Barnes & Noble Reviews 1,906

TrustScore 2 out of 5

2.2

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Evaluating 82 reviews, most reviewers were unhappy with their experience overall. Many people found the customer service unhelpful, often receiving repetitive non-answers or being passed between departments without resolution. Customers frequently encountered issues with orders, including incorrect items, missing discs, or books not arriving as expected. The website was a major source of frustration for many, described as slow, hard to navigate, and prone to errors, making it difficult to check order status or even place orders. Delivery services were also criticized, with items being sent to the wrong address, delayed, or never arriving, despite charges for express shipping. However, some customers were satisfied with their in-store experiences, praising the helpful staff, wide selection, and organized book displays. A few other people also felt that items arrived in good condition and sometimes even earlier than expected.

What people talk about most

Product

Customers consistently note ambiguous experiences with product, with many reporting issues such as missing... See more

Customer service

People report negative experiences with customer service, often describing it as terrible, horrible, and some... See more

Order

Reviewers mention ambiguous feedback about order, with many expressing significant frustration and... See more

Website

Users describe ambiguous interactions with website, with many reviewers expressing significant frustration... See more

Delivery service

Customers had negative experiences with delivery service, citing issues such as packages never arriving,... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Tried checking inventory online at my local store and displayed everything I wanted was available. All 3 books I wanted were not at the location and even talked to an employee about availability. I... See more

Company replied

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

I ordered 7 books from Barnes and noble. The books were sent separately which is weird since it’s international delivery. Delivery date is overdue and the tracking status of all orders haven’t been u... See more

Company replied

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

American Fork, UT. If you are NOT going to put a sign up indicating which way the line forms (according to the clerk "you don't want to"), then you can't expect people to know. I waited in line behi... See more

Company replied


Company details

  1. Book shop
  2. Hobby shop

Written by the company

Barnes & Noble is the world’s largest retail bookseller and a leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products. The Company operates over 600 Barnes & Noble bookstores in 50 states, and one of the Web’s premier e-commerce sites, BN.com. Our Nook Digital business offers a lineup of NOOK® tablets and e-Readers and an expansive collection of digital reading content through the NOOK Store®. Barnes & Noble’s mission is to operate the best omni-channel specialty retail business in America, helping both our customers and booksellers reach their aspirations, while being a credit to the communities we serve.


Contact info

2.2

Poor

TrustScore 2 out of 5

2k reviews

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1-star

Replied to 85% of negative reviews

Typically replies within 24 hours

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Used to be A Good Company

Now they can't even deliver a CD within 3 weeks and will argue to the ends of the earth whether or not they owe me a refund! I never got my product and I had to pull teeth to get my money back.

17 July 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

They won't give me my gift unless I enter cc information.

I'm not a Barnes & Noble customer but my mom sent me an audiobook as a gift from them. When I tried to access the book I was told I had to enter credit card information.

They stated that it is necessary due to copyright restrictions on the books. That makes no sense and I cannot see this as anything but a cheap trick to get your credit card information on file so they can pressure you into impulse purchases.

From what I understand, the gift is non-refundable. The website is also super buggy. I will never be shopping with Barnes & Noble after this and I will encourage any future gifts to be purchased somewhere else.

29 July 2025
Unprompted review
Barnes & Noble logo

Reply from Barnes & Noble

We apologize for any frustration this situation may have caused. Publishers mandate that all sellers of digital products implement a system to safeguard their copyrights via digital rights management (DRM). The use of a credit card number aids in enforcing DRM policies by guaranteeing that only permitted users can access and share the content. A credit card serves as a unique identifier that only you, as the customer, would possess. Please respond to the accompanying request for more information, so we can take a look.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I ordered several fairly expensive…

I ordered several fairly expensive books. One was badly damaged. After contacting Barnes & Noble, they responded quickly and offered to replace the book free of charge and by mail. I will always be a loyal customer of this store.

9 June 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

NO REFUND GIVEN

I purchased a 9" Nook as a birthday gift and paid for the extended warranty. When the gift was given, the recipient (my girlfriend) told me she actually preferred the Glowlight 4 so went to B&N store to swap them out. She also had no interest in the extended warranty. The swap went well as both items were the same price but any credit for the canceled warranty had to come from the B&N website.
The cancelation was successful, however the refund has been a nightmare. In fact, I never received it despite eventually speaking to a customer service manager named Amy who promised to get it handled.
They love to transfer calls from one department to the next. Retail, Digital, Customer Service on and on.
I'm happy to see that my 1-star review may potentially lower their 2.8 score because this organization is a scam and a fraud.

