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GB
1 review
0 helpful votes
Follow Simon B.
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I've bought a lot from DrivethruRPG over the years. Like, a lot.

Have I had problems? Sometimes. I always say that the packing on the POD could be better. Any damages are quickly rectified though and a new print sent out.

The choice, especially between the different store fronts such as DMs Guild and Storytellers Vault, is immense and puts any other merchant to shame. Just the classic D&D I've got from here would be enough to blow my mind.

Really. I can't appreciate this company enough.

Disclaimer. I have stuff up on DTRPG and DMs Guild for sale. The customer service from that side is terrific too.

Date of experience: December 30, 2022
West Virginia
1 review
3 helpful votes
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Review
March 18, 2021

Fantastic site, especially for out of print games! Some people have had trouble with printing or quality. They are great about helping out. Some of this stuff has been scanned from surviving copies that are very old. The reviews of a product or the questions section is very helpful, simply ask if something you want to know about is not covered. I have hundreds of their products and have never had a complaint that was not resolved or, at least explained. Many times a problem occurs its with software. Changing what was used, straightens it out. Hope this was helpful.

Date of experience: March 18, 2021
Poland
1 review
5 helpful votes
Follow Mateusz L.
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I ordered a physical product 9 months ago and it hasn't been delivered yet despite filing two separate support tickets. With no tracking number and the ability to actually monitor the progress, the only think you can do is to wait fruitlessly for three months, then reporting the issue and getting promised the product will be sent again (which may or may not actually happen).

Date of experience: November 21, 2018
California
2 reviews
3 helpful votes
Follow Kas H.
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Good at taking the money, good at not caring. Myself (and a few others) have been charged for pdf purchases and not receiving the files. Drivethrurpg CS are all to quick to wash their hands of it. "We don't see the transaction on our severs, so there's nothing we can do" (even if you include screenshots, receipts and my bank says they got the money). "Its a new a problem we don't understand, so there's nothing we can do" etc etc.

Date of experience: June 10, 2023
Australia
1 review
4 helpful votes
Follow Bre S.
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I ordered a printed book late October and asked if it was guaranteed to be there by Christmas and they said yes. When I emailed them 3 weeks before they said I have to wait till it was exactly 30 days before they could deem it as lost. In doing so obviously too close to Christmas and they offered no discount, faster shipping or anything. Dissatisfied customer!

Date of experience: December 17, 2019
Texas
1 review
8 helpful votes
Follow Stephanie M.
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I ordered a book in February. It's now May. I still don't have the book. The first shipment had a tracking number and was obviously not delivered to us. The replacement was sent without a tracking number, and now that it's 15 days past THAT shipment date, they are still refusing to consider it lost for another 15 days. They've given me a $5 credit towards my next purchase which I seriously doubt I'll ever be placing.

I don't care where in the US they sent the book from, it would have reached us within 15 days. So, if you happen to have a lost item, do not count on this company to provide prompt customer service.

Date of experience: May 7, 2016
Germany
1 review
1 helpful vote
Follow Manfred M.
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Brexit and custom charges
November 12, 2021

Now with brexit done, buying there is way too expensive. I appreciate that, so maybe many people wont have the same Bad Things happened as they did too me: the books are made of cheap quality, sometimes they dont reach their destination, no Service at all etc...

Date of experience: November 12, 2021
New Jersey
1 review
2 helpful votes
Follow Paradox G.
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Profit first, community last
December 19, 2022

This site,under the umbrella company One Bookshelf, is for independent publishers who want to distribute their RPGs. They take a huge percent of your earnings for themselves compared to similar sites. Sadly, they teamed up with Roll20,who has been censoring people's private online gaming for "anti-woke" content. They also will issue refunds for digital material that members bought and get to keep,at the creator's expense. They've been on a censorship campaign recently, as any material that goes against he corporate management's extremist politics is subject to be banned,and the site encourages users to flag material they find personally offensive. Big Geek Emporium is a free speech alternative that I recommend as a substitute.

Date of experience: December 19, 2022
Spain
1 review
2 helpful votes
Follow Bez B.
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Great site
April 4, 2019

I've used them many times for purchases, and I've published a few things on there.

It's so nice to have the vast majority of the PDFs I own in one place.

The one time I ever had an issue as a customer, they sorted it out immediately and with no fuss.

The couple of times I've had an issue as a publisher, the customer service has been fantastic.

