"It was good while it lasted!

[Col Bruggy]

Hello,

Book Depository closure.

https://www.bookdepository.com/closure

Col.

[Bombphoon]

Oh no! Out of all the online book sellers, they were usually the cheapest. What many people do not realise is that despite their different names, all or most are just a front for Amazon.

I remember when Amazon was the cheapest, with free post. Recently they have stopped showing cheaper secondhand prices up front on their listings so you now have to click on all titles.

[etraro]

BD has cheapest rates but packaging is also very cheap. It was okay before the Amazon acquisition. Some times I cannot help thinking these guys must hate the books they sell, otherwise why would they use such bad packaging for a coffee table book? I do not mind to pay more for a better packaging, but they do not have that option. The free global delivery is a good business plan but poorly executed.

Amazon is not better so I wont buy any books from them unless there is no other options.

[Mark Proulx]

I understand AbeBooks purchased by Amazon.

Mark Proulx

[edwest2]

Oh well. First, a little history. My company, based in the U.S., did a lot of global business. We could deliver many pounds of books to Australia, for example, for not much money. In 2007, the U.S. Postal Surface ended their Surface Mail category. And it was no coincidence that the so-called E-book Readers began to appear in greater numbers. In 2005, a local bookstore closed. Computer games were becoming better from a graphics standpoint.

We lost 98% of our foreign book sales almost overnight. To this day, I get calls from people in Canada who are amazed by the high postal charges. But this is beyond our control.

As far as other outlets, it may be possible for people to place a special order through their local bookstore, or to continue to use other outlets regardless of who owns them.

Amazon looked at the way books were distributed prior to 1990. It was a highly inefficient system. They followed with convincing people that they deserved a discount, as opposed to using any other source to buy books. Many forget that Amazon began by selling only books. Once they got enough people hooked on discounts, they added everything else, including the kitchen sink.

[JBL1177]

I've had excellent service here in the U.S. from Blackwell's. The prices are usually better than anywhere else and the books come quickly and well packed.

John

[mars]

I placed my last order to book depository via amazon as my farewell, I bought so many great books there:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Enemy-Archi...s%2C167&sr=1-1

[MW Giles]

I understand AbeBooks purchased by Amazon.

It was in 2008, so abe had been sold down the river long ago

Martin

[Mark Proulx]

Obviously, I wasn't aware about AbeBooks...

Mark Proulx

[Jim Oxley]

That is really sad news.

Book Depository was easily the best online provider for book delivery to Australia. Very sad indeed.