Complaints

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

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• 

  Barnes & Noble, Inc.

  33 E 17th St Fl 6 New York, NY 10003-2005

• 

  Barnes & Noble

  8915 W Charleston Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89117-5457

• 

  Barnes & Noble Booksellers - All Locations

  5132 W Saginaw Hwy # 245 Lansing, MI 48917-1998

• 

  Barnes & Noble Bookstore

  4700 Calhoun Rd Houston, TX 77004

• 

  Barnes & Noble, Inc.

  1598 N High St Columbus, OH 43201-1189

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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/06/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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 and Noble Press tech support has neglected to help me resolve my vendor registration for 4 months, resulting in my losing money from the inability to sell my books, and disappointing my customers.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/04/2024

  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,
  
  ****** *********

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/02/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  At this time, I have not been contacted by Barnes & Noble, Inc. regarding complaint ID *********
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ****** *********
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/04/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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.

  So B&N started their membership program in 2001. When Id go in person to buy, I always saw the signs about a free membership loyalty program. I applied for mine online & I received my card in mail. When I applied I was a pre teen/teen. I was so young so I didnt have a credit card nor phone number. This was probably back in 2007-2010.Then I lost my green b&n card. but I'd still shop in store without it. I remember the ladies would tell me if we (family and I) wanted to join the membership club, its free & you get a free bag. I told her I already had a card but I couldnt find it. My dad wasnt interested. I kept thinking why I never got a bag when I signed up & received my card through mail. But I soon forgot about all of it. Its been years. Ive gone to b&n with my family. Now that Im old, I go by myself. But through the years I wasnt interested in getting a new card given the change in the membership. You have to pay for the new membership. A few weeks ago, I found my old b&n card in an old wallet. Ive reached out to a representative & they cant find my card or account associated to any email. Its like my card never existed. Its not even showing it was a cancelled card. Maybe they completely eliminated the older members to push them to upgrade into the paid subscription? Where is my information at? Why cant anyone access it? I feel so sad that I finally find it but I wont be able to use it. I was a member way before they started charging. The nice representative did recommend me to look into it and see if I was interested in a free or premium membership. But I think thats horrible if my card/account was eliminated without telling me. I feel so left out, after all the favoritism Ive given to b&n. These are the emails possibly associated back then:************************************* (I dont have access to this one anymore).******************************************** ( I have an online b&n account but the card isnt linked to this email apparently).***********************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/02/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  At this time, I have not been contacted by Barnes & Noble, Inc. regarding complaint ID ********.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *******
  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/09/2025

  ****** ******** ******
  ************ *** ****
  ***** ******* ********** *******
  ** **** **** ******* **** *****
  *** ***** ** *****
  
  *** ** ********
  
  Dear
  Better Business Bureau,
  
  We
  reviewed the complaint submitted by ***** *******.
  
  Barnes
  & Noble has not offered a free lifetime Barnes & Noble
  Membership.  Barnes & Noble has in the past,
  offered a free Barnes & Noble Kids Club for minors thirteen years of
  age and younger, where points are earned on purchases of kids’ books and
  toys.  Please be advised that the Kids Club was not a discount membership
  nor were Kids Club accounts issued free tote bags.  This program was
  discontinued on January 31, 2023.
  
  When
  *** ******* contacted our Barnes & Noble Customer Service Department,
   we discovered that the membership number she provided two-month free
  membership issued her by the Barnes & Noble store on February 27, 2015, as
  part of a promotion event being held at that time.  As this membership was
  not renewed, it expired on April 26, 2015.  In order to continue receiving
  membership benefits, *** ******* would have needed to enroll in our annual
  membership.  *** ******* will not be able
  to renew this membership as this program has been discontinued.
  
  Our
  original Barnes & Noble Membership Program has been a paid membership since
  its inception with an annual
  Membership fee of $25.  The Terms and Conditions of this program is
  provided here, B&N Membership
  Program Terms & Conditions | Barnes & Noble®, which explains the benefits associated with this
  membership.  This Legacy Program was discontinued to new customers on
  January 31, 2023.  In February 2023, Barnes & Noble launched a new
  Barnes & Noble/Paper Source Membership Program options which offers a
  Premium Membership with an annual fee of $39.99 built on the previous
  Membership program, and a Rewards Membership available with no annual fee,
  terms and conditions provided here: B&N Membership
  Program Terms & Conditions | Barnes & Noble®.
  
