We use cookies to give users the best content and online experience. By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to allow us to use all cookies. Visit our Privacy Policy to learn more.

Manage Cookies
Resources for Businesses My BBB
Share
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

Find a Location

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

*This company may be headquartered in or have additional locations in another country. Please click on the country abbreviation in the search box below to change to a different country location.

    Please enter a valid location.

    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.

    Sort by

    Complaint status

    Complaint type

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:05/15/2023

      Type:Delivery 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.
      Recently, I ordered a single book titled "Common Errors in English Usage" by ********************* in paperback for the price of $19.00. It was my very first online order and it will be my very last order from Barnes & Noble. I will be choosing some other company besides Barnes & Noble. Now that there are fewer book stores available some companies are choosing to lower their standards. The condition of this book made it untouchable for a human being to hold within their hands and read. "Common Errors in English Usage" was down right TOXIC! I will not be returning this book and spending one extra minute within this situation that Barnes & Noble has placed me in. I just do not understand why this company chose to send this book to me in this condition. The book is practically unusable.

      Business Response

      Date: 07/27/2023

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

      RE:ID ********

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

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

      Our records indicate **************** submitted her order on our Barnes & Noble site on April 30, 2023.  We show the order was processed and was shipped on via *** tracking # ******************.

      At Barnes & Noble, we pride ourselves on providing the highest quality merchandise and we sincerely apologize that the book **************** received did not meet these standards.  As we do not expect our customers to keep any merchandise with which they are not satisfied,we offer our Barnes & Noble Return Refund Policies.  However, in the essence of customer service,we issued a refund of $27.24 to ****************** original method of payment on June 14, 2023.   

      Additionally,a detailed voicemail was left for **************** apologizing for her experience and notifying her of the refund.  We further advised **************** that we will not require a return of the book.  **************** was provided with our direct contact information should she require any further assistance. 

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

      Respectfully,



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

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:04/14/2023

      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.
      I Ordered a Book at the ******* Store on 4-11-23 #*********** And its coming from the ***** store. I Went to the ************** to get an Update because I NEVER Heard a Word About It NOW.THEY ARE REFUSING TO HELP ME AND THEY ARE REFUSING TO TELL THEM THAT MY BOOK GOT SHIPPED AND NO TRACKING NUMBER NOW.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 05/10/2023

      Better Business Bureau:

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

      Sincerely,

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

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:04/03/2023

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      Resolved
      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 have tried unsuccessfully for years to cancel my Barnes and Noble membership. I signed up for the membership 10 to 15 years ago; I cannot remember exactly when. I get charged $25.00 annually to my checking account. I receive no invoice for this through the mail or electronically. Over the past 5 years, around the time I get charged for the membership, I've attempted to cancel my account via phone call and online methods. However, I do not have my membership card and I cannot get my membership number from Barnes and Noble. Without the number, they won't let me close the account. I've provided them all of the information requested that I have available and they keep saying "some of the information does not match our records". I'm in the military and have had probably 10 different addresses and a couple different phone numbers since I set this up. **************** is an endless loop of helplessness. It is not much money, but I don't have the ability to use the service without the number, I have no Barnes and Noble near me that I'm aware of and I'd like to be free from this membership. Please assist if able.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 04/18/2023

      Better Business Bureau:

      I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved. My account was closed and I was issued a refund for this year and a gift card to account for charges the past two years. Thank you for escalating this issue and helping me achieve resolution.

      Sincerely,

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



       

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:03/29/2023

      Type:Delivery Issues
      Status:
      Resolved
      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 ********** on Barns and Nobles website this morning around 728am but did not receive a email confirmation and receipt. I started an online chat on their website and they said they had the wrong email address and couldn't change it to the correct one and to call them. I called Barns and Nobble ************ and was told they cannot change the email address. I told them i was concerned about whoever received the confirmation will change the order and cancel or change the shipping address to them and steel it . She said there's nothing they can do. I asked for the email address they had for the order number and was told they cant give it to me.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 04/03/2023

      Better Business Bureau:

      I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.

