When comparing Bigwords.com vs AbeBooks.com, the Slant community recommends Bigwords.com for most people. In the question“What are the best price comparison tools for textbooks?” Bigwords.com is ranked 1st while AbeBooks.com is ranked 6th. The most important reason people chose Bigwords.com is:
Online access codes can be found with Bigwords.com.
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Searchable access codes
Online access codes can be found with Bigwords.com.
Pro No account required
In order to find the cheapest textbook retailers, no account is needed.
Pro Promotes bundling
While ordering multiple books, Bigwords tries to let buyers get all their books from the same store in order to save on shipping costs.
Pro Searches for cheapest rentals or purchases
For people who don't want to see rental prices displayed, they can be filtered out.
Pro Allows users to sell and donate books
While some books may be rendered worthless after one semester of use, Bigwords.com let's users donate books that they are unable to sell.
Pro Primarily sources used book stores
AbeBooks compiles prices from used book stores, acting much like eBay for used books.
Cons
Con Confusing interface
Bigwords is so feature-rich that their website's interface can be too much for new users.
Con Deceptive, unreliable merchants
Many users have complained about information inconsistencies, shipping problems, and wrongful refusal of refunds. The percentage of orders that are actually fulfilled is estimated to be about 20%. While this isn't always the fault of AbeBooks.com, it might just be a lack of proper oversight.
Con Slow delivery is common depending on the provider
It is not uncommon for books to take 3-5 weeks to be delivered.