I had an issue with a book that had not arrived. After contacting customer service at Blackwells, and speaking with Arwa, all was sorted promptly. I received the book within the next few days. Thank... See more
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Dispatch was a little slower than I expected, but response to my email inquiry was prompt. I was assured all was well - and it was! My book arrived here in Australia in about 12 days. The tracking... See more
Company replied
Blackwell's is my go-to for ordering books online. I order books from Blackwell's for delivery to both the Spain and the US. Their prices are very competitive, their selection is vast, and there... See more
Company replied
I bought a book from Blackwells, unfortunately Evri were tasked with delivery. They failed, claiming 'delivery completed' with a 'fake' photo of a random door, not our door! I contacted Evri but no jo... See more
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Company details
Written by the company
Blackwell’s was founded on New Year’s Day 1879, at 50 Broad Street, Oxford. From humble beginnings the company has built a worldwide reputation for unrivalled customer service, specialist knowledge and a passion for bookselling. Our mission is to become the world’s most trusted bookseller and to change lives through reading and books. We have shops across the UK, including flagships in Oxford, Cambridge, London and Edinburgh, alongside academic, campus and other specialist shops.
Contact info
United Kingdom
- bookshop.blackwell.co.uk
4.4
Excellent
35K reviews
No recent history of asking for reviews
This company hasn't invited customers recently, so reviews may not be representative
Replied to 89% of negative reviews
Typically replies within 1 month
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I call this the celebrity service!
I call this the celebrity service!
I thought my package had gotten lost somewhere, so I contacted Blackwell's.
They responded super quickly, humanly and with interest.
It turned out the problem was with my country's delivery service.
And when I received my book! Oh my.... I felt like unwrapping Christmas candy as a child, the envelope was so charming. Yes, there are still companies that care about values and quality, not cheap commercialism.
THANK YOU!
January 26, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Blackwells.co.uk
Dear Liva Kazaka,
Thank you for writing your review for Blackwell's. We are delighted that you were pleased with the support received when contacting us regarding your missing parcel. It is lovely to hear you enjoyed receiving your book upon arrival, especially after a longer wait to receive due to the unexpected delay in transit with your local postal service. It is our pleasure to assist in ensuring your parcel arrived successfully with our Customer Service team always on hand to provide support.
We look forward to being of service again in the future for your next book purchases. Thank you for shopping with Blackwell's.
With best wishes,
Blackwell's Online Customer Service
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I had a mixed experience in that the…
I had a mixed experience in that the delivery was a longish time (delivery company delay) and upon settling down to read my long awaited book, I found the book to be faulty, with misprinted pages and missing pages to the book - this was the fault of the printers/publishers and not Blackwell’s - upon raising the issue with them it was dealt with very quickly and I was issued a full refund - and for precisely this reason I give top marks for the way the query was handled by “Heba” - so thanks to Heba for sorting my issue out.
January 26, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Blackwells.co.uk
Dear Stephen Beasley,
Thank you for sharing your review for Blackwell's. We are very sorry to have learnt that the book you received was faulty and apologise for the disappointment caused upon finding this when reading.
It is a very rare occurrence that a publisher prints a book incorrectly and regretfully due to the nature of the fault, it is unknown until found, as such was your experience on this occasion. Our Customer Service team are pleased to have assisted in issuing a refund for the item received upon being notified of the printing errors.
We hope to be of service again in the future for your next book shopping experience.
With best wishes,
Blackwell's Online Customer Service
A Great experience.:.if you’re not obsessed with books and married.
A horrible and terrible experience…that’s for my wife’s sake.
In truth…a wonderful experience. The site is easy to navigate. Books are either comparatively priced to Barnes & Noble or Amazon; if not sometimes even cheaper. Also offers much more selections. The staff/customer service are very friendly and can answer any questions in a reasonable timely manner. Months ago, I sent an email full of comic wit and sarcasm of a false complaint about my previous experience: in actuality it was all praise. My response from BlackWell’s was met with the same style, wit, and sarcasm. Completely loved it that it’s framed in my office.
If I was to find any fault, it would be that I live in the United States, and orders take about 3 to 4 weeks. However, shipping to the US is either free or very cheap. So again positive experience. In truth, it’s Amazon’s fault with their 2-day shipping. I grew up in the late 70s and 80s of the catalog era, and orders would take 3 to 4 weeks to arrive.
Overall, BlackWell’s is a wonderful experience.
