To ensure a successful selling experience and high customer satisfaction, all sellers are expected to adhere to the Seller Policies, outlined below. As a global marketplace, all AbeBooks' sellers must comply with global regulations as outlined in the AbeBooks Seller Agreement, the Seller Policies, or the Returns policy. Being familiar with these policies will answer most questions you have about selling on the AbeBooks websites.
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Items Sellers Can List on AbeBooks:
It is the seller's responsibility to ensure all listings comply with AbeBooks' policies. Listing violations may result in removal of listings, account suspension, or termination of selling privileges.
The Following Product Types Are Permitted for Sale on AbeBooks:
More information about product types can be located in the AbeBooks help pages. Sellers are not permitted to list other forms of media products on the AbeBooks websites, i.e. music CDs and movie DVDs. Other non-book collectible listings may be permitted for sale at the sole discretion of AbeBooks.
International Edition Textbooks are permitted for sale as long as the following requirements are met:
Teachers' Editions, Instructors' Editions, Study Guides, and Solutions Manuals are permitted for sale as long as the following requirements are met:
Print on Demand listings are items that are not in printed form at the time of order. Print on Demand listings are permitted for sale as long as the following requirements are met:
Photocopies or Printed Copies of Digital Content are permitted for sale as long as the following requirements are met:
Audio Books are permitted for sale as long as the following requirements are met:
ZVAB.com:
Only selected sellers and items will be listed on ZVAB.com, our website focused on German-language rare and used books. AbeBooks will determine the eligibility of sellers and invite them to list on ZVAB.com based on these criteria:
Items sellers cannot list on AbeBooks:
Certain items are not permitted on the AbeBooks websites. AbeBooks reserves the right to remove any listing that we determine to be unacceptable in our sole discretion and to terminate sellers' selling privileges for any reason, including for sellers who fail to remove an item upon request or relist an item after it has been removed.
If AbeBooks has removed item(s) from your inventory, or your selling privileges have been terminated, you have the opportunity to appeal the decision. You can follow the appeals process outlined in Appealing the Removal of Selling Privileges.
Items With the Following Attributes are not permitted for sale on AbeBooks websites:
Listing Quality
Items listed on the AbeBooks websites must adhere to certain listing data quality standards, including but not limited to the following:
Multiple Listings
We encourage sellers to use a quantity field, to list multiple copies of an item. The use of a quantity field is an option available to all sellers.
If a seller has multiple copies of any item, the following guidelines must be followed:
Order Processing
To maximize customer satisfaction, AbeBooks expects sellers to process and ship all orders within 48 hours of receipt. Credit Card orders not processed after 96 hours will automatically cancel and will count as unfulfilled orders in the Completion Rate calculation. Seller direct orders not processed after 96 hours will automatically confirm as a processed order. Rejection of orders based on shipping location is strictly prohibited. Rejection of orders for products listed with a pricing error will count as unfulfilled orders in the Completion Rate calculation. Contacting a buyer directly to offer an item listed with a pricing error at a new price is strictly prohibited. Sellers are responsible for ensuring delivery within the timeframe quoted to the buyer and in the condition described online.
Sellers are permitted to have multiple ship-from locations for their account as long as the following conditions are met:
Drop Shipping
Drop shipping, or allowing a third party to fulfill orders to customers, is generally acceptable as long as the following conditions are met:
Shipment Tracking
Providing tracking details for all orders is highly recommended, and in some cases AbeBooks may require a seller to use tracking for their shipments. When tracking information is unavailable, AbeBooks may temporarily suspend sellers' listings while we request proof of shipment for quality assurance purposes.
AbeBooks may immediately suspend or terminate the selling privileges of any seller required to ship with tracking who stops supplying tracking information for orders placed with them.
Sellers may not use or disclose customer information for any purpose other than fulfilling an order to which the information, i.e. name, email, address, relates. All sellers should be familiar with the Privacy Policy and applicable Agreement.
Returns
Sellers are required to accept returns, when initiated within 30 days of the estimated delivery date, for all reasons under AbeBooks' Return Policy. Refund amounts are based on the return reason. If the return reason cannot be determined, the minimum required refund amount is equal to the item price. Charging a restocking fee for any return is strictly prohibited.
Definitions of Return Reasons and Corresponding Reimbursement Amounts:
'Buyer Does Not Want Item' Orders Placed on AbeBooks.com:
'Buyer Does Not Want Item' Orders Placed on AbeBooks.co.uk, AbeBooks.de, AbeBooks.fr, AbeBooks.it, ZVAB.com, or IberLibro.com:
'Item Did Not Arrive':
'Item Was Damaged':
'Item Not as Described':
'Incorrect Item Delivered':
'Order Accepted in Error':
'Buyer Cancelled Before Shipping':
'Partial Refund':
All returns, regardless of payment method, are subject to the return policies as outlined above, and must be processed via the AbeBooks online system. Failure to process a refund for a returned item is strictly prohibited. All refunds must be issued via the same payment method originally used to pay for the order.
