Barnes & Noble Booksellers
reviews and complaints

I am an attorney that represents a self-published author. She has a simple concern about one of her titles listed with Barnes and Noble. Not even that big an issue...should've been easy to resolve.

I started the process like I always do; by conducting a quick internet search for the legal department. Not listed. That's fine. I reached out to the email address listed for Publisher/Author Inquiries and asked if I could get a quick call back. No luck on the callback.

I was informed I needed to submit my questions in writing. Not a problem. I submitted the questions and, the next day, received an incomplete response. I asked again for a follow up call so I could ask my remaining questions. No dice.

So I asked for what I actually wanted the whole time: the phone number to Barnes & Nobel's legal department. Apparently, this is a closely guarded secret.

April Beeman would not provide a number to legal but, after a few emails back and forth, did provide the email for Allison Risbridger, a Client Development Specialist. I contacted Ms. Risbridger and asked for the legal department phone number. Again, zero dice.

I emailed back asking why a simple request for the legal department phone number was such a big secret. Still no legal department number.

I normally don't complain about silly issues like this, but my client will receive a bill for the time Barnes and Noble wasted today. I'm sure I'll find the number to legal somehow...but it certainly won't be due to the helpful folks in Publisher Author Relations or Client Development. And it will cost my client another few hundred bucks to get the simple answer she deserved. Nice Barnes and Noble.

My son was verbally attacked by a Barnes & Noble employee in their Marlton, NJ store today for being a Donald Trump supporter. The employees name is Joan. My son is 10 years old. He loves his country, and our president. I believe the lunatic employee should be told, in the voice of Donald Trump: "You're Fired!" He was questioned as to why he would support a molester, and told we won't live to the end of the year with Trump as president. Needless to say, this was very unsettling for my son. Any actions you could take to avoid this incident from happening again would be appreciated.

Very Truly Yours,

Dr. Anthony Leska

My son walked in with a book which he later accidentally mixed with the rest of the other ones. I was kindly explaining this to Elizabeth, an employee working on the 3rd floor of the Barnes and noble at the grove. She couldn't have been more rude as she told me I needed a receipt otherwise she couldn't help me and then just walks away as I'm trying to explain the situation. She later then asked my husband and son to move out the way from where we were reading because according to her we were blocking. Just rude and unprofessional.

Barnes and Noble took money from my checking account without prior agreement from me by either postal notification or email. Really creepy, it felt like theft. This is a very bad business choice on their part. Stupid practice sure to back fire on them. I spent so much time on the phone with them to get a refund that it almost seemed they were trying to get you to hang up in frustration and lose the refund. If you are asked at the check out in a B and N store for a membership, don't do it.

I placed a book on hold for my classroom. When I got to the store I purchased not only that book but 3 others as well for my classroom. When I inquired about a teacher discount I was told I needed several pieces of documentation in order to receive the discount. I can understand that. Then I inquired about a military discount and I was told no. I understand but when a customer reserves a book and then adds on three additional books and is inquiring about a discount the customer service person should be a little more courteous and not so high and mighty.
I spent $65.24 in this store. Sadly, you have lost a customer who has been loyal for years. I have received better customer service at Books A Million. I will take my business to them and Amazon. Your employees are not any better then the customer they serve.
The store number is 2065. 9850 Brook Rd. Glen Allen, Va 23059. The customer service person was Mark S.

With regards to my order number [protected] I am very upset. Let me state in all the time I've been a Barnes and Noble Member I've NEVER had a problem until now. My credit card has been charged for this order. B &N stated it shipped on 7/5/17. UPS in tracking insists (though a human being has not responded to me) that it was delivered on Sat 7/8/17. There is ALWAYS someone here at my address and no package was delivered. There is a 3 day delivery promise that I pay for with my membership. I am most unhappy. I want either my order or PLEASE REFUND MY MONEY!
Sincerely,
Linda M Anderson
Membership No. [protected]
[protected]@yahoo.com

I have been trying to login to my account for days. It rarely works and I have lost all of my nook books that I have spent thousands of dollars on. I cannot reach anyone in customer service to chat or email since the website forces you to login, which it does not let you do. I have tried through multiple servers and browsers. I have also used my ipad and iphone, which don't work. NEither does a wifi hot spot. I want a reason why we cannot submit a form on the site without requiring a login in that does not work.