      Sincerely,

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



       

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:03/28/2023

      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.
      ********** doesnt want to release my ISBN - which I purchased at the ********* national ISBN provider, its not theirs - to ingramspark. I have already set up three requests and Barnes and Noble rejects, as if the ISBN was provided by them. Please see attachment with proof I purchased ISBN and proof Ingramspark said B&N is rejecting transfer.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 04/21/2023

      Better Business Bureau:

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

      Sincerely,

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

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:03/24/2023

      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.
      Barnes & Noble provides no way to cancel their membership online, and no way to cancel autopay for memberships. I had noticed a $25 charge on my credit card this month for the membership, so went into my online account to disable autopay - but there's no way to do so. Also, no payment method is on file, so I'm not sure how they kept charging a card they shouldn't have kept any information on at all - it's not visible in my account, so where are they keeping this information?I emailed ************************************* as per their web site, and requested to turn off the auto pay and cancel my membership. I received an email back from customer service stating in part: "We have refunded your Membership fee, as requested. The refund will be issued to your account within ***** hours."Today, I noticed an additional charge - not a refund, but an additional $25 - charged to my credit card. I emailed the company back informing them as such, and requested they remove all my personal information, credit card information as well, and refund BOTH charges (for a total of $50). I received a response back stating that my refund was processed - that is clearly NOT TRUE, as I have the credit card statement showing an additional $25 was charged to my card. I asked my entire account be closed and all my personal information removed, this is a company that deals in shady business practices and I regret ever becoming a member.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:03/22/2023

      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 am a teacher who has held a Barnes & Noble teacher reward card for many many years. In July 2021 they sent an email saying that the membership needed to be renewed. We were not able to do it online so we went in store and renewed the membership at the **** location. today I went to make a purchase of ************* books and wanted to use the 20% off discount. I was informed that for some reason my card was showing up as expired even though I had gone in store specifically to renew it, The person I spoke to on the online service chat, ***** was extremely rude and not at all helpful. We spent an absurd amount of time trying to resolve the issue. She said they would be able to make the adjustment in store, but then they were not able to. Im simply asking them to honor the program discount that they promised and are not fulfilling, which would be 20% off of the purchase I just made. Also, the online ordering process was horrific and took about an hour to process due to errors on their end, screenshot provided as an example

      Business Response

      Date: 03/31/2023

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

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

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

      We reviewed the complaint submitted by *********************** regarding our Barnes &Noble Educator Program.

      We have been unable to locate an active Barnes & Noble Educator account for ****************** with the information provided in the complaint.

      We were able to locate an expired Educator account, which was opened on May 20,2012, and expired on May 19, 2014.  We show there was also a renewal made on August 24, 2019 which subsequently expired on August 23, 2021.  There were no further renewals on this Educator account.  As there was no active Educator account at the time of *** ******** recent purchase, we are unable to apply the discount as requested by *******************

      Please be further advised that Barnes & Noble is launching two new Barnes & Noble Membership options which replace our existing Membership: Premium Membership and B&N Rewards. With the introduction of the new Membership options, we will no longer maintain a separate Educator program. Over the next few months, the Educator program will be coming to an end in stores as each store goes live with Premium Membership and B&N Rewards and ending online at the close of business on April 12, 2023.

      Upon a review of the chat record between ****************** and our customer service agent,we can confirm ****************** was not promised a discount on her online purchase but was advised to visit the store to apply for the Educator Program, as teachers cannot apply for or reactivate an expired account on our Barnes &Noble website.

      In the essence of customer service, we have issued a refund of $10.65 to *********** online purchase to reflect the 20% discount she would have received with her Educator Discount.  The refund was processed on March 31, 2023 to *** ******** original method of payment.

      If ****************** requires any further assistance, she may contact me directly at ************** M-F 9:30am 6pm EST.  Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any further questions or concerns.

      Respectfully,

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

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:03/20/2023

      Type:Customer Service Issues
      Status:
      Resolved
      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.
      March 17, 2023 (between 10am and 3 pm)Barnes & Noble, ***************************** Security Alarms Sounding off, even though NOTHING is stolen, causing customers to be stopped and searched; manager ***** explained that they have experienced other items from other stores such as H&M and Forever21 (even though paid for and w/ receipts) causing their alarms to sound off.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 04/13/2023

      Better Business Bureau:

      At this time, my complaint, ID ******** regarding Barnes & Noble, **** has been resolved.

      (By clicking "OK", your complaint will be closed as Resolved.)


      Sincerely,

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

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:03/20/2023

      Type:Sales and Advertising 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 have over past many years bought a lot of e books from B&N. I have the Nook e book device from B&N that I use to read these books. The device has f late is not downloading my e books and I reached out to B&N to get a resolution. I specifically asked for help downloading the content (e books) on my laptop which B$N said was not possible and that I had to read the books using an internet browser - this means I will not have access to my books without an internet connection.

