Blue Bicycle Books — Local services in Charleston

I found this book store via Instagram promoted by another well known yogi advertising for signed copies by the author of The Witch's Heart. The price they were selling the book for was reasonable, and I was excited to receive a book that I could add to my collection. I ordered this book online seeing is I live out of state. When I received my book the box it was shipped in looked like it was sitting in water. I wasn't concerned as of yet since I figured the retailer would take the proper precautions in packaging the novel with care. Upon opening the package they had not! My book was soaked through and the binding was starting to rip apart. So this novel that I purchased hoping it could be of some value down the line was completely ruined. I emailed the company letting them know that I wasn't seeking a refund but more than anything to save future grief and package their merchandise with better care. After several days with no reply I decided to write this review since there was no attempt in seeking to rectify the matter on the company's part. I recognize this is a small business and that they have a struggle on their hands dealing with "big-box" retailers. It makes me sad to see that there was no efforts in better customer service on their online platform. It is THEIR JOB to make sure that their merchandise is packed with care...we all know the courier's are just concerned with getting the package delivered no matter what condition it seems to be delivered in. That is a courier's job to ensure the package is delivered (although we would like for them to be more considerate in the care of the package)! The packaging is the responsibility of the company sending it! It would have cost no extra to place the book in a plastic sleeve, ensuring that it would have been protected from any exposure to anything along the way. I cannot speak for how the business is in person, but I am very disappointed that they seem to lack basic customer service skills when it comes to their online shoppers.

3/1/21 After posting the original review, the book store contacted me shortly after and rectified the matter by sending me a new copy of the book with better packaging. I do appreciate that they at least take into consideration the reviews on their company and will try to make an effort even fixing certain matters...

I am a voracious reader who heavily frequents my local library…but I am always on the lookout for a local bookstore gem. I am sad to report that Blue Bicycle does not fall into this category. After wading through a sea of mostly-not-unpacked-and-yet-ripped-open cardboard boxes of books, my husband and I found two books we wanted to purchase. The good news? Our checkout transaction took less than one minute. The bad news? We waited for quite a while - it felt like twenty minutes, but in charity was probably closer to ten - for two other transactions to be completed, both of which were clearly dwelt over due to the perceived bookworm (bookdragon) nature of the customer.

Although I am not a Charleston native, a positive experience would have left me charmed and likely to patronize Blue Bicycle over and over. Unfortunately, I am left with yet another impression of a local bookstore catering to an already-identified group...

If you want a great bookstore with amazing service and selections in Charleston, go down King Street to Buxton Books. Honestly really disappointed by this bookstore. It was highly rated and looked really cute, so was excited to explore it on our trip up the east coast. However, the staff did not acknowledge us at all despite us being in there for an hour browsing. Also it had a large collection but I still found myself wanting for more, and was unable to find a book I wanted to buy. A lot of the subjects just seemed fairly nice. I was considering buying a book, but then saw a line of three people form at the checkout and wait for a while for the staff member to come back and check them out. It took them about 20 minutes from lining up to finally checking out, which finally persuaded me to not buy...