Waterstones Reviews
Summary
Review Centre also have thousands of book reviews and magazine reviews. Why not write reviews of the books and magazines that you have read, or use the reviews we have to help you with your next purchase.
Latest Reviews
★☆☆☆☆
“hopeless customer service - dont order online”
Written on: 22/03/2013 by buckleylb (1 review written)
I ordered online last night. Problem with website and order duplicated. Sent email right way. Today midday email saying too late, order dispatched. Rang up and was told it couldn't be cancelled and I could return them. Queried if I would be charged 2 sets of postage, customer service said they didn't know and I would have to ring back again! I now also have to make time in my busy week to go to a post office. This is bad enough but an hour later saying that one of the orders wasn't complete.... (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“Online ordering - RUBBISH !!”
Written on: 18/02/2013
Ordered a stocking filler book for my daughter 15 days ago - when i ordered the item was available on a 7-10 day dispatch. I have been tracking the parcel over the last week and noticed that the order was still saying " being processed". I today rang waterstones to see where the book was - I was informed that it has now been put on another 7-10 days wait meaning it won't arrive till after christmas ! If I had been told this at the start I could have ordered else where. First and last time... (read more)
★★★☆☆
“Waterstones need to lower their book prices”
Written on: 13/01/2013 by jan2013new (12 reviews written)
I have a feeling that Waterstones may run out of business like so many other book shops because their prices are far too expensive. Amazon is their main competitor and so Waterstones need to reduce their prices to stay in business. (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“Extremely Slow Processing and Delivery”
Written on: 23/12/2012
The processing of orders is extremely slow. I ordered several expensive law books from them and it took them such a long time to process and deliver. Never again. I should have ordered through Amazon. (read more)
★★☆☆☆
“What price loyalty?”
Written on: 17/12/2012
Lost my loyalty card but thought worthy of getting a replacement after purchasing a Kindle Fire from them - 3 points for every £1 and I felt good about supporting my local High Street stores. I was given a telephone number to ring, as surprise surprise they can't do it instore, but when I called the number, I just got a message to press 1 for loyalty card, 2 for customer service. I pressed 1, but no other info given, just awful music and no idea how far down or up in the queue I was. After... (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“Book never arrived!”
Written on: 08/09/2012 by Tallfella (1 review written)
Orderered a book that has not turned up after 3 months!!!. Admittedly it's not a run of the mill book but why say you can get it if you can't. (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“incredibly slow delievry”
Written on: 16/08/2012 by sahibamajeed
i am so disappointed as i ordered a book in July for a friend. it was meant to be her birthday present. it has now been a whole month and i still haven't recieved my book. i looked at the status and it said that the book had been shipped and will be given to me within the next 10 days. it has been 3 weeks since i had recieved that message and there is still no sign of the book. i wouldnt reccomend this to anyone. very poor service. very disapointed (read more)
★★★★☆
“A world of great books”
Written on: 10/07/2012 by BiffyisWright (6 reviews written)
On a recent trip to London, I happened upon the Waterstones branch in Gower street. It is the most amazing bookshop I've ever been in - like Hamley's for books! The place is sooo big you are just left alone to explore at your leisure without assistants bothering you every few minutes to pester you into buying a book. The layout of the shop makes you feel like you're in an Aladdin's cave, like might chance upon a hidden gem of a book no-one has seen in years. As you would expect they have... (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“Terrible Onine Service”
Written on: 17/06/2012
After placing an order and waiting 4 days with no sign of a delivery, I cancelled the order online. The order status was then changed to 'pending cancellation'. The following day I received an e-mail stating my order had been shipped in full. Why ship an order that has been cancelled?! What a joke (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“Online service a complete joke!”