      Business Response

      Date: 03/31/2023

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

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

      Dear *** ****,

      We reviewed the complaint submitted by ***********************.
      As stated in our Digital Content Terms of Sale, under Section 4 Your Rights Regarding Digital Content, subsection (a) Digital Content License,we offer you the ability to purchase or download Digital Content from and through the Barnes & Noble Services for viewing and use on a Supported Device or via a ********************** & Noble Application, using your Digital Library. We ***** you a limited, non-exclusive, revocable license to access, store and make personal,non-commercial use of the Digital Content in accordance with these Digital Content Terms of SaleHowever, in order to be able to purchase and/or download Digital Content, you must first open a Barnes & Noble account and provide valid credit card information and your billing address to us and either: (i)install the necessary Barnes & Noble Application onto your Supported Device; or (ii) register your Supported Device by logging into your Barnes & Noble account from your Supported Device
      Please be advised that an ebook owner is not permitted to print or otherwise copy the contents of an ebook in any form due to copyright issues.  ********************** Content Restrictions states, You may not upload, post, reproduce, or distribute in any way Digital Content or any Barnes & Noble Application
      To view these terms, please visit: ******************************************************************.

      In addition of our NOOK tablets and ereader devices, customers may download their ebook library onto their device of choice using our free Barnes & Noble NOOK Apps available for Android or IOS. Please visit ************************************************** for more information.

      If **************** requires any further assistance to access his content under the guidelines set forth above, we will be happy to assist.  **************** he may contact me directly at ************** M-F 9:30am 6pm EST.  Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any further questions or concerns.

      Respectfully,


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

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:03/10/2023

      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'm filing a complaint with regards to the Barnes & Noble ********* membership rewards that I'm owed by Barnes & Noble at the time of program termination at the end of January 2023. I have emailed B&N customer service in January asking for confirmation of when I could expect to receive the remaining 2x $5 rewards certificate that I had earned (see the attached reply). I did receive 1 $5 reward certificate on 2/7/2023, but I have yet to receive the $5 reward certificate that I should have received on 3/7/2023. I have called B&N customer service to get a resolution, and the representative I spoke to opened another ticket (*******) and asked me to wait 72 hours for the certificate to be sent. 72 hours later, I called again (3/10/2023) and spoke to a supervisor where she offered no further assistance to resolve this issue apart from opening another ticket. She asked me to wait for a few more days and called back next week but when I asked what action will be taken if I call back next week, she basically said that she will open a new ticket to the membership department, back to square one essentially. I found the sudden termination of B&N ********* program to be distasteful at the first place, but the fact that now I have to spend so much time on the phone trying to get the hard earned rewards is even more appalling. My request to B&N is to stop wasting my time and just send me the last $5 rewards certificate that I'm owed and call it a day.

      Business Response

      Date: 03/31/2023

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

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

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

      We reviewed the complaint submitted by ************************* regarding his ********************** &Noble ********* Rewards.

      On January 31, 2023, ********************** & Noble has retired the ********* program.  It was announced that by February 28, 2023, any active ********* members with a remaining loyalty rewards credit balance were sent a coupon via email valid for $5 off a purchase in store or on ******.  To be eligible to receive the coupon, customers must be an active ********* Member as of January 31, 2023, and must have a remaining loyalty rewards credit balance after the 2/7/23 ********* reward certificate issuance.  Any ********* rewards, welcome coupons or birthday treat coupons previously received and not yet used remain valid through the expiration date communicated with the reward or coupon.

      Upon review of *********** ********************** & Noble ********* account, we show there was a return made on January 16, 2023, for which a full refund was issued against a ******** purchase made by ****************** on December 17, 2022.  Therefore, Mr. ******** ********* account was not eligible for a reward for this purchase.  

      If ****************** requires any further assistance, he may contact me directly at ************** M-F 9ma 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.

    Why choose a BBB Accredited Business?

    BBB Business Profiles may not be reproduced for sales or promotional purposes.

    BBB Business Profiles are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. BBB asks third parties who publish complaints, reviews and/or responses on this website to affirm that the information provided is accurate. However, BBB does not verify the accuracy of information provided by third parties, and does not guarantee the accuracy of any information in Business Profiles.

    When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints.

    BBB Business Profiles generally cover a three-year reporting period, except for customer reviews. Customer reviews posted prior to July 5, 2024, will no longer be published when they reach three years from their submission date. Customer reviews posted on/after July 5, 2024, will be published indefinitely unless otherwise voluntarily retracted by the user who submitted the content, or BBB no longer believes the review is authentic. BBB Business Profiles are subject to change at any time. If you choose to do business with this company, please let them know that you checked their record with BBB.

    As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business. Businesses are under no obligation to seek BBB accreditation, and some businesses are not accredited because they have not sought BBB accreditation. BBB charges a fee for BBB Accreditation. This fee supports BBB's efforts to fulfill its mission of advancing marketplace trust.