Strand Book Store Reviews

I reached out to support and didn’t hear nothing back for days. I get that things get busy, but being ignored like that just isn’t okay.

I ordered a used paperback that was listed as being in good condition, but when it arrived, it was more beat up than I expected. The cover was bent, there was a lot of underlining throughout the pages, and it had this weird dusty smell to it. Shipping itself was fine, and the book was still readable, so it wasn’t a total loss. I just wish the condition description had been a little more accurate. Probably won’t buy used from here again, it just felt..

I was poking around Strand Book Store looking for a couple of rare books, and wow, what a little “available-but-not-really” adventure that turned into. I’d find something that looked in stock, get my hopes up, and then suddenly it couldn’t be ordered or wasn’t actually available. Very cool, Captain Confusing Inventory. Maybe the site is totally fine if you’re just buying regular books, but for rare books? I’m not doing that dance again. They really need clearer stock info, because right now it feels like a time-wasting scavenger hunt with no prize

I ordered a book from Strand because the listing made it sound like it was in decent shape, but when it arrived, it was a lot more worn than I expected. Like, the cover had heavy wear, the pages looked beat up, there were notes written inside, underlining here and there, and just overall it felt more like something that had been through a bunch of classes or passed around for years. I totally understand used books won’t be perfect, a bent corner, a little shelf wear, maybe a small mark or two is fine, but this felt like the description left out some important stuff. If the listing had been more upfront, I probably would’ve picked a different copy or skipped it altogether.

I really do love this store, like I’m always happy with what they carry, but wow, the website search kind of drove me a little nuts. I was trying to find one specific edition and it should’ve been simple, but the filters kept resetting or showing stuff that didn’t really match what I picked. So I’d think I was narrowing it down, then suddenly I’m back to random results again. Not a dealbreaker because I still like the store a lot, but it definitely took way longer than it needed to

I ordered a couple of books and the packaging was bad. They were just tossed in a thin mailer with basically no padding?? So of course the corners were bent, and one of the covers had a crease in it. I know shipping isn’t always gentle, but this felt like it could’ve been avoided. Disappointing coming from a bookstore.

The item wasn’t as described, which was frustrating. I tried reaching out to explain the issue, but it felt like nobody actually read my message. The response didn’t really address what I said, so the whole experience was disappointing

I went in with a few basic questions, but the staff couldn’t really answer anything and seemed annoyed that I even needed help. The whole experience gave me the impression that they were more interested in getting my money than actually making sure I was taken care of...

My order is taking way longer to ship than I expected, and I’m getting annoyed at this point. I keep checking the tracking while I’m making coffee in the morning, and it still hasn’t really moved. I get that delays happen, but this feels like forever.

I was expecting a much better selection of books. I searched for a bunch of titles, even some common ones, and they just weren’t available. After a while it got frustrating and felt like I was wasting my time. If you’re hoping to browse around and find a lot of options, I’d say save your time and look somewhere else.

I was just trying to find a couple of books, but the whole site felt really clunky. I mean, I tried to, actually, I kept trying to sort through the search results, but they were all over the place. Pages were loading slowly too, and by the time I got to checkout, it was more confusing than it needed to be. I ended up giving up and buying the books somewhere else.

I was going to order a couple of books, but the shipping charge was ridiculous. It was almost the same price as one of the books, so I ended up canceling the order. I tried looking for some kind of help or explanation, but it felt like nobody really wanted to take ownership of it. Just not worth it for me

I was trying to place an order from Strand, and I didn’t think the payment part was going to be the thing that slowed me down, but it did. I had my usual way of paying in mind, like I always do when I shop online, and then it just wasn’t an option.

So then I’m sitting there at checkout, looking at the choices, kind of annoyed because I already picked out the books and was ready to be done. It made the whole process feel clunkier than it needed to be, and for a second I actually wondered if I even wanted to bother finishing the order.

Maybe the payment options work totally fine for other people, and that’s great, but for me it was just frustrating. I expected checkout on a site like Strand to feel easier and more straightforward, and instead it turned into an annoying little pause in the whole experience

I tried to place my order, but the checkout kept glitching and would not go through. After dealing with it for a while, I just gave up.

In my experience, the tracking just froze and never updated again, and the book never actually arrived. Frustrating because I was waiting for it and had no idea what was going on

I’ve been to a few author signings at Strand, and they’ve been fun. The lineup is usually really interesting, and the staff does a decent job keeping the line moving. That said, it can get super packed, and sometimes it’s a little confusing figuring out where to stand or check in. Still, it’s a really nice spot for book events, I just wish things felt a bit more organized sometimes.

I placed an order a while back and have been checking in on it now and then, figuring it might just be a busy period or something. The site was easy enough to use and everything looked fine at checkout, but after waiting longer than I expected, it’s still just sitting in processing. So yeah, the order is taking way too long and I’m still waiting

I ordered a tote and a mug to give as gifts, and like I said, I really wish I had picked something else. The shipping took longer than I expected, and when the mug finally showed up, it was chipped. The tote also looked a lot cheaper in person than it did in the photos. Customer service didn’t help much either since it took them days to respond. Like I said, I wouldn’t recommend this if you need something nice for gifts.

The store has a really nice old-book charm to it, which I genuinely appreciated. It gives off that cozy, classic bookstore vibe. That said, it was packed when I visited, so moving around felt a little awkward at times. Still, I had fun browsing and would say it’s worth checking out if you enjoy that kind of atmosphere.

This was not worth the prices at all. I had planned to make a nice outing out of it, but the whole experience just left me annoyed and feeling like I wasted my money. Definitely ruined the vibe for the day.