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- How do I search for a specific book?
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You can search on the book's title or author, but the most accurate way is to obtain the ISBN number of the book that your professor required. The ISBN is a 10-digit or 13-digit code (either one will work) that is usually located near the bar code of the book, and it is also referenced in the first couple pages. If your course list does not include the ISBN, you may be able to obtain it online, from your professor, or by writing it down off the books that are being sold by the campus bookstore.
If you do not have the ISBN number, please ensure that you are searching for the proper edition of the textbook that you need.
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- Can I extend the Return Date for a rental book?
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Yes. Email us at rentals@berniesbooks.com with your request and we will provide a price quote to extend your Return Date for 15 days, 30 days, or for another semester.
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- Are access codes or CD's included with rental books?
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While we try our hardest to make sure they are included, supplements are not guaranteed to come with used books, whether you are renting or purchasing the book. Similarly, access codes are not guaranteed to work for used books, since many access codes are set to expire by the publisher after their first usage.
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- How long will it take for my book to arrive?
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Most books will arrive in 4-7 days from your order date. We strive to use trackable shipping methods, and to provide that tracking information to you so that you can follow the progress of your shipment. However, we also rely on several fulfillment partners so it is possible for some books to be shipped without tracking information.
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- Is my information secure?
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We take the security and privacy of your information very seriously, and we use accepted industry standards to keep your information safe. Please refer to our Privacy Policy for more details.
Remember: we will never ask you to provide personal information, login information, password information, or credit card information by email or by telephone.
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- Which credit cards do you accept?
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We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express credit cards. We do not accept debit cards. By renting a book from us, you are agreeing that we can store your credit card information for a period of up to 45 days past your Return Date. Your card's expiration date must be beyond this time frame.
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- My credit card should be working, so why is it being rejected?
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We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express credit cards. We do not accept debit cards. By renting a book from us, you are agreeing that we can store your credit card information for a period of up to 45 days past your Return Date. Your card's expiration date must be beyond this time frame.
Please ensure that you are using the proper CVV code for your card, and that the billing address matches the address of the card holder. You may need to dial the customer service number located on your credit card to diagnose the problem.
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- The book I need is not available to rent…why not?
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Sometimes it is almost as cheap to buy a book as it would be to rent it. This can happen with very low cost books, such as paperback novels, or with older books when a new edition is scheduled to be released. If we are not renting a specific book, we will offer a used copy for sale if we have it in stock, and we will provide an option for you to purchase a new book (and still save money over buying the book at your campus bookstore).
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- Why did my rental book come from somebody else, and not BerniesBooks.com?
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BerniesBooks.com has book warehouses in Florida and Alabama, but we also buy books from a variety of reputable booksellers and distributors. To save time and money, those suppliers send certain books that you order directly to you.
The packing slip in the book can be discarded, as it may reflect what we paid to buy the book, not what you paid to rent it. When you are ready to return the book, or if you need a refund, it must be returned to BerniesBooks.com using our prepaid shipping label since we are the owner of the book, not the company that sent you the book.
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- Do you ship internationally?
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No. We ship to the 48 contiguous US States. We do not ship to Hawaii or to Alaska. We do not ship to military addresses (APO/FPO). We apologize for any inconvenience this might cause.
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- Why do I need to register for an account?
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We've tried to keep the registration process quick and easy. You need to set up an account so that we can bill your credit card properly, and manage your transaction through to its completion.
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- Why are you charging me sales tax?
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All textbook rentals are handled by University Books LLC, which uses BerniesBooks.com as its agent to comply with state and local tax laws. The law requires us to collect and remit sales and use taxes in States that do not have specific exemptions for textbooks.
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- Can I get overnight delivery?
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Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee overnight deliveries due to the fact that we use multiple fulfillment partners, and many of them are not equipped to handle overnight deliveries. Most orders are received in 4-7 days from the order date. Please order in advance of the starting date of your classes if at all possible.
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- Why do rental prices for books change?