9 June 2025
Unprompted review
Barnes & Noble logo

Reply from Barnes & Noble

We apologize that you have yet to receive your refund and sorry for the experience you had. Please respond to the accompanying request for more information so we can take a look.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

My books are way overdue for delivery

I ordered 7 books from Barnes and noble. The books were sent separately which is weird since it’s international delivery. Delivery date is overdue and the tracking status of all orders haven’t been updated in a while. I can’t even reach out to the delivery partner cos I don’t know which. Also, I reached to their customer service and their response was your package seems lost in transit and there’s nothing they can do about it. Just like that, they also said they can’t help contact the delivery partner. I need to know where my books are, this is not good at all and it’s frustrating

1 June 2025
Unprompted review
Barnes & Noble logo

Reply from Barnes & Noble

Items from Barnes & Noble orders may be delivered on different days and in multiple packages, as they can be shipped from various warehouses. We sincerely apologize that your books did not arrive as expected and are now considered lost. The tracking information we have is the same as what you can access. If you would like us to take a look at the order, please reply to the accompanying request for more information.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Order was extremely delayed. Requested a change in address for delivery. Customer service just asked for order number then ignored

I ordered 3 books from B&N and had them sent to my airport hotel. I chose the standard delivery that said 3-6 days. It turns out all the books were out of stock and B&N had to delay the delivery for half a month. I will not be at that hotel or even at the same country by that time.

I emailed their customer service, they asked me for my order # and billing address and I immediately replied. No word from them at all after that and now I received a shipping confirmation saying my books are being sent to the hotel even if I told them I won't be there anymore.

I am a longtime customer of B&N and I want to support actual bookstores but I really can't shop with them after this. They can't list their books as out of stock, they can't be transparent with their delivery dates and their customer service is not helpful at all.

17 June 2025
Unprompted review
Barnes & Noble logo

Reply from Barnes & Noble

We apologize that you didn't have a good experience. Product availability is based on inventory that can change at any time. Once an order is submitted, only limited changes can be made. We're sorry if the order was unable to be cancelled. Once the package is refused/returned to the warehouse, a refund will process. If you would like us to take a look at the order, you may respond to the accompanying request for more information.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Shoddy Packaging on Signed Hardbacks and Complete Lack of Service

I purchased a signed copy of a hardback book online.

When the book was delivered, it was packaged only in a thin, lightly padded envelope. When I opened the package, I could clearly see that one corner had been crushed during transit - so much so that it exposed the brown cardboard between the book binding.

Feeling that this was unacceptable for a $40 book, I reached out to customer service, and chatted with “Ian”. Ian immediately offered a 20% refund if I would keep the damaged book, but I explained what I wanted was a new copy, with more responsible packaging. He replied that they did not have any, but I could travel to a local store to “pick out a fresh copy”. Since the closest store to me is over 40 minutes away, I asked that he pull that copy, and mail it to me. He then replied that there were no copies available(?) He did offer a return mailing label as my only option, and advised that I would get my refund when they got their book back. I am now left without a book that I was so looking forward to to adding to my collection, no money to purchase another copy - if I can find one (definitely somewhere else), and feeling most upset at the lack of concern or compassion on the part of “Ian” - he really demonstrated that he couldn’t care less.

If you are looking for a nice, signed copy of a book that you can proudly feature in your collection - look elsewhere… all you will get here is heartache.

29 June 2025
Unprompted review
Barnes & Noble logo

Reply from Barnes & Noble

We apologize that you didn't have a good experience and that your book arrived damaged. If the item is not in stock for replacement at our warehouses, we would be unable to have it pulled from a store location (if available) to have it mailed. We're sorry for any disappointment this may have caused. If you would like us to take a look at the order, please respond to the accompanying request for more information.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Ebook gift lost between time and space

Im not sure how to even explain this. First I ordered an ebook on Barnes and noble online. The order would not go through for unknown reasons. So I then bought it as a gift and sent to my other email address. I got an email with the gift message but when I clicked on it I was sent back to login and it seemed no matter what I did I couldn't log in. I changed my password several times ect.. finally for no good reason I got in and thought I had it. Then when I went to digital library it said I had to download an app! I was exasperated but figured hey I came this far so I did that too! When I got on the app and signed in the ebook was of course you guessed it not there. L9ng story short I spent another hour now 3hrs in total trying all I could to retrieve it. As of right now I spent a few dollars and a few hours and have nothing to show for it!

