FAQ
Below are some of our frequently asked questions. If you still can not find an answer you are looking for please contact us!
ISBNs
Q: What is an ISBN?
A: ISBN is an abbreviation for “International Standard Book Number”. It's the standardized identification system for books and other media.
Q: Where can I find the ISBN of my book?
A: Publishers typically puts the ISBN on the back cover of the book, usually above or near the barcode. They are also shown on the copyright information page within the first few pages of the book. If the item is a single volume and part of a set, this would be a good place to look, as it shows the ISBN of each volume.
Q: What does an ISBN look like?
A: Usually the letters ISBN will be printed followed by a number with sections separated by hyphens, e.g. ISBN 0-89123-145-2
Q: Do you buy books without ISBNs?
A: We do not buy books without ISBNs, as it is generally difficult to determine a price for the item.
Types of Books
Q:What types of books do you buy?
A: We buy books that meet our
book condition guidelines, are available for resale and have at least a little market value. Our pricing page will tell you whether we are buying a specific book once you've entered the ISBN. Items that we typically do not buy are: Older books, books without ISBNs, encyclopedia sets, magazines, music books, comic books, books that are marked as “not for resale,” books that are in poor condition, outdated text books, etc.
Q:What types of books do you NOT buy?
A:We do not buy
- Instructor Edition Textbooks
- Examination copies
- Teacher's Edition
- Advanced Readers Copy (ARC)
- Items without an ISBN printed on the book
- Items that are sexually explicit and/or offensive
- Non book items such as Calendars and board games (even though they may have an ISBN)
- Encyclopedia Sets
Q: Do you buy items marked Not for Resale?
A: No we do not buy any items marked not for resale, for example, but not limited to advanced readers copies, instructors editions, and examination copies. This information is often hidden by heavy use of tape and stickers, so be cautious. They will be rejected upon arrival.
Q:Will you buy large quantities of books?
A: sellbackyourBook.com was designed for students to use and we do not have a special process for bulk sellers and we only accept one copy of an ISBN per user - if you have multiple copies of the same book we will only buy 1 - sorry.
Q:Will you buy several copies of a given book?
A: We do not buy more than a single copy of a book per household. If you place multiple orders or create
multiple accounts to sell the same item we will not accept it and
you will not be paid for any of your orders! We only accept one copy of the same item per household. We are very sorry but this is
strictly enforced and no exceptions are made. Book Condition
Q: What sort of physical condition should the books be in?
A: All books sold to sellbackyourBook.com must be in good condition or better. What does good condition mean?
- No Water Damage
- No Tears on the cover or pages
- Workbooks must not have any writing in them
- Less than 30% of the book has highlighting/underlining or writing (remember workbooks must have NO writing)
- No Missing or Loose Pages
- No fire or smoke damage
- Minimal wear to the binding - pages should be firmly attached to the binding -- bindings cannot be broken
- No strong odor of any kind (including musty or cigarette odor, for example)
- No items with the access code exposed. This includes standalone items (for example an item that is an access code for online class like Mathlab) as well as items which include a supplementary access code (for example a textbook packaged with an associated access code for an accompanying online class).
Items we receive that do not meet these requirements are NOT eligible for payment. The quote WILL BE deducted from the total amount - so please make good judgment when assessing your items and please pack your books carefully.
Q: What happens if you do not accept one or more of my books?
A:We WILL recycle the item and deduct the quote from the total.
To ensure that books are not damaged please follow these guidelines:
- Use a sturdy box. Thin boxes (e.g., cereal boxes) may not protect your books in shipment.
- Do not use packing peanuts for packing material. Packing peanuts shift during transit, damage pages and often become crushed by the weight of the books during shipment! A large amount of shipments we've received using packing peanuts result in several damaged books.
- Choose the right size of box. Huge boxes of books nearly always result in damaged books
- Keep the weight of each box and books under 35lbs. Heavy boxes nearly always result in damaged books
- Use wadded up newspaper to fill gaps. Newspaper can be wadded up tightly and provide protection
Getting Paid
Q: When and how do I get paid?
A: When we receive the box of books and confirm its contents against the order, we process your payment in our next PayPal or check run (usually within 2 business days after the order is processed)
Q: How long does it take to get paid?
A: Since we are unable to pay you until we receive your items, the real variable in the amount of time to get paid is the transit times. If you choose to ship using our FedEx Service we will receive your items in 2-5 days. If you choose the USPS media mail option we will receive your items in 7-21 days. We attempt to check in all books within two business days of arrival, although this may take longer depending on the number of orders we receive at any given time. For quickest payment use PayPal!
Shipping
Q: Who pays for Shipping?
A: A: Shipping is always 100% free when you use one the shipping label provided after checkout!
Q: What if I want to ship my items through a different carrier?
A: We will gladly accept your packages no matter how you decide to ship them to us. However if you decide not to use our free shipping label, you will be responsible for the shipping costs. Also all items must be given to a carrier within 7 days of placing an order.
Q: Should I pay for insurance on my package of books?
A: Insurance is included with our pre-paid shipping label up to $100 dollars.
Q: What happens if I don't include some of the books on the packing slip?
A: We'll contact you via email to confirm that the books were not shipped. If you purchased insurance and your package is missing books we will work with you to recover the cost of the books from the postal service. Only the sender of items (in this case, you) can recover the cost from the postal service. We will help you by providing an accurate accounting of the value.
Q: What happens if you don't receive my books?
A: If we can verify that you shipped out the items and you used our Free label - we will file a claim on your behalf with the shipping carrier.
Q: How long do I have after I mail my books to ship them to you?
A: All items must be given to a carrier within 7 days of placing an order.