Sellers are also required to provide a refund in cases where an item is unclaimed, returned due to an incomplete address, returned to sender, or similar reason. Any seller found to have received returns for which no refund has been issued, and/or no resolution attempt made, is subject to suspension or termination of selling privileges.
Reporting a Missing Shipment:
When a return has been initiated by the buyer, it is the responsibility of the seller to report a missing shipment online if they don’t receive the item back within 28 days of initiation for domestic orders, or 77 days for international orders.
The timeline for reporting a Missing Shipment is as follows:
When a missing shipment is reported, AbeBooks Customer Support will contact the buyer to ask for tracking information. If tracking information is not provided, the return is cancelled. We recommend that sellers wait at least 21 days before notifying AbeBooks of a missing shipment in order to allow the book adequate time to arrive.
Return Dispute Resolution:
All return disputes are to be handled between the seller and buyer. Returns should be processed online once a resolution is reached. AbeBooks does not participate in dispute negotiations, but sellers must act in accordance with all AbeBooks policies, guidelines, and the Seller Agreement, or risk termination of selling privileges from the AbeBooks websites.
Credit Card Chargebacks:
Any chargeback received where payment has been accepted by our external payment service provider may be debited against a seller’s account by our external payment service provider. A chargeback is a reversal of funds on a Credit Card by the credit card issuing bank. Chargebacks occur when a cardholder contacts their bank to initiate a return of the funds paid for an order.
AbeBooks will always attempt to contact a seller prior to applying a chargeback to their account. In some cases, this investigation provides the details required (such as shipping information) to cause the chargeback to be refuted with the buyer’s payment card company and avoids having the chargeback passed on to the seller.
AbeBooks will not cause a seller's account to be debited when a chargeback is the result of actual fraud. AbeBooks fraud protection applies only to credit card transactions processed by our external payment service provider and is based on the information received in the AbeBooks Checkout process.
Performance Standards
AbeBooks monitors seller performance in order to ensure customer satisfaction. The required standards for seller participation are based on Completion Rate, Return Rate, and Inquiry Response. Failure to meet AbeBooks’ minimum performance standards will result in suspension or termination of selling privileges.
Completion Rate:
Completion rate is based on order completion, calculated by the number of ordered items minus the number rejected and returned, divided by the total number of ordered items.
The minimum required standards for Completion are:
Completion rate is calculated based on a rolling six-month period, updated on the 1st and 15th of every month.
Return Rate:
Sellers are required to maintain a return rate of 5% or less.
Return reasons included in the return rate calculation are:
Inquiry Response:
Sellers are required to respond to all inquiries from buyers, potential buyers, and AbeBooks staff within two business days.
Communication with customers, fellow sellers and AbeBooks staff must be professional at all times. Communication that is derogatory or discriminatory in any way, or that includes language that is abusive or threatening, is strictly prohibited.
Sellers may not use or disclose customer information for any purpose other than fulfilling an order to which the information, i.e. name, email, address, relates. All sellers should be familiar with the Privacy Policy and applicable Agreement.
Contact and Account Information
Sellers are required to keep their contact and account information up to date at all times. AbeBooks reserves the right to temporarily remove listings and withhold payment to accounts with incomplete or inaccurate account information.
Contact Information:
Contact information must be accurate and current at all times. Valid contact information is necessary so both buyers and AbeBooks can contact sellers. Information required by applicable consumer regulations must be included in your Detailed Seller Information. Contact information is not permitted in listings.
Contact information is not permitted in listings.
Account Information:
Sellers must also keep all account information current, including but not limited to the following. Required information is marked with an *:
If non-required contact or account information is provided, it must be kept current.
AbeBooks offers sellers several locations to enter key information that assist with sales, including but not limited to the following:
All information listed must be true and accurate and provided only in the fields designated for it. No fields can contain information contradictory to AbeBooks' Seller Agreement, the Seller Policies, or the Returns policy. Sellers should use these fields to state their business policies, information required by applicable consumer regulations, and other important information potential buyers should know. These fields are viewable via places like the item details page, the seller's Storefront and the Shopping Basket.
Redirection:
Sellers may not redirect buyers away from AbeBooks to an alternative sales channel. Email addresses, phone numbers, and website URLs are permitted only in the fields specifically intended for them. Sellers found to be redirecting customers as an alternative to completing a purchase via AbeBooks are subject to suspension or termination of selling privileges.
Direct Debit for Fees:
Some sellers located in Europe have the ability to pay fees via SEPA Direct Debit from European bank accounts denominated in Euros. Sellers paying seller fees via direct debit, by providing AbeBooks with their bank account information, authorize:
As a part of your rights, sellers may be entitled to a refund from their bank under the terms and conditions of the agreement with the bank. A refund must be claimed within 8 weeks starting from the date on which the account was debited.