22 June 2025
Unprompted review
Barnes & Noble logo

Reply from Barnes & Noble

We apologize for the issues you experienced with logging into your account and with your order. We understand how frustrating this can be and we’re sorry for the inconvenience. Please respond to the accompanying request for more information so we can look into this further.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

The failure to protect the children who…

The failure to protect the children who frequent your stores from the cultural ideology of trans and LBGTQ by purposely displaying their literature ALL over the store is abhorrent. Worse than Target. Gender Queer is pornography and is displayed for and looked at by anyone walking by it's filthy cover.

20 June 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I been a purchase for over 20yrs

I been a purchase for over 20yrs . I had the original nook and have purchased at least two after. I have the nook glow plus now. I received 3 gift cards for my children for Mother’s Day total of $90.00 . I know how to use the physical gift cards. I added the three cards. I saw them enter with pin. I went to check my balance after purchasing a book for $10.99. No balance on my nook showed. I called several times and they said no cards on the card. They were checking into my account. I happened to get rid off the cards after a few weeks after posting them. So I’m out of h the gifts.

physical card and added to my account.

11 June 2025
Unprompted review
Barnes & Noble logo

Reply from Barnes & Noble

We apologize for the issue you are having with your gift card and for any frustration this may have caused. Please respond to the accompanying request for more information, so we can take a further look.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

DVD MOVIES ARE BAD COPIES/CUSTOMER SERVICE LIES

Update: Barnes and Noble customer service contacted me, emailed me a coupon for 15% off and refunded the price of the DVD that had no digital copy included. I probably won't ever use the coupon but I appreciate the refund.

I used to shop at Barnes and Noble all the time when I lived in California for books and music mostly. I lived in Palm Springs and there was a B & N close by so we went often. I now live in another state and there is a Barnes and Noble close by, but after I retired and my income decreased, shopping for books and music CD's became a luxury I could no longer afford. (Plus I can download MP3's from Amazon in seconds.) I recently got a $25 gift card for the store, and was kinda stoked that they sold DVDs and Blu-rays. I ordered 7 movies - all DVDs - and 3 of the 4 of them are HORRIBLE copies that are fuzzy and blurry and the sound doesn't quite match up to the lips. I read online that Barnes and Noble is considered reputable and they would not sell Chinese bootleg movies, but I don't believe that now. Also, I ordered a DVD that stated on the website that a digital copy was included. The email confirmation and the shipping confirmation also stated that particular DVD had a digital copy. I emailed B & N and told them I did not get a digital copy code with the movie, and the first customer service person issued a re-order for the same movie, but before I could email back to say WTF? another customer service rep emailed me to say there was no digital copy because the movie was too old and that they cancelled the order recently issued by the rep. I was also told that a "coupon" would be emailed to me for a future purchase - but of course, I never received any coupon. I don't care about the latter because I'm sure any coupon would require me to spend MORE money to use it. I kinda think Barnes and Noble sucks now. This was my only online experience with them and it sucked.

21 May 2025
Unprompted review
Barnes & Noble logo

Reply from Barnes & Noble

We sincerely apologize for the issue with your order and the experience you had with our customer service. We understand your frustration and sorry that you did not receive the promised coupon. Please respond to the accompanying request for more information, so we can take a closer look.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Order Verification Process shenanigans

I tried to order comics online, and in three attempts, I received an email that they were unable to fulfill my order because it didn't pass their verification process. Customer support wasn't helpful. I was just told to call them when they only want to verify my information, which they could've done through an alternative method. I called and was told it should all be good now. I just tried again, and to my surprise, I received the same email after a few minutes of processing my order.

22 May 2025
Unprompted review
Barnes & Noble logo

Reply from Barnes & Noble

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you experienced with your order and understand your frustration. We would like to look into this matter further and assist you. Please respond to the accompanying request for additional information.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Online orders over promise and under deliver

I made on online order and paid extra for the 1-2 day shipping option. When I got the receipt it says that the books will arrive in 3 business days. When immediately inquire about the discrepancy. The customer service rep says that its 1 business day to process the order and then 2 business days to ship. I then ask to cancel the order that was placed 15 minutes earlier. The customer service rep then says that my order does not qualify for an immediate return. I have to wait for the books to arrive then go to the UPS store and ship the books back. When they receive the return I will be refunded. While I was waiting for the rep to deliver this news I visited Amazon, ordered the exact same books which will arrive in 2 business days and the grand total was almost 1/2 of the price that Barnes and Noble was charging. I will not be returning to the online store for future purchases.