Cashier by the name of John at the Jonesboro Arkansas store was very, very rude. My daughter from out of town had a 25% off. She carried the book to the cash register and I was going to pay for it with my Credit Card. He rudely refused to let us use it. My daughter told this cashier that she had never had that problem before. John replied I'll take care of that, I'm the cashier manager. I said to my daughter after leaving the register that I would not come back to this store, John replied "Good." If this is a sample of the people you hire, no one needs to buy anything from Barnes & Knoble. This happen on July 6, 2017. My opinion: this person needs inservice on customer service.

Tracking:
Date Time Status Location
06/14/2017 08:15 In Transit To Carrier's US Operations Facility Bell Ca
06/13/2017 09:15 Shipment Has Left Seller Facility And Is In Transit To Carrier Bell Ca
06/13/2017 06:00 Shipment Information Received By Asendia Bell Ca

6/27 Still not received. What is the solution to the problem? I would still like to receive the book.

New seating configuration in the cafe is unacceptable. It does not make good use of the space with only 2 tables in the forward section and all the tables in back section right on top of each other. You are forced to sit w/strangers or right on top of others making impossible to concentrate if reading or conversing w/someone. The cafe experience is no longer a pleasant one. I'm a loyal customer of many years and have never complained before.

Hi,
I wish to observe that I have not being seeing any progress in the shipment by Bookers World Wide and delivery of the book I order since Wednesday 7th of June.
The last information I got from tracking the shipment by Asendia was that it was delivered to the carrier on 9th of June and no more. I will like to know what is happening.
Regards
Iyiola Oladokun

The'cafe' at the Amarillo, Tx location is closing up too soon. Certain drinks are not available that are clearly posted. What is happening the girls are cleaning up one and two hours early, which is a detriment to business and not good for the customer.

I've had it happen personally three times recently, especially regarding the tea menu.

If these drinks are not available during business hours the girls should not be paid during that time as well, simple math.

Very irritating.

I saw a pending charge order # [protected] on my debit card account ending in 5576 when I called your customer service line I spoke with someone who identified himself as Winter was very rude and insulting started telling me I order book 05/2017 I disputed some agreement, reasons for I never received a book from your company through any postal carrier if any was sent it was returned to sender. Please address same and withdraw from my bank
Everton Saunders
[protected]@yahoo.com

I am a customer at BN Hilton Head SC. I have bought quite a few records from that store in the last couple of months.
Some of the records have been defective. I have been trated up until yesterday in a positive manner.
I have returned and exchanged records that have been noisy or scratched without any problem. Yesterday I went to replace a record that had excessive survice noise and skipped. Due to the surface noise in the recording i just wanted another title. In the past they would allow me to do so.
The manager (Tyler) said all he would do is replace it with the same title. I told that the vinyl was noisey and I wanted a different recornd and I had been allowed to in the past. He said not anymore. Going forward this is the policy!
He was rude. I left. I still have the replaacement unopened. I do not want this record. He needs to be intructed on how to treat customers!
I hope this can be straightened out
Yours truely,
Randy Forman
Finest Fidelity
[protected]

The hardworking employees at the Poughkeepsie NY "Barnes n Noble" found the time through out a three hour period to berate many of their patrons for bringing in outside food or drinks, but couldn't, in that same three hour period tonight find the time to clean the poop off a toilet seat in the women's bathroom. Perhaps there should have been a little less shaming and little more cleaning.. 😡

At the El Paso Fountains at Farah store I was browsing books at a bottom shelf. I was in heels so I sat that way I can pull and compare books without breaking my ankles. So this employee comes by and tells me "cafe or chairs only" and that I'm a safety hazard in a store that isn't even very busy at that time. Okay so how am I supposed to browse the shelf if I can't look at it? That in itself would have been fine, but then he walked past an aisle where two girls had been on the floor for a long while. They were chatting, sitting on the floor, and had their bags and books around them. He looked down the aisle and ignored them. So I'm a hazard looking for something to buy, but they aren't?