Written on: 28/05/2012 by Lioneluk
I ordered a book online to be delivered in instore since the price was a little more competitive (24£ instead of 30£). Now I did my homework and research prices online before buying so I thought I could save myself the trouble by just picking it up instore. When I came in this morning to pick it up, they said the book hasn't arrived yet, but I checked on their shelves and they had at least 50copies of it! I ask the store clerk why can't he grab an instore copy and call it a day but he... (read more)
See next 10 reviews
Showing 1 - 10 of 61 Reviews
★☆☆☆☆
“Extremely dissapointing”
Written on: 27/03/2012
I am a self confessed bibliophile and was given a Waterstones voucher as a thank you present (it didn't cover the whole cost but was a wonderful gesture). I usually woun't shop at Waterstones as thier prices are higher tham most other suppliers. On the multiple occasions that i have dared to venture into thier shops to pre-order a book or browse for one of my favourite authors i have been made to feel unwelcome. However i thought i would give them a second chance and decided to give thier... (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“Slow delivery”
Written on: 19/03/2012 by whowantstoknow (3 reviews written)
Ordered book online, really slow delivery service & they promise quick delivery. Still haven't received book & contacted customer services & told i need to wait till 10 WORKING days have passed before they can look into it. Jokers! Would not order from them again. (read more)
★★★☆☆
“Huge range of books”
Written on: 04/02/2012 by eddieb101 (10 reviews written)
Waterstones is the main book shop company in the UK by far and have many branches across the UK. They all have the same layout! They carry a wide array of books on virtually any subject BUT if you're after a rare book then the chances are they won't stock it. Several books i have looked for have never been in stock. The main critique with Waterstones has to be their prices...by that i mean they don't do deals or reductions on books unless they are on the table near the doors as you enter... (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“Not delivered on time, stressful, rubbish customer service”
Written on: 20/12/2011
Ordered a book as a very important gift. Now extremely stressed as it has not arrived (2 days past deadline). Will have to exercise a contingency plan as I cannot wait any more. Item was ordered well in advance and free delivery was selected. A book ordered from Amazon on the same day arrived 2 days ago, also with free delivery. Called customer service and they just couldn't care less and told me to wait another 5 days, which will be too late. Their useless web site says that the item... (read more)
★★★★★
“What is everyone talking about?!”
Written on: 17/10/2011 by Elliottc (1 review written)
I think the online service is perfect! Everytime I have ordered a book it has come the next day! Sometimes it says it will be delayed when in that case I just simply cancel the order and everything is ok! Here's an cool story, I was on the site at 11pm on a sunday and I placed an order, at 7am the next morning I recieved a text message saying my order had been fully dispatched! amazing! Don't know how they did it though haha. (read more)
Guest's Response to Elliottc's Review
Written on: 08/12/2011
I ordered a book exactly 1 month a go. Granted it was lost in the post so 2 weeks of that were spent waiting. What did I just say granted? It shouldn't take 2 weeks in the first place to get here! I have now chased it up again to be told it could be anything from 2-7 WEEKS until it is dispatched from the SELLER to Waterstones. This is what everyone is talking about:
1. you can get nearly everything cheaper elsewhere
2. the delivery times are just completely unacceptable.
Reply to this comment
★★★★★
“Back of the net!”
Written on: 16/10/2011
I saw the Alan Partridge book in their window and thought I'd take a look. After a few moments I was approached by a member of staff and we had a quick chat about Alan Partridge and his career. The staff member knew their stuff, and their friendly manner persuaded me to buy the book. It was half-price which is a great price and has made me recommend the book to my friends. A great store, I'll be back. (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“Extremely Poor Customer Service”
Written on: 22/07/2011
I lost my Waterstone's loyalty card. My resulting experience is that they think giving a grasping, precious, bureaucratic, hobbled service designed for their convenience is okay so long as they do it in a friendly way. God, they so do not understand customer service. Amazon has them beaten by a mile. Needlessly angering long-standing customers over a quid's worth of loyalty points!! I suspect they'll follow Borders at some point. I won't cheer, but I won't be surprised. Time for the customer... (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“Don't shop online!”