7 May 2025
Unprompted review
Barnes & Noble logo

Reply from Barnes & Noble

We apologize for your experience and any disappointment it may have caused. Once an order is authorized in our system, only limited changes can be made. The shipping method is determined after the order has been shipped. During the checkout process, the estimated arrival date is provided before the order is submitted. Please respond to the accompanying request for more information, so we can take a closer look.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Online is not the way to go with this…

Online is not the way to go with this company. Pre-ordered a book in Feb, book shows shipped out on the 18th of April and to be delivered on the 25 which was 4 days ago still nothing. Won't ever order online again with them.

29 April 2025
Unprompted review
Barnes & Noble logo

Reply from Barnes & Noble

We’re sorry that your order has not yet arrived, and we understand how disappointing this must be. We appreciate your patience and want to resolve this for you as soon as possible. Please respond to the accompanying request for more information.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Good staff at my local B&N location

There’s a B&N location in my town in a boring shopping center. I haven’t been in a while. I went last week and it was a great experience. The cafe looked clean and customers looked happy. They have a nice section in the back for kids. The best thing was the very nice Easter display. I was not even thinking of that when I went, but I was able to get everything for my son’s Easter basket right there and the staff was very helpful and prompt.

19 April 2025
Unprompted review
Barnes & Noble logo

Reply from Barnes & Noble

Great to hear that you enjoyed your visit to your local B&N store and made your trip worthwhile. Our mission is to provide excellent service and to create a shopping environment that is comfortable and inviting. Looking forward to your next visit.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

BEWARE! THIS WEBSITE IS A SCAM FOR YOUR INFORMATION

How does the Barnes and Noble site have 66% 5 Star reviews when review after review is negative?? Well I just had a highly negative experience with this site, leaving me to believe it's just a scam to get all of your information so it can be sold; especially after reading all of the negative reviews here. I came to the site through Google because I was looking for online graphic novels. Barnes and Noble advertised free ecomic books. So I chose a few, but upon checking out, the site wanted me to sign up for an account, which I did. Then trying to check out, the site wanted all of my payment info - credit card, address, phone, etc... Which I input. Then when I thought I would finally be able to check out, but the site says, "We are unable to complete your order. Come back later. Sorry for the inconvenience". Or something to that nature. I was so annoyed! I tried again. No luck. I went to the help center and found the chat option, spoke to Vanessa, who had me try a couple things, which didn't work. She was unable to offer anything else. So I wanted to just delete my account, but there is no where to easily delete. I found this option hidden under the Account Info section where you can put in a request to either have all of your info deleted, or request for them not to sell you info. I submitted for both, but you have to fill out separate requests, which asks for all of your info again, both requests! Then you have to confirm the requests in your email inbox, which I did. Then it says you can track the request updates, which I did, and the tracking says it could take up to 45 days to delete. What are they going to do with all of my info in 45 days?? Why is deleting and asking not to sell my info such a ridiculous process? Both should be a simple click of a button, and if it's not, then be aware of this company having free reign over your info for 45 days. Just my thoughts and experience. Felt like a total scam, and definitely a huge waste of my time! Zero stars if that were an option.

8 April 2025
Unprompted review
Barnes & Noble logo

Reply from Barnes & Noble

We're sorry that you didn't have a good experience. Protecting the privacy and security of your personal information is a priority at Barnes & Noble, and we do our best to ensure that your personal information is always handled in a safe and responsible manner. More information can be found by searching 'Barnes & Noble Privacy Principles' in our Help Center at BN.com. Information on deleting your account can be found here: https://help.barnesandnoble.com/hc/en-us/articles/5337182266139-Delete-Your-BN-com-Account

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

terrible online experience

ordered a book online, never recieved it, contacted customer service and I got no refund or anything. its terrible!

22 August 2024
Unprompted review
Barnes & Noble logo

Reply from Barnes & Noble

We apologize that you didn't receive your order and we understand your disappointment. We would like to take a look into this for you. Please respond to the accompanying request for more information.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Unable to access book due to system update

My daughter ordered an ebook for college and was unable to see her order on her order status page, nor was she able to see the ebook on her purchased ebook page due to an system update. When she called, she was told there was a system update happening and the rep stated did not know when she would have access. In addition, when asked to get a refund was told that the rep was unable to do so because of the system update. However, I requested to speak to a supervisor who was able to provide a refund. Highly dissapointed! The website should have indicated that there was a system update and my daughter should have been able to get a refund as soon as she requested one as she needed the book immediately for school. This is not like Barnes and Noble so we are very dissapointed. Please consider letting customers know when there is an update. Students need their books when they need them.

30 March 2025
Unprompted review
Barnes & Noble logo

Reply from Barnes & Noble

We apologize that you and your daughters didn't have a good experience, and thank you for the feedback you provided. We strive to maintain a high standard of excellence in everything we do and your feedback will certainly enable us to review our service commitment.

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