Requesting Extra Charges or Reducing Shipping

If you receive an order for a heavy book, or if you need to add tax or insurance to the order, you can request additional funds from the book buyer. By the same token, you can reduce the shipping charges if you receive an order for a small or light book, or if you would like to reduce the additional item charge for a multi-item order. Here's how:

Important Note: All booksellers must process requests for Extra Charges via their AbeBooks accounts, even those using our AMP or API bulk order processing services, (e.g. those using services such as FillZ or Monsoon). After the buyer has accepted or rejected the request, the order must also then be processed via the bookseller's AbeBooks account. Any attempt to do so by any other method will result in the cancellation of the order.

Access the order:

1. [Sign on] to your AbeBooks account.

Request Extra Charges:

1. Select the [Extra Charges] option in the Status column.

2. Click the [Save Order Changes] button.

3. Enter the extra charges amount in the [Increase By] text box.

4. Type an explanation of the extra charges in the [Explanation for Extra Charges] text box.

Note: An explanation is required, and will be sent to the buyer.

5. Click the [Update] button.

6. Review your change and click the [Confirm Charges] button.

An email message is sent to the buyer on your behalf. The buyer has 4 days to accept or reject the shipping charges using the online facility. If the buyer responds to you by email to indicate that they accept the charges, please ask them to go back to the original email from AbeBooks and click the link to accept them online. Otherwise, the charges may be automatically declined.

If the buyer does not accept or reject within the 4 days, we will assume that the buyer does not accept the charges and you will be notified by email. You will then have the option to ship the book(s) at the original shipping charge or reject the order. If you choose to reject the order, it will have no impact on your Completion Rating. The entire order, (except for items marked 'previously sold' or 'rejected' earlier), must be processed again.

If the buyer accepts the request, you receive an email confirmation, which will direct you to process the order online. You can then change the status to 'Will ship' and send the book out.

Reduce Shipping:

1. Access the order, as above.

2. Select the [Reduce Shipping] option in the Status column.

3. Select the [Reduce Shipping] option in the Status column.

4. Click the [Save Order Changes] button.

5. Enter the amount you would like to reduce shipping by in the [Decrease By] text box.

6. Click the [Save Shipping Details] button.

7. Review your changes and click the [Confirm Changes] button.

You do not need to wait for the buyer to confirm this change; the order is processed and the amount charged to the buyer’s credit card will include the reduced shipping amount. We won't send an email to the buyer informing them of the cost reduction so you may wish to send the buyer an e-mail explaining the reduction in shipping charges.

Please note: To reduce the shipping on multiple books in one order, you will need to reduce the shipping for each book in the order. you cannot reduce the shipping cost of any one book to zero. If you attempt to reduce the shipping to zero, an error message will appear and you will be asked to insert shipping changes again.

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