Occasionally, you may need to contact your AbeBooks buyers once they have placed an order with you. This may be to discuss shipping their order or processing a bookseller direct payment.

You can find their email address on the order notification message and also on the order update page in your bookseller account.

Should you come across a language barrier in your communications with the buyer, you can use an online translator such as Google Translate , Bable Fish or PROMT to assist you in understanding the buyer's enquiry or reply.

Security Tips

We encourage all of our booksellers to be informed of the potential risks that exist in the world of Internet commerce.

Indicators of fraud:

Although the majority of our buyers are undoubtedly honest and responsible individuals, the occasional order may prove to be fraudulent. We advise booksellers to carefully review all orders before processing, particularly those that display the following traits:

Orders from African and former Eastern Block countries
Orders placed by buyers with free email accounts (such as hotmail, yahoo, etc) or suspicious email addresses
Large volume of orders
Expensive orders
Large volume orders for popular items
Buyer's contact information, including name and phone number do not seem to correlate with the client's geographic location (i.e. Henry Smith, Nigeria)
Invalid shipping address (i.e. Nigeria, Denmark)
Invalid contact information

What you can do:

Check Shipping addresses: Does the zip code/postal code match up with the billing address? The post office of the jurisdiction you are sending to often has a list of zip codes or postal codes. See:

USPS: www.usps.com
Canada Post: www.canadapost.ca
Royal Mail (United Kingdom): www.royalmail.com
La Poste (France): www.laposte.fr
Deutsche Post (Germany): www.deutschepost.de

If you are not familiar with the name of the city, check that the city name exists in the country. Additionally, unless it is a gift purchase, the shipping address and billing address (if provided by the buyer in "Special Instructions") will be identical. Some fraudulent buyers will use obviously fake shipping addresses. Please take the time to check that the address is valid.

Another way to check the validity of the buyer's address is to research the phone number (if provided) with the address. To do so, you may find the following links helpful:

Track or Insure Your Packages:

Tip: Insuring or tracking your shipments will protect you against buyers who falsely claim their books have not arrived. Some booksellers consider it a small price to pay compared to the value of the potential loss. You may also have to contact the buyer to request additional charges to cover the cost of insurance. Many people committing fraud will not reply to the email.

Expensive Orders:

If you receive an order for an expensive book, you can contact the buyer using the email address displayed on the right-hand side of the order screen before you confirm availability of the item. Personal contact with the buyer also gives you the opportunity to make arrangements for special shipping and handling procedures. Again, if a buyer not responding to your queries may be indicative of a fraudulent purchase.

Notify AbeBooks Customer Support:

If you believe you have received a fraudulent order, please send the details to AbeBooks customer service. The AbeBooks Security and Trust team will investigate the issue and put steps in place to prevent future fraudulent incidents. Booksellers are financially responsible for the outcome of the order if they processed payment themselves.

To assist us with our investigation, please be sure to include:

The AbeBooks purchase order number
A description of the problem. (Why you think the client and order is fraudulent? For example, the credit card name doesn’t match the name of the person placing the order; the shipping address doesn’t match the billing address.)
The steps you have taken to investigate the order. (Have you verified the address/phone number and if so, how? Have you attempted to contact the buyer by email or phone? Did they respond to you? If so, what did they say? How did you verify the credit card number?)
Any relevant correspondence including faxes or e-mails that contain important details

Process a Refund for your Commissions:

If you have received a fraudulent order, you can process a refund for the commissions using the Returns process.

To request a return or refund:

1. [Sign On] to your AbeBooks.com bookseller account
2. Click [Process Your Orders] from the "Quick Links" menu
3. When the Order List appears, locate the order by either AbeBooks purchase order number
4. Click [List Orders]
5. Click [Request a return/refund]
6. Select the return reason [Incomplete Sale]
7. Click the [Initiate Return] button
8. Click the [Confirm] button to confirm that the details of the return are correct

Because the return reason is "Incomplete Sale", no action is required on part of the buyer. An email will be sent to the buyer including any comments you have entered.

Tracking Information:

What is Tracking Information?

Tracking information is purchased from the post office upon shipping orders. When you purchase tracking information, you receive a tracking number that can be used to ensure the book arrived to its destination. Please contact the post office for the exact cost of purchasing tracking information.

Why Should I Use Tracking Information?

When you process orders, you have the choice to send the books using a traceable method. The use of a traceable means of shipment is highly recommended by AbeBooks for two reasons:

* Using a traceable means of shipment reassures the buyer that the order has been shipped. Should the order not arrive by the estimated delivery date, the buyer may initiate a refund for the book. Having tracking information does not allow the buyer to initiate a return for the reason "Item Did Not Arrive".

* Tracking information acts as insurance for you. Should a book not arrive by the estimated delivery date, you can provide tracking information to the buyer and track the package yourself on the USPS Web site to determine why it did not arrive to the buyer.

What do I do with the Tracking Information Once I Have it?

After you process an order, and are provided with a tracking number by the Post Office, sign in to your AbeBooks account and insert the tracking number.

