Book Selling Frequently Asked Questions

What's an ISBN?

An ISBN is a unique number specific to a particular title and edition of a book. You can find the ISBN on the back cover of your book. An ISBN is the best way to identify your book.

How do I sell my books?

1. Enter the ISBN of the book you want to sell in our search page, then select the condition and details of your book ( Condition/Edition Guidelines )
2. To accept our offer, add the item to your cart. Then tell us how you want to get paid (Payment Options)
3. Print your pre-paid, trackable postage label and carefully package your items (Packaging Tips)
4. GET PAID! Once the item is received and checked-in, we send your payment.
   Yes, it's that easy!

How do I determine the condition and edition of my books?

It is important to give accurate information about your books, so we can make the best offer. We buy items in "Brand New" or "Used" condition.

• Brand New books must be in perfect condition to be considered new. This means an unbroken spine, no writing or highlighting, no bent or dented corners, no scratches on the cover, no torn pages--Basically no wear or damage to the book whatsoever.
• Used books must be in at least "good" condition. A used book is considered in good condition even when it contains highlighting, notes, or other markings (with the exception of study guides and workbooks, which must be clean and not have any answers filled in). However, books must be generally clean in appearance with no torn or missing pages and with the cover in good condition.

  The length of time you have owned your books has little or nothing to do with the condition we can buy your book in. The most important factor is how the books arrive at our facility (Packaging tips). We try to be as liberal as possible when checking-in the books--we want your repeat business!
  A sturdy box can make all the difference in how your book is rated.

• Please make sure that you give accurate information about your book. Once you send your books, they cannot be returned for any reason.
  If you sent a book that we do not buy back, we will discard your book. Some examples of books that we do not buy back are: Water damaged books, books with damaged bindings (e.g., pages missing or falling out), defective books, and books with torn/taped/missing covers.

How does shipping work?

FatBrain will provide you with a prepaid Royal Mail shipping label that you can print out from your own computer. The cost of this label is billed to us, so you never have to worry about it.

Please note that our label is priced to send a package weighing up to 20 kilos absolutely. If your package exceeds 20 kilos, you may print another shipping label.

Need more labels?

No problem, just visit Your Account and click on the buyback in question. Then click "Add a postage label." You can request as many free labels as you need.

When do I get paid?

You get paid as soon as we receive your books. We offer two payment options: Cheque (mailed to you: Additional 1-5 days after shipment is received) PayPal (instant and secure transfer directory to your account on the next business day. To setup a PayPal account, click PayPal.co.uk, it only takes a few minutes!)

Do you buy international editions?

Yes! The exploding popularity of these books is evident everywhere. Just make sure you select the "International Edition" option on the search page. If you select "US Edition" and we receive an international edition, we will pay you the international edition rate. Note: We do not buy "Eastern Economy/Low Price/Indian Editions"

Do you buy instructor's/free editions?

Yes, but we can only pay the used price even if the book is new. This is standard throughout the industry, as we cannot resell the book as new. If we receive an instructor's edition, it will be checked in as new. An instructor's/free edition is a book that is just like the regular (student) edition but may say "Free Copy" , "Instructor's Edition" or something similar on the cover. Note: Even though your item may be labelled "Instructor's Edition", it will be considered an "Annotated Edition" if it has extra notes and / or answers to all questions in the back of the text

How long does the entire process take?

You want your money and you want it now! The time it takes you to get your buyback payment depends on two factors: Delivery Time From the day you send your book(s) to us, Royal Mail usually takes between 6-12 business days to arrive. Payment Method Once we receive your package, we need 24-48 hours to process your payment. PayPal: If you've opted to receive payment via PayPal, your PayPal account will be credited immediately. Cheque : If you'd like a cheque we have to post it to you. That usually takes an additional 1-5 business days.

How do you determine pricing?

Pricing is based entirely on demand. We can usually beat your local book shop on price, since they can only pay a low wholesale rate unless they can immediately sell the item.

Who do I contact for help?

Email customercare@fatbrain.co.uk or use our web contact form

How long do I have to send my books?

You should send your books immediately. If we do not receive the books within 4 weeks from when the order was placed, we cannot guarantee the quoted price. After 4 weeks your order will be cancelled. We may still pay you for the books, but they may not have the same value they did when the order was placed. Your books will not be returned to you.

Do you accept loose-leaf items?

Yes, but they must be brand new and still in the original shrink wrap. Used loose leaf items will be discarded.

Do you accept Custom Editions?

No. We do not accept custom editions. Custom editions are school-specific selections of textbooks and usually do not contain every chapter. If your book has your school name printed on it (e.g., "Cambridge Edition" or "UBC Edition") it is likely a custom edition.

Do I need to send CDs/Software with my used books?

Yes. All items that originally include CDs and/or software must include the software. Our buyback quotes for such titles are not guaranteed unless you send in the necessary supplements.

Do you buy library books?

No. We do not buy library books at this time.

Are there any minimum orders?

You must have at least £25.00 in your buyback basket to Checkout