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BOOK SELLING FAQ’s
  • 1 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.

      There may be different editions of the same title, with a different ISBN number. Therefore, it is important to an agreed purchase that the ISBN matches our offer ISBN.

      Books submitted with the incorrect ISBN (even though the title may match) will not be accepted.

      isbn
  • 2 Why would a book be rejected?

    • Books missing required supplements.
    • Books with taped covers which are torn.
    • Spine damage.
    • Loose or missing pages.
    • Books with missing CDs or DVDs specified as included on the cover.
    • Study guides with the answers filled in.
    • Puzzle books which are partially completed.
    • Colouring books which have been partially coloured in.
    • Heavily Annotated.
  • 3 How do I sell my books?

  • 4 How do I determine the condition and edition of my book?

    • 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 enter the correct ISBN number for each book you submit. If your book is not acceptable, it can only be returned at your expense. There will be a minimum returns postal charge of £4.50.

    • Books not requested to be returned will automatically be recycled after that period

    • Example of books that we do not buy back are: Water damaged, damaged bindings (e.g. pages missing or falling out), torn, taped or missing covers, heavily annotated and incorrect ISBN’s.
  • 5 How does shipping work?

    • When you complete your BuyBack you will be provided with a Free Shipping Label that you can print out and attach to your package.

      Please be aware Collect+ packages can only be processed through a Collect+ Drop Off Location. We will indicate on the BuyBack check out page your four local Drop Off Locations. You can also link to the Collect+ website to find more Drop Off Locations if you need to.

      Each Collect+ label is unique to a package and can only be used for one package weighing a maximum of 10kg.

      If your buyback exceeds 10kg please print individual shipping labels. Please do NOT re-use the same Collect+ label.

      If you require more labels visit your Account and click on the BuyBack in question.

      For example if your buyback weighs 20kg please print 2 shipping labels by following the instructions below and spliting your buyback into two packages with one unique label per box.

      • Visit your Fatbrain Account by clicking your name in the top right corner.
      • Click “Recent buybacks” highlighted in green.
      • Now click on the BuyBack number you wish to add a second shipping label to.
      • Then you will need to click “Add a shipping label”
      • Confirm the shipping label by clicking “Yes”
      • You will now see that 2 shipping labels have been added to your BuyBack, please print each unique label once and attach to your 2 BuyBack packages... repeat this process for each additional package needed.
  • 6 When do I get paid?

    • You get paid as soon as we receive your books. We offer two payment options:
      1. Cheque (mailed to you: Additional 5-8 business days after shipment is received)
      2. PayPal (more secure transfer direct to your account within 5 business days after the shipment is received. To setup a PayPal account, click PayPal.co.uk, it only takes a few minutes!)
  • 7 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:
      1. Delivery Time
        Collect+ parcels are delivered within 3-6 business days from the day you send your book(s) to us.
      2. Payment Method
        Once we receive your package, we need 24-72 hours to process your payment.
        • PayPal: If you've opted to receive payment via PayPal, your PayPal account will be credited within 5 days.
        • Cheque : If you'd like a cheque we have to post it to you. That usually takes an additional 5-8 business days.
  • 8 How do you determine pricing?

    • Pricing is based entirely on demand and the changing prices on various marketplaces.

      Purchasing is based on the level of stock we hold at any given time. If a book is not being purchased one day, you may find it accepted a few days later. Remember, we are buying thousands of books every day.

      Fatbrain reserves the right to adjust the quote of any item at its own discretion.
  • 9 Who do I contact for help?

    • Please contact our customer care team. Fatbrain opening times are 9.00 am to 4.00 pm Monday to Friday.

      Email , use our web contact form.
  • 10 How long do I have to send my books?

    • You should send your books immediately. If we do not receive the books within 20 days from when the order was placed, we cannot guarantee the quoted price. After 20 days 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.
  • 11 Do I need to send CDs/Supplements with my 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.
  • 12 Do you buy library books?

    • No. We do not buy library books at this time.
  • 13 Are there any minimum orders?

    • You must have at least £8.00 in your buyback basket to Checkout
  • 14 Are there any maximum orders?

    • Yes. You can have a maximum quantity of 50 items per order.