Date of experience: April 4, 2019
Canada
1 review
0 helpful votes
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Made by amateurs
April 9, 2024

Don't use this site. Gets hacked and credit card numbers stolen at least a couple times a year. Their militant-leftist ideologies are transparently alluded to at all times. Worse than BoardGameGeek.

Date of experience: April 9, 2024
Washington
1 review
4 helpful votes
Follow M W.
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DO NOT TRUST this company. They are a group of FRAUDS. They DO NOT deliver what you order and then drag out the replacement process with a bunch of lame, canned apologies. I'm preparing to report them to my credit card company for fraud and to the Better Business Bureau.

I've suffered through two shipments and they have yet to get the order correct, blaming the problem on their printer.

What reputable business doesn't have the common sense to perform QA on orders before shipping them to customers?

Date of experience: January 18, 2015
Germany
1 review
3 helpful votes
Follow Assad M.
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My Account get deleted, too. No pdf's - "just" two undelivered physical Orders are lost. Seems that they never sended them, but my money seems good enough to be taken. Pff... will try to get my lobey back via laywer. Absolut not professionel, call it criminal.

Date of experience: September 22, 2021
Sweden
1 review
5 helpful votes
Follow Max L.
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First of the book I bought were 4 months late, coustmer service didnt help for $#*! aight thats fine stuff like that happens... But here is the kicker the book got updated that I bought and if you own the old book you get the update for free didn't get the update I contact them again

I get the answer I dont own the book... Reanswer that yeah I do own the book and send proof, I'm getting quite irritated at this point how could he not see that I own the book but sure incompetence is everywhere. They answer me again and say because you don't own the PDF version you are not able to get the update... I know this is bull$#*! and the reason why it is bull$#*! is that the $#*!ing creator on the sites comment thread said that I was able to get the update for free and that was a part of the deal they made. That everyone that bought the book should get the update. I link them the conversation and they close my case...

Please do your self a service and avoid them at all cost

Date of experience: December 20, 2017
Kentucky
1 review
0 helpful votes
Follow James F.
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The site is fine, I have 100s of files from it. The problem is everybody and his brother writes a game suppliment and posts it for sale. Some of those will be gems, others will be complete crap.

Date of experience: November 30, 2022
Minnesota
11 reviews
32 helpful votes
Follow Duncan B.
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Sends out pdfs of anything ordered PROMPTLY, and without cost for "handling". Sends out printed books promptly, having more selection than ANY other online retailer of RPGs. Has HUGE selection of free pdfs (yes, FREE) and a thoroughly professional and courteous staff!

Date of experience: April 2, 2015
Germany
1 review
4 helpful votes
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Criminals
September 19, 2021

They deleted my Account. Pdf's worth 200$ are lost. No compensation. Please dont buy here. There are alternatives, often cheaper.

Date of experience: September 19, 2021
GB
1 review
3 helpful votes
Follow A G.
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Ordered many digital versions of books, only one print copy. No problem with any of them. Only gripe is that the mobile site is a bit dodgy.

Date of experience: May 17, 2017
Canada
1 review
2 helpful votes
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Fantastic Source
October 5, 2021

Not the best site to navigate but generally a solid experience that I have been accessing and using for over ten years.

Date of experience: October 4, 2021
Hawaii
6 reviews
29 helpful votes
Follow L L.
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I have bought several old Role Play books from this site that I can't find anywhere else! Great for downloading PDF files of old books, as well as getting printed copies of books that have gone long out of print. I no longer have to browse pawn shops and resell stores for months at a time to find a RP book I want to buy, and this is a great deal when Ebay's sellers try to sell the books for three and four times their original retail price.

You do pay full retail for printed books, but they are made print to order so you get a brand new, perfect condition book EVERY time, and its so new you can still smell the ink on the pages when you open them. I have NEVER had that happen before until now, and they are exactly like the role play books we used to buy in bookstores! I am finding books from this site that I was never able to get ahold of when the books were in print, and they add new books to their print to order list constantly!

This site has a large selection of books as well as comics to browse and choose from. I really love it!

Date of experience: April 4, 2013
Florida
2 reviews
5 helpful votes
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Wonderful company
March 25, 2015

I've probably bought 20+ books and never had an issue

Date of experience: March 25, 2015

Overview

DriveThruRPG has a rating of 2.1 stars from 21 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases. DriveThruRPG ranks 701st among Gaming sites.

service
7
value
6
shipping
4
returns
3
quality
5