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Business Profile

New Books

Barnes & Noble, Inc.

Headquarters

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

Find BBB Accredited Businesses in New Books.

Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Barnes & Noble, Inc.'s headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

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Barnes & Noble, Inc. has 180 locations, listed below.

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    Customer Complaints Summary

    • 176 total complaints in the last 3 years.
    • 60 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

    If you've experienced an issue

    Submit a Complaint

    The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

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    Complaint status

    Complaint type

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:08/23/2023

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      My Nook, that I purchased at B&N, stopped working today. A customer service rep informed me that my device will no longer support their software because they updated it and that I will have to purchase another device. I feel this is inappropriate given I purchased my reader at B&N and their upgrade rendered my device unusable. B&N is Unwilling to provide a device that I can use for my Nook account by trade in without me having to incur a substantial cost for replacing my current device. The cost of a new device is $129 and they only offered me at 15% discount if I trade in my current device which is still operational. I feel this is unacceptable business practice and extremely dissatisfying and disappointing for their loyal customers.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 09/18/2023

      Better Business Bureau:

      At this time, I have not been contacted by Barnes & Noble, Inc. regarding complaint ID ********.



      Dear BBB,  

      This is in response to your inquiry as to whether I have had correspondence from Barnes and Noble in regards to my complaint.   I have not had any response from them beyond their initial denial of my request for them to provide me with a new device capable of functioning with their new software upgrade which rendered my device unusable.  They have not contacted me in any way since then.

      Thank you,
      ***************************



      Business Response

      Date: 11/22/2023

      ****** ******** ******
      ************ ********
      ***** *************************
      *******************************************************************************

      ***** ********

      Dear *************************,

      We reviewed the complaint submitted by *************************** regarding her NOOK device.

      At ********************** & Noble, we stand behind the quality of our NOOK devices, and appreciate *** ******** purchase knowing that she had other options available to her.

      Our research indicates *** ******** ******* Galaxy Tab A NOOK was purchased on January 1, 2017.  The device purchase included a 1 ************ Warranty which expired December 31, 2017.  As stated on our website, in the One ************ Warranty information, once B&N determines that your NOOK is covered by this Limited Warranty, B&N will, within a reasonable period of time, at its option and at no additional charge, do one of the following: replace your NOOK with a new or Certified Pre-Owned model of equal or greater value  For complete information on the Manufacturers One ************ Warranty, please visit the link below:

      **********************************************************************************

      *********** NOOK device is more than ******* years out of warranty, and therefore her unit is no longer eligible for a warranty replacement.  In the essence of customer service, our customer service agent offered ****************** our Out of Warranty program whereby our customers may trade in their current device for a new or certified preowned unit at a discounted price.  However, ***************** was unsatisfied with our offer.
      As ***************** indicated that her device is still functional, we offer instructions to ensure the software update and TLS requirement is updated on her device. Transport Layer Security (TLS) is a security protocol required by all Internet-connected devices, like NOOK Devices, to transport data, such as personal or billing information, safely and securely. All NOOK Devices must be updated to the most current TLS Version, Version 1.2, to be able to browse the Internet, make purchases, and download NOOK Content.
      To have TLS 1.2 installed, all NOOKs must have the most current NOOK Software Version.The most current software versions, links to the software files, and software download instructions are available in KB 4212.
      An instructional video on performing the software update is available here: *******************************************************************.

      If ****************** has any further questions or concerns, she may contact me directly at ************** M-F 9am 5:30pm EST.  Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any further questions or concerns.

      Respectfully,

       

      ********* *****
      *** ******** ******* ********
      ****** * ****** ****
      *************************************** 

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:08/23/2023

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      21 August 2023 I purchased a book yesterday at the campus book store and showed the young lady the price of the book on Amazon, she would not price match, I never had any problem before with B&N price matching Amazon. The price at the book store was $146.13. The price at Amazon was $14-99-$19.99. When I called B&N today they said they they sale the book for $79.99 but they were out. I could not get a price match and the campus book store is over selling the book. The 8th edition is also out, why are they selling the book at this price, why are the campus book store taking advantage of students? and yes I do still have my receipt. This occurred at **************** and The Book is Marketing for Hospitality and Tourism.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 09/19/2023

      Better Business Bureau:

      At this time, I have not been contacted by Barnes & Noble, Inc. regarding complaint ID ********.