Written on: 20/07/2011
I bought books online at Waterstones.Com. Said they would arrive into store 48 hours later. After 2 weeks and 4 visits to the shop I have just recieved my books! Also, I was overcharged and they can't help me in theshop -trouble is - they still havn't replied to my 3 emails! A service to be ashamed of!!!!!! (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“waterstones.com”
Written on: 23/06/2011
I wish I had read these reviews before I used the online service. I had to choose between using Amazon or Waterstones, Waterstones having on offer in place making it cheaper than Amazon. I needed my order quickly so asked for first class delivery. This was a waste of time, I now will not be able to get the books I needed as the time taken to dispatch the order is far too long. My advice to anyone using this site is - if you need something within any sort of time limit use another store. Do... (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“The last time I shop with them”
Written on: 31/05/2011
As a lover of books, I am always one to spend some of my hard earned cash on a paperback or hardback that picks my fancy, and am always on the look for great deals and good service. After many experiences with various Book Sellers and chains, I found the entire culture of Waterstone's rather refreshing. I became a loyal customer, spending money on books at their stores when they were cheaper elsewhere. However, after a recent experience, that loyalty has been shattered. I ordered a large... (read more)
See next 10 reviews
Showing 11 - 20 of 61 Reviews
★☆☆☆☆
“I pre ordered a book for my sons birthday. It still...”
Written on: 13/04/2011
I pre ordered a book for my sons birthday. It still wasnt with us 4 days after release so i emailed customer services who said i had to wait 10 days before i could make a claim.
After 10 days of it still not being with me i emailed them again, this time they told me i had given them the wrong address, i'd actually forgot to include my post code, therefore it's my fault the book hasnt arrived with me.
I'm absolutley disgusted with their responce and i'll never use this company again.
(read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“The online service promises to deliver within 48h but...”
Written on: 22/02/2011
The online service promises to deliver within 48h but 8 days after placing my order I am still waiting for the books. Contacted customer services twice over the phone, the lady said that it could take a further 10 days to arrive. What a joke! I need these books for preparing an exam next week. I would never shop in waterstones online again. (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“I was given a gift card a couple of years ago, so I...”
Written on: 02/02/2011
I was given a gift card a couple of years ago, so I ordered some maps online. They took 10 days to finally ship the order, which then arrived in separate deliveries after another few days. The last one turned up a long time after the others. Just over a week ago I ordered a book to use up the rest of my giftcard and chose store delivery (thinking if it's in stock I could just pick it up the next day). Exactly a week later I get an email saying it's been dispatched to the store (up to... (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“I decided to order some books online before a visit on...”
Written on: 29/01/2011
I decided to order some books online before a visit on the train to London, I ordered the books two weeks before I was due to leave and expected them to arrive roughly a week before I left.
However, I continually checked back on the site and 5 days later, my order had not even been processed. I had also (stupidly) selected the second class/free delivery service and due to the 5 day delay (which may have gone on longer) did not expect them to arrive in time; although the site does say that the...
(read more)
★★★★☆
“I overall really like Waterstone's they have a wide...”
Written on: 17/12/2010 by Leanne44 (41 reviews written)
I overall really like Waterstone's they have a wide range of all different books from children's to text books, graphic novels to biographies, cooking to photography and much much more. The only thing I can fault this store on is the lack of graphic novel's and Manga books, they seem to only bring one volume out of the whole set in every so often and continue to order in the same one and don't have a very large selection. The amount of stock in the store is far greater than any book store I... (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“Ordered a book online as a christmas present....”
Written on: 09/12/2010
Ordered a book online as a christmas present. Everywhere else had the book unavailable but waterstones allowed me to order it. My online status remained with the discriptor, "awaiting from our suppliers". After over a month I decided to ring waterstones and query what was going on. I've just been told that the book is no longer in print!! I should have guessed this was the case when Amazon didn't have it available. Never use their online service again................ (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“Well...I thought it was just me that this happened too...”
Written on: 18/11/2010
Well...I thought it was just me that this happened too but i guess its an overall FAIL on their part, i ordered 3 books on the 8th of October and am still yet to recieve 2 of them...then 2 packs of flashcards on the 10th..Again still waiting! I called 8th November to be told the book is currently no longer being published but hold on it will be dispatched to us in 3-5 working days so expect t in a week at the most! Still no sign and then the flash card order..WELL they say the item is now... (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“The waterstones online service is truly awful. I...”