December 26, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Blackwells.co.uk
Dear Chance Meek,
Thank you for reviewing your experience of ordering with Blackwell's, we appreciate you taking the time to provide feedback on your order.
It is lovely to hear that you have been pleased with the overall service received when placing your orders with us for delivery to you in the United States. It is always our aim for our customers to feel as though it has been an enjoyable shopping experience when ordering with us and it is great to hear you felt this way, with our Customer Service team responding to your email query with personalised response. Thank you for taking the time originally to send us an email with your positive words after receiving your order, especially at a busy time of the year, it was really appreciated and made us smile. We love that you printed our response for your office wall too!
We look forward to your next shopping visit and having the opportunity to continue to supplying your future reads. Thank you for purchasing your books with us and for recommending our service to others.
With best wishes,
Blackwell's Online Customer Service
Damaged Books Due to Poor Packaging – Inadequate Resolution
I ordered books from Blackwell’s expecting them to arrive in perfect condition. I'd like to point out that I have ordered from Blackwell’s before multiple times, and my books were always packaged excellently and arrived in perfect condition, so that's why my expectations were high.
Unfortunately, this time they were poorly packaged, without bubble wrap, which resulted in visible damage to all three books. This damage was clearly caused during shipping due to inadequate packaging.
After contacting customer support and providing photos, the damage was classified as “minor” and I was offered only a 25% refund. For brand-new books, this is disappointing and, in my opinion, not fair compensation - especially since the issue was entirely preventable with proper packaging.
I appreciate the polite communication, but the resolution does not match the problem. When customers pay full price for new books, they should not have to accept damaged items or partial refunds as a standard outcome.
I hope Blackwell’s will take packaging more seriously in the future and reconsider how they handle situations like this.
January 23, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Blackwells.co.uk
Dear Ana Matić,
Thank you for writing your review for Blackwell's, we really appreciate your time in providing this feedback on your recent experience with us.
We are very sorry that your order with us on this occasion resulted in disappointment. We're currently reviewing our damage process. Please be reassured that we will take yours and other customers feedback into consideration during this review.
We hope that you'll give us another chance in the future, to show that we can still meet the high expectations that we have previously set.
With best wishes,
Blackwell's Online Customer Service
Blackwell's- exceptional customer service
I have just had the best Customer Service experience ever. Heba, from Blackwell's Customer Service, really went above and beyond in assisting me to resolve an issue with the print quality of recently purchased book. She was amazing! Heba totally understood my dilemma and was very quick to seek and find a resolution. This experience has left me looking forward to purchasing more books online from Blackwell's.
January 21, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Blackwells.co.uk
Dear Jennifer,
Thank you for sharing your review for Blackwell's. It is lovely to hear you felt supported when contacting our Customer Service team and that we helped in offering a positive solution to your order query. Thank you for purchasing your books with Blackwell's, we look forward to your next shopping visit.
With best wishes,
Blackwell's Online Customer Service
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A dependable way to get books in Sri Lanka
Living in Sri Lanka, it’s not always easy to find the books I want to read. And when certain titles are available locally, they’re often sold at really exorbitant prices. Finding Blackwell’s was honestly perfect timing.
I’ve been ordering books through regular post since August 2025, and the whole process has been smooth and reliable. The selection is excellent, the prices are fair, and everything has arrived safely so far.
On top of that, the customer service has been genuinely lovely; quick, helpful, and warm. Every agent I’ve spoken to has been prompt in answering my questions and just… really kind.
Highly recommend Blackwell’s if you’re an international reader trying to access hard-to-find books. Great rates, plenty of titles, and a wonderful team behind it. No complaints at all!
- Judy
January 22, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Blackwells.co.uk
Dear Judy L,
Thank you for writing your review for Blackwell's. It is wonderful to learn you purchase your books with us for delivery to you in Sri Lanka, to purchase books that are hard to locate. We are delighted to hear and that you have been pleased with the process of purchasing with us and the customer service received, when requiring to speak with our Customer Service team. We are always happy to assist with any queries.
Thank you for recommending our service to others and for your ongoing support. We look forward to supplying further books to you in the future, thank you for shopping with Blackwell's.
With best wishes,
Blackwell's Online Customer Service
Homecoming
Early this year, I returned to Blackwell's for the first time in a great many years to acquire a title not generally available in the US. The stock is still amazing, and the staff remain as courteous, efficient, and kind to a 90-year-old geezer as they were to the callow youth just starting to build his professional collection 65 years ago. The differences: email has replaced airmail, and delivery — formerly six weeks — is now much, much faster.
