Policies & Procedures
Seller contact information
Account information must be kept up to date to ensure that you receive your orders and payments. To update your account information, please make changes on the Your Account page. Our checks are made out to the business name listed. Outdated or invalid contact information, including business name as well as e-mail and physical addresses, can result in a seller's account being put on hold and a $10.00 fee for reissued checks.
E-mail accounts: Please note that some e-mail account services, such as Hotmail or Yahoo, have small mailboxes and use filters and spam-blocking on all incoming messages. This can lead to some (or all) Alibris messages not reaching your In Box. We suggest you use another type of e-mail carrier for your Alibris seller account, and that you check the seller hub once a day for open orders.
Seller communication with customers
Alibris enables visitors to our Web sites to send inquiries about specific items to sellers. Customers from Borders Marketplace may also email our sellers with similar inquiries. We ask that you respond to all inquiries within two business days. Note that your communication with customers should cover questions they have about the item or order itself, and all other questions from customers (about payment, their account, searching, etc.) should be referred back to Alibris. All payments for sales through Alibris are processed through the Alibris Web sites. Sellers may not invoice or ask for additional fees from a customer in an Alibris transaction for any reason. In our consumer privacy policy we assure customers that sellers will not add their e-mail addresses to prospect lists for future solicitation, so please respect their privacy and use customer e-mail addresses to reply to customer questions only.
Listings
Sellers must have their inventory on hand at all times, and must have books, music, or movies in a database that can be uploaded via one of Alibris' methods. All sellers are responsible for keeping their listings up to date. Uploads (adds & deletions) are processed throughout the day. Any orders that are generated before an upload has been processed will count as cancellations. Additionally, any orders marked as shipped in error, and thus refunded, will also count as cancellations (see Seller Rating below).
The minimum upload price for an item is US$0.01. Any item uploaded between US$0.01 and US$1.98 will be uplifted to US$1.99 on the Alibris Web sites.
Duplicate listings
Alibris does not allow sellers to duplicate their listings on the Web sites. If a second account is created and listings duplicated, this account will be removed immediately.
Price Uplifts
Alibris adds the following amounts (in US dollars) to the price of each item listed by sellers outside the United States on www.alibris.com:
| Country | Books | Music & Movies | |
| Canada | $3.00 | $2.00 | |
| United Kingdom | $9.00 | $6.00 | |
| Europe | $11.00 | $8.00 | |
| Australia | $8.00 | $6.00 | |
| Rest of World | $12.00 | $9.00 |
Alibris adds the following amounts (in US dollars) to the price of each item listed by sellers from outside the United Kingdom on www.alibris.co.uk:
| Country | Books | Music & Movies | ||
| USA | $5.00 | $2.00 | ||
| Canada | $8.00 | $5.00 | ||
| Europe | $1.00 | $1.00 | ||
| Australia | $8.00 | $6.00 | ||
| Rest of World | $12.00 | $9.00 |
Seller rating
To assist customers in making buying decisions on the Alibris Web sites, we publish seller ratings based on each seller's fill rate. A seller's fill rate is calculated according to the percentage of orders filled versus canceled or refunded. The seller rating is based on the seller's order fill rate for the previous 31 to 210 day period. The five-star rating system is based on the following fill rate ranges and may be adjusted at any time without notice.
95 - 100% = 5 Stars
85 - 94.99% = 4 Stars
70 - 84.99% = 3 Stars
60 - 69.99%= 2 Stars
1 - 59.99% = 1 Star
The seller ratings are updated once a week on Wednesdays. New sellers will be assigned 4 stars for the first 90 days after joining Alibris. Please note: New sellers will not be rated until the first Wednesday after they join the site. After that, the rating will be determined as above. Sellers with three or fewer sales for the previous 31 to 210 day period will be assigned "Not Rated."
Our various partner programs require different minimum fulfillment rates. Please visit the BNBQ FAQ page for more details.
Fill rate
Although Alibris Web site customers are provided with a seller rating system, Alibris also ensures minimum standards of service to its business partners. Therefore, sellers agree to fill and ship a minimum of 85% of their Alibris orders. If a seller's fill rate drops below 85% at any given time, the seller will be counseled through an automated email notification system. If the seller's performance does not improve over the ensuing thirty days, the seller will be further warned that the account may be put on hold. Once an account is put on hold, the seller must review its inventory and, if necessary, purge and replace its listings with an accurate copy. Once the seller is confident its inventory problems are resolved, Seller Services will reactivate that seller's listings. If the seller continues to fill orders below 85%, its listings may be placed on hold again, or the account may be removed.
