King of Books (Book People, the)

Member Name: abbadabbado

Product:	Book People, the
Date:	01/11/08 (91 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: great prices

Disadvantages: none

I found The Book People a few years ago when I was browsing for some books for my older daughter. I have done all the book clubs in the past and been tempted by the fantastic introductory offers only to be stung with books I really didn't want after that.
The Book People aren't a book club so this was a plus point straight away. They are more like a wholesaler selling to the public at discounted prices.
I was fairly dubious of this to start with as some of the discounts are huge compared to other online book stores, but after a few orders I realised they were fine and like many other have taken advantage of gaining bargains when I need books.

To shop on the website, it's as simple as browsing until you find the book you want. Be careful as you will more than likely end up with much more in your basket than you actually need purely because if the prices.
There is a very comprehensive search bar which allows you to search by age, format and category. There are also the different categories listed for you to click through. I can spend ages browsing through all the titles.
It's fair to say at this point that their stock changes frequently so if you see something, it will probably still be there in a week, but don't leave it too long as it will be swapped for something else when they sell out. I have found this happen frequently, unless it's a hugely popular title and then it stays a lot longer.

Books are available in many different categories from baby's right through to biographies. I find the book people do a great section on activity books, which for parents of school age children this is, a god send if you want to buy the key stage books to assist your child's learning. As they are available in packs rather than singularly, the money to be saved is huge compared to the high street.

So when you've spent ages browsing and have a basket full, the next step will be to register your details on the site. This is done for two reasons. The first so they can market you when they feel like it, the same as other sites, but the other is so you can collect points. Now you collect book points on each book you purchase. These aren't many point s, but eventually if you're a frequent shopper these points will add up and you'll get a free book.
A typical purchase of £9.99 will earn you 9 points, and if you want to redeem an item worth £9.99 it'll cost you 450 points. So you can see it's not something that will happen quickly, but the points never expire so one day you'll get a free book.

Registering your details is easy and standard compared to other sites, including all the usual name, address, email etc. Your card details don't have to be saved on the site and I always choose for them not to be stored when I make a purchase.

Checkout is also easy. Make sure you review your order to see you have got it right and when you are ready press the confirm button. You'll get an email immediately as a confirmation of your order, but you can also track your order online once you have placed it.
Delivery usually takes 2-3 working days and your parcel will be delivered by courier and will usually require a signature.
All my purchases have always been packaged well and delivered in bright red boxes with "The Book People" blasted all over it, so you know what you're getting.

I would also suggest when ordering from here that you look around for a free delivery code to lower your order amount. These codes are usually found very easily and every little helps to reduce the amount you pay.
Standard delivery is free from the site when you spend over £25 but I don't like to be forced to spend that much if I don't need £25 worth of books each time. Standard delivery however is £3.50.
It's also worth remembering to shop via a cash back site as well to gain a percentage back on your purchases. Quidco is a good one for the Book People offering 5% of your purchase price back to you.

If you find when you receive your order you are going to need to return a book for whatever reason, log into the site and you can either phone or email them. I have never had to return a book personally, but I do know someone who did and the process was easy enough with no hassle.

Overall the Book People is a great site to keep in mind when ordering books. You can get good bargains for children's party bags instead of buying cheap tat, and also getting sets and discounts is a great reason to shop here.
I find the site to be comprehensive and keep up with the latest trends, and whilst it won't have the top ten bestseller lists, there's enough to choose from.

The site itself is always fast despite all the graphics attached to it and I have always felt it's secure enough to enter my card details.
Emails arrive from them on a weekly basis offering newsletters etc but if you don't want this, remember to opt out of the option when you register. I like it as it can show me something I don't need but will have to spend my money on.

Summary: a great place to buy books