Written on: 10/11/2010
The waterstones online service is truly awful. I placed an order for 5 books 8 weeks ago and they still haven't arrived! Also, you will be able to buy your books at a much cheaper price elsewhere. Avoid! (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“I placed two orders: 1 on 18th October which was...”
Written on: 28/10/2010
I placed two orders: 1 on 18th October which was dispatched on 19th, and another on 25th October which still has yet to be dispatched despite numerous phone calls to Waterstones and then being assured that it would be dispatched 'either today or tomorrow'.
I have yet to receive the first order despite it being more than a week since it was "dispatched" and when I placed my order of 3957715, I placed it because on site it said that it is usually dispatched within 24hours.
I rung about 3...
(read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“My wife ordered a book on line on 1st October. Wrong...”
Written on: 24/10/2010
My wife ordered a book on line on 1st October. Wrong book sent (arrived 7th October) Sent straight back asking for a replacement. When I rang to ask for an update on the order I was told that they can't tell me due to data protection. I don't wan
t the secrets of MI5, I just want to know when the book will be delivered!
Their customer service (!) line is not open at weekends... and it is now 23rd October and no book.
Absolute rubbish, Amazon for me next time
(read more)
See next 10 reviews
Showing 21 - 30 of 61 Reviews
★☆☆☆☆
“I ordered some walking maps from Waterstones - only...”
Written on: 16/08/2010
I ordered some walking maps from Waterstones - only because I had some book tokens to use & they can't be used online. Having read Private Eye's coverage of Waterstones I didn't expect much & not much was what I got. After three weeks or so I was told that the IGN maps I'd ordered were in. At the shop, the assistant produced one and gave an obviously false excuse about IGN remapping for the others' non-appearance. As soon as I got home I was phoned to say the others were in. Great. I... (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“Totally uncompetitive in a very competitive market. A...”
Written on: 06/08/2010
Totally uncompetitive in a very competitive market. A week after ordering 5 books online, the order is still being processed. I called the Helpline and was told that all 5 books(on very diverse topics) were out of stock, and the person couldn't give me an estimated delivery date.
I cancelled the order with Waterstones, and placed to similar order with Amazon - next day delivery. And oh, all 5 items are cheaper on Amazon too.
(read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“I ordered a copy of the highway code interactive cd on...”
Written on: 23/07/2010
I ordered a copy of the highway code interactive cd on the waterstones websitte and selected next day delivery via courier (with and extra charge).
The next day I checked the status of my order online and it told me that it was still being processed. I then called the call centre and asked for an update. The guy on the phone told me that it would take 5 days to deliver. I then said that I had apid for courier delivery and that this shoudl noty happen. He then told me in that case it would...
(read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“When I left my last job I was given a Waterstones Gift...”
Written on: 25/04/2010
When I left my last job I was given a Waterstones Gift Card. Great, I thought. On my initial order, all of the cost was taken from the credit card, not the gift card. Did finally get that sorted out after several emails, most of which were the 'standard' reply. I did get one book delivered and cancelled the other three, as I had no communication and no estimated delivery date. They said they were waiting for their suppliers. Surprise surprise the money was never recredited to the gift card.... (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“I definitely would nor recommend this to ayone. ”
Written on: 25/03/2010
I definitely would nor recommend this to ayone.
I ordered 2 books a month ago, and until now nothing has arrived.
I alsemailed them for the first time a week ago in order to get some information, and 3 mails later and until now no answer whatsoever.
In 3 days I will be able to ask for a refund,But I seriously doubt they will answer me until the 40 day refund period has passed by. Since I am from Portugal, it's no use calling them, since I bet I will spend more on phone that what I would get;...
(read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“Was given a Waterstones Gift Card as a present....”
Written on: 15/03/2010 by tgosling (2 reviews written)
Was given a Waterstones Gift Card as a present. Website was difficult to use but eventually found a set of books that spent the full amount + a few extra pence. Checked out using the gift card, scratching off a panel to reveal the pin number etc. Entered credit card details for the few pence. The invoice didn't show the gift card but their help said this was normal (can't view gift voucher balance online, doesn't show on invoices etc.). Books eventually delivered and when I see my credit... (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“Not Happy... have waited for over 3 weeks for a book I...”
