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Used & Rare Books - Help Pages

Frequently Asked Questions


What are Used & Rare books?
This service gives you access to nearly ten million used and out-of –print books, which are supplied by a number of approved Sellers. When you purchase titles from one of these approved Sellers, they will ship the book directly to you.  The ordering and checkout process is no different to ordering titles supplied directly by Borders and you can purchase new and Pre-Loved books in the same basket.  Borders will process the financial transaction (ensuring security of your payment) and will then pass on your order details to the relevant seller.

Who are our approved sellers?
Our approved Sellers are independent international booksellers and small businesses who have made their inventory available to Borders and have a proven history of delivery and reliability. To become and remain an Approved Seller, each Seller must conform to a set of agreed performance measures.  If Sellers fail to meet these standards, their titles will be de-listed. 

Why do prices vary?
Prices are based upon the condition of the item and also the Sellers location.  Our site should reflect the most recent prices and availability but occasionally an item may not be available at the price first shown as the item is no longer available from that particular Seller.  We will make all reasonable efforts to present accurate information but cannot guarantee the price or our ability to supply any particular book.   The Seller may provide additional information in addition to the ratings shown below.

Used & Rare Books Condition
The condition of each item is indicated by a star rating and is provided by the Seller

***** New
This book has been designated by the Seller as brand new
***** Fine/Like New (F)
No defects, little usage. May show remainder marks. Older books may show minor flaws.
**** Very Good (VG)
Shows some signs of wear and is no longer fresh. Attractive
*** Good (G)
Average used book with all pages present.  Possible loose bindings, highlighting, cocked spine or torn dust jackets
** Fair (FR)
Well-worn, no text pages missing. May be without endpapers, or title page. Markings don't interfere with readability
* Poor (P)
All text is legible but may be soiled & have binding defects. Reading copies and binding copies all into this category

Can I order multiple copies?                            
As the condition and price of each item may vary and the Seller may only have single copies available, if you require more copies of the same ISBN you may select alternative copies and add them to the same order.

Who ships my book?                           
Pre-loved and Out of print books are shipped directly to you by the Seller offering the book for sale. Borders will take the order, charge your credit card and pass on your delivery details to the Seller.  The Seller does not send any item to Borders, and will only ship directly to you.

How will it ship and how long will it take to arrive?                          
Our standard delivery charges apply to Pre-Loved and Out of Print Books.  Full details of current delivery charges can be found  at  www.borders.co.uk/help_delivery .  Delivery times and services  vary depending on the location of the seller but as a general rule the following apply:

                             
*Estimated Shipping Time is from the date of shipment. Pre-Loved and out of print books ship within 2 business days from the date the order was placed.

What happens if my books don’t arrive?
If you have not received your order within the quoted delivery time or would like to check on the status of your order, please either contact the Seller directly or contact customerservice@mail2.borders.co.uk .   You should notify us within 30 days of the expected delivery date, we are unable to accept claims for non-delivery unless you notify us within this period.
We may be unable to offer a replacement due to the unique nature of these items. Any refund offered will be for the value of goods in question and to the original method of payment.

Can I redeem vouchers against Used & Rare titles?
No, as prices are fixed by The Sellers we are unable to offer discounts or redeem vouchers against these titles

Who Bills me?
Borders will bill you for these items using our secure servers, your card and payment details are not passed onto the Seller.

Can I cancel my order?
Once an Approved Seller has been notified of your order, the order cannot be cancelled through Borders. This is because Sellers will start the process of shipping your order as soon as they receive it.   Some orders can be cancelled by contacting the Seller directly before the order has been shipped. Sellers are not obliged to cancel orders but they may be able to help you in some instances.   Please contact customerservice@mail2.borders.co.uk and they will attempt to contact the Seller on your behalf.  If this is not possible you may return the item once received for a refund.

How can I return an item?
Pre-loved and Out of print books are shipped directly from our Approved Sellers.  If a return is necessary , you  must return the item direct to the Seller and to the address printed on the delivery note.  Returns must not be sent to Borders or to any of our stores.

In order to receive a refund you should:

  • Return the book in the same condition in which you received it
  • Return the book within 30 days of receiving it
  • Return it using the most economical and secure shipping method
  • Return it directly to the Seller and to the address printed on the packing slip

We are not responsible for returns which are not received by the Seller. They remain your property until the Seller receives them.  If the Return is due to the shipment of an incorrect item, the cost of return postage will also be refunded.

We will issue a refund once the Seller has processed the return and has notified us of receipt.  Please allow two to four weeks (in addition to the delivery time) for the refund to be processed.

Third Parties
Content is provided to Borders by Third Parties (Sellers) and we have no control over the content or accuracy of this content. We cannot guarantee the accuracy, currency, suitability or quality of the information in this content and we assume no responsibility for unintended, objectionable, inaccurate, misleading or unlawful content made available by third parties.