On 6/3/17 I took my old tablet Nook into the store because it was not working. I dealt with Tray, the "nook supervisor". He quickly told me that my old Nook was "dying" and I needed a new one. I believed him and bought the Glo-light, since I have no need for the tablet capacity. He set it up for me and I noted the time was incorrect. He told me it would "self-correct". When I got home the time was still incorrect and I was unable to set it. My plan was to bring it into the store when I had time.

Last night I attempted to order a new book and was unable to connect to my WIFI. My old device connected immediately and I downloaded the book on the old device.

I went into the store today (before 10am) before 10am and was treated extremely rudely by "Marcy" who countered everything I said by telling me that I was wrong. For example, I had my very early Nook with me (similar to the one I bought but it doesn't light) and referred to it as the first Nook. She quickly told me I was wrong. There was an earlier Nook. Next I said that I was unable to connect to WIFI at home and she told me that perhaps my WIFI was not working, not even giving me a chance to tell her it was working and in fact I connected the other device. I told her I didn't want to deal with her.

Tray came in, listened to what I said, connected to WIFI at the store, the time corrected and my book downloaded. I told him I thought there was a problem with the device. His solution was to offer me my money back. He would not consider that perhaps there was something wrong with the device.

I came back to my office and attempted to shut it down. I could not shut it down by instead had the screen "jump" all over, and flash on and off. I had my assistant try and she could not power it off, either.

I called Tray and he informed me that "sometimes this happens". I kept my finger on the button for 6 minute while talking to him and eventually it powered down. He admitted that perhaps something is wrong with the device, but he doubted it. I asked if he would be willing to exchange it for another device and reluctantly he said yes, telling me to come in. I explained that I have meetings the rest of the day and wondered if there was someone who could pick it up and do the exchange. My office is across the street, and of course he could not do that.

In great frustration I said it appeared that the device is now working and at my convenience I will bring it in. I also told him I would let him know if I can connect to my WIFI at home.

This experience is extremely frustrating and unlike any I have had at a Barnes and Noble store. There is a pervasive attitude that the customer is always wrong.

I look forward to your thoughts and reply.

My credit card was automatically charged $25 per year for 2015, 2016 and 2017 for automatic membership to "B and N" even though I never visited the store in 2015-17. I was told that I had signed up for automatic membership in 2014 although I do not remember being asked nor would I have agreed. I learned later from others that I may have been automatically enrolled unless I stated that I did not want it in 2014. I did notice a charge that was inordinately high for me of $75 from Barnes and Noble that must have included membership. I did not receive a separate notification nor do I remember getting a membership card. Barnes and Noble refunded my 2017 fee of $25 since I called before my membership expired on 6/28/2017. This practice reminds me of the Wells Fargo Bank scam when accounts were opened for customers without their knowledge. Is this happening to others? As for me, I will not go to a Barnes and Noble store again, even to use their bathroom. Is this worth it to the company for $25/year?

www.barnesandnoble.com website is implemented to obfuscate and even deny problem resolution regarding an order that was billed and posted to my VISA. The site doesn't provide a confirmation with an order number at time of sale... thus their entire customer service is based upon an order number that was never provided. Not-with-standing VISA card is billed at time of purchase. How clever.. of them.. to implement an automated sales system that produces revenue without providing products purchased and no way to follow up. The implementation is intentional it appears. Take an order, charge the buyer's credit card.. and do nothing else.

The manager for the 90th and Shea, scottsdale Barnes and Noble is truly someone I would not want to even talk to.

I love reading but not long ago, I was browsing the shelves, and the manager comes and says I had been tresspassed from the store.

I politely asked for the reason why, but I was threatened by the manager with the police.

I want this guy fired, and I will appeal this to the fullest extent of the law.