Review by Bad Macaw -- Audiobooks.com Book of your Choice
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Bad Macaw
- Posts: 47
- Joined: 28 Dec 2016, 06:04
- Bookshelf Size: 18
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-bad-macaw.html
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Review by Bad Macaw -- Audiobooks.com Book of your Choice
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Audiobooks.com Book of your Choice" by Audiobooks.]
3 out of 4 stars
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I have been listening to audiobooks for a while now. It's a wonderful way to still "read" while doing other things. For instance, I listen to audiobooks while doing hose chores or working on my art. I even listen to them while having a shower. I love feeling accompanied, and I would much rather listen to an audiobook than to the radio.
Having said that, I have been a member of Audible.com for some time. I didn't know Audiobooks.com and I signed up for the free trial. The first thing I noticed is that the website isn't as appealing as the Audible.com one. But that doesn't matter a lot. What matters is that Audiobooks.com has a very respectable library (not as vast as Audible, but still, quite acceptable). The fact is, though Audible's library is ridiculously large, you will still find all the major titles in Audiobooks.com.
One thing that I really liked was the free books section. These are older books, usually read by volunteers. They are not great, because the narrators are obviously not professionals but hey, they are free, and I still want to listen to them sometimes. While in Audible it's extremely difficult to search for free books (I guess they are trying to push the big-name-narrators), Audiobooks.com makes the search very easy, so that is a big plus.
The app is easy to install and use. You pay a monthly fee of $14.95 once the free trial is over, and for this amount you get one book per month. If you want to download more books, you buy more credits. I have been browsing the whole website trying to figure out the price of the credits, but I can't find it without giving up my free trial and starting the paid plan. Like I said before, the website isn't as good as Audible's. I tried to contact customer service for this question, but the live chat is nowhere to be found. I guess it has a set schedule, and I live in Germany, but I often use the live chat for Audible and it seems to always be available. I would also like to know what their policy on returns and refunds is , but I can't find it on the website (I know Audible.com offers unlimited refunds whenever you are not satisfied, no questions asked, and they advertise it constantly). This is really the sort of info you want to find on the FAQ and I have to say I can't be bothered contacting customer service for questions like this (also, I just checked again and still can't find the live chat. It really should be available at this time of the day)
What I did love about Audiobooks.com is the free books section (like I've mentioned before) and the way all the genres are separated into sections, which I found more clear and useful than in Audible.com. Both platforms offer promotions. I can tell you there is a sale on Audiobooks.com right now, with a few titles at $8- not a lot of titles to choose from, though. I haven't been with Audiobooks.com long enough to tell if their promotions are better or not, but Audible offers a daily deal, usually at around $4, and you can get some great bargains there. They also have other frequent promotions.
All in all, I thought Audiobooks.com was great, but I will stick to Audible.com. I rate Audiobooks.com 3 out of 4 stars. I believe Audiobooks.com is well on their way to becoming a great platform, but they can't compete with Audible just yet.
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Audiobooks.com Book of your Choice
Audiobooks Free Trial
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3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
I have been listening to audiobooks for a while now. It's a wonderful way to still "read" while doing other things. For instance, I listen to audiobooks while doing hose chores or working on my art. I even listen to them while having a shower. I love feeling accompanied, and I would much rather listen to an audiobook than to the radio.
Having said that, I have been a member of Audible.com for some time. I didn't know Audiobooks.com and I signed up for the free trial. The first thing I noticed is that the website isn't as appealing as the Audible.com one. But that doesn't matter a lot. What matters is that Audiobooks.com has a very respectable library (not as vast as Audible, but still, quite acceptable). The fact is, though Audible's library is ridiculously large, you will still find all the major titles in Audiobooks.com.
One thing that I really liked was the free books section. These are older books, usually read by volunteers. They are not great, because the narrators are obviously not professionals but hey, they are free, and I still want to listen to them sometimes. While in Audible it's extremely difficult to search for free books (I guess they are trying to push the big-name-narrators), Audiobooks.com makes the search very easy, so that is a big plus.
The app is easy to install and use. You pay a monthly fee of $14.95 once the free trial is over, and for this amount you get one book per month. If you want to download more books, you buy more credits. I have been browsing the whole website trying to figure out the price of the credits, but I can't find it without giving up my free trial and starting the paid plan. Like I said before, the website isn't as good as Audible's. I tried to contact customer service for this question, but the live chat is nowhere to be found. I guess it has a set schedule, and I live in Germany, but I often use the live chat for Audible and it seems to always be available. I would also like to know what their policy on returns and refunds is , but I can't find it on the website (I know Audible.com offers unlimited refunds whenever you are not satisfied, no questions asked, and they advertise it constantly). This is really the sort of info you want to find on the FAQ and I have to say I can't be bothered contacting customer service for questions like this (also, I just checked again and still can't find the live chat. It really should be available at this time of the day)
What I did love about Audiobooks.com is the free books section (like I've mentioned before) and the way all the genres are separated into sections, which I found more clear and useful than in Audible.com. Both platforms offer promotions. I can tell you there is a sale on Audiobooks.com right now, with a few titles at $8- not a lot of titles to choose from, though. I haven't been with Audiobooks.com long enough to tell if their promotions are better or not, but Audible offers a daily deal, usually at around $4, and you can get some great bargains there. They also have other frequent promotions.
All in all, I thought Audiobooks.com was great, but I will stick to Audible.com. I rate Audiobooks.com 3 out of 4 stars. I believe Audiobooks.com is well on their way to becoming a great platform, but they can't compete with Audible just yet.
******
Audiobooks.com Book of your Choice
Audiobooks Free Trial
Like Bad Macaw's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: "My Trip to Adele" by A.I.Alyaseer, R.I.Alyaseer