  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,
  
  
  
  ********* *****
  *** ******** ******* ********
  ****** * ****** ****
  ************* * ****** * ********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/03/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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 put an order through Barnes and Noble this past Monday as a guest on their website. I did not get a confirmation order, it said they would send a confirmation email. I paid $25 with a gift card and the rest with ******. I did not recieve a confirmation email but on ****** it says authorization in progress. It's pending through ******, it's pending through Barnes and Noble. I tried emailing the company and giving them all of my information and they said there's nothing they can do. I didnt even get an explanation as to why it is pending. Is it because they're our of stock of my items even though the website said they were in stock, does it generally take a long time? I just want to either have an explanation and timeframe or a refund. I don't want to be toyed around on something so stupid. This is the first time I've shopped Barnes in Noble in years and this will be my last. Either please give me an explanation and time frame or give me my refund. My name is ****** *****. Address,:, ****************************************. Email address ******************* phone number **********. In today's world one of these has to work for looking up my order on a professional level. Thank you!

  Business Response

  Date: 10/17/2024

  ****** ******** ******
  *********************
  ***** ******* **********
  *******************************
  ******************
  
  ********* ** ********
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  
  We reviewed the complaint submitted by ****** *****.
  
  We have been unable to locate an order for *** ***** with the information provided in the complaint.  We have conducted searches using the name, telephone number and email address provided; however,we have been unsuccessful in our search.
  
  To aid in our research, we would like to obtain *** ****** ****** Authorization ID for the ********************** & Noble transaction, and the complete gift card number which *** ***** applied to her order.  We have attempted to speak with *** ***** and have left a voicemail with our direct contact information. 
  
  ******** may reach us directly on ************** 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:09/30/2024

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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 and Noble are still selling my book "******" off a closed account. This will be an issue when I publish it with a genuine traditional book publisher who genuinely pay their authors as opposed to the issue that I have with a constant showing of zero sales. ***** ****** account is closed and they no longer should be selling any of my books. There are scandals going on with sales not registering. I contain the artwork and original manuscript for this book and am willing to go to court if this isn't fixed because I will need to be able to publish this book with a genuine book publisher who actually pays their authors and do not scandalize by advertising on ****** media just to rob all the hard work of those who have the misfortune of signing up with Barnes & Noble press. Barnes & Noble press advertise on ****** as well as several other media platforms which is a scandal to the public community. As a reputable company Barnes & Noble should know better. But greed lies behind reputable companies too.Screenshots enclosed of the ability to purchase ****** are enclosed.Barnes and Noble ************************************ Barnes and Noble CEO ***** ***** email: ********************************* Phone ************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/25/2024

  At this time, I have been contacted directly by Barnes & Noble, Inc. regarding complaint ID ********, however my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Your Answer Here]

   They responded to say that they've put my account on hold and are not closing it from additional sales. A closed account couldn't make additional sales, but they aren't closing it per their email, and it's on hold. 

  Why??

  To make more money of which I received nothing from??

  They're a scam to all of us Americans.

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  Sincerely,

  ***** ******

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/18/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  Aside from the first communication that I sent you where Barnes And Noble Press stated that my account was put on hold,  no there has been no further communication.

  I sent the emails of this communication to you to let you see the first where they stated my account was put on hold. Not closed as should be at least you'd think by now, but instead on hold. And this was all I received from them regarding complaint ID ********.
  Thank you for your help.
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ******

  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/09/2025

  ****** ******** ******
  *********************
  ***** ******* ********** ********
  *******************************
  ******************
  
  *** ********
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau,                                              
  
  We have reviewed the complaint submitted by Snowe Flake regarding her BN Press title.
  
  We can confirm that the title has been removed from our Barnes & Noble site as requested.
  
  Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any further questions or concerns.
  
  Respectfully
  
  
  
  ********* *****
  ******************** ********
  ****** * ****** ****
  ************* * ************************** * ********

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/10/2025

  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:09/04/2024

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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 paid Amazon Prime KDP $1080 to have my novel, The Treasure Boy, to be placed in 220 Florida stores. I signed a contract with ****** February 25th of 2024. Still my novels are not in the stores. The contract goes till Feb. 24th of 2026. B&N also sent me 1 cent to my checking account, to verify if it was my account. All a person can buy of The Treasure Boy is an EBOOK. No one I have talked to at Amazon or at B&N can give me a straight answer. All I get are POSSIBLE REASONS for the books not being in the stores now. Please help me BBB. I am 76 years old and this is the biggest deal I have ever made, and it is turning into a failure. In the process, it is causing me great stress. The Christmas season is approaching and my heart will truly break if we go through that season without my books being on their shelves. Thank you for your help. Sincerely, **** ********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/03/2024

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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.

