Frequently Asked Questions about Book Buyback
Topics contained in this document
The Buyback Process
What Items to Sell
BuyBack Payments
The Buyback Process
Selling your books to TextbooksRus.com is easy! Follow our
instructions on how to sell your books
It's important to give accurate information about your book. This helps us make
the best and most accurate 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 cordered, 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, workbooks, and law books which must be clean). However, books must be generally
clean in appearance with no torn or missing pages and with the cover in good condition. The spine of the book must be intact and in good condition. Books with broken spines and loose or missing pages will be discarded and will not be bought back.
Sometimes there are different editions of the same title, so be sure to select the
correct edition:
- US Edition Textbooks: These are the most typical books you find and include paperbacks, hardbacks, textbooks, and non-textbook items.
- International Edition Books: Sometimes softcover, these books may have "IE"
printed on the spine, or the front cover may contain "International Edition" markings.
This information will also appear on the title page of the book.
- Complimentary Textbooks / Free Copy / Sample Textbooks: These books are considered
USED. 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. They will contain markings or
imprinted stamps displayed on the front or back cover, such as "Complimentary Copy",
"Free Copy", "Instructor's Edition", or "Not for Sale". Please note that books marked "Instructor Edition" that still contain all answers to even AND odd questions are considered annotated and will be checked in and paid at the annotated edition price.
- Annotated Instructor's Editions: These are often marked as "Annotated Instructor's
Edition" and usually contain answers and/or instructor's notes.
- Eastern Economy/Low Price/Indian Edition Textbooks: These books are a subset of international edition textbooks that are commonly softcover, printed on cheap paper, and contain only black and white photos and illustrations. Please note that we do not buyback Eastern Economy/Low Price/Indian Edition textbooks.
We strongly suggest that you
review our Packaging Guidelines to ensure your book arrives at our warehouse safely. We try to be as liberal as possible when checking-in the books. A sturdy box may make all the difference in how your book is rated.
Yes. Please give accurate information about your book and pack your shipment well.
Prices paid are based on the condition and edition of the book when it is received
in our warehouse. If the condition or edition received does not match what you've
submitted, your quote will be adjusted. 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
covers, law books or study guides/workbooks with any highlighting/writing/answers
filled in.
No. 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 the condition
of the books when they arrive at our facility.
After we receive your items at our warehouse, it usually takes 1-3 business days
to check your books in plus 1-3 business days to issue payment. During peak buyback
periods, processing can take somewhat longer. Peak periods are usually late December
through January and late May through June.
The time it takes you to get your buyback payment depends on two factors:
- Shipping Method
- FedEx (Pre-paid label): This is the default carrier for buyback shipments. FedEx guarantees delivery in 1-5 business days.
- Media Mail (Pre-paid label): From the day you send your book(s) to us, Media
Mail usually takes between 3-14 business days to arrive.
- Payment Method
- Check: Mailed within 1-3 business days after your shipment is processed and normally takes an additional 1-5 business days to arrive.
- PayPal: Payments issued within 1-3 business days and credited to your PayPal account within 2-7 business days. Please note that if your PayPal account information is returned to us as invalid, then your payment will be defaulted to a check.
- Store Credit: Issued within 1 business day after your shipment is checked in.
Please note that these times are estimates and we are not liable for delays that are out of our control.
Both shipping methods allow you to generate as many free shipping labels you require.
However, FedEx is the default shipping method for buybacks because it is faster
and is insured up to $100. FedEx typically delivers packages in 1-5 business days
versus 5-15 business days for Media Mail. Media Mail prepaid shipping labels do
not come with insurance. Optional insurance for packages sent via Media Mail may
be purchased separately when you drop your package off at the Post Office. However,
optional insurance for Media Mail packages is not an expense TextbooksRus.com covers.
TextbooksRus will provide you with a prepaid and trackable shipping label that you
can print out from your computer. Delivery Confirmation is included with the label,
so you can verify that the item successfully arrived at our location.
The cost of this label is billed to us, so you never have to worry about it.
Fed-Ex: All TextbooksRus buybacks receive a free FedEx label. This will expedite
the shipping time considerably, so you will get paid faster! FedEx rates also include
insurance up to $100.
Need more labels? No problem, just visit
Your Account and click on the buyback in question. Then click "Add a shipping
label." You can request as many free labels as you need.
FedEx does not operate on holidays or weekends. Therefore, buybacks submitted during
those periods may receive a Media Mail shipping label instead of a FedEx shipping
label. Please note that both the FedEx and Media Mail labels are pre-paid so the
shipping charges are billed to TextbooksRus.com
Damage incurred during shipping does not happen very often. However, every time we've received a damaged buyback it's been due to woefully poor packaging. TextbooksRus.com will grade the books we receive in the condition received and make any necessary adjustments to the amount paid. We cannot pay you for items that arrive bent, mangled, torn, or otherwise dismembered. TextbooksRus.com will not pay you for books we do not receive.