      ***** ********************************** ************************************
      ***** ******** ********* *** **** **** **
      *** ***** ******* ***************************************************
      ******** ******* **** *******

       

      #******** No, the company has not contact me, I don't know if I put down the series of the book it was #7 that the book store on campus was selling for $143 plus, and B&N was selling for $76 or $79 dollars, and Amazon was selling the same book for $14-$19 dollars

      Sent from DC Blues (***********************)


    • Initial Complaint

      Date:08/14/2023

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      On Thursday, August 10, 2023 I received an email solicitation and offer from Barnes and Noble to upgrade and convert my existing (paid) membership to their new premium membership service through the conclusion of my already paid term. They noted they were changing their membership options. The offer clearly indicated an offer of a free tote bag with the upgrade. I completed the process and received a confirmation email which also reminded me of the free tote bag included in the membership. When I tried to redeem the tote bag using my premium membership at a local BN store, I was told I could not receive a bag until I paid $39.99 for the service. I contacted BN customer service via chat and email and was told that the same message, despite the prior email communication. I believe BN updated their language, and again, the emails clearly indicated that the tote was part of the offer. I would not have made the membership change without this promise and assumed this was an incentive for the upgrade. I am requesting that BN honor the the tote offer since I upgraded my membership based on these messages.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 09/07/2023

      Better Business Bureau:

      At this time, I have not been contacted by Barnes & Noble, Inc. regarding complaint ID ********.

      Sincerely,

      *******************************

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:08/10/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I purchased a ****** Nook tablet from Barnes & Noble on 7/21/23, on 8/3/23 the tablet stopped working, I reached out to the store and they advised I was not able to return it in store and I needed to contact * ************* I advised the associated I wasn't interested in keeping the device because if it broke within such a short period it obviously isn't a reliable device but she insisted on sending out a replacement and I could return it in store if not satisfied. I mailed off the broken device on the 8/4/23 and I received the replacement device on 8/7/23. On 8/8/23 I tried to return the replacement device to ********************** store where I originally purchased the broken device and was told they weren't able to accept the device and I should call * ************. I called and was advised I was not able to return the unopened device for a refund or store credit as company policy is item cannot be returned after ************************************************************************************************************************************** by calling * ************. I really don't care for a refund, a store credit would be fine to purchase a more reliable nook but not even that they are willing to do.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:08/03/2023

      Type:Delivery Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      B&N hasn't refunded a gift card for a canceled order. I placed an order (order number: **********) on 6/12/2023 and used gift cards to pay for it. I ended up canceling the order and one of the gift cards worth $100 (gift card number: *******************) has not been refunded yet. I contacted B&N customer service about the problem and they said it would take 24 hours for the gift card to be refunded. After 24 hours the $100 gift card still hadn't been refunded so I called customer service. They said they would look into the matter and get back to me within three business days. It's been over two weeks and I still have not heard from them. I just want my $100 gift card bakc.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 08/28/2023

      Better Business Bureau:

      At this time, I have not been contacted by Barnes & Noble, Inc. regarding complaint ID ********.

      Sincerely,

      ************** *****

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:07/12/2023

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I ordered quite a few Nook books from Barnes and Noble. Several days ago I have not been able to access them because it says a programming error. I phoned in and the customer service tried to resolve it with me but was unable to do so I was told to wait a few days while he went further up the chain. I was told to wait five days. I have been told that if it couldnt be resolved I could no longer read the books I have purchased. I dont feel this is fair,if they cant be recovered they should be replay at no cost to me. That is the way my father a successful business man conducted his business.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:06/16/2023

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      On 5/23/23, I opened a Barnes & Noble account and bought a Premium Membership for $39.00. I proceeded to order 81 books, at a cost of $1,300, that I sent to my clients as a summer reading gift. Barnes and Noble incorrectly came to the conclusion that I was reselling the books rather than giving them as gifts, and closed my account without warning or explanation. The company refuses to reinstate my membership, and they also confiscated the $130 in rewards that I accumulated as a result of this order.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 07/11/2023

      Better Business Bureau:

      At this time, I have not been contacted by Barnes & Noble, Inc. regarding complaint ID ********.

