there are large blue ink borders surrounding a large portion of the book. Additionally, I had to pull out nearly as many sticky notes and tabs as there are pages.
I also ordered a dictionary of finance terms that showed up in pretty dismal condition, I am not sure if it was the post office’s fault or this app though. The postmen out here probably manhandle more strangers’ packages than Bill Cosby.

The good; cheap books, fast delivery, huge selection, and anything in the “Very Good” or “Like New” category shows up in excellent condition! The only reason I haven’t recommend ThriftBooks to my family and friends is because I want to collect their order points. Thank you guys at this app for what you do.

On a final note for fellow book-lovers! If you have to dog-ear 80+% of the pages, maybe just reread the book instead😉.

by Ogxbrii💫✨

I like this company! And I would recommend it to many people. I have purchased most of my books from here, and it has helped me out a lot when it comes to saving money. I would’ve given this a 5/5 but I don’t agree with being sold items that are severely damaged. I think it’s unethical and shouldn’t be given to someone else. I understand that there are different conditions to choose from. Such as new, like new, good, and acceptable. What’s acceptable or good to someone else might not fit my expectation(s) or others. So whenever you guys order something please be sure to pay attention to the conditions. Other than that happy shopping (:

by 826520

I would like to start off by saying that ThriftBooks is absolutely amazing! I love how low priced the books are and that you can choose from new, like new, very good, good, and acceptable, choosing the price and quality. I will say, when it says good, I was expecting better, but everyone is different so be careful when choosing. Just a suggestion to make ThriftBooks better, you should have a category for recommend, like how there’s romance, fiction, young adult, sci-fi, and many more, you should add a recommended for you based off previous purchases and your wish list. Once again, just a suggestion. The only other thing I have noticed is that ThriftBooks loads a lot slower than the website, so it’s not my WiFi, but ThriftBooks . Just these minor adjustments would make ThriftBooks 100% better.

by Nuggetfries99

I LOVE this app! They have almost every book. I’m an avid reader and especially love the Fear Street series by RL Stine that was written from the late 80’s into the late 90’s, and are not sold in book stores. this app had every single book in the series and now I have all 64! Another great thing is that, in the event that they ship you an incorrect item, you can keep it AND they’ll send you your missing item free of charge. My only complaints are that 1. Sometimes a book cover you received will be different from the book cover you selected while ordering and 2. ‘Acceptable’ condition ($3.79) is sometimes poor condition, with torn covers and ripped pages. ‘Good’ condition is only 20¢ more expensive, at $3.99. Overall though, I’d pick this app over any other book retail store (:

by Nematar

A really excellent service, I’ve gotten tons of rare and popular books at thrift store prices, all in good to new condition, BUT the interface is a little too complicated. Its really hard to tell what rewards are available and how to use them. I wish ThriftBooks was a bit more streamlined when it comes to the buying process and the available reading rewards. Its not broke, but it could be better.

This is my go to place for all my reading needs these days, and I’m very happy to give it 5 stars and recommend it to anyone looking for an alternative to buying books from more mainstream dealers.

by Mrspari

My 7 year old and myself love to read. It can be a costly joy.

ThriftBooks has allowed us to purchase and read all sorts of books. I’ve bought a bunch of books over the last few months or so without compliant. I’m not too picky on the condition of the books as I pass most on or donate them when I’m done. As long as they’re not tore up and readable, I’m happy. I’ve not gotten any books that are greatly different than the description however.

My only gripe is the shipping can be slow, it is free with 10$ purchase, but it sometimes takes well over a week/week and a half to get our books. But it won’t stop me from using ThriftBooks .

by Libitts

I found this website/app during COVID lockdown. I usually either buy books used from Goodwill or rent from the library, neither of which was a good option for COVID. My library is also kinda hard to get to, and unless you’re just looking for any book to read, is hard to find specific books. I love ThriftBooks even more than Goodwill or the library! I love that I can find pretty much any book on here, even if it’s new, and I can choose what kind of book (paper or hardback) and the range of pricing. I even found a college textbook or two that I needed. To make it even better, the company supports several charities and offers good employee benefits, or at least they claim to on their website:). And you get free shipping on orders over $10, which, let’s be real, is super easy to achieve when the books are usually around $5. Every purchase gives you points and once you get a certain amount of points, you get a free book under $5, plus shipping. I wish I knew about this in high school, it would have made finding the required reading much easier and cheaper. I highly recommend ThriftBooks to anyone who doesn’t mind a pre loved book and who loves to read.

by Nuniebear8

I don’t think I could recommend a better way of buying books! Especially new books that have just come out and are WAY over priced! this app will sell them in New, Like New, Very Good, Good and Acceptable conditions. They also sell some DVDs or audio versions of the books you love! And after your shopping cart hits $10 your shipping is free! That must be a crime!? And after you buy a certain amount of books, you get a free book! It only took me about 2 orders from this app and then on my second order I was able to get a free book! It was awesome! 10/10 would recommend ThriftBooks a thousand times over! I got all of my favorite books that I’ve been wanting over the years in just 2 orders! And I intend to get more.

by Lettyinthenow

this app is by far the best thing that has been suggested to me. I’ve been buying books off of their websites for years but their app makes it so much easier. The have a huge selection usually for under 5$ and free shipping for purchases over 10$ in the US. If you are a member every purchase you get accumulates points to get a free book and just recently they gave their members a free book (just pay shipping which was like a dollar). Every book has been in great condition and the most worn one I’ve gotten was that it had writing in it (I actually loved it more bc it showed the soul of someone who had loved it before me).
Anyone this is me rambling but long story short use this app, use ThriftBooks and you will not regret it, I haven’t.

