Bookshopping, yay, Bookshopping!
This week I just got my books from Book Depository, the online bookstore based in UK. I first heard about Book Depository from this forum (in Indonesian). The store offers free shipping to worldwide, including to Indonesia.
But free shipping does not always mean cheaper. Like any other purchase, comparison will help deciding from options available. I asked several questions before buying books, especially import books, from Book Depository or from any bookstore for that matter.
Are the books available in local bookstore? No. In Kuta, where I currently live, I haven’t seen the books in Periplus, Times bookstore and even Gramedia.
Have you checked local(Indonesian) online bookstore? I actually could send an inquiry to several bookstore such as Kinokuniya (customer_service@kinokuniya.co.id), Periplus, Times bookstore, or Aksara (info@aksara.com). They accept book order either via email or form on their website (and they respond in twitter, too). A friend had an experience buying the third book of Hunger Games trilogy from Kinokuniya and the service was excellent.
I think I could get my books in Kinokuniya. Though their Indonesian website doesn’t have any search form yet but I assume what I can find in other Kinokuniya’s website can also be found in their Indonesian store (well, if it’s not in stock, I think they can make it available since they’re one company, right?). I did the search in their Singapore website. The books were available but at price I’m not willing to pay. :P
What’s with the price? I can’t say any particular store has the absolute best price for all books. Price comparison is a must. The import books on local bookstores usually have higher price than the stores like Amazon and Book Depository. So, if Amazon has shipping cost, does that mean Book Depository is the better way to go? Not always. Some books we’ll find it cheaper and some more expensive at Amazon, and other books at the same price. So, always compare, compare carefully!
Anything else to pay? I could think of 2 things, time and means of payment. I think the first one is more general. It takes 25 days for the books to come into my bookshelf. Let me note down the dates:
26 Feb: ordering date 1 & 2 March: books dispatched (I order 2 books, they were dispatched separately and that’s why I got 2 packages) 22 March: my happy day!
What makes it worth the long wait is the total of 300K IDR difference with Kinokuniya price. If it’s under 100K IDR, I would bear with it because I might have got the books faster from Kinokuniya, if the book is in stock. If it’s not in stock, with 300K IDR difference, I need to wait for 3-4 weeks as they order it from their warehouse. But that’s my case.
Another friend of mine just got her books from Kinokuniya Jakarta. She ordered it by email and the books are available. She pays 80K IDR more than the price at Book Depository but the books arrives within 2 days.
What about means of payment? I took it into consideration because I still don’t own a credit card. Lucky me, my dear friend Rika was willing to help me with the purchase (I can’t thank you enough, jeng!). But I feel that it would be great if I can handle (control?) all my book purchase process from beginning to end. I’m thinking of getting a credit card but that’s another story.
There’s actually a way to purchase import books without credit card. There are at least 2 online bookstores in Indonesia that helps us purchase books from Amazon (yes, only from Amazon at the moment), BukaBuku and Bookoopedia. I just tried buying via Bookoopedia a few days ago (ok, guilty! I can’t stop buying books!!). The total price is 50K IDR higher than Book Depository but I don’t need any credit card so it’s wonderful. I hope the books will arive safely (cross my fingers).
I chose Bookoopedia because when I searched for the books, Bukabuku didn’t list the new price on my books. The books I wanted to buy was recently discounted but the discounted price only showed up in Bookoopedia. See? Always compare!
This is imported goods, any tax? I’ve heard things and I’ve read things. Both Bookoopedia and Bukabuku said that total order higher than $50 is subjected to tax (read it here and here, in Indonesian). I have nothing on this so I don’t have much to say. I’ll update it when my Bookoopedia order arrives.
Is that it? Is that all? Alternative! Regarding bookshopping, there is still e-book. I have no thought of converting to an ebook reader (am I using the correct term here?). But one day, one twitter account intercepted my conversation with Periplus (I was looking for a book by George Orwell, 1984). That account was of an online bookstore, specialized in ebooks. I guess they are the first in Indonesia. Check out their website here, Papataka. Quite a unique name, huh?
I guess that’s all for now. Happy book hunting!
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