H. Mallard, PhD
January 3, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Blackwells.co.uk
Dear harry,
Thank you for sharing your review for Blackwell's. It is lovely to hear you have rediscovered our service, welcome back! We are pleased that you found ordering with us to be an enjoyable experience and that we were able to provide your book quickly, especially compared to when you were previously purchasing with us. We hope you will consider us again for your UK publications and hard to find books in the future and look forward to being of service again soon.
With best wishes,
Blackwell's Online Customer Service
Good pricing, communication and customer service
My husband was looking for particular book for my Christmas present, Amazon had no copies and it was listed as £73.00 second hand. I did a trawl of book sellers and up popped the book I wanted at a reasonable £16.99. Fantastic customer service and speedy delivery. Would highly recommend using them.
December 1, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Blackwells.co.uk
Dear Pamela,
Thank you for writing your review for Blackwell's. It is wonderful to learn you were able to locate the book you wished to receive as a gift from your husband with us and that we were able to provide it at the retail price, as a brand new book which was hard to find. We hope you will consider us again in the future for your next book shopping experience. Thank you for purchasing with Blackwell's.
With best wishes,
Blackwell's Online Customer Service
Ordered 2 of the same book by mistake…
Ordered 2 of the same book by mistake and the assistance I received on what to do next was amazing! Nourhan was always quick to respond, reassuring and very friendly to deal with. I will definitely be using this company again for future orders!
January 20, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Blackwells.co.uk
Dear Nadine Molyneux,
Thank you for sharing your review for Blackwell's. It is lovely to hear you felt supported when requiring to request assistance with your order, we are always pleased to help with any queries. Thank you for placing your order with us, we look forward to being of service again soon for your future purchases.
With best wishes,
Blackwell's Online Customer Service
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prompt delivery and after sales help…
prompt delivery and after sales help very good
January 19, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Blackwells.co.uk
Dear David Nelson,
Thank you for writing your review for Blackwell's. We are delighted to learn you would recommend our service due to the speed of delivery and support received from our Customer Service team. Thank you for choosing to purchase your books with Blackwell's, we hope to be of service again soon.
With best wishes,
Blackwell's Online Customer Service
Great experienced, great service!
I ordered a rare book from Blackwells and the purchasing process was quick and easy. Because I ordered as a guest, I had difficulty obtaining a tracking number once my book shipped internationally. I reached out to customer service via email, and they provided me with a tracking number within a day. The book arrived faster than expected and in great condition. I will buy from Blackwells again absolutely!
December 14, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Blackwells.co.uk
Dear Maggie Solum,
Thank you for sharing your review for Blackwell's. It is wonderful to learn you purchased a rare book with us and that you were pleased with the overall ordering experience, from placing your order and receiving support with our customer service team, to receiving your book upon arrival. Thank you for purchasing with us, we hope you will consider us again in the future for your next book shopping experience.
With best wishes,
Blackwell's Online Customer Service
Great service
Great service, kept me informed every step of the way, would recommend
December 18, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Blackwells.co.uk
Dear Angie Jenkinson,
Thank you for writing your review for Blackwell's. It is great to learn you were pleased with the level of service received, in regard to the communication you received. Thank you for purchasing your books with us, we hope to continue to be of service for your next reads.
With best wishes,
Blackwell's Online Customer Service
Reply from Blackwells.co.uk
Dear MR P SHAH,
Thank you for writing your 5 star review for Blackwell's. We are pleased that were happy with the level of service received with your order placed with us. Thank you for choosing to purchase your book with Blackwell's, we hope to be of service again in the future.
With best wishes,
Blackwell's Online Customer Service
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Confusing
Made an order however payment was reversed later that day with no explanation. Therefore I ordered the book from another website believing I was not receiving it. Then the money was taken from my bank account 25 days later and order dispatched, when I do not need the book anymore. Waste of money as I cannot return it.
December 30, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Blackwells.co.uk
Dear Amy,
Thank you for writing you review for Blackwell’s regarding your order placed with us. We are sorry to learn that you were not happy with the level of service received on this occasion.
When an order is placed with us, we will always charge for an item at the time of dispatch from our Distribution Centre, with further information advising this on our help pages: https://blackwells.zendesk.com/hc/en-gb/articles/4407225410450-When-will-I-be-charged-for-my-order . The payment you saw within your banking app was a communication moment between the payment platform and the card provider, to ensure that payment can successfully be charged upon dispatch and is normally a nominal £1 pending payment which expires. Should an order regretfully be required to be cancelled, we would always email to advise and provide an update.