Alibris encourages its sellers to keep Seller Services abreast of any inventory or shipping problems that may impact a seller's performance. If we know about such problems, we can hopefully help the seller and thus prevent any performance-related repercussions to the seller's account.
Vacation
If you plan to be away from your store and/or e-mail and will not be able to respond to orders within two business days, please use the Place Inventory on Hold page in advance of your departure so that we may place your inventory on hold during your absence. This will help us avoid delays in getting orders to customers.
Listing content rules
Listings that include the following type of information will be placed on administrative hold by the Alibris system for containing content violations:
- Personal seller contact information such as phone number, URL, or e-mail address
- Seller's terms of sale or shipping policies
- Any other information not related to the item's condition or description
Listings are displayed on the Alibris Web sites and on the Web sites of many of its business partners. It is therefore inappropriate to include business information or other information not related to the item's description in listings uploaded to Alibris. In addition, you agree not to use profane language in any listing. Listings that contain inappropriate content will be placed on hold by the Alibris system until corrected by the seller.
Listing regulations
Books, movies, or music with the following attributes cannot be listed:
- Moldy, smelly, badly stained or unclean items; scratched or patched tapes, DVDs, or CDs, unless specifically described as such
- Books with missing pages or incomplete movie or music products
- Books, movies or music that are distributed for promotional use, including advance reading copies (ARCs) and uncorrected proof copies until published
- Pornography
- Photocopied materials or unauthorized reprints
- Counterfeit, stolen, illegal or fraudulent items
- Defamatory, trade libelous or unlawfully threatening or harassing items
- We advise against listing e-books on Alibris (please see ephemera section below)
Any of the above may be returned to the seller at the seller's expense.
Publisher bibliographic data
If you are a publisher and would like to upload bibliographic data, please follow the instructions in our How-to Guide for publishers.
Managing orders on Seller Hub
Sellers must mark each order as "Filled" (and physically ship each order) or as "Canceled" on the Seller Hub within two business days of being posted. Otherwise the orders are subject to cancellation. All BN orders must be marked by 5pm PST on the second business day or the order will be auto-canceled. If an order is marked in error as "Filled," the order must be refunded within two business days.
The required shipping method will be noted in the Purchase Notification/packing slips, which are to be printed from the Seller Hub. Orders shipped to the Alibris distribution center must be received by Alibris within 30 days (45 days for sellers outside the US and Canada) of the order date; those orders which don't arrive within this timeframe will be automatically canceled.
All payments for sales through Alibris are processed through the Alibris Web sites. Sellers may not invoice or ask for additional fees from a customer in an Alibris transaction for any reason.
How to fulfill orders
Note that the Purchase Notification will clearly identify the order as "Ship to Customer" or "Ship to Alibris." All orders must contain a copy of the purchase notification; failure to include this paperwork may result in delayed payment, canceled orders, and (for "via Alibris" orders) a cross-dock fee of $4.50.
Orders that ship to customers
- Print a copy of the Purchase Notification from the Seller Hub (on the View Open Orders page, click "Print PN," then select "Print" from the File menu). The Purchase Notification may have a partner's branding and return instructions. If the customer address is incomplete or incorrect, please contact us and we'll follow up with the customer.
- Clip out the Mailing Label portion of the Purchase Notification and affix to the package.
- The remaining portion of the Purchase Notification is the Packing Slip, which must be included in the package. Enclose the Packing Slip in the package, and ship the order within two business days. UK and European sellers must choose a shipping method that will ensure delivery within 10 days of the ship date.
- Go to the Seller Hub and select the appropriate Open Order. You will be given two options for filling the order: "Filled" or "Canceled." If you have the item and have already completed steps 1 - 3, above, select "Filled." If you no longer have the item and cannot fill the order, select "Canceled."
Note: You must mark orders as "Filled" or "Canceled" and ship them within two business days of Purchase Notification, or Alibris will cancel them automatically. If you need to print a copy of the PN after having marked it "Filled," go to the View All Orders page, locate the order number, click the printer icon, then click "Print." If you need to cancel the order after marking it filled, go to the View All Orders page, find the appropriate order, and click the button to refund it.
Orders that ship to Alibris—US/Canadian sellers
- Print a copy of the Purchase Notification from the Seller Hub (on the View Open Orders page, click " Print PN," then select "Print" from the File menu). You'll now use the Purchase Notification as your Packing Slip.
