Textbookx.com is here... all other online bookstores please step aside...
Written: Apr 15 '02
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I love books. I can’t even begin to describe the thrill I simply enjoy every time I return to my home from the bookstore with a new “baby” waiting to be welcomed to life. This feeling starts to emerge from the very first time I lay my eyes over any of them that grabs my attention that is waiting for me impatiently at the shelf on any given aisle, either from the quality of the cover, the author, or any other element that tells me this one should go home with me. Naturally, some are included on my life on impulse while others are recommended by friends I trust that share the same, or at least a part of, the degree of passion I have for books.
My wife and I always spend some time each week discussing the books that we have recently purchased, sometimes over dinner or while traveling on the car. I feel books have added a beautiful quality to our marriage, most of the time serving as a magical ingredient that helps and promotes good communication between us. They also serve as a reason for us to have so great conversations that spice up and maintain our special bond.
We always have relied on Amazon and B&N when buying books online. Of course, one of the limitations of this way of purchasing books is that you can’t take pleasure from the two things I love the most when looking for new “babies” : see and feel. Although these stores do a good job in providing all the necessary information about their products, the truth is that feeling the texture of the pages against the skin on my hand is an experience that can’t be compared to anything during this “first encounter”.
However, about two weeks ago we received an invitation via email from a friend to check out textbookx.com Therefore, being so curious about it, I visited the store and purchased my very first book from them: Stupid White Men: ... And Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation!
The Experience
Being used to the fast service and somewhat prompt delivery of the other online bookstores mentioned above, I have the opportunity to compare textbookx.com against an established and easy to understand benchmark.
Selection
First of all, the selection is excellent and they continually add new books based on several indexes. The categories are divided according to the norm we’re all used to: from Antiques and Collectibles to Poetry to Travel. A total of 49 general categories with specific sub-categories comprise their huge selection.
For those of us that strive very hard to make our children love books and delight in the magic they bring to their life, it is important to note also that there are sections on their virtual store specifically designed for children and includes literary works classified in both fiction and nonfiction categories. I think selection on this division is kind of limited, as you will find only those books released during the past year or so. Nevertheless, you’ll be satisfied with the amount of books you can find for your kids.
Ordering
After deciding on the books you want to buy, all you have to do is go to checkout and verify the contents of the cart. On this page you will see the info about your order-to-be-processed and also includes important details about approximate delivery time and condition of the items (new or used). Then follows a page where you will be given the option to log-in or create a new account on textbookx.com
Price
When talking about price, textbookx.com offers many ways to reduce the cost of your orders. Almost all of the items carry a price tag that can be considered reasonable when compared to other stores’ prices. Savings for up to 40% are typical on nearly all categories.
There is also a referral program that works very similar to those almost all of us is familiar with. The process is very simple: you fill out a form where you can invite up to ten friends at a time to buy at their store. All of them receive a special 5% discount coupon via email and automatically, you will receive this same deal when they actually place any order. Good, isn’t it?
Textbookx.com sells both new and used books, so you can save more money! According to that dear friend who invited me to visit the store, he has bought some used items and they are in excellent condition, aside from some minor scratches on the covers. For those of us who think the contents are more important than the outer appearance this is the right path to follow and save a few bucks. However, if you become extremely attached to the cover of a book and won’t even let your friends open it, then the ‘used’ option is not such a good idea.
Delivery
My order arrived as promised and textbookx.com kept their part of the deal of delivering it in 3-5 business days (actual delivery time = 4 days). Needless to say that I’m extremely satisfied with their fast service, especially when in other stores like Amazon, I had to wait some extra days for the book to be back on stock and finally delivered.
Customer Service
The Help section on their site is very complete and remarkably useful: you can find an answer to any possible question you may have about their services and also, you can check the status of your order easily (have the order number handy when using this feature). Furthermore you can get in contact with the main office (located on Ithaca, NY) as all the information is displayed on this Customer Service Center.
The Website
When you visit their online store, you will see that some of the colors are fairly similar to the ones used by Barnes & Noble. However, the design is radically simpler as you don’t get bombarded with pop-ups and 100 images like the others that may eat a lot of bandwidth and increase the loading time of each page.
On the left side of their homepage you will see the search box that gives you the ability to look for any kind of book on their database (either by title, keywords or ISBN). A basic directory of the available subjects follows it and there is a link that will take you to a page that breaks down this directory into all the categories and sub-categories (kind of useful when you don’t know how they classified a book you’re looking for). On the center, covers of featured titles and most-requested books are displayed so you always stay informed about what’s happening on the literary world.
Finally, on the right you will find information about bestsellers, shipping, and guides on how to buy through the store.
I’ll have to say the design of the site is very complete and easy to understand, making the navigation a pleasure. I personally appreciate the fact that pages are loaded so quickly you can comfortably sit down and in just a couple of minutes, browse through their huge store and find something for you, a member of your family or create the perfect gift for a friend.
Overall
I said at the beginning I love books, my wife loves books, and we are doing everything possible for our kids to also love them (and thank God, they actually do). Thanks to their prompt service, easy to understand web site, and tremendous selection, Textbookx.com is definitely a store that I’d recommend to anyone that also appreciates the enchantment hidden in every book.
Final Notes
- In case you want more info about the book I bought from this store, there is a great review about Stupid White Men: ... And Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation! posted by an excellent epinionator, Bryan Carey (http://www.epinions.com/content_58375704196)
- Textbookx.com is a program established and controlled by Akademos.com with the objective of providing each and every person the opportunity to enhance their education through books and other materials (www.akademos.com)
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
bornain
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Reviews written: 25
Trusted by: 11 members
About Me:
Writing, meeting people, and helping others... that's what all of this is about, right?!
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