Thanks so much for answering! I literally just signed up for Usborne and thought, oh no! What did I get myself into? So I appreciate your honesty and your detailed explanation! I will have to keep an eye on BookRoo too. I love books and I love sharing my love of books with my students! I am a preschool teacher:) I am definitely a new follower to your blog because I found lots of great info just in the few minutes I spent browsing it yesterday! Thank you again!

I sold Usborne books over two years ago. I joined at a terrible transition period for the company, where shipping was taking a month or longer for my customers, which is totally unacceptable. And yes, there were some definite quality issues as well. I have continued to purchase Usborne books here and there since no longer selling the books myself, but I still have some quality issues (the binding just doesn’t hold up very well to my rough kids, faster than other books for example) but the shipping is amazingly fast now!

But, the main reason I stopped selling was because I just didn’t have the time and energy into pursuing a new business. None of my friends really wanted to host Facebook parties with me, and I was out of leads. And I didn’t really want to pursue and beg and plead for new leads. Ultimately, I already HAD a business (this blog) that I wanted to put much more of my time and resources into so I let the Usborne thing go by the wayside.

I think they have some great and interesting books. I think their customer service and shipping have greatly improved from when I joined. I think there are still some lack in quality. But, I don’t think they should be avoided, no. They are fine company.

Also, I recommend Bookroo instead because I think their books are super cute and different and a fun way to build your child’s library each month. Sorry the links aren’t working. They are my affiliate/partner links and I didn’t know they are apparently pausing their program at the moment. :/

I would like to know this too. I thought your posts on Usborne were interesting, but I was more concerned with how you ended each post with an edit that said you didn’t sell them anymore and to try out BookRoo instead. (those links didn’t work anymore btw). So, do you not like Usborne anymore? If not, why not? I would like to know if there is an underlying reason that Usborne should be avoided! Thanks!

To answer the book question, I especially love the Busy Books, Muddle & Match, and the My First Encyclopedias.

It’s tricky because sales are the ultimate goal for the hostess to win free goodies, and for the seller to make money, BUT most (good) companies believe in education and empowerment. It’s also often said that it takes several exposures to a new idea or product before you are willing to buy anyway.

Although sales are the ultimate goal, a larger number of attendees also makes a host look good. 🙂