- All items sent to the Alibris warehouse must include a copy of the Purchase Notification, which is essentially also the packing slip. For books, this should be inserted inside the front cover. For audiotapes, CDs, DVDs, and VHS tapes, the Purchase Notification should be wrapped around the item and secured with a rubber band. For vinyl albums, the Purchase Notification should be enclosed along with the album inside a plastic bag. Failure to include the Purchase Notifications can result in delayed payment, cancellation of the order, and (in some cases) a cross-dock fee of $4.50. Print a copy of the Purchase Notification from the Seller Hub (on the View Open Orders page, click "Print PN," then click "Print") and ship.
- US sellers should affix a pre-paid MRS label to the box and ship to Alibris. Please see Shipping Methods & Credits below.
- Go to the Seller Hub and select the appropriate Open Order. You will be given two options for filling the order: "Filled" or "Canceled." If you have the item and have already completed steps 1 - 3, above, select "Filled." If you no longer have the item and cannot fill the order, select "Canceled."
Orders that ship to Alibris—European sellers
- Print a copy of the Purchase Notification from the Seller Hub (on the View Open Orders page, click "Print PN," then select "Print" from the File menu). You'll now use the Purchase Notification as your Packing Slip.
- All items sent to the Alibris warehouse must include a copy of the Purchase Notification, which is essentially also the packing slip. For books, this should be inserted inside the front cover. For audiotapes, CDs, DVDs, and VHS tapes, the Purchase Notification should be wrapped around the item and secured with a rubber band. For vinyl albums, the Purchase Notification should be enclosed along with the album inside a plastic bag. Failure to include the Purchase Notifications can result in delayed payment, cancellation of the order, and (in some cases) a cross-dock fee of $4.50. Print a copy of the Purchase Notification from the Seller Hub (on the View Open Orders page, click "Print PN," then click "Print") and ship.
- Consolidate your orders into one shipment once a week to the Alibris warehouse via UPS. Cartons must not weigh over 20 kgs. each. UPS labels are printed from either the View Open Orders or the View All Orders pages on the Seller Hub. Labels are to be inserted into clear plastic pouches that will be affixed to the outside of the parcel and provided by UPS. Labels include $100 in insurance, so you do not need to mark the label itself.
- Go to the Seller Hub and select the appropriate Open Order. You will be given two options for filling the order: "Filled" or "Canceled." If you have the item and have already completed steps 1 - 3, above, select "Filled." If you no longer have the item and cannot fill the order, select "Canceled."
Orders that ship to Alibris—Australian sellers
- Print a copy of the Purchase Notification from the Seller Hub (on the View Open Orders page, click "Print PN," then select "Print" from the File menu). You'll now use the Purchase Notification as your Packing Slip.
- All items sent to BiblioQuest or BibliOZ.com must include a copy of the Purchase Notification, which is essentially also the packing slip. For books, this should be inserted inside the front cover. For audiotapes, CDs, DVDs, and VHS tapes, the Purchase Notification should be wrapped around the item and secured with a rubber band. For vinyl albums, the Purchase Notification should be enclosed along with the album inside a plastic bag. Failure to include the Purchase Notifications can result in delayed payment and cancellation of the order. Print a copy of the Purchase Notification from the Seller Hub (on the View Open Orders page, click "Print PN," then click "Print") and ship.
- Consolidate your orders into a single box or parcel and ship every 5 days or when you have 5 items to send, whichever comes first. Write or print the BiblioQuest address in Bowral, NSW on the outside of the package and ship.
- Go to the Seller Hub and select the appropriate Open Order. You will be given two options for filling the order: "Filled" or "Canceled." If you have the item and have already completed steps 1 - 3, above, select "Filled." If you no longer have the item and cannot fill the order, select "Canceled."
Note: You must mark orders as "Filled" or "Canceled" within two business days of Purchase Notification, or Alibris will cancel them automatically. If the order is canceled, please do not ship the item.
Drop ships
Alibris does not support or condone drop shipping for orders. If you do not have an item in stock, you must cancel the order. Any sellers that do drop ship will have their seller account put on HOLD and may be subject to termination.
Customs
For orders that are shipped from the US to Canada, you must include customs form CN22 on the outside of the package. Failure to do so can result in a charge and/or the item being returned by the USPS. Please contact your local post office for a copy of customs form CN22.
When packaging a customer direct order for shipment from the US to Canada, please write the actual sold price of the item on the outside of the package. Please do not inflate this price in any way. If a customer is charged additional fees at customs due to an incorrect price being listed on the outside of the package, the seller will be debited for this cost.
