Amazon.com's Rivals Sell Books for Less

If Amazon.com is where you do all your online book buying, you're missing out. Both new and used books can be found at significantly lower prices elsewhere on the Web, and will be shipped to you for less than Amazon charges. And although Amazon's selection remains impressive, it's not as complete as you might think.

There was a time when Amazon.com was the one-stop shopping place for all my Internet book-buying needs. When they first started selling books online, I remember being elated. "Finally, a reputable Internet site I can trust with my credit card that offers a great selection of low-priced books," I thought. How things have changed.

Amazon.com is still reputable and trustworthy, but it is by no means the low-price leader in books, and its selection is, at times, lacking. When it comes to popular new books, Wal-mart, Costco, Buy.com and even Barnes and Noble offer better deals online. Amazon.com is also less competitive in used-book sales; Half.com, Buy.com and BN.com sell second-hand books at lower prices and charge less than Amazon Marketplace for shipping and handling.

Gift Books

The best way to illustrate this is through examples. If you're planning to buy gift books this holiday season, you might consider, "Borat: Tourist Guidings to Minor Nation of U.S. and A." by Borat Sagdiyev (Sacha Baron Cohen), a hilarious send up of the standard travel guide. On Amazon.com it looks cheap, as it costs US$16.47, down from the list price of US$24.95. But you only pay US$14.97 for it on Buy.com, and US$14.11 on Walmart.com. Barnes and Noble's website, BN.com, sells it for US$15.71 (for members). Here are some other gift book examples (prices were current as of the writing of this article):

"I Am America (And So Can You)," by Stephen Colbert
(Amazon.com: US$16.19, BN.com members: US$16.19, Costco.com members: US$15.49, Walmart.com: US$14.82, Buy.com: US$14.57)

"The War: An Intimate History, 1941-1945," by Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns
(Amazon.com: US$29.99, Walmart.com: US$29.00, Costco.com members: US$28.49, BN.com members: US$31.50, Buy.com: US$29.95)