Worst experience EVER!Found a book on abebooks, which works just like Amazon (and in fact actually is owned and run by Amazon) meaning, that they are the middle-man for other, smaller bookstores, that can sell their products on their site.The bookstore, which had the book in question, was located in Texas, USA and touted the book as - A NEW PRODUCT - on their account on abebooks and thus, also on the abebooks website.After ordering the book and having it shipped to Europe, the ordeal begins. First, the shipment is taking forever. Then, I have to find out by myself, that the book is stuck for over a week in the local customs service due to "inadequate VAT tax being paid by the sender".The nightmare continues as I now need to contact the national postal service but since there are no more phone numbers, which can be called for this type of customer support, I now have to download and install an app as well as to go through a lengthy account registration in order to be able to communicate with the postal service which - of course - all is done by CHAT!After figuring out the details, I now realize, that abebooks/the store in Texas have charged me the locally required VAT tax but NOT transferred the money to the local postal service, which needs to collect the tax on behalf of the IRS.With the book stuck and in holding for further calculation of the VAT tax that is missing, now a lengthy and cumbersome exchange of emails between me and the abebooks customer support and the store in Texas ensues. Over the course, I am caught in a constant web of a waste of time, energy and explanations in order to fix the mess, that nobody seems to want to take responsibility for in the beginning. As I grow tired of the constant forth and back, I finally draw a line and tell abebooks customer support that I have lost trust in their ability to live up to their end of the deal and that I am cancelling the purchase and want to be reimbursed for all of my expenses including the price of the book, the shipment and the VAT paid, corrected for differences in exchange courses for the different currencies involved.Abebooks support now attempts to offer a discount on the price of the book as well as a discount for a future purchase and promises to transfer the amount for the missing VAT tax plus any fees to my bank account if I am accepting the book delivery and pay the missing VAT tax myself - meaning, I had to just trust in abebook's words and take their word at face value - which I told them after the previous experiences, I wasn't able to and hence, wanted to call it quits.Abebooks support again tries to change my mind but as we talked, I brought up the subject of the book's state, which was touted as new at purchase. I asked for a guarantee, that the book was in fact new and not - like many other identical copies on their website - used or heavily used etc.Abebooks is unable to answer that question and instead, refers me to the seller in Texas. But neither here can I get a clear answer other than, that I could get a discount for the trouble. In fact, the seller now even asks me what VAT is, which immediately raises a red flag.After rejecting the book delivery to my address, support tells me to initiate a "return of item" process on their website which I do plus, that I tell them per email, that I already have rejected the book and that it will be automatically returned.Abebooks, then aks me to "pack it well" and "if I could send it back in the fastest possible way", which I refuse to reply to.After having stressed myself out, wasted OCEANS of time, money and effort on this lunacy over several months, I finally receive the transfer of the full amount to my bank account, which I had requested.I reckoned, that this was the end of this horrible ordeal but to my big surprise, I shortly after receive another email from support, in which I am being asked, how much I paid for the return package, so they can reimburse me for the shipping costs and transfer the amount to my bank account.I couldn't believe the lack of coordination and knowledge (all the correct information was forwarded correctly MULTIPLE times by email) - so I thought, I'd see if abebooks really was that inept and sent them a random figure - it turned out, they were. Took it as a reimbursement for the catastrophic failure and all the time I had to waste, the stress etc.Never shopping here again - and neither should you!