Cancellations due to late shipment/late arrival
Alibris will automatically cancel Ship to Alibris orders that are not received in our warehouse within the required time of 30 days from the order date for US and Canadian sellers and 45 days from the order date for all other sellers. If the order arrives after the required time and Alibris has already canceled it, the order will be returned to the seller at the seller's expense.
Alibris reviews the accounts of sellers that are consistently late in sending orders, and will discuss any issues with the seller directly. If an issue cannot be resolved, Alibris reserves the right to put a seller's inventory on hold or remove the account.
Sales or use taxes
When shipping orders directly to Alibris customers, it is the seller's responsibility to determine whether sales or use taxes apply to the transactions and to report and remit the correct tax to the appropriate tax authority. When a seller is shipping orders directly to customers, Alibris is not obligated to determine whether sales or use taxes apply and is not responsible to collect, report, or remit any sales or use taxes arising from any transaction. Note, however, that if a seller is shipping an order to the Alibris warehouse for Alibris' resale, Alibris is responsible for collecting, reporting, and remitting the appropriate sales or use tax. Additionally, Alibris collects and remits sales tax for orders placed in California, Nevada, North Carolina, and Texas.
All payments for sales through Alibris are processed through the Alibris Web sites. Sellers may not invoice or ask for additional fees from a customer in an Alibris transaction for any reason.
Currency conversion
We will automatically re-price the listings of international sellers on a quarterly basis in cases where the price varies by 5% or more from the current rate.
Shipping method is dependent on the location of the customer. Please refer to the chart below for shipping method, frequency, and credit rates. All amounts are in US dollars, and will be adjusted regularly (based on exchange rates) for sellers outside the USA. European and UK sellers must choose a shipping method for customer-direct orders that will ensure delivery within 10 days of the ship date. We suggest you add delivery confirmation to high value orders. Please note that if you ship via UPS, they will not deliver to a P.O. Box.
Shipping credit for books, music, and movies
US sellers
| Order destination | Ship to Alibris | Ship to customer US standard | Ship to customer US standard (additional items) |
Ship to customer US expedited | Ship to customer US expedited (additional items) | Ship to Canadian customer | Ship to Canadian customer (additional items) |
| Method | MRS (Merchandise Return Service) pre-paid labels (or Alibris UPS account if preapproved, via Ground only) | US Postal Service Media Mail | US Postal Service Media Mail |
US Postal Service Priority | US Postal Service Priority | US Postal Service First-Class Mail International | US Postal Service First-Class Mail International |
| Credit | Labels provided by Alibris. No credit. | Books: US$2.65 / first item; Music & Movies: US$2.20 / first item | Books, Music and Movies: US$1.20 each additional item |
Books: US$5.65 / first item; Music & Movies: US$4.60 / first item | Books: US$2.70 each additional item; Music & Movies: US$2.20 each additional item | Books: US$8.95 / first item; Music & Movies: US$3.00 / first item | Books: US$4.95 each additional item; Music & Movies: US$1.50 each additional item |
| Frequency | M/W/F at a minimum | Ship immediately | Ship immediately | Ship immediately | Ship immediately | Ship immediately | Ship immediately |
| Order destination | Ship to Alibris | Ship to customer US standard | Ship to customer US standard (additional items) | Ship to customer US expedited | Ship to customer US expedited (additional items) | Ship to Canadian customer | Ship to Canadian customer (additional items) | |
| Method | Canada Post USA Small Packets | Canada Post USA Small Packets | Canada Post Expedited Parcel-USA for packages over 1kg | Canada Post USA Small Packets Air | Canada PostUSA-Xpresspost-USA for packages over 1kg | Canada Post Regular Parcel | Canada Post Regular Parcel | |
| Credit | US$6.40 / per item | US$6.40 / first item | US$6.40 each additional item | US$8.40 / first item | US$6.40 each additional item |
|
Books: US$6.40 each additional item; Music & Movies: US$2.00 / each additional item | |
| Frequency | M/W/F at a minimum | Ship immediately | Ship immediately | Ship immediately | Ship immediately | Ship immediately | Ship immediately |
| Order destination | Ship to Alibris | Ship from UK to UK customer standard | Ship from UK to UK customer standard (additional items) | Ship from UK to Euro customer standard | Ship from UK to Euro customer standard (additional items) | Ship from Euro to UK or Euro customer standard | Ship from Euro to UK or Euro customer standard (additional items) |
