Books-A-Million — Local services in Lakeland

Store is a bit overstocked and cluttered. I use a very small mobility scooter that does not have a zero point turn radius and requires me to swing wider to turn corners. Aisles here are tight and not really navigable for mobility aids. Especially if the store has a lot of people as one aisle can be completely blocked by one or two customers. So not really accessible for this of us with a disability. Went through a three ring circus with gentleman ringing up my purchases…was promised all kind of savings if I signed up for their (too high in the first place) membership that saves a whopping 10%. I agreed based on this fast-talking used-car-salesman’s spiel on how much money I could save because my total was $100 or more today. Once everything was ring up, despite the “discounts” my total was $14 more than it would have been without the membership, making my items actually more expensive or the same price as they would have been without it. I changed my mind and actually saved money by not using this scam of a program. It saved me no money whatsoever. $25 a year is a bit ridiculous to only save 10% on your purchases (one of my items was 34.99 and with the “discount” was still $31 and change). I suppose if you shop here daily and or spend very large of amounts on a regular basis, it might be worth it, but I don’t. A lot of times I’ve seen a book on the shelf that seemed expensive and without buying went him to check Apple or Google Play books and found it much cheaper. The only good thing was, the particular item I bought today was actually $5 less there than retailers online. It said on their website this item wasn’t available at my local store however, and it actually was once I called on a whim just in case and am happy to have avoided paying more by buying online, as eBay especially is trying to charge double the price for it as it seems to be hard to find. Also most book selection here seems to be more and more dominated by Christian reading and...

My years as an educator in MI, PA and TN have left me partial to the Barnes and Noble experience! Their unfailing support of educators, students, their parents, and grandparents via programing, freebies, and innovative contests for students put them light years beyond any entity in second place !! IMHO of course 😊

That being said, my experience at the books a million in Lakeland FL was a revelation! Sadly, when I realized that the closest b&n was 30 miles away from our new home in winter haven, I blanched at the idea of traveling that far on unfamiliar roads even in daylight! That was just beyond the pale for a neophyte FLidian!!

!BAM was half that far away, and they graciously agreed to hold 4 copies of Mitch album's latest masterwork, Finding Chicks, nonfiction about game. It took me 3 days to find it because of old info on the internet!!😟 Complicated by Waze trying to get me to an obsolete address ☹️ and when I arrived, the store was lightly occupied by customers searching for help from the invisible keepers of the print and other treasures. The librarian in me knew I could fend for myself, but time was of the essence!! When what to my wondering eyes should appear but 2 helpful folks who leapt to save them day !!! I'll post their names so that you can seek them out on my recommendation! If these 2 wonders aren't enough, my experience says that the rest of the staff is probably on their way to joining their company!

I left quickly with my 4 copies for our fam holiday book club, 4 copies of the Farmers Almanac 2020, 3 decks of holiday cards, 2 magazines and the proverbial partridge in a pear tree!

Oh, the joy, the relief, the anticipation of another wonder filled Christmas...

Went out of my way to purchase here, to support the continued existence of brick-and-mortar bookstores, but I won't be purchasing here anymore. It's like buying from a seedy spam-filled website, but far less convenient. When trying to check out, I was harassed aggressively by the register staff to buy into some "discount program", then, when I refused, was pushed to participate in some "RISK-FREE" magazine offer, which I just hastily signed off on to get the guy off my back so I could take my books and leave. When I returned home, I found that not only was I charged double the correct price for a clearance item I purchased, but ALSO that this supposed "risk free" offer would CHARGE MY CREDIT CARD which was used at BAM if I didn't jump through hoops to cancel it in time. I found this ABSURD and attempted to return my items and resolve the magazine offer, and was told that they would only give me a gift card, and could not place the $20 purchase price back on my husband's credit card, NOR could they cancel the magazine offer for me. Absurd, considering they can CHARGE that card for magazines without having it present, but can't REFUND my purchase, even though this is simple and hassle-free at most retailers. Scummy business tactics like this are going to expedite the fall of the brick-and-mortar bookstore. It will be sad to see it go, but with practices like this, they DESERVE...