Book tokens - can you redeem them online?

UK Book Tokens are a national scheme to get people into real Bookshops.
Bookshops are suffering from online sales by companies that are not proper Bookshops (for example Amazon and Book Depository).
Although many real Bookshops do have websites, books on book websites are usually discounted and because of the high fees imposed on Bookshops when dealing in Book Tokens, selling a book discounted, paid for with a Book Token, will usually mean a net loss for the Bookshop on the sale.
This is why UK Book Tokens do not suit the online businesses of stores like WH Smith & Waterstones.
However one company does offer a some light, for those wanting to spend Book Tokens online. Firstbookshop.com is an established UK Bookseller who will accept your Book Tokens online. The only way however they can make this pay, is to sell the book to you at the RRP (cover price). Postage is free to the whole of Europe, so this is not a bad deal at all.:T

Paul_Williams wrote: »

UK Book Tokens are a national scheme to get people into real Bookshops.
Bookshops are suffering from online sales by companies that are not proper Bookshops (for example Amazon and Book Depository).
Although many real Bookshops do have websites, books on book websites are usually discounted and because of the high fees imposed on Bookshops when dealing in Book Tokens, selling a book discounted, paid for with a Book Token, will usually mean a net loss for the Bookshop on the sale.
This is why UK Book Tokens do not suit the online businesses of stores like WH Smith & Waterstones.
However one company does offer a some light, for those wanting to spend Book Tokens online. Firstbookshop.com is an established UK Bookseller who will accept your Book Tokens online. The only way however they can make this pay, is to sell the book to you at the RRP (cover price). Postage is free to the whole of Europe, so this is not a bad deal at all.:T

You are completly wrong. As no where on the purchase transaction is the consumer warned, told, informaed that the token forces the purchaser to only buy at RRP. That you cannot use them on line.

No where are the limitations or Restirctionsd made known except in some tiny T&Cs as is usual.

This is a disgrace and the CCPA should take action to force National Book Tokens make known to purcahsers these limitations and restrictions. Then the CONsumer can make an informed decision on what to do.

1) buy a WHSMoth token and able to use on line or in the shop
or
2) Buy a NBT and be restricted and forced to pay RRP.. It is nothing to do with supporting book shops. If that is the case, like a charity then this should be made clear and plain what the transaction means to the consumer. Whne now it is not.

@lily26 Thanks for that link! hive.co.uk's range may not be quite as good but it still had 3 out of the 4 relatively obscure books I wanted to buy. Not only does it support independents but, for each of those books their discount was greater, and the books therefore cheaper, than either amazon or Waterstones and the discount remains even if you pay using a book token. Very happy.