<p>H renewed our membership. They can’t seem to find the record of the renewal. Huh? This is supposed to be kept as electronic record? I’m done with this lousy store. It is not a lot of money, just $25, but it is a matter of principle. No wonder they are on the brink of extinction. </p>
<p>I’m posting this as a warning for others. If you pay a renewal fee at a brick and mortar store, don’t assume that your membership will show up as renewed the next time you shop.</p>
<p>That’s why you have a receipt.</p>
<p>Yes, there is a receipt, but without a manager present in the store they will not do a thing. What a lousy business.</p>
<p>hmm, I 've had good customer service on line and at our local store. Maybe it is just your local manager.</p>
<p>That hasn’t been my experience. B&N has been one of my favorite companies.</p>
<p>I worked there part time a few years ago and I never saw them deny a customer. Even when the customer was clearly in the wrong or pulling a scam.</p>
<p>Our experiences with Barnes & Noble has also been very good consistently over a very long period of time. Unfortunately, there was a Borders very near that we went to regularly where it wasn’t as good at all. The latter is now gone and we are back to B&N.</p>
<p>Brink of extinction? Are u confusing them with borders?</p>
<p>You mean people actually still shop at bricks & mortar book stores? Good heavens, why? </p>
<p>Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using CC App</p>
<p>annasdad</p>
<p>To sit down and browse through books of course! To find things you would never have looked for. For me, it is like the library used to be at college. If I was going there and knew I would need an hour to accomplish whatever it was I intended to do, I allocated 3 hours so I had plenty of time to explore.</p>
<p>Because I have different book buying desires and needs on different occasions. Sometimes I read about a book and want it immediately on my iPad (via kindle or BN). Other times, want to relax, browse books about a given topic, and have a coffee or treat. Different need states.</p>
<p>It’s rather like asking why do you sometimes have cereal for breakfast and other times a full pancake breakfast Different need states, impacting what you want, how quickly you want it, how much effort you’re willing to spend, how much time you have, and the atmosphere you wish to create. Need states is a marketing construct I use often in my work, and ebooks vs brick and mortar books are a perfect example of that, and why one will never fully replace the other. Indeed for lots of book lovers, ebooks expands their total book buying.</p>
<p>We had the same experience and to our shame we actually fell for their whole membership scam twice. They always spring it at you at the checkout and make it sound like it’s a no-brainer and appeal to your ego – “Hey, you’re obviously such a big reader you should be in our program!”</p>
<p>The whole book store model is going to have to morph somehow. We still seek out our independent bookstores and try to support them.</p>
<p>We’re also unhappy with Apple right now trying to muscle in on the proceeds of buying from Amazon for the Ipad. Just ugly! My DH wrote Jobs a letter!</p>
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<p>It is “you”, not “u”, and I’m not confusing the two, because Borders is already extinct. BN is not doing well financially.</p>
<p>I bailed on B&N years ago when they said that coupons didn’t apply to textbook sales anymore. That was my main reason for the membership. Amazon’s regular prices are as good or better than B&N’s membership prices now too. Amazon’s shipping is on par with B&N too since they put a warehouse in the neighboring state.</p>
<p>Barnes & Nobles has been shopping themselves for a sale for the last year - yes, they are in trouble.</p>
<p>I love going to a book store and can spend hours there. I love the atmosphere. I read at least a book a week, and my H insisted that I get a kindle and brought one home for me two weeks ago. I love it, but I feel like a traitor. As a dedicated reader, who loves books and bookstores I felt a little pang of guilt as I powered it up. Even after two weeks, I still feel guilty not to be supporting my local bookstore as I shop the Kindle Store.</p>
<p>I felt terrible when all of the “mom & pop” bookstores began to disappear with the advent of the “superstores” (yes, I loved the movie “You’ve Got Mail”). We only have one remaining private store in our area. Yet, I must admit I love Barnes & Noble. Sorry you had a bad experience there. I hope they do not go the way of Borders.</p>
<p>I was at B&N yesterday and I’ll be at B&N again today. I’ve had their membership card since it started and even though it slightly tweaks me that you can’t use the discount on ebooks, I still save lots of money with their free shipping for members. I save the cost of membership in 2 months just because of that.</p>
<p>BB: I think you just ran into a cranky employee, which certainly is wrong. I’d send an email with the scan of the receipt to rectify the situation.</p>
<p>I have been spoiled by Costco & Nordstroms and nearly other store which allows you to return items for at least 30 days.
B&N allows you to return them for only 14 days & since I bought some things for D’s trip, it took more than two weeks until I was in the mood to go to the mall to return the things she didn’t want.
I was p’oed.</p>
<p>I’m not going to waste an hour of my time to get the $25 back. I think my time is more valuable than that. 
I’m done shopping there.</p>
<p>I do not like businesses that have two-tier pricing system for “members” and “non-members”. If you are a “club” with paying members, admit only members (like Sams Club or Costco).</p>
<p>I rarely go to B&N anymore. They seem to be moving their stores into malls, for one thing. I dislike the mall traffic and parking when I just want a bookstore. I thought it was just me, but the customer service has dropped a lot in the last couple of years. They used to help me find what I wanted, now they just wave their hand in the general direction and say it should be over there. When I say that is where I looked, they will check the computer (that I already checked) and say that since there are only 1 or 2 copies of that book they could have been placed anywhere by a customer, so tough luck. </p>
<p>I stay home now and use my Kindle and let my “membership” go. I don’t miss it at all.</p>
<p>
Used to buy at Borders because they hosted our scholastic chess club and provided a good meeting place for kids while the adults who weren’t into it had something else to do.</p>
<p>Both Borders and B&N had pretty neat Harry Potter midnight book launches that my kids really enjoyed.</p>