| Method | UPS program through Alibris | First Class Mail | First Class Mail | First Class Mail | First Class Mail | First Class Mail | First Class Mail |
| Credit | None. Print labels from the Seller Hub | Books: US$4.90 / first item; Music & Movies: US$2.00 / first item | Books: US$3.90 each additional item; Music & Movies: US$1.50 each additional item | Books: US$6.90 / first item; Music & Movies: US$3.30 / first item | Books: US$3.90 each additional item; Music & Movies: US$2.70 each additional item | Books: US$6.90 / first item; Music & Movies: US$3.30 / first item | Books: US$3.90 each additional item; Music & Movies: US$2.70 each additional item |
| Frequency | Consolidate and ship weekly | Ship immediately | Ship immediately | Ship immediately | Ship immediately | Ship immediately | Ship immediately |
| Order destination | Ship to Alibris |
| Method | Consolidated program through BiblioQuest International: Sellers will write or print the BiblioQuest address on the outside of the package. |
| Credit | None (Alibris pays for all books shipped through the BiblioQuest International program.) |
| Frequency | Consolidate and ship every 5 days or when you have 5 items to send, whichever comes first. |
| Order destination | Ship to Alibris |
| Method | Any |
| Credit | Books: US$10.00 per order; Music & Movies: US$6.10 per order |
| Frequency | Consolidate and ship weekly |
Merchandise Return Service (MRS) labels
Please note: We will not pay US sellers shipping credits on ship to Alibris orders. If you have questions about the pre-paid MRS labels, please contact us.
Labels may be printed from the Hub (look for "Print MRS Label " on the left hand navigation bar). The address on the shipping labels is different from the physical address of the warehouse in Sparks . Please use the labels to ship your “ship to Alibris” orders.
If you are a US seller, have a UPS pickup account, and receive at least 5 ship to Alibris orders per week, we can arrange to have you ship collect on our account.
UPS Euro Shipping Program
Alibris orders destined for our distribution center should be sent via UPS in a single box or carton. Cartons should weigh 20kgs (or less) a piece. Each book should have its Alibris packing slip inserted in the front cover. Labels include $100 in insurance, so you do not need to mark the label itself. Alibris will not credit sellers for shipping orders destined for our distribution center if the UPS Service label is not used. Please ship orders once a week. Additional boxes weighing less than 20 kgs. that are sent during a given week will be charged a $US11.50 fee. UPS labels are printed from either the View Open Orders or View All Orders pages on the Seller Hub. Labels are to be inserted into clear plastic pouches that will be affixed to the outside of the parcel and provided by UPS. Further information can be found in the Help section.
Please note that if packages are lost due to incorrect labels, re-used/old packaging, or multiple boxes to a single label, Alibris will not be responsible for the loss (see "Payments for Items Lost in Shipment" in the Payments section below). If you are a new seller and have not received clear pouches by the time you receive your first order (or you have not received them within two weeks of joining), please contact us.
Not all European sellers can participate in this program. . Currently, the
eligible countries are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,
Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK. All other international sellers may ship
via their method of choice. Please see the shipping credit grids listed above.
BiblioQuest International
Alibris orders should be sent to BiblioQuest in a single box or parcel together with any other orders you have for BiblioQuest or BibliOZ.com. Each book should have its Alibris packing slip or BibliOZ manifest sheet inserted in the front cover. Please ship all orders for Alibris/BiblioQuest once every 5 days or when you have 5 items to send, whichever comes first.
The ship-to address may be printed or handwritten, as long as it is done clearly. If typed or printed, please use a font of at least 12 point Courier (we recommend a minimum of 14) with no effects such as italic, bold, or shadow. Your return address should be in the top left-hand corner of the label but in a smaller font size than the ship-to address. Please use the following ship-to address for Alibris/BiblioQuest orders:
Reply Paid 83346
BiblioQuest International
Unit 4, 2A Walker Street
BOWRAL NSW 2576
Packaging-materials regulations
All Solid Wood Packaging Material (SWPM) entering the US needs to either be heat-treated or fumigated accordingly. SWPM items are coniferous and non-coniferous wood packaging materials including pallets, dunnage, crating, packing blocks, drums, cases, load boards, pallet collars and skids. Please contact us if you have any questions.