Written on: 28/01/2010
Not Happy... have waited for over 3 weeks for a book I ordered in the waterstones shop itself. they dont know what they are doing. one minute they say, will be here in 8 - 10 days... next they say its not been published... then they say that they have re ordered from a hard back to a paper back... excuse me.... i ordered a hard back!!! the only thing they can say is, whichever one gets here first you can have so if the paperback comes first I get a £3 refund!!!!
I can get this book for £7...
(read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“waterstones online are useles they take ages to...”
Written on: 12/12/2009
waterstones online are useles they take ages to deliver what you ordered, and if you return a book they do not credit your account so they have basically robbed me. my girlfriend bought some books on their 3 for 2 offer and when she got home and checked her receipt they had charged her for all three. my advice is buy shares in waterstones at the speed they rip their customers off your investment will pay dividends. I will never use waterstones again. you get a better deal buying books from... (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“I'm at a loss to figure out why waterstones even...”
Written on: 09/12/2009
I'm at a loss to figure out why waterstones even bother to have an online service at all. What they've done is barely bother to offer a service.
Goods can be in stock and available for 'immediate' dispatch, but that has no meaning in regards to when they actually bother to process the order. My order had the status 'awaiting processing' for over a week. Not my definition of 'immediate'. Its now 5 days since it claimed that my order was dispatched but I'm told I should wait 14 days from...
(read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“I have never experienced such horrendous service from...”
Written on: 02/12/2009
I have never experienced such horrendous service from an on-line store. To date I have placed three orders - the first they cancelled, the second they part delivered. It took me from April to November this year to finally get the credit. I wanted the credit in vouchers or cheque, but they would only put it in my e-wallet. Having finally got the credit I ordered another two books on-line using an additional gift voucher I had been given. Guess what - I'm back to square one except they... (read more)
See next 10 reviews
Showing 31 - 40 of 61 Reviews
★☆☆☆☆
“I received a £15 Waterstones gift card for xmas 2008....”
Written on: 06/11/2009 by clubcardkid (1 review written)
I received a £15 Waterstones gift card for xmas 2008. I finally decided on a book I wanted and ordered it through the Waterstones website and inputted the gift card details as part payment.
The order was subsequently canceled (after about 3 weeks) and the email I notification said any money would be refunded. So I signed into my online account, added an alternative product to my basket, but when I went to pay for it I find that the £15 credit had not been refunded.
I emailed customer...
(read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“On viewing the free delivery and Waterstone's points...”
Written on: 14/10/2009
On viewing the free delivery and Waterstone's points offer I thought I'd give it a go. What a great error this was. 10 days after placing my order the good still hadn't been received by "supplier". So decided to give them a ring. Where I was told the error was mine and that monies could not be collected. This surprised me but I guessed there could have been an error so I re-submitted my details and 4 more days later still nothing. So I started doing research and found out what a... (read more)
★★☆☆☆
“Waterstones shops in the high street are well stocked...”
Written on: 23/08/2009
Waterstones shops in the high street are well stocked places with helpful staff I find.
Unfortunately, it would seem that, if you want to order anything more obscure than a Harry Potter book on-line then you are in for a long wait. I ordered a book at Christmas which I cancelled because they could not get it from their suppliers. Now, you would have thought that, 'once bitten......' but I received a gift card in July for a birthday present and because I was busy I ordered on-line again....
(read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“I wouldn't bother with Waterstones unless you are sure...”
Written on: 05/08/2009
I wouldn't bother with Waterstones unless you are sure the book is in stock. I ordered a book on the 20th May hoping to receive it in time for my wife's birthday on the 8th June. Admittedly, the entry did say "Usually despatched within 7-10 days" but that should still have been fine. Needless to say nothing arrive. I was patient but eventually contacted them two months later. I got a feeble response saying that they were contacting the publishers, who would let me know via e-mail when... (read more)
☆☆☆☆☆
“Ordered a book and a map in January from Waterstones...”
Written on: 08/07/2009 by clanger1 (1 review written)
Ordered a book and a map in January from Waterstones online. Was told that they were awaiting delivery from the publishers - fair enough. However, 6 months later, still no order arrived!
