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Booklovers have two habits - reading books and buying books. We have our go-to bookstores in the Philippines of course, as dominated by National Bookstore and Fully Booked. But why settle for just PH-based stores when the online world has opened more doors where to buy books, right?
Last year, I joined all these book groups on Facebook, created my own bookstagram account and watched book vloggers on YT - all for the love of books! And that's how I found out about Book Depository.
What is Book Depository?
It's an international book retailer based in the UK and they carry over 20 million books and deliver it for free worldwide right at your doorstep. There's no minimum spend either. Their vision is to provide "All Books Available to All" by improving selection, access and affordability of books.
And they do indeed have a wide selection of books! You can shop from children's books, fiction, biography, even graphic novels and anime and manga.
What are the Payments Accepted?
Book Depository only accepts card payments. This can be credit card or debit card. Prepaid cards like Maya are also accepted if you find it too risky to enter your credit card details.
Is it Really Free Shipping?
When shopping for items online internationally, it's normal to doubt a free shipping claim especially one that says no minimum amount required! But it's true. At least with Book Depository. You can order even just one and you'll receive it in about a few weeks. Though considering the COVID-19 situation, the shipping timeline can take longer. I once ordered a book from them back in early December 2021 and I only got the book by February 2022. Christmas holiday and then OMICRON surge affected the delivery timeline.
When the book arrives in the Philippines, however, be prepared to pay for handling fees with the Philippine Post Office. The amount varies on the weight of the book you bought. I was surprised by this the first time I bought a book from Book Depository since they did say free shipping. I don't know why PhilPost charges a handling fee though. But well, they do... Anyway, the amount I've usually paid is less than Php500 and PhilPost does provide a receipt.
And if you order more than one book from Book Depository, note that these will be shipped out at different timelines. It's not all at once so be prepared to pay PhilPost handling fee for each delivery.
What to Do if Your Parcel Gets Lost?
The real catch with ordering from Book Depository is that you have no way of tracking your parcel once it gets shipped out. They only provide estimated timelines as to when you may be able to expect delivery of your package. You'll just have to be patient and wait.
Of course, there are times when a parcel gets lost in the mail. It happens. So in case this happens, don't worry! You can just email Book Depository about your lost parcel concern and they'll provide you with two options: request a new book to replace the lost order or refund. They'll also advise you to check at your local post office as it might have been held up there.
What if the Book You Ordered Isn't Available?
Perhaps the system's inventory wasn't updated or a problem rose with Book Depository's supplier. But in case you ordered and paid a book with them and it turns out the item(s) isn't available, worry not as well. Book Depository will automatically cancel the order and refund you.
I once ordered a few books from them and I kept tracking it on their site if it's been shipped out already or not. It was taking far too long. Then it turned out the books I ordered weren't available. The system notified me and refunded me through my Maya account which I always use to order from them.
I read somewhere that prices at Book Depository were actually cheaper before Amazon acquired it. Wish I knew of this online store long ago! Still, I've had a good shopping experience at Book Depository. I just keep the books I want to buy on my wish list and check back on them every now and then to see if it's on sale before I check out.
Also if you're on Shopback, you can get cashbacks from shopping at Book Depository.
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