Should you ever have any queries regarding an order placed with us, our Customer Service team are available by chat, phone and email to assist, with all contact details here on our website: https://blackwells.zendesk.com/hc/en-gb/articles/4403729278098-Contact-Online-Customer-Services
As your order was dispatched and payment was taken a considerable time after placing your order, if it was not a pre-order, we apologise for the length of time it took to dispatch your book to you. If you would like to return your order to receive a refund as you no longer require it, it is possible to do so within 21 working days of your item being delivered, with full information on this available here: https://blackwells.zendesk.com/hc/en-gb/articles/360021262940-What-is-Blackwell-s-returns-policy
Thank you for providing feedback, if our Customer Service can be of support in relation to your review or to provide more information regarding a return, please do not hesitate to contact us.
With best wishes,
Blackwell’s Online Customer Service
Never received the book I ordered
I ordered a book that was supposed to be available. However, a few weeks later I received an email that said the order had been canceled and the book is now sold out. SUPER DISAPPOINTING! Only bright side is that I never got charged money for it...
January 4, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Blackwells.co.uk
Dear A.L,
Thank you for reviewing your experience of ordering with Blackwell’s. We apologise for regretfully requiring to cancel your order on this occasion and for the upset this will have caused, especially due to the book currently being unavailable. If multiple orders are placed at the same time for very limited stock levels and we are unable to supply an order due to this, we will always attempt to locate further copies elsewhere. If we are sadly unable to locate more, we will then contact to advise of a cancellation as you experienced. We can understand the disappointment this update has caused and apologise again for being unable to provide your book.
If our Customer Service team can be of support in any way regarding your experience, please do not hesitate to contact us on blackwell.online@blackwell.co.uk
With best wishes,
Blackwell’s Online Customer Service
Well stocked. Long waits.
Purchased 'Raised by Ghosts' a graphic novel for my niece for Christmas. Delighted that Blackwells assured me they had it in stock as everywhere else said it was out of print. Bought on the 15th December online with an expected delivery date of 22nd - 27th Dec. Was hopeful for Christmas, but two days late would also be fine. Frustratingly the book is due to arrive now the week of 05/01/26. Customer service team have always been prompt and informative, yet due to sourcing books from various locations, the delivery times are a frustrating experience.
January 3, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Blackwells.co.uk
Dear Alistair Hoyle,
Thank you for writing your review for Blackwell's and for sharing your ordering experience. We apologise for your order taking a longer period than the usually dispatched within time advised, for your book to arrive in transit from our stock location to our Distribution Centre and that due to this, it resulted in your gift being received in January. We send our sincere apologies for the disappointment this will have caused for you and your niece with the unexpected delay.
The parcel should have now been successfully received however, if it has has not yet arrived, please do not hesitate to contact us again and we will happily assist further in this matter.
We hope you will consider us again in the future, especially in providing hard to locate titles due to our wide range. Thank you for purchasing with Blackwell's.
With best wishes,
Blackwell's Online Customer Service
Wrong item deliberately sent
I pre-ordered a paperback copy from Blackwell's of The Strength of the Few. It was supposed to dispatch in November but didn't arrive until December 30th. I was fine with the delay because they told me they were waiting on the publisher. I received my order and it is a hard back copy and a different publisher! When I reached out they told me they had run out of the paperback and decided to automatically send the hard back instead. I'm so frustrated! Why can't companies just be transparent and say they are out of stock? Deliberately sending the wrong item is dishonest! Now, I have to go to the trouble of returning the item I didn't want.
December 30, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Blackwells.co.uk
Dear Justina Koerper,
Thank you for sharing your review for Blackwell’s. We are sorry to learn you were disappointed with your experience on this occasion and apologise for the upset caused due to receiving the hardback edition of ‘The Strength of the Few’.
Due to being advised by the publisher that we were sadly not receiving the trade paperback editions to provide to customers who placed a pre-order in advance, to ensure customers received a copy of the book and was able to read the next instalment as soon as possible, we provided a hardback edition of this title as an alternative. As the hardback edition is more expensive, we supplied all copies at the paperback pre-order price as a goodwill gesture. We apologise for the frustration caused over being provided the hardback edition on this occasion, especially as this was not our intention when supplying these copies.
We have now resolved this matter directly with, offering a positive solution. If our Customer Service team can be of further support in any way, please do not hesitate to contact us again and we will happily assist with any queries.