by The Real CoCo Butter

That’s the motto, and I’ve been able to get books I’ve been wanting to read at a huge fraction of the cost. Even books that are posted as “Like New” are less than $5. Hardcover, too. I recently got a $50 gift certificate and was able to buy 12 hardcover books, whereas if I had bought them new, in paperback, I would’ve been able to get maybe 5.
I’ve recently ordered 2 “Acceptable” books, and have yet to receive them, but there’s a list of what each rating means, so you’ll have an idea of what you’re purchasing.
ThriftBooks , itself, is basically a shortcut to the website, which is fine because with ThriftBooks , you get 100 points towards a free book with your first app purchase.
I’ve already redeemed one free book and looking forward to redeeming more.
Thanks you, this app.

by Jhite0145

This company offers so many books and at such great prices. I have read quite a few bad reviews on the quality of the books. I am not very interested with the quality as much as the price myself, but even the cheapest book quality is pretty good quality! I love the points system used in ThriftBooks that allows you to get free books after a certain amount of purchases. Shipping isn’t particularly fast around 4 or 5 days is pretty standard though. I have only had one issue with the books not being shipped to my home. When I contacted customer service they gave me a full refund and told me if the books end up showing up to keep them free of charge. It was an incredibly nice jester, especially when it ended up being the post office’s fault not theirs. I highly recommend buying through Thrift Books!

by Britainmichelle

Not only do you get books for cheap (they are used. Other than the ones labeled as new), but there are so many extra perks as well.
First off, when buying a book, you have a number of choices of their quality rating new to poor. You also have choices of hardback, paperback, library binding, etc. Obviously the better the quality, the more they cost. I usually get great or good which are about $4-$5. The new books are usually a little about $10 but that’s still a lot cheaper than you would get it anywhere else.
I can’t remember if you need to make a profile to buy anything but I don’t think you do. If you do make one though, your purchases give you points, the more you buy the more points you get. Once you hit a certain number of points, you get awarded with a free book. Also, when it is your birthday month, they will email you a notification telling you you can get a free book then too!
It’s absolutely amazing! On my latest purchase I bought nine books for only about $25 dollars!
Which reminds me, if you buy (if I remember correctly) $10 worth of books, you get free shipping and tax! You may get free tax no matter what but I wouldn’t know bc I always buy at least a few books at a time. Even if you’re just looking for one book, I would say it’s definitely worth spending an extra buck or two on another book that you’re eyeing just to get free shipping and tax.
I love ThriftBooks/site!!

by Mamaboy2

I really really love ThriftBooks. Not sure what the negative reviews are about. Clearly you are buying used books. That’s exactly what it says and that’s exactly what it is.... used. All the books I’ve received so far are in the condition stated. For under 5$ for most books, you can’t beat getting a book in good condition plus free shipping on orders of 10$ or more. I compare prices with other sites and nothing compares to this app. The ones with negative reviews maybe you need to shop at a bookstore to actually look at your books, pay more, and use gas to get there. For me, I’ll stick with this app. Thanks this app for all of your hard work and dedication to satisfy your customers!

by AshenAngel

ThriftBooks has the exact same features the website does and is designed so similarly you cannot even tell the difference. The only difference between ThriftBooks and the website is that ThriftBooks keeps signing me out.😡😡😡

I was hoping that I would be able to see my orders more clearly instead of having to click five different links to get to one shipment. I wanted to see all the books I've ordered on one page and maybe notifications from ThriftBooks for when my order ships would be nice but it doesn't seem to do that either. I don't really see a reason why I should keep ThriftBooks on my phone when the website has the same exact features and even works better.

by LexieMM01

So this app is amazing. No argument. But I had an issue with one of the 25 books I’ve ordered in the past two years. All brand new looking and had no problems.

I was so excited to read my new dean koontz book and I was getting to the best part and 20 pages were RIPPED out. And then I get to the end and another 20 pages were ripped. Clean. It was done purposely. I don’t complain much about ThriftBooks. But I asked for a brand new copy of it. And the pages were ripped out.

by Musicaltales

I love buying used books, but sometimes I have a hard time finding what I want! this app has great prices, and everything I’ve received has been in awesome shape! Recently There was a slight mistake on my order (I received one book as paperback, and I had ordered all hardbacks). I emailed them and asked if I could get an exchange. They quickly replied and said they would just ship a hardback version free of charge and not to worry about exchanging it! All in all I’m very impressed, and am so happy I have a place to get all my books at low cost!

by Shiftingshoppe48

this app itself is superb and ThriftBooks is fast improving. Their free shipping for orders over $10, points system with frequent free books, and on the ball, no-nonsense shipping times makes shopping with this app pleasure. The visual interface and clearly demarcated hierarchies for book editions and conditions in ThriftBooks is good and only continues to be further polished. Search function seems to slip some results through the cracks at times, and there are still moments where I revert to their site. Regardless: this app are leading the charge and carving a niche for used-bookstores of the future. Rave on, my thrifty, bookish domain darling. I’m a fan.

by Kaitlin209

this app has been amazing so far! I use it to get a head start on all of my required English books. I swear I have too many of them. I especially love the free shipping on orders over $10! I’ve only had one problem with a book, but they responded to my email the same day and offered a full refund. I also really like the textbooks that they offer here, I was able to get all my textbooks for my high school senior year for under $30! I don’t think I could find a better place to get hardcover books in good condition for under $5