To insert tracking information to a previously processed order:

1. [Sign On] to your AbeBooks.com bookseller account
2. Click [Process Your Orders] from the "Quick Links" menu
3. You will see the Order List. Insert the AbeBooks Order Number in the space provided, or change the Status field to "Processed" and click "List Orders"
4. Locate the order you would like to review. Click [Review] in the Review/Process column
5. In the Order Information box, there is a space provided to insert the tracking number
6. Click [Update] to save the inserted tracking information

What payment methods may I offer my AbeBooks buyers?

All credit card payments are processed by AbeBooks on your behalf. Currently buyers can pay the following credit cards:

Visa - MasterCard - American Express - JCB - Carte Bleue

You can select additional payment methods such as cheque, money orders and PayPal that you will process through your AbeBooks account.

To select your acceptable methods of payment:

[Sign On] to your AbeBooks.com bookseller account
Click [My Personal Information] in the Members Menu
Click [My Accepted Payment Methods] in the Personal Information menu
Optional: Select additional payment methods that you will accept
Click the [Submit] button

For all payment methods other than credit card you are required to contact the book buyer directly to arrange payment for the order. The book buyer's contact information is supplied to you when you process the order online.

Do I need to supply an invoice?

AbeBooks bookseller members should supply buyers with an invoice. For most buyers within the UK one is not needed, but please ensure that for all international orders an invoice is included when the book is shipped. Even if AbeBooks processes the payment on your behalf, an invoice can be given from you directly to your trading partner, the buyer. You can use your own system to supply an invoice or you can use a feature in our free software HomeBase. Click here for information on installing HomeBase.

How can I process my orders?

When one of your items is ordered via AbeBooks you are sent an email notification with the book information and a link to process the order. You need to process orders online in order for your buyers to be charged (credit card) and notified that the order has been updated. The order processing procedure differs between those where the payment is processed by AbeBooks (Credit Card) and those where the buyer has selected one of your other accepted payment methods.

Processing an order (Payment processed by AbeBooks):

[Sign On] to your AbeBooks.com bookseller account
Click [View and Process Orders] from the "My Sales" Members Menu
Locate the order you would like to process and click [Process Order]
Select the appropriate status from the Status column to process the order and click the [Save Order Changes] button

Once an order is marked as Shipped, the payment will be attempted. If the payment is successfully taken the [View Shipping Manifest] button will appear and you will be able to view the buyer's full contact details.

If you need to request extra shipping that can be done by choosing [Extra Charges] as opposed to [Will Ship]. Click here for further information.

PLEASE NOTE: Orders must be updated within 4 days, this includes weekends. If you do not work weekends, please ensure that you process your orders every 2 days. Orders that are not processed within that period will expire and we will automatically inform the customer that their order has been cancelled.

If an order has been processed in error it can be cancelled and the buyer refunded. Click here for further information.

Processing an order (Payment processed by bookseller):

Follow steps 1 – 4 above. Note the statuses to choose from are different between Ecommerce and Bookseller Direct orders.

If you have the book available, select [Availability Confirmed] and click the [Save Order Changes] button. You will find the buyer's email address beneath the order information. Contact the buyer and confirm the details of payment – Cheque details, PayPal account etc.

Should you need to change the shipping costs, you can discuss this with the buyer directly. As soon as you have received payment for the order, click the [View Shipping Manifest] button for the buyer's full contact details and send the book.

Should you not be able to receive payment from the buyer you can cancel the order. Click here for further information.

PLEASE NOTE: If such an order is not updated within 4 days, the status will automatically change to Availability Confirmed

Tracking Information: When you process orders, you have the choice to ship via a trackable method. If you choose to use a trackable method, the tracking information should be added to the order information after processing.

What is Tracking Information?
Tracking information is purchased from the post office upon shipping orders. When you purchase tracking information, you receive a tracking number that can be used to ensure the book arrived to its destination. Please contact the post office for the exact cost of purchasing tracking information.

Why Should I Use Tracking Information?
When you process orders, you have the choice to send the books using a trackable method. The use of a trackable means of shipment is highly recommended by AbeBooks for two reasons:

Using a trackable means of shipment reassures the buyer that the order has been shipped. Should the order not arrive by the estimated delivery date, the buyer may initiate a refund for the book. Having tracking information does not allow the buyer to initiate a return for the reason "Item Did Not Arrive".
Tracking information acts as insurance for you. Should a book not arrive by the estimated delivery date, you can provide tracking information to the buyer and track the package yourself on the USPS Web site to determine why it did not arrive to the buyer.

What do I do with the Tracking Information Once I Have it?
After you process an order, and are provided with a tracking number by the Post Office, sign in to your AbeBooks account and insert the tracking number.

To enter tracking information to a previously processed order:

[Sign On] to your AbeBooks.com bookseller account
Click [View and Process Orders] from the "My Sales" Members Menu
Locate the order to which you would like to add tracking information and click [Review Order]
In the Order Information Box, you can enter the shipping company and tracking number
Click [Update] to save the tracking information

Tip: Many AbeBooks buyers will need a receipt/invoice with their order, especially if you receive an order from another European country. Remember to check the special instructions field, as the buyer will often indicate if a receipt/invoice is needed. The invoice can be included in the order or sent via email. AbeBooks can only provide the buyer with the confirmation of the order