Alibris
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Buy as a shopper hunting cheap used books, manga, or textbooks . Reddit buyers vouch for the prices and legitimacy.
New check
Comparison
Alibris vs Amazon
Alibris and Amazon both land on Depends.
Amazon
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Use Amazon for cheap commodity goods and fast delivery.
| Compare | Amazon | |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Depends | Depends |
| Best for | Bargain used-book hunters | Bulk commodity purchases |
| Who it's not for | Sellers . fees and pricing rules squeeze margins | Buyers needing trustworthy reviews for big purchases |
| Privacy | No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed. | No confirmed breach in sources, but active account-attack warnings and credential-abuse campaigns are reported. |
| Support quality | BBB, PissedConsumer, scam-thread complaints | Multiple support channels exist; ConsumerAffairs lists service complaints |
| Public sentiment | Reddit buyers vouch for Alibris's low prices and legitimacy, while Trustpilot, BBB, PissedConsumer, and a scam-forum thread carry steady complaints about sellers, refunds, and fees.¹ | Opinions are polarized: many love the convenience, while a growing share complain about declining quality, review distrust, and pricing practices.13 |
| Biggest gotcha | Seller commissions stack on top of per-item fees, crushing margins on cheap books10 | FTC lawsuit alleges hidden ad surcharges that can inflate what you pay |
Pick Alibris when
- Bargain used-book hunters
- Manga and out-of-print collectors
- Students buying cheap textbooks
- Casual music and DVD buyers
When Alibris is not a fit
- Sellers . fees and pricing rules squeeze margins
- Collectors needing strict condition grading
- Buyers who want strong refund dispute support
- High-volume bookstores picking one best marketplace
Pick Amazon when
- Bulk commodity purchases
- Fast-shipping needs
- Sellers wanting massive reach
- Price-comparison shoppers
When Amazon is not a fit
- Buyers needing trustworthy reviews for big purchases
- Ethical or values-driven shoppers
- Budget shoppers wanting price transparency
- Anyone unwilling to manage account-security risk
Sources
- Alibris Trustpilot reviewstrustpilot.comreview
- Is Alibris legit? (r/MangaCollectors)reddit.comreview
review
- Bought a Book from Alibris (r/Scams)reddit.comreview
- Alibris BBB complaintsbbb.orgreview
- Alibris PissedConsumer complaintsalibris.pissedconsumer.comreview
- Selling at Alibris: why it's pointlessjkkelley.orgreview
- Alibris seller fees threadtapatalk.comreview
review
- Alibris seller program feesalibris.comofficial
- Alibris seller help (fees)alibris.comofficial
- Alibris gets $30 million in fundingzdnet.comnews
- Amazon Reviews | Trustpilottrustpilot.comreview
review
- Amazon Reviews | Glassdoor (211,500)glassdoor.comreview
- Amazon is unusably bad now . Redditreddit.comreview