Emailed customer services in March, who told me they were still waiting delivery from the publishers.
Phoned their helpline in July and was told that the map was no longer available to purchase online, but no one had bothered to tell me!
Cancelled the order and because I bought it with a gift card, the...
(read more)
☆☆☆☆☆
“Waterstones.com....what can I say? The most...”
Written on: 06/07/2009
Waterstones.com....what can I say? The most exasperatingly ineffective online retailer I've encountered. Their product availability projections are basically lies. Why list titles when they are clearly unavailable. I've been trying to spend a gift card on this site for 2 weeks - I've yet to find a book which I want and which they deliver within 2 weeks. Oh and they're really expensive (up to twice the price in some cases) compared to Amazon etc. The fact that this dinosaur still lives is a... (read more)
☆☆☆☆☆
“I bought £60 worth of books on-line at Waterstones in...”
Written on: 07/05/2009 by passthedigestivesmother (2 reviews written)
I bought £60 worth of books on-line at Waterstones in mid-March and five weeks later with no progress on delivery I called & was told 4 of 9 had to be cancelled as they were not available on-line; this in spite of the fact that they are still listed on their web site, and were available for purchase at the time of my original order.
It's now 2 months down the road and despite calling Waterstones half a dozen times now, all I keep getting told is that they've requested a status update from the...
(read more)
☆☆☆☆☆
“I ordered books from Waterstones as I like the stores...”
Written on: 31/03/2009 by addscot (1 review written)
I ordered books from Waterstones as I like the stores and thought that free delivery was a good deal. I usually check most online stores that I do not normally use for consumer reviews before ordering. I foolishly assumed waterstones would be reliable.
Well free delivery actually means no delivery when it concerns Waterstones online.
Ordered 3 books online a month ago, 3 e-mails, 3 phone calls and a lot of hassle later I have been told that my money has been refunded.
I was also...
(read more)
☆☆☆☆☆
“On the 9th Feb 09 I ordered 6 books from here. They...”
Written on: 26/02/2009
On the 9th Feb 09 I ordered 6 books from here. They have been sitting with the status 'on order' since then despite not saying that they were not in stock when I ordered.
I ordered on a giftcard and the books were being delivered to the store.
Today I phoned (for the second time) and was told that several books were sitting in the warehouse but they could not give a delivery date. I asked to cancel and was told I could but that I could not get the money back on my giftcard but into a...
(read more)
★★★☆☆
“I do find it easy to navigate around the site and...”
Written on: 08/01/2009
I do find it easy to navigate around the site and there are always products that I am interested in. Unfortunately most of the products I like are out of stock or out of print and I'm currently waiting on 4 or 5 books that they don't have because they're waiting on their suppliers. I usually receive them within the 3-5 days predicted by Waterstone's for free delivery. I received one half of an order today which is a little strange as I requested complete delivery but I'm not fussed as I love... (read more)
See next 10 reviews
Showing 41 - 50 of 61 Reviews
overview
Top 5 Book Shops
To calculate the top 5's we take the following factors into account:
• All the star ratings the company/product has received,
• The number of reviews
• How recent the reviews are
As rated by real users
-
1. WHSmith
6 reviews read latest review -
2. Blackwells
3 reviews read latest review -
3. Borders
10 reviews read latest review -
4. Waterstones
61 reviews read latest review -
5. British Bookshops and Sussex Stationers
7 reviews read latest review
Latest Reviews in Book Shops
-
Waterstones
"Hopeless customer service - do..." Read More
-
Books etc.
"10 Murders in 10 Days" Read More
-
Foyles
"Foyles Online is great TOO!" Read More
-
Blackwells
"I like Blackwell's, but not th..." Read More
-
Daunt Books
"No finer book shop was ever cr..." Read More
Latest items in Book Shops
See more ▼
Swanny1's Comment
Written on: 02/01/2013
because it appears as though your order was "Pending cancellation" which means that it has not been confirmed and im sure it says on their site somewhere that cancellation wont be confirmed until an email has been received.