      Sincerely,

      ***************************

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:06/05/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I placed an order for three items, one of which is a book, order # **********. I gave the book as a gift to a friend. Recently I found out that the friend had not read the book. They are an avid reader so I asked why they had not at least exchanged it. They said that they had tried to exchange it for a gift card at the store in January and that the store refused. I am upset that they've had this book sitting around and were unable to get something else they would enjoy. There is no reason why they should have been refused store credit and it was inconvenient for them to drive there and upsetting to them to be turned away. We are disappointed with the store. Therefore, I want a full refund for the price I paid to my original credit card I used to buy the book so something else from another retailer can be bought for my friend. The card ends in ****. If not, I will complain to my credit card company shortly because I looked at your gift return policy before purchasing this gift, and that policy was not honored. I am willing to ship back that hardcover book in brand new condition if I am provided with a label that I can print out, or mailed a label. You have my valid, current address. The label needs to be *** or ***** not ******

      Customer Answer

      Date: 06/30/2023

      Better Business Bureau:

      Unfortunately, I have not been contacted by Barnes & Noble, Inc. regarding complaint ID ********. I would still like the company to provide me with a cash refund in some way.

      Sincerely,

      ***************

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:05/24/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      An item in my Order No: ********** said it was delivered and left at front door when it wasnt. It was a LEGO *********************** set. I promptly contacted Barnes & Noble, and they kept telling me I would be refunded in ***** business hours. I even called and spoke to a manager who said she wasnt sure why no one is getting back to me and that she would refund me if she were able to but that she didnt have the option. She said she put a note on the order so whoever reviews the request will see it. However its again been an additional ****************************************

      Business Response

      Date: 07/10/2023

      ****** ******** ******
      ************ ********
      ********************
      *******************************************************************************

      ***** * ********

      Dear *** ****,

      We reviewed the complaint submitted by ******************

      Our records indicate *** *** order was shipped via *** tracking #****************** on May 10, 2023, and shows delivered on May 11,2023.   We show that ******** contacted ** on When ******** contacted ** to advise she did not receive her package, an investigation was opened with *** into the delivery of the package.  This investigation typically takes anywhere from **** business days for *** to complete, and we apologize for the extended timeframe needed for *** to notify us of their findings. 

      Upon completion of *** investigation, the decision was made to refund *** *** order.  We can confirm that a refund of $331.49 was processed on June 13,2023, to *** *** original method of payment.

      Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any further questions or concerns.

      Respectfully,


      ********* *****
      *** ******** ******* ********
      ****** * ****** ****
      *************************************** 


    • Initial Complaint

      Date:05/18/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I returned a brand-new book titled simplified irrigation design on order no. ********** to Barnes & Noble using the packing slip included with the original package and my shipping label. The order number was manually written on the outside of the box. **** Priority Mail confirmed delivery on April 24 with tracking number **********************. Despite returning the book brand new and still sealed within the 30-day allotted timeframe, I have yet to receive a refund or confirmation that one will be issued. Please refund the amount owed of $121.65 to my original payment method. Please find attached the return shipping label and receipt. Thank you for looking into this matter.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 06/11/2023

      Better Business Bureau:

      At this time, I have not been contacted by Barnes & Noble, Inc. regarding complaint ID ********.

      Sincerely,

      ***************************

      Business Response

      Date: 07/19/2023

      ****** ******** ******
      ************ ********
      ***** ***************
      ***************************************************************************

      ***** ********

      Dear *** ****,

      We reviewed the complaint submitted by *************************** regarding her returned order.

      We can confirm a refund of $112.66 was processed on June 28, 2023, to ************** original method of payment.

      If ************ requires any further assistance, she may contact me directly at ************* M-F 9am 5:30pm EST.  Please do not hesitate to contact me,should you have any further questions or concerns.

      Respectfully,



      ********************
      *** ******** ******* ********
      ****** * ****** ****
      *************************************** 

    Barnes & Noble, Inc. is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.

    To become accredited, a business must agree to BBB Standards for Trust and pass BBB's vetting process.

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