  The 30% off wasn't honored and the item isn't shown on their website even though there is multiple of the item on their shelves so the company claims they can't do anything to honor a minor 30% off of collectables in store or online. The item is in a shelf labeled collectables which is what the sale is for, they made a mistake by either not posting it online or in barnes and nobles system so I have to suffer when my son's birthday is tomorrow and i wont be able to get him what he wants. Not only that I've been here for about two hours now when I came for a ***************************************************** store and over the phone. I didn't make the mistake and they should honor what sales the company says they are going to do. Only reason I drove 30 minutes out of the way. I usually wouldn't care but they have been more than rude and made me late for work as well as my son not having a gift for his 4th birthday. More than half of the items it says are on sale in store and online aren't on sale in store. I just want ******************************************************************************************* whatever it is on their end. I have to suffer for an issue they are having. If there is a way to call the BBB I would like to do so. They haven't tried anything to help with a small discount that the corporation claimed to have available. It was Tuesday Sept 3rd 2024 at 11 am. I have spent lots of money there for over a decade, and it's a shame they aren't helpful in fulfilling there end of the deal. I have the money but I came here for the reason it said the item was on sale. False advertisement not honoring a sale and after calling multiple times to managers in a corporate office I was just hung up on and basically told tough luck.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/18/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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.

  Company has been taking a yearly fee from me for a few years, always in July. I didn't think much of it until I was told by friends that this shouldn't be happening. On Saturday July 13th I called to cancel my membership. I was told by '*****' that they had no record of me by name, phone number or email address. I even gave additional phone numbers and email addresses. He said I didn't have a membership with them. I asked then how have they been taking money out of my account yearly? He said he didn't know and asked the last four digits of the credit card that has been charged. I told him and he told me I can 'rest assure' that my card wouldn't be charged. I asked for an email confirmation but he said again that I can 'rest assure' my card wouldn't be charged and he couldn't email me because they have no record of me. I believe the same day I went on their website and opted out of my supposed membership. On July 16th ******* from customer service emailed me asking for additional information because they had no record of me. I gave him all my info with an alternate email address. I will attach the exchange. Today I asked for an update. No response as of this complaint. Wasn't sure how to handle or if I should try calling the store. Being that apparently I don't exist to them, how have they been taking my money for years? I did not keep track of my membership ID but I've received emails from them over the years. Please advise.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/08/2024

  ****** ******** ******
  *********************
  ************************************
  *******************************
  ******************
  
  ***** ********
  
  Dear *******************************,
  
  We reviewed the complaint submitted by ********************* regarding a Barnes & Noble charge.
  
  Upon receipt of *** ****** complaint, we reached out to ************** to obtain additional information to aid in our research as we were unable to locate a membership with the details provided in the complaint.  With *** ****** assistance we were able to locate a Barnes & Noble Membership issued to ********* daughter.  We have issued a refund to *** ****** original method of payment in the amount of $26.50 on July 23, 2024.  We have also removed the membership from the automatic renewal program so that no further renewal charges can be processed going forward.   The membership will expire on August 12, 2024.
  
  When the Membership was purchased at the point of sale, the PinPad advised that the annual Membership fee would be automatically charged to her credit card. The PinPad at the point of sale contains the following excerpt from the B&N Member Program Terms and Conditions.  This paragraph must be checked in order to accept the Terms and Conditions and for completion of the transaction:      
  
  "I agree to the Barnes & Noble Member Program Terms & Conditions.  My membership will be automatically charged annually, 30 days before expiration,to the credit/debit card (except a debit card requiring a PIN) from todays transaction. (If Cash was used, the Membership will not auto-renew.)  I may opt out of auto-renewal any time before the charge, via my BN.com account or by calling ************."
  
  As stated in the Terms and Conditions, the Automatic Renewal Membership fees will be billed annually and automatically to the credit or debit card (other than a debit card that always requires a PIN) ************** provided when she enrolled in Membership or the form of payment we currently have on file **************, in the amount of the current Membership fee, approximately one month prior to your Membership expiration date.  Once a membership is enrolled in automatic renewal, Barnes & Noble will make the attempt to charge the credit card on file each renewal period.  The only way the renewal process can be halted is for ************** to contact our customer service or sign in to her ********************** account to cancel the automatic renewal. To view the complete Membership Terms and Conditions, please visit:  B&N Membership Program Terms & Conditions | Barnes & Noble(barnesandnoble.com)
  