With best wishes,
Blackwell’s Online Customer Service
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Really disappointed to have my order…
Really disappointed to have my order cancelled after 12days of no communication before that, or way of knowing what was happening.
December 30, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Blackwells.co.uk
Dear Sally,
Thank you for sharing your review for Blackwell’s. We apologise for the disappointment caused in requiring to cancel your order on this occasion. If multiple orders are placed for an item at the same time with very limited stock, we will always attempt to locate further copies from our suppliers to avoid cancellation if possible. As your order was cancelled on this occasion, regretfully it means we were unable to source a copy to allocate to your order and apologise profusely for this happening. We can understand the disappointment this update has caused and apologise again for being unable to provide your book.
If our Customer Service team can be of support further in relation to your review, please do not hesitate to contact us on blackwell.online@blackwell.co.uk with the subject matter ‘TP review – Sally’.
With best wishes,
Blackwell’s Online Customer Service
Extremely poor customer service and poor delivery
My son had asked for books for his Christmas and Blackwells were the only place that had them in stock. Checked the availability (10+) and delivery times (2 business days) before I ordered them on the 15th December.
When there was still no sign of my order by the 22nd, I emailed their customer service department. I received an apologetic reply about a delay in moving stock to their warehouse but that it would be on its way.
Tracking was updated to show that Evri are awaiting delivery of my order (today).
However, it is too late as it was meant to be a gift for Christmas.
Other book suppliers, such as Speedyhen, send their orders efficiently and on time so not sure why Blackwells is so poor.
Will not be using them again in the future and would advise others to refrain from ordering from them.
December 24, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Blackwells.co.uk
Dear Sharon Mcintosh,
Thank you for reviewing your ordering experience with Blackwell’s. We are sorry to learn you were disappointed with the level of service received on this occasion.
We are pleased to offer across our website 18+ million titles available to purchase, allowing us to provide a wide range of titles. To be able to do this, we fulfil our orders from a range of stock locations which require to travel in transit to our Distribution Centre, before being dispatched straight out to our customers. You advised in your review that our delivery was 2 business days, this may have been referring to the usually dispatched within timescale for the book you placed with us then the delivery time, as our UK delivery is usually 2-4 working days from dispatch to delivery, (term does not include weekend days). Further information regarding our shipping information can be found on our help pages here: https://blackwells.zendesk.com/hc/en-gb/articles/201188997-Shipping-and-delivery-information.
Although we will always attempt to provide titles within the usually dispatched within timescale, this is an estimate period due to the time of transit required for an item to arrive in to our Distribution Centre. If your order took longer than the usually dispatched within two working days as advised, we apologise for this occurring and for the upset caused on this occasion, as this would have delayed the process of receiving your book before Christmas including the usually delivered within 2-4 working days for delivery also.
Should you not wish to keep the books purchased due to the delay in receiving and being late to gift, our Customer Service team can support in returning the books to receive a refund. Please do not hesitate to contact us on blackwell.online@blackwell.co.uk and we can provide further information. If we can be of further support, we look forward to hearing from you.
With best wishes,
Blackwell’s Online Customer Service
Delivery delay ridiculous - but products fine
TL;DR - Products fine, Delivery and Service a nightmare
The books themselves (those that arrived) are in perfect condition, but still waiting on one which was meant to be dispatched within 48 hours of order (looks like it took a week). The website tracking did not work for this book, it was incorrectly showing as "delivered" despite finding out through customer service that it had been split into its own order (with its own reference number - which also did not work with their distribution partner) and that they were unsure where the book currently was.
Order was placed with ample time according to Blackwell's own Christmas guidelines, and I was at no point informed of the delay - really disappointed with that service, hence the review, and the book still nowhere to be seen.
December 22, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Blackwells.co.uk
Dear Jon,
Thank you for writing your review for Blackwell’s. We are sorry to learn you are disappointed with the level of service received on this occasion and apologise for any inconvenience caused, by the delay in receiving one book in your order after requiring to be dispatched separately. Although we will always aim to dispatch items within the usually dispatched within timescale shown at the time of ordering, we are sorry this was not possible for one of your items and the disappointment caused due to this unexpected delay.
Your order was should have been received shortly after writing your review but if this is not the case, please do not hesitate to contact us to notify us of this and we will happily be of assistance to resolve straight away.
It is great to hear you were pleased with your books upon arrival. If we can be of further support, we look forward to hearing from you.
With best wishes,
Blackwell’s Online Customer Service
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