Keep in mind, I am NOT reviewing any of Simply Audiobooks’s MP3 services. I prefer my CDs because I am archaic like that.

Simply Audiobooks is a service designed for people who enjoy books differently than your typical bookworm. They send books-on-CD to your mailbox, and once you’re done listening to your selected tale, you send it back in the same package free of shipping charges. This was particularly appealing to me because I have a long commute to work (45 minutes one way on a GOOD day, yuck) and I love me a good story. I’ve been using the Simply Audiobooks “Rental Program” for over a year now, and I don’t plan on stopping.

Overall grade: B

Price: A
I didn’t research a ton before selecting Simply Audiobooks, but for their services, I believe Simply Audiobooks is the best price.

Usability: B
Pros: Overall, Simply Audiobooks is pretty usable. It’s set up similar to Netflix you search for an audiobook and you add it to your “queue” which will be sent out when it’s available (see Cons). Their queue functions similarly to Netflix where you can either drag and drop order or type in a number. Furthermore, the design is very clean and extremely well laid out.

Cons: A few nitpicky things I find from time to time is the reason usability receives a “B”. The first issue I have is unlike Netflix, you’re not guaranteed to receive the book at the top of your queue. This, however, I can let slide. Audiobooks aren’t as popular as movies by FAR and are much more expensive.

My second nit is there is an extremely short log-in period. I understand the need for security, but it’s slightly ridiculous how short it is. On top of that, when you don’t realize you’re logged off and you’re prompted for your log-in info, you’re kicked off page you were on (forcing you to search for the book all over again).

Lastly, this is for us nerdy readers who like series. It’s very unclear which book out of the series it is in or if it is in a series at all. I feel this could be remedied easily with more consistent titles for these instances. Sometimes books DO have an indication it is in a series (i.e. The The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger (Book 1)), but not always.

Customer Service: A+
I have nothing bad to say about their customer service. I would give them an A++ if I didn’t think that was tacky. Questions are answered promptly on either the site or their twitter account (@SimplyAudiobook). Not only that but they will bend backwards to make you happy. They’re always wonderfully nice, and I don’t hesitate to say they’ve given me the best customer service I’ve ever had.

Shipping: C-
My only real problem with this service. If not for this, I would give them an “A” for an overall grade. I don’t know if it’s because I am in Denver and it has to ship all the way down to Vegas, but from the day I send out my book till I receive a new one is 10-11 days. Perhaps I’ve been spoiled by Netflix, and like I said, audiobooks are way less in demand than movies. However, for my first 15 days (which was free). I didn’t receive any audiobooks. So much for my free trial.

I hate to end this review on a bad note, so I’ll reiterate what I said before: I have used this service for a year and I don’t intend on stopping. Despite their pitfalls, Simply Audiobooks makes my horrible commute much more bearable.