  Additionally, the Terms and Conditions provides details for cancelling a Barnes & Noble Membership under section 5.CANCELLATION; TERMINATION, which states:
  You have the right to cancel your Membership at any time. If you cancel your Membership, you will only be entitled to a full refund of your new or renewal Membership fee within thirty (30) days of the purchase date of the new or renewal Membership or the Automatic Renewal charge date of the Membership, i) if you did not use your Membership to obtain an eligible discount or benefit during the new or renewal Membership term; or ii) if your Membership was renewed during your current Membership term and the renewal Membership term has not yet started. No refunds will be available after such thirty (30) day period (unless we terminate the Barnes & Noble Member Program in its entirety; see subsection below regarding program termination). Subject to the foregoing, you may cancel your Membership by: (i) contacting us at help.barnesandnoble.com, or (ii) presenting your Member card at the **************** desk, for Memberships (new or renewed) purchased at Barnes & Noble Stores.
  As we received no previous cancellation requests from the customer, the account was automatically renewed in accordance with the above terms. To reiterate, the current renewal fee has been refunded and the account will automatically expire on August 12, 2024.  ************** thanked us for following on the matter, and she has been 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,
  
  
  ********* *****
  Sr.Consumer Affairs Advocate
  ***************************************
  
  
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/08/2024

  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:07/16/2024

  Type:Delivery Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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.

  Order# ********** This order was marked delivered Tues July 9th and I still have not received anything. My wife and I were home all week and we were never made aware of any shipment or even communication from the courier or Barnes and Noble side. On July 14th I reached out to customer service and my agent let me know my shipment has been lost in transit and offers me the choice of replacement/refund. We proceed with the latter and a day later, I have yet to receive any email so I reach out once more. Attempts to arrive at a solution were turned away by Barnes and Noble customer service. Call after call, representative after representative. I already reached out to the shipping company who corroborated the information the rep on July 14th gave me. Overall, a very messy situation and experience and I am still out the order total of $334.91

  Business Response

  Date: 08/08/2024

  ****** ******** ******
  *********************
  ***** *****************************
  *******************************
  ******************
  
  *** ** ********
  
  Dear *****************************,
  
  We reviewed the complaint submitted by *********.
  
  *** ** placed an order on our Barnes &Noble site on July 5, 2024.  We show the order was processed, shipped, and delivered to the address provided by *** **.
  
  We show that a confirmation email was sent to ************ to confirm the shipment of Lasership tracking # ***************.  According to the online tracking information, the package was delivered on July 9,2024.  We received a contact from *** ** advising non-receipt of the package, an investigation was launched which resulted in the confirmation of the delivery of the package.
  
  **ntrary to *** **s claims, several emails were sent to *** ** regarding the statuses and updates on his order, including a shipping confirmation email generated on July 8, 2024.  We further show several contacts from *** ** on July 12, 2024, to our customer service dept.  In the first three phone calls, *** ** was advised of the delivered status of his order.  *** ** then contacted our online chat who advised *** ** that the matter would be researched, and he would receive an update via email.  A second chat contact shows that *** ** was referred to and given the telephone contact for our Sales ********** who were researching the matter. 
  
  On July 12, 2024, after a thorough investigation was completed, an email was sent to *** ** including a picture from Lasership confirming the delivery of his order.  *** ** was at that time advised that a refund would not be issued for his order.
  
  Please be advised that considering the circumstances, we will not be able to offer *** ** a refund for the order which has been confirmed as delivered.
   
  Respectfully,
  
  
  ********* *****
  *********** ******* ********
  ***************************************
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/12/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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.

  Date Of Transaction: 05/07/2023. Amount: $94.55 USD - $139.79 AUD.I had ordered three books:A Word so Fitly Spoken by ******** House of Earth and Blood (B&N Exclusive Edition) (Crescent City Series #1)by ********************** House of Sky and Breath (B&N Exclusive Edition) (Crescent City Series #2)by ********************** A word so Fitly Spoken had arrived to the wrong address and we had never gotten it so they gave me a refund.However, for the other two books, they claim that i was "Refunded" the entire thing which i WAS NOT. And never shipped the books. I am still $100 out of pocket with not books being sent as i had updated the address.I have tried to solve this on multiple occasion over 1 year and they are still refusing to give my money back or send me the books that I PAID FOR.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/05/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  At this time, I have not been contacted by Barnes & Noble, Inc. regarding complaint ID ********.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ********* ****
  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/08/2024

  ****** ******** ******
  *********************
  ***** ****** ********
  *******************************
  ******************
  
  ***** ********
  
  Dear ****** *********
  
  We reviewed the complaint submitted by ********* ****.
  