Multi-volume sets, unusually large or heavy items
On average, Alibris shipping credits are designed to meet market standards and credit more than the cost of shipping items. For multi-volume sets and oversized items, it may be appropriate to adjust prices to cover incremental postage. If you need to request an incremental postage credit, you must contact us before you mark the order shipped. We may then initiate communication with the customer to determine whether the customer is willing to pay the incremental postage. You will receive a reply as soon as we have heard from the customer. If the order has already been marked shipped, we cannot contact the customer or adjust the shipping credit.Packaging for inbound/outbound shipments
Packaging an item correctly for Alibris can be tricky—too little or too much packaging can contribute to damage of the item in shipment or during processing. Our packaging guidelines are below.
For orders that ship to Alibris
- Wrap all items together in a piece of bubble wrap or paper. Items do not need to be wrapped individually.
- Affix appropriate mailing label to package.
- Avoid packing in Styrofoam "peanuts" or Polystyrene chips.
- Please do not include any extraneous materials in your shipments. Any extraneous items that are included with an order may be disposed of at the warehouse.
- It is the seller's responsibility to ensure that items are received in the same condition in which they were shipped. Items damaged in transit to Alibris will be returned to the seller at the seller's expense.
For orders that ship to customer
- Prepare a professional, clean package. Use new packing and shipping materials appropriate for your shipment. Wipe away any dust or debris that may have collected on the item and seal all shipments tightly.
- To provide extra support and protection, we recommend that a cardboard backing be used for softcover books and vinyl albums.
- Clip the mailing label from the Purchase Notification and affix to package.
- Remember to include the Packing Slip in the package (the Packing Slip is on the lower portion of the Purchase Notification).
- The use of metered postage is recommended. Avoid excessive postage and the use of small denomination postage stamps.
- The inclusion of extraneous materials—especially marketing materials—in a shipment may offend or annoy customers. Therefore, including any extraneous materials in your shipments is forbidden. If Alibris receives a complaint relating to your shipments regarding extraneous materials we may take any action that we deem appropriate in our sole discretion, including without limitation issuing a warning, immediately terminating any pending sales, or immediately terminating your account.
- It is the seller's responsibility to ensure that items are received in the same condition in which they were shipped. Items damaged in transit to Alibris will be returned to the seller at the seller's expense.
Shipping packages over $500
US sellers who use MRS shipping labels when shipping items to the Alibris warehouse in Sparks, NV, should contact us to arrange for UPS pick-up of packages worth $500 or more. Alibris will not be responsible for packages worth $500 or more when shipped using an MRS label. Items shipped directly to customers in the US and Canada are also shipped at your risk.
Ephemera
Alibris is not an expert in ephemera so it is therefore necessary for us to have different shipping guidelines for these items.
- When shipping ephemera that is oversized, sellers must contact us in advance to arrange alternative shipping methods.
- Ephemera (anything that is not a book, music, or movie item), oversized, or unusual-sized items must be packaged properly so that they are not damaged in shipping. Sellers are responsible for proper packaging. If the item is damaged in shipping and the item is packaged appropriately, the shipping company is responsible. If the item is damaged in shipping and is not packaged appropriately, the seller is responsible for in-bound and return shipping costs.
- e-books are considered to be software and will be classified as ephemera.
- Please Note: All customer returns of ephemera will be returned to the seller.
Returns and Refunds
Alibris offers a generous returns policy and provides a venue for sellers and buyers to negotiate refunds and/or returns on most customer-direct orders. If buyers want to return their orders, they must request return approval by logging in to their accounts on the Alibris retail site, choosing the pertinent order numbers, selecting the proper reason codes, and then printing the appropriate paperwork—within 45 days of the shipping date (60 days for buyers outside the contiguous US). Returned items must be received by the seller within 60 days (75 days for buyers returning items to the distribution center from outside the contiguous US) of the item's shipping date.
A seller may offer a partial or full refund for an order without having the item returned by clicking the Cancel/Refund button on the Order Detail page. A buyer may also contact a seller directly by e-mail to request a return or refund. In those cases, the seller can process the refund for the returned item once it is received from the Order Details page on the Seller Hub.
The authorized reasons for a return are:
- Condition not as described
- Incomplete set
- Incorrect item
- Item is illegal or a pirated copy
- Movie or music item is damaged or unplayable
- Item is priced > $100.00
When a buyer initiates an authorized return, the seller accesses and processes it by way of the Process Returns page. When the seller receives the item back, the seller has the option to refund the order or dispute the return. If the seller refunds the order, the seller's account will be debited accordingly, and the seller's rating will be affected.
If the seller disputes the return, Alibris Client Services will mediate the dispute. The seller's number of disputes will be monitored and limited based on the percentage of orders disputed in a 12-month period. To dispute a return, the seller must click the "cancel/refund" button on the order detail and select the correct reason for the dispute.
