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Returns Policy

Last updated: 1 September 2026

This Returns Policy explains how refunds, returns, and exchanges work on Preloved Pages (the Platform). It applies to purchases made at www.buysellread.com and buysellread.com.

You do not need an account to read this page. Related contract terms are in our Terms & Conditions.

1. What this policy covers

  • Physical books sold between members on the marketplace (Preloved Pages acts as an intermediary; the sale is between buyer and seller unless we say otherwise).
  • Free book exchanges arranged through the Platform (postage labels and protection fees, not a paid goods sale).
  • Digital e-books supplied by Preloved Pages after checkout (instant download or library access).

2. Return window — physical books

If you buy a physical book as a consumer in the United Kingdom at a distance, you generally have a 14-day statutory right to cancel under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. The 14 days start the day after you receive the book (or the last item in a multi-item delivery), unless an exemption applies.

After you tell us you are cancelling, you should post the book back without undue delay and in any event within 14 days of cancellation.

Faulty goods, or books that are not as described, are also covered by the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Those rights are in addition to the cooling-off period and are not limited to 14 days where the law gives a longer remedy.

3. Condition guidelines

For a cooling-off cancellation of a physical book, please:

  • keep the book in a saleable condition, with only handling that was reasonably necessary to inspect it;
  • do not write in, damage, or heavily use the book;
  • include any extras that came with the listing (for example a dust jacket), if they were supplied;
  • pack the book so it will not be damaged in the post.

If the item is returned incomplete, soiled, or used beyond a reasonable inspection, we or the seller may reduce the refund to reflect the diminished value, where UK law allows.

If you are returning because the book was not as described, damaged in transit, or faulty, keep photos of the issue and the packaging. We will use those when handling the dispute.

4. Who pays return shipping

  • Change of mind / cooling-off: the buyer normally pays return postage, unless we or the seller agree otherwise.
  • Not as described, damaged in transit, or faulty: the seller (or Preloved Pages, where we are responsible) should cover reasonable return postage. Do not throw the item away until the case is closed.

Original outbound postage paid at checkout may be refunded for a valid cancellation in line with UK consumer law for the least expensive standard delivery option offered, except where you chose a more expensive method.

5. How to initiate a return

  1. Open Profile → Messages (or the contact method shown on your order) and say you want to return the book.
  2. Give the order or listing title, the reason, and photos if the item is damaged or not as described.
  3. Wait for a return address or label instructions from the seller or Preloved Pages.
  4. Post the book, keep proof of postage, and tell us the tracking number if you have one.

We aim to acknowledge disputes within 2 working days and to give an outcome within 14 days of a complete complaint, or to explain if more time is needed. Seller payouts for physical sales may be paused while a return is open.

If a tracked parcel is lost, stolen, or damaged in transit, use the shipment claim form on Help & FAQ with your order ID or tracking number and photos of any damage.

We log the claim for our team to review against the order. Confirmation appears on the form; we do not publish a direct admin email.

You can also start from Help & FAQ or the on-site help assistant. Creating an account is only needed to send a Platform message, not to read this policy.

6. Refunds

For a valid physical-goods cancellation or accepted fault claim, refunds are made to the original payment method after the returned book is received (or after you provide proof of return), unless the law requires an earlier refund. Partial refunds may apply where the book is not returned in the condition described above.

7. Exchanges (swaps)

Free book exchanges are not distance sales of goods at a listed price. Each party pays the postage / protection amounts shown when the swap is accepted.

If a swapped book does not arrive or is not as described, raise it in Messages with photos and tracking. We may pause or reverse protection-fee treatment where fraud or a failed dispatch is shown.

There is no automatic 14-day “unused swap” cooling-off in the same way as a paid retail purchase, but we will still help resolve non-delivery and misdescribed items.

8. Digital e-books

Digital e-books are digital content. Once download or library access has begun with your agreement, the 14-day cooling-off right typically does not apply. Those sales are final sale except where the file is defective, cannot be opened, is not as described, or UK law requires a remedy for digital content.

9. Contact

Use Platform messaging from your Preloved Pages profile, or the contact details published on the site. This page is provided so customers and Google Merchant Center can review our returns terms at https://www.buysellread.com/returns and https://buysellread.com/returns.