  When an order is placed through our web site, the credit or debit card is authorized, not charged, for the full amount of the order. This authorization puts the funds on reserve, which most card-issuing banks release after a seven-day period.  Please be advised that all authorizations are funds held by the card issuer and are not actual funds received from the customers financial institution.  When an order is cancelled, we immediately release the authorization.  This information is explained on our websites Helpdesk found here: Credit Card Payment Authorization Barnes & Noble (******************)
  
  Our records indicate *** **** placed an order on our Barnes & Noble site on July 5, 2023, for three titles, one title which was available for immediate shipment and two preordered titles which were scheduled to be released on 9/26/2023.  We can confirm an authorization for the full amount of the order was confirmed in the amount $94.55 on July 5, 2023, to ensure the funds were available for the purchase. 
  
  On July 10, 2023, the available title was shipped to the shipping address provided by *** **** and a charge of $35.57 was processed at the time.  We anticipated delivery of this shipment no later than July 26,2023.  We show that a refund was subsequently issued in the amount of $35.57 on September 1, 2023, as the order appeared to be delivered to the wrong address.
  
  We further show that on September 26, 2023, Barnes & Noble attempted to obtain an authorization for the remaining two titles as we were preparing to process and ship the preorder titles.  Unfortunately, the preauthorization attempt was unsuccessful.  An email was generated to *** ***** advising him we required him to update his payment to prevent cancellation of the items. As we did not receive a response from *** ****** the remainder of the order was cancelled, and he was not charged.  A notification was sent to *** ***** on October 3, 2023.
  
  In light of the situation described above, Barnes & Noble does not owe ******* a refund.  We have made several attempts to explain this to *** **** that he was not charged for the two cancelled items, and that ****** should be able to confirm this for him.  We have already requested documentation which he has not provided.  If *** **** can provide us with documentation from ****** showing a charge for the two cancelled items, we will gladly look further into the matter.
  
  If *** **** requires any further assistance, he may contact us directly at ************* M-F 9am -5:30pm EST.  Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any further questions or concerns.
  
  Respectfully
  
  
  
  ********* *****
  *********** ******* ********
  *****************************************************************
  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/21/2024

  ****** *** ****
  
  ****** ******** ******
  *********************
  ***** *****************************
  *******************************
  ******************
  
  RE:ID ********
  
  Dear ****** ********,
  
  We reviewed the follow up complaint submitted by ********* ****.
  
  We thank *** **** for providing us with the additional ****** documentation regarding his Barnes & Noble order.  To reference the ****** screenshot provided by *** ****, please note that ****** clearly denotes the $94.55 transaction as an authorisation, as opposed to the paymenttransaction which was subsequently refunded.
  
  
  
  Please note that the screenshot provided by *** **** does not indicate a payment for the $94.55 to Barnes & Noble. The screenshot confirms that Barnes & Noble has only received a single payment of $35.57 which was subsequently refunded.   The authorization that *** **** disputes was released.
  
  To confirm this information, we have reached out to ****** directly regarding ******** transaction with Barnes & Noble. According to ******, the authorization is currently expired, and we are not holding any funds at the momentPlease note that ****** authorizations automatically expire after 30 days if no action is taken.  If the customer wishes to verify this information, they are welcome to contact ****** customer service. 
  
  Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any further questions or concerns.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  
  
  
  ********* *****
  *********** ******* ********
  *****************************************************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/28/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  Good Morning,
  
  Whilst we understand Barnes and Noble may think there was an "Authorisation" that was actioned when the order was first submitted, this is sadly not the case at all. We have previously tried to explain this to Barnes and Noble on several occasions. Our records clearly state that not only did the money come out of a (1. Bank Account), but was also processed through (2. ******). This payment was ("Cleared and Processed") to Barnes and Noble.
  ****** has no action towards this complaint of the order as the money was sent directly to Barnes and Noble at the time of ordering.
  
  The screenshot Barnes and Noble are referring to is for the one book that was actually shipped out to the consumer but then lost in transit. Not the other two books that are still missing.
  
  We really hope that Barnes and Noble can understand what happened and refrain from ("Theft") in the consumers department. We have tried to work with Barnes and Noble over the past year just for the one order that was fully paid for but never delivered the product. Most reviews about Barnes and Noble can show a clear picture that this has happened to other consumers as well and it's enough evidence to bring forward a Fraud case in the light of Court. If Barnes and Noble wish to fix this mistake and truly work with the consumer on this matter, then they may contact us as we will be lodging this Fraud Case today ("Can be withdrawn upon receiving a confirmation email from Barnes and Noble about the order that they will finally fulfil"). 
  

  Again, if you have any questions. Please feel to reach out.
  
  
  Regards,

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

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ********* ****
  
  
  
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/10/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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 published books had been listed on their website for years.Without any notification they were taken down. I am requesting that these be made available again on their site. Thank you.