Reviews repeatedly describe online order problems, including preorder cancellations at the last minute and long shipping delays. Shipped items often arrive damaged or with poor packaging. Store visits, by contrast, draw steady praise for friendly, knowledgeable staff and wide selection. Several reviews also mention billing and account mistakes that take escalation to fix.
Examples from available reviews (Feb 2018 – Feb 2026).
Two preorders were canceled months later without notice or options.
“my last two preorders, placed months ago, were canceled for being 'unavailable'.”
Damaged special edition arrived; return label not provided and refund delayed.
“It came damaged. They was suppose to send me a prepaid label to return.”
Great browsing experience with large selection, though some items full price.
“Books-A-Million is a great store to browse in.”
Website is slow, crashes at checkout, and lacks Apple Pay.
“Website is insanely slow, unresponsive, constantly crashes, unable to check out”
Most reviews point to cancelled preorders, late shipments, and missing items. Many also describe refunds that move slowly or never arrive, along with support that shifts blame. A smaller set mentions fast shipping or especially helpful store managers.
Several reviewers report being overcharged, billed twice, or hit with unexpected membership or service fees. Some also mention price mismatches at checkout and the end of free bags. Positive notes on value are uncommon and mostly focus on occasional price matching or large in-store buys.
Website issues come up often, including slow loading, checkout crashes, and payment problems such as gift cards not working. Account and address mix-ups sent orders to old addresses or blocked cancellations. Meanwhile, shoppers regularly speak well of in-store browsing and the cafe.
Many reviews mention damaged books and collectibles tied to weak shipping materials and flimsy envelopes. Some customers received the wrong edition or books that were cut or defective. Store selection and availability get positive remarks, but the condition of shipped items remains a repeated complaint.
Many customers say orders were cancelled or backordered with no email or phone notice, and they received mixed messages from support. Several reviewers report weeks with no customer service reply and unsubscribe links that did not work. A few mention good communication, such as understanding managers, but those examples are rare.
Reviews draw a sharp line between poor online ordering and stronger in-store experiences. Low ratings focus on order dependability, shipping, and support. High ratings focus on staff, selection, and the store atmosphere.
For each review, the core experience based on original source reviews.
Sources: Trustpilot (52) · yelp.com (20) · resellerratings.com (15) · Collected.reviews (1) · Quotes shortened · As of: February 2026
Ordered multiple items and received no customer service or updates.
“No order, no contact from Customer Service.”
BAM may resell via eBay, acting as a middleman and causing unreliability.
“This has two problems: it is unreliable as the retailer doesn't actually possess the book being sold”
Customer service expedited a gift shipment and I am grateful.
“I don't know how they did it, but the book came at time”
Spammed non-US users despite inability to sell internationally and no responses.
“They spam me everyday but I cannot even purchase anything.”
Sold paperback then immediately said it was out of stock and delayed.
“received an email from them saying it was out of stock”
Unable to download purchased ebook and customer service failed to help.
“I was never able to download book”
Received wrong book, returned it, and refund has not been processed.
“I received the wrong book.”
Promised $10 coupon never arrived and an unexpected $14.95 charge occurred.
“I never received this coupon.”
This page combines submitted experiences with public reviews from platforms such as Google, Trustpilot, etc. Recurring points are summarized without changing the content of reviews.
Books-A-Million runs a nationwide chain of bookstores and an e-commerce site. It sells new books, magazines, manga, puzzles, toys, gifts, and related collectibles. Many locations also have in-store coffee shops and space to browse. Customers can place online orders and preorders and have items shipped to U.S. addresses. The company also offers membership options and promotional programs.