Return Reasons and Timeframes

Buyers can shop with confidence on AbeBooks with our 30-Day Money Back Guarantee. A buyer can initiate a return within 30 days of the estimated delivery date. The estimated delivery date is calculated based on the shipping speed as set by you in your Shipping Matrix.

Each return reason has unique refund rules and timeframes, and it’s helpful to be aware of them all.

Note: For reasons where "return shipping" is refunded to the buyer, the amount will be equal to that of the original shipping charged.

Item Did Not Arrive:

Buyers can initiate a refund for ‘Item did not arrive’ if they have not received the book as of seven days after the estimated delivery date. If no tracking information is provided by the bookseller, the refund will automatically complete seven days later. Make sure to enter tracking information online as soon as possible when you ship an order to prevent these refunds!

Item Was Damaged:

If a book is damaged in transit, the buyer is refunded the book price plus original and return shipping. Make sure to pack your books well to prevent these returns.

Item Not as Described:

If you agree with the buyer that an item isn’t as described, they’ll be refunded the book price plus original and return shipping. If you disagree, the book price and original shipping only will be refunded.

Incorrect Item Delivered:

If the wrong book is sent, the buyer will receive the book price plus original and return shipping.

Buyer Does Not Want Item:

Due to legal requirements in Europe, booksellers are required to accept all returns for ‘Buyer does not want item’ when the order is placed on AbeBooks.co.uk, AbeBooks.de, AbeBooks.fr, AbeBooks.it, or IberLibro.com.

On AbeBooks.com, the buyer can select this return reason but the bookseller may choose not to accept it and has the option to cancel the return. As booksellers are required to respond to all buyer e-mails within two days, the return is considered to be accepted by the bookseller if it is not cancelled within two days. Booksellers should also respond to the 'Return Initiated' e-mail to confirm their return shipping address with the buyer.

Order Accepted in Error:

If you mark an order as [Will Ship] and then need to refund the buyer before you've shipped the book, they will receive the book price plus original shipping.

Buyer Cancelled Before Shipping:

Since all orders must be shipped within 2 days of processing, this return reason is only available to sellers for 4 days after processing the order. The buyer will be refunded the book price plus original shipping.

Partial Refund:

The buyer will be refunded only the amount specified by you. It’s important to note that your commission and payment service fees will not be refunded to you for partial refunds. There is no time limit for offering a partial refund.

Reporting a Missing Shipment:

It is the responsibility of the bookseller to report a missing shipment online if they don’t receive a book return from the buyer within 28 days for domestic orders, or 77 days for international orders. The timeline is as follows:

• 14 days after the return is initiated, the [Notify AbeBooks of Missing Shipment] button is available in the bookseller Return screen;
• at 21 days (77 days for international orders), AbeBooks sends an e-mail reminder to the bookseller about the return;
• at 28 days (90 days for international orders), if no missing shipment is reported, the return automatically completes.

If the bookseller does not receive the book back before the 28 or 77 day mark, they must report the missing shipment online. Once they have done so, AbeBooks will contact the buyer to request tracking information. If none can be provided, the return is cancelled. If tracking that confirms delivery to the bookseller is provided by the buyer, that information is forwarded to the bookseller and the return is completed. Whether completed automatically or after the buyer has provided tracking information, a completed return cannot be reversed.

We recommend that booksellers wait at least 21 days before notifying AbeBooks of a missing shipment in order to allow the book adequate time to arrive.