Packages sent Media Mail can take up to three weeks to arrive at our location. It may take longer depending on where you are shipping from and whether it is a busy time of the year. Packages shipped around major holidays may take an additional week to arrive. If you have not received confirmation that we received your package within 30 days of shipping, please contact us. If you ship via Media Mail, we strongly suggest that you purchase insurance when shipping your buyback to us. If your package is received damaged and books are missing, we will not be able to pay for any missing books.
Pricing is based entirely on demand. We can usually beat your local college bookstore
on price, since your bookstore will only pay you a low wholesale rate unless they
can immediately sell the item. Additionally, we have the largest buyback catalog
on the web, so we can almost always make an offer.
You can make changes in your buyback from the My Account area of our website.
Click on My Buybacks and then click on your buyback number.
Then click "Change this buyback" and make your changes.
Note: You cannot make changes to your buyback once after it has been received at our facility.
Our ability to purchase your book is based on demand for the title. If there is
very little or no demand for your book, we are unable to purchase it. The price
we offer for a used book is based on its future value.
You should send your books immediately. In extreme cases, Media Mail can take a
up to 3 weeks for delivery. If we do not receive the books within 4 weeks from when
the order was placed, we cannot guarantee the quoted price. After 6 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. Instead, your books will be received
at the current quoted value, which may be different from when you originally submitted
your buyback.
Your books will not be returned to you.
No. Selling under multiple accounts is not permitted. We set our
quantity limits on a per merchant basis. If multiple accounts are created and the
maximum number of items that can be sold is exceeded, the additional items we receive
will be discarded. Do not create multiple buybacks to sell more copies of a single
ISBN. All items received in excess of the quantity limit will be discarded. Items
are not returned for any reason. It is the seller's responsibility to read, understand,
and follow our guidelines.
What Items to Sell
Yes. All items that originally contained CDs, software, or other supplemental materials
(also: access to online resources, study guides, etc) must be sent with the textbook.
The quoted buyback prices are for items that contain all original supplemental materials
No. TextbooksRus.com will buy all types of books provided there is a demand for
that item. However, we do not buy ebooks or digital versions of books.
Yes, we buy instructor’s and annotated edition textbooks. Make sure you select the
proper edition when adding the items to your buyback cart. Note: Even though your
item may be labeled "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.
No. TextbooksRus.com only buys textbooks and other books.
No. TextbooksRus.com does not buy ebooks or digital versions of books.
Yes, but they must be brand new and still in the original shrink-wrap.
Used loose leaf items will be discarded.
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., "Florida State Edition" or "University of Wisconsin Chem.
128 Edition") it is likely a custom edition.
No. We do not buyback library books at this time.
No. We do not accept used software such as SAM CDs, InfoTrac, etc,, because they
can only be used once.
Law books, workbooks, and study guides must be completely free of any highlighting,
writing, fill-ins, and other markings. If these items are received with any markings
or missing any pages they will be discarded and your quote will be adjusted. Any
rejected items cannot be returned.
All ISBNs have quantity limits, ranging from 1 to 5 copies. Our system is primarily
designed for individuals who are selling back one copy of various books. Please
contact us if you wish to submit more copies than the system will allow you to.
BuyBack Payments
- Check: Payments mailed within 1-3 business days after your shipment
is processed.
- PayPal: Payments issued 1-2 business days after your shipment is
processed.
- Store Credit: Payments issued 1 business day after your shipment
is processed.
If you opt to receive store credit, your payment will be the amount quoted plus
5%. Please note the amount quoted is dependent upon correctly identifying the condition
and edition of each book.
You should receive your check within 7-10 business days after your shipment is processed.
However, if you have not received your check within 30 days, please contact us immediately.
You must cash your check within 30 days of the check date. The check will be voided
after 30 days.
If your PayPal email address is returned as invalid when we issue payment, then
a check will be sent to your billing address the following business day. We will
also default your payment method to check. In order to receive payments via PayPal
in the future, please login to your account and re-enter your PayPal address and
verify that it is correct.
If it has been less than 90 days from the date you’ve submitted your buyback, you
may request a one time reissue of your check provided it has not been cashed.
Be sure to include a note detailing your buyback number and the address the new
check should be sent to. Please note that we reserve the right to assess
reprocessing fees when applicable.
If it has been less than 90 days from the date you’ve submitted your buyback, you
may request a one time reissue of your check provided it has not been cashed. You
must include your original check and a note detailing your buyback number and the
address the new check should be sent to. Please note that we reserve the right to
assess processing fees when applicable.
No. We highly recommend that you cash your check as soon as you receive it since we cannot reissue a check more than 90 days beyond your buyback submission.
No. Once a buyback payment method is selected and your payment is processed, it
cannot be changed. For example; we are unable to change a store credit to a check
or PayPal payment.