Part 2: My Book Depository Experience (+ 2022 Update)

2022 Update
It’s been more than 4 years since I wrote this and well, Idk if it’s a good or bad thing because the TL;DR from 2018 still applies now 😅 So yeah, for those ordering from Book Depository from Malaysia, please refer to the TL;DR below (main points have been bolded so y’all don’t have to read my rambles) if your order from them has been delayed.
**If the answers to your questions aren’t found in this post of mine, please directly contact Book Depository. I don’t work for them so my knowledge is limited to my own experience which I’ve detailed in this post 🙏🏻

Hello everyone! ~ヾ(＾∇＾)

In my previous post on my Book Depository Experience, I’ve noted some pros and cons as a customer residing in Malaysia. Among them being:

Pros

• Free International Shipping
• Huge catalog of books which practically guarantees that they’ll have whatever you want/need

Cons

• There’s no tracking number to track your order once it’s shipped.(I recommend that if you must buy from Book Depository, to buy whatever you need/want several weeks in advance.
• Some of the books may be more expensive than local bookstores.

(The above points aside, I also mentioned that the books come without bubble wrap, packaging nuts or any form of plastic wrapping. This can be seen as both a pro and con. A pro because the earth’s already polluted enough, a con because there’s nothing but vulnerable cardboard to protect them from mishandling and weather conditions.)

However, these pros and cons are only based on my first experience with Book Depository. It was a pleasant (or as pleasant as one being constantly anxious over not being able to track their order can be) experience and I only had to wait two weeks for my order to come. This time, unfortunately, was a mess.

Skip to TL;DR if you’d like the concise version!

Long explanations, details, whatever incoming! Skip to TL;DR if you don’t want to read my rambling 😂

I ordered two books on the 30th of May (Thursday) and they were dispatched on the 1st of June (Friday). Since Sunday is a non-working day for Royal Mail, my order probably got sent off to a plane on the same day and probably arrived Malaysia the next day, which is a Sunday (3rd June) and a non-working day. Then, assuming that customs has to go through a lot of packages and such, I gave them three working days and two more days in case my order got on a later flight instead. So, fast forward to the 9th when my order should’ve already been dispatched to the National Mail Center (Pusat Mel Nasional), processed to be sent to the closest national mail courier branches within the next two days and then, delivered to me the next day (12th). All of this totals up to 12 days, which is already four days more than the estimate Book Depository gave (5-8 business days for orders to arrive from the UK to Malaysia).

Unfortunately, by the 19th, none of my books had arrived. There had been two public holidays for Raya (15th and 16th), so it was possible that my books would be delivered to me later/got held up for sorting at the delivery branches. Thus, on two different days, I went off to the closest branch to ask if they had it…which led me to an issue that others may potentially face:

The staff will most likely not help you look for your parcel.

It matters not that you can provide them with your mailing details, etc. etc. because a) they have a lot of parcels and packages and whatnot, and b) there is no tracking number so your items may not even be at their branch in the first place. Going through everything that’s in their warehouse can take forever and they have other matters to attend to as well. Don’t easily believe them if they ask for your contact number, saying that they’ll call you once they’ve found it too because they certainly haven’t contacted me at any time or any point since then.

So, left with no other choice, I emailed Book Depository, asking them what my options were in case my order was truly and really lost. They were prompt and great, but a refund is not among the options (though, I’ve read somewhere that they used to provide those?). I was a little uncertain about being sent replacements since they could go missing as well, but ultimately accepted the offer. I mean, one of them might actually reach my doorstep and my money wouldn’t be completely burned…hopefully.

Now, that it’s the 5th of July, I’ve received my original order and one replacement.

My previous order (Arden Shakespeare books) came together while these came separately, so I guess whether an order comes altogether or separately depends on  publisher/seller.

The original order (assuming that original orders are delivered in the cardboard envelope/box packaging while replacements are sent in large letter waxed paper envelopes due to the difference in bookmarks I received) for Cinderella, Necromancer came on the 21st and I’ve never been so flustered because I actually confirmed my mailing address for replacements to be sent to the day before.

| Review | Goodreads | Book Depository | Kinokuniya | Amazon |

Though, I guess it’s fortunate that my replacement for it hasn’t arrived yet/has maybe gone missing instead since it’s also late. As for Mister Tender’s Girl, the replacement came on the 2nd of July in the aforementioned waxed paper envelope. Fortunately, it hadn’t rained and the postman was kind enough to leave it on top of my car instead of flinging it over my gates the way the previous one did. Though, that didn’t save my copy from lightly dented edges…

| Goodreads | Book Depository | Kinokuniya | Amazon |

Then, on the 3rd of July, funny enough, my original order for Mister Tender’s Girl came. And now, I have two of the same books because Book Depository is also insanely kind enough to let me keep them.

And there you have it folks, my second experience with Book Depository! I still don’t fancy the lack of tracking number since it’s nerve-wracking not knowing where your order is. Being stuck in the limbo between waiting a little longer or immediately contacting Book Depository for replacements makes me anxious too. Plus, receiving both the original and the replacement copies is flustering… o(･´д･｀o)))三(((o´･д｀･)o

TL;DR

1. Orders from Book Depository will be delivered by regular POS Malaysia (not Pos Laju).
2. Orders may be delivered separately—probably depending on the publisher/seller because my previous order (Arden Shakespeare books) came together while my latest one came separately.
3. Personally checking if your order is being held at a your closest POS Malaysia branches (the ones where you collect your mail, not the ones where you pay your bills, send mail, etc.) may not yield results.
4. Orders can take 10 working days to more than a month (not including weekends and public holidays) to arrive at your doorstep. *See (5)
5. Don’t be afraid of missing your delivery, if the weather isn’t bad when the postman arrives or there’s nothing physical that’s really hindering him/her, your delivery will be there. (Mine got flung over my house gates/left on top of my car parked in front of said gates).
6. Contact Book Depository once you’re certain your order is missing, they will replace your books. (My advice is to do this 30 working days after your order is dispatched, just to be sure.)
7. The books will either be delivered in a cardboard envelope/box, or a large letter waxed paper envelope with a layer of bubble wrap inside. (I assumed that original orders arrive in the cardboard packaging while replacements arrive in the waxed paper one due to the difference in bookmarks I got).
8. If your original order arrives before/after/together with your replacement, let Book Depository know! Usually, they’ll let you keep both (I haven’t heard of an instance when they didn’t, tbh).

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Is Book Depository your go-to site for buying books? Or are there other sites that you prefer? Let me know in the comment section below! ❤

As always, thank you so much for reading!

Until next time everyone~

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