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Prices are generated dynamically and reflect market conditions for each book. Your price is not final until you complete the checkout procedure and pay for your book.
Customer Service Questions
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- You sent me the wrong book!
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We sell and rent many thousands of books and we try very hard not to make mistakes. If we have made a mistake with your order, please contact us as soon as possible by emailing us at customerservice@berniesbooks.com. Please include your order number in your email to us. We will resolve the problem with you as rapidly as possible.
When you select a book to rent or buy, your order will be associated with a specific 10-digit or 13-digit ISBN number that is located on the back of the book near the bar code, and again inside the first several pages of the book. If you received a book that does not match the ISBN number of your order, the mistake will be resolved at our expense. If you ordered the wrong book, but received the exact book that you ordered, you will be charged a $10 restocking fee to cover expenses associated with returning the book and shipping the right book to you.
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- Can you send me a new password?
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You can reset your password by following the "lost password" link next to the login section for your account. A new temporary password will be emailed to you.
Please note that BerniesBooks.com will NEVER ask you for account information, credit card information, or your password via email.
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- How do I get a refund?
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Refunds are easy - we understand that professors change course requirements and students change courses all the time. We provide you with a convenient local drop-off location, or a prepaid shipping label that you can use to send the book back to us from your local post office. Your return must be postmarked within 15 days of your order date of the book, and it must be returned in the condition in which it was received, along with any supplemental materials that came with your order.
Log in to your account on BerniesBooks.com, and click on the "Refund" link within 15 days of the day you ordered your book. Print out your packing slip, tuck it inside the front cover, and bring your book to a BerniesBooks.com drop-off location. We will initiate a complete refund on your credit card.
If there is not a convenient drop-off location near you, print out the prepaid shipping label from the same screen where you printed off the packing slip and carefully package your book and tape the shipping label to the package. Drop the package off at your local post office, and your refund will be initiated as soon as we receive the book. We will refund you the rental price you paid less shipping costs. If you received a book other than what you ordered, then you will not be charged for shipping costs.
DO NOT use the free priority boxes from the US Post Office, because the prepaid shipping label that you print out from your account is for the "media mail" rate, not the more expensive Priority Mail rate. If you use the Priority Mail box from the US Post Office, you will be charged for the extra postage.
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- Will you send me a tracking number?
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We try to have a tracking number for every order, and that tracking number will be provided to you by email or in your ordering information within your account. We use several distributors and fulfillment companies to ship books to you, and on rare occasions a shipment will be made without a tracking number.
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- Can I cancel my order?
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If you wish to cancel your order, please contact us as soon as possible using the "Cancel Order" button in your account ordering history. During the busy season before a new semester begins, we are geared up to complete orders rapidly, usually within minutes of receiving a purchase or rental book order. If we have time to cancel your order, we will – it saves you the hassle of returning the book, and saves us the expense of shipping.
If your order is already being processed or in transit, we may be unable to cancel it, in which case we will let you know. You will need to receive the book, print a prepaid return shipping label and packing slip from your account, and send the book back to us. PLEASE DO NOT REFUSE THE SHIPMENT – DOING SO COULD CAUSE THE BOOK TO BE RETURNED TO THE FULFILLMENT SHIPPER INSTEAD OF TO BERNIESBOOKS.COM AND THIS WILL DELAY YOUR REFUND.
The proper return address is:
BerniesBooks.com
Attn: Returns
13401 Summerlin Rd Ste 3
Fort Meyers, FL 33919
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- Why was my order canceled?
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On rare occasions, inaccurate pricing information is displayed on our Website, and we have the right to cancel orders that are made with pricing errors. If this occurs, we will seek to contact you immediately.
Cancellations may also occur due to violations of our Policies.
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- What do I do if the book that I received is damaged?
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Please contact us at customerservice@berniesbooks.com as soon as possible but in any event no later than 3 business days after you receive your book. Please include your order number in your email. We will work with you to correct the problem.
Selling Textbooks to TextbookStop.com (Buyback)
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- Get cash for your books - fast!
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When you sell a book to BerniesBooks.com, we will pay you quickly, and we issue you a check, not credit. Simply go to http://www.TextbookStop.com/sell-textbooks, identify the books that you wish to sell, print out your shipping label, and send us your books. Shipping to us is FREE!
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- What condition does a book need to be in (condition guidelines)?
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BerniesBooks.com purchases books that are in Good condition, Very Good condition, or better. What does this mean?
- The covers must be intact and not covered by tape (normal bookstore stickers are OK)
- The cover must not be loose or pulling away from the pages
- The copyright page must be intact
- The cover and the pages must be free from water damage (or any other damage caused by liquids)
- SOME highlighting or underlining is acceptable, as long as fewer than 20% of the pages have highlighting or underling on them. Also, the text cannot be obscured by writing or drawing.
- Study guides and other fill-in books must have all pages, with no answers written into the book
BerniesBooks.com does not purchase instructor editions (also known as "annotated instructor editions", or "IAE") or international editions. Covering the markings of a teacher's edition or an international edition with electrical tape or stickers does not make it acceptable.
Sometimes we receive a book that is different from the buyback slip that was processed on our website. In those cases, we will process your buyback at the current price of the book that was actually received by us.
BerniesBooks.com does not return items that do not meet our condition guidelines.
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- What should be included in my package?
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Please include the packing slip generated during the checkout procedure, the books that you are selling, and the supplements that go with those books (if applicable). Please tape our prepaid shipping label to the outside of the box, and cover up or cross out any old labels on the box. DO NOT USE "FREE" PRIORITY MAIL BOXES FROM THE US POSTAL SERVICE. You are responsible for additional fees charged by the post office for use of their priority mail service.
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- How do I print a shipping label?
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During your checkout process, you will prompted to print out a shipping label. Alternatively, your label can be printed out by logging into your account at https://www.berniesbooks.com/login, and select the option for "reprint label". Please contact us at customerservice@berniesbooks.com if you need additional assistance.
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- Can I sell a book with no supplements?
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If you are selling a textbook that originally came with a supplement, such as a CD or a DVD, the supplement must be included with your book when you send it to us. If we receive a book without its supplement, the price quote for that title is subject to a 50% reduction.
Caring for Your Rental Book
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- How do I avoid any damage fees when my book is returned?
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Your savings are made possible because over time, multiple people will rent the same book. Therefore you are agreeing to take care of the book so that it is still in good condition when it is returned to us. We understand what regular textbook wear is, and you will not be charged additional fees for books that are still in good condition. Simply put, this means that the covers are intact and are not bent or torn, the pages are clean of any writing or underlining, there is no highlighting or a limited amount of highlighting (highlighting on fewer than 20% of pages is acceptable), there is no water damage or staining, and the spine and binding of the book are intact and solid. Supplemental materials delivered with your book (such as CD's and/or DVD's) need to be returned with your book.
If your book is returned in a condition such that it cannot be rented again, you will be charged damage fees depending upon the condition of the book. These conditions are explained in detail in your End User Agreement.
Minor Damage Fees - You will be assessed a flat fee of $15 for damages such as:
- Highlighting, where the highlighting does not obscure the text of the book, and appears on more than 20% of the pages of the book
- Writing or underlining in the book, where the writing in the book does not obscure the text of the book, and appears on more than 20% of the pages of the book
- Supplemental materials (such as CD's or DVD's) are not returned
Major Damage Fees - If your rental book is returned to us in an unusable condition, you will be charged the full list price of the book less the rental fee you originally paid so that the book may be replaced. The damaged book will be recycled by us and not returned to you. You have the option of obtaining an undamaged copy of the book that you rented, and returning that instead. Examples of Major Damage include:
- Water damage
- Stained or missing pages
- Torn or missing cover(s)or pages
- Excessive highlighting or other markings that obscure the text and/or are present on more than 33% of the pages of the book
- Any other condition rendering the book unusable.
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- Can I write in my rental book?
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No - the book needs to be returned in good condition, which includes keeping the pages clean and free from any markings or underlining. For more information, please see the question "How do I avoid any damage fees when my book is returned?"
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- Can I highlight the rental book?
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Yes - if you limit the amount of highlighting to fewer than 20% of the pages of the book. For more information, please see the question "How do I avoid any damage fees when my book is returned?"
Returning Your Rental Book
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- My return label will not appear or will not print; what should I do?
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Generating a return label requires a new window to open in your browser. Please disable your pop-up blocker within your browser settings so that the new window with the shipping label can open. If the pop-up blocker is off, and you are still experiencing problems, try a different web browser. If neither of these solutions work, please contact us at customerservice@textbookstop.com and we will help. Please note that creating a new account will not allow you to access transactions from your original account.
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- What is a BerniesBooks.com drop-off location?
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A BerniesBooks.com drop-off location is an independent business located near campus that can help you pick up and drop off your textbook rentals. They can also handle refunds and returns for you so that you do not need to go to the post office. If you have textbooks that you own, drop-off locations can also offer you a cash buyback price and buy your book on the spot.
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- How do I return my rental book when I am done with it?
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The easiest way to return your rental book is to print out a packing slip from your account at BerniesBooks.com, tuck it inside the front cover, and drop your book off at a BerniesBooks.com drop-off location.
If a drop-off location is not convenient to your location, then you can also print out a prepaid shipping label from your account at BerniesBooks.com, package your book in a box, tape the shipping label securely to the outside of the box, and drop it off at the post office.
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- How do I find the Return Date for my rental book?
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Your Return Date will be clearly displayed on your electronic receipt, and it will also be in your account information under your ordering history. It is your responsibility to send us your rental book postmarked no later than the Return Date.
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- Can't you just remind me when the book is due with an email?
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We'll try, but sometimes our informational emails are caught in spam filters. To lessen the likelihood of that happening, please add these email addresses to your address book or contact list:
customerservice@berniesbooks.com
donotreply@berniesbooks.com
You are responsible for returning your rental book by the Return Date even if you do not receive any email reminders from us.
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- How do I get an extension on the Return Date?
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If you wish to extend your rental period for a fee, please email us your request at rentals@berniesbooks.com, and we will provide you with a price quote for extending your rental for 15 days, one month, or for another semester.
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- How do I convert my rental to a purchase?
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If you wish to convert your rental to a purchase, please email us your request at rentals@berniesbooks.com. Please include your account number in your email, and we will quote you the price to buy your book. The cost to convert to a purchase is the list price of the book less the price you paid for the rental book (not including taxes and any shipping fees).
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- What if I want the same book for another semester?
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If you wish to extend your rental period for a fee, please email us your request at rentals@berniesbooks.com. Please include your account number in your email, and we will quote you the price to buy your book. Rentals can be extended for 15 days, one month, or for another semester. The price to rent the book for another semester is two-thirds (66.67%) of the price you paid to rent the book the first time.
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- What if I have lost my book, or it was stolen?
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The book is your responsibility during the rental period, and you will need to pay for a replacement copy if the book is lost or stolen. Please contact us at rentals@berniesbooks.com to notify us that you will be unable to return the rental book. Please include your order number in your email.
The replacement cost is calculated as the list price of the book.
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- If I return the book early, will I get some money back?
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No - there are no refunds for using the book for a shortened rental period.
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- How do I package my book? Can I just use the free priority boxes from the US post office?
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DO NOT use the free priority boxes from the US Post Office, because the prepaid shipping label that you print out from your account is for the "media mail" rate, not the more expensive priority mail rate. If you use the priority mail box from the US Post Office, you will be charged for the extra postage.
To return your book, print out the packing slip and the prepaid shipping label. Tuck the packing slip inside the front cover. Your book should be packaged in cardboard, and the shipping label should be securely taped to the outside of the package. Then the book can be dropped off at the post office.
If you are located near a BerniesBooks.com drop-off location, you do not have to print out the shipping label or find a box - just drop off the rental book with the packing slip at the drop-off location.