The dispute reasons are:
- Return appears to be discretionary.
- Item not received within 60 days of the shipping date (75 days for buyers returning items to the distribution center from outside the contiguous US).
If a seller wants to dispute a return for any other reason than those mentioned above, he or she should contact Alibris Client Services. If a seller does not dispute or refund a return within 65 days of the shipping date for contiguous US orders or 80 days for all other orders, the return will auto-resolve and the refund will be processed.
If a seller receives an order back due to a bad address or other delivery problem, the seller should simply issue a refund for the order and relist the item. Alibris does not have a way to recharge the customer for the cost to reship the order.
Our Barnes & Noble partner program has a different return policy. Please visit the BNBQ FAQ page for more details on Barnes & Noble returns.
Additional debits
Alibris will also debit seller accounts for the following reasons:
- Seller ships an item by standard method that was ordered to be shipped expedited.
- Seller will be debited the difference between standard and expedited shipping credits.
- Seller ships an item more than 2 days after marking it shipped.
- Seller will be debited the entire shipping credit.
- Customer claims non-delivery after 30 days from ship date (45 days outside contiguous US and Canada) and seller cannot prove on-time delivery.
- Seller will be debited the entire order and shipping credit.
- Seller sends a customer-direct order to the Alibris warehouse
- Seller will be debited a cross-dock fee of $4.50.
- Alibris determines that music or movie item was a blatantly and unmistakably illegal or pirated item.
- Seller will be debited the entire order and shipping credit.
Shipment errors
If you believe you have made an error in shipping, please contact us as soon as possible. Below we have outlined various shipment error scenarios and the liability for both Alibris and the seller in each case.
- Order that ships to customer is shipped to Alibris
If an order that Ships to Customer is shipped to the Alibris warehouse in error, Alibris will forward the item to the customer and charge the seller a $4.50 processing fee. - Misdescribed item
If you receive an order for an item and then determine that the item has been misdescribed, please contact us. You will receive a response with instructions to either cancel or ship the item. - Order is shipped to wrong destination
After shipping an order, if you realize that the item was mis-shipped, please contact us. We'll contact the customer (if possible) about the shipment error. If the items are returned to our warehouse, Alibris will return the items to the seller and charge a return ship fee. If an order that Ships to Customer is shipped to the Alibris warehouse in error, Alibris will forward the item to the customer and charge the seller a $4.50 processing fee. - Orders shipped to Sparks without proper paperwork
Seller Services will send an advisory message to sellers who have shipped 10 or more orders without the correct packing slips. Alibris will charge the seller a $4.50 processing fee for all subsequent orders that are received without the proper paperwork. - Order shipped late
If you mark an item as "Filled" on the Seller Hub and then discover that it has not been shipped, please contact us. We'll send an inquiry to the customer, and you will receive a response with instructions to either cancel or ship the item. - Order marked "filled," then item not found
We strongly encourage you to have the item in-hand prior to going to the Seller Hub and marking an item as "Filled." However if you have already marked the item as "Filled" and then cannot find the item, you may refund the item from the View All Orders or the Find An Order page. - Order marked "canceled," then item found
If you mark an order as "Canceled," and then find the item, you can re-upload the item for sale. We will not contact the customer to reopen an order. - For any other scenario, please contact us.
Terms of sale on Alibris
All sellers, regardless of Seller Program, agree to pay Alibris a minimum sales commission of US$0.50 OR 15% of their list price (whichever is greater) when a sale is made through Alibris' retail sales channels (Alibris consumer and library Web sites) for items priced less than US$500.
For our business-partner channels (Barnes & Noble and its subsidiaries and affiliate companies, Blackwell, Books-A-Million, Borders, Chapters/Indigo, Half.com, Ingram, and others), sellers pay 15% to our partners and either 5% OR US$0.25, whichever is greater, to Alibris. Alibris' business partner programs are currently only available to booksellers.
For items priced greater than US$500, the following commission rates apply on our retail Web sites:
- US$500.00-599.99: 10%
- US$600.00-699.99: 8%
- US$700.00-799.99: 6%
- US$800.00 & higher: 5%
Sellers in the Alibris Gold Program also agree to pay a flat monthly fee, while sellers enrolled in the Alibris Basic Program ( available for booksellers with fewer than 1,000 items and for all music and movie sellers) agree to pay US$1.00 per transaction and a $19.99 annual subscription fee instead of a flat monthly fee. These fees would be assessed in addition to the commissions Alibris and its partners will charge on each sale.
For Alibris Gold sellers, t he monthly fee is based on the average number of inventory items during the preceding month, as outlined below.
Alibris Gold Program Schedule for flat monthly fees:
Average # listings this month Flat monthly fee as of January 1, 2006: 0-500 US$9.95 501-1000 US$15 1,001-2,000 US$20 2,001-4,000 US$30 4,001-10,000 US$35 10,001-20,000 US$40 20,001-30,000 US$60 30,001-50,000 US$90 50,001-100,000 US$125 100,001 + US$150 All fees and commissions are deducted, where possible, from payments Alibris makes to sellers. Payments to sellers from Alibris are made conditionally (see below) by direct deposit, check, or wire transfer. If you would like us to hold your payments until direct deposit/wire transfer is set up, please contact us. While direct deposit payments are issued on Fridays, please note that the funds may not be available to you until the following Monday or Tuesday. Any changes to bank information must be received by Alibris at least one week before the next scheduled direct deposit payment.
For sellers receiving payment by check: All check payments are made in US dollars. In addition, the business name (submitted at time of sign-up) determines the payee name, as well as what will be posted next to sellers' listings on the Web site. There is currently no way to provide a separation between the two. If checks should be made payable to a name other than the provided business name, the business name field needs to be changed on the Your Account page. Alibris will assess a $10.00 fee for reissuing check payments to an amended business name. Changing the business name on the Your Account page will update the name associated with listings on the Web site as well. For detailed information on the payment schedule, view the Payment Calendar. All payment information is available under your Payment History on a rolling basis for one year.
All sellers must provide Alibris with a valid credit card in case fees and/or returns are in excess of Alibris' payment to sellers. If a seller's card is about to expire, Alibris will send a renewal notice. Any e-mail from Alibris requesting credit card information will direct you to the Seller Hub. We will never ask you to provide credit card information via e-mail, nor will we provide links directly to a credit card submission form. You will always be asked to log in to our secure Seller Hub.
Sellers who do not have sales greater than the amount they owe Alibris and who have not supplied Alibris with a valid credit card will have their inventory placed on hold and, possibly, their account removed.
Payment methods and frequency
Seller location Payment method US Check
Payments are made on the last Friday of each month for items received in the warehouse or marked as 'Filled' through the Saturday two weeks prior.US Direct deposit
Payments are made on the first and third Fridays of each month for items received in the warehouse or marked as 'Filled' through the Saturday two weeks prior. Sign up for Direct Deposit.Canada Check
Payments are made on the first and third Fridays of each month for items received in the warehouse or marked as 'Filled' through the Saturday two weeks prior.UK Check
Payments are made on the last Friday of each month for items received in the warehouse through the Saturday two weeks prior.UK Direct deposit
Payments are made on the second and fourth Fridays of each month for items received in the warehouse through the Saturday two weeks prior. To sign up for direct deposit, contact us.Australia Check
Payments are made on the last Friday of each month for items received through the Saturday two weeks prior.Australia Direct deposit
Payments are made on the last Friday of each month for items received through the Saturday two weeks prior. To sign up for direct deposit, contact us.Rest of the world Check or wire transfer
Payments are made monthly by check or by wire transfer on the last Friday of each month for items received through the Saturday two weeks prior. If you wish to be paid more frequently, and have a US bank account, contact us for direct deposit information.Payment for items lost in shipment
Alibris will cover the cost of one item lost in shipment per year per seller for items shipped to our warehouse in Sparks, NV. Shipments valued more than $500 must be shipped via our UPS account to qualify for this credit (see Shipping packages over $500 above).
For orders that Ship to Customers, the burden of proof for shipments rests with the shipper. Alibris has a 30 day delivery guarantee within the contiguous USA and Canada, and a 45 day delivery guarantee for the rest of the world. If a customer claims he or she has not received a shipment within the guaranteed timeframe and delivery cannot be confirmed (i.e. via a tracking number), or if the shipment was damaged or destroyed by the carrier, the seller is held responsible. The seller's account will be debited for the cost of the item and shipping will not be credited. The refund will be classified as "Lost By Carrier." The seller's fill rate will also be affected by this type of refund.
For European sellers shipping via UPS: for packages lost due to use of old labels, re-used or old packaging, or multiple boxes to a single label, Alibris is not be responsible for the loss.
Alibris, in its sole discretion, may terminate a seller's account, or any current sales for any reason. Similarly, your participation with Alibris may be terminated at any time, in your sole discretion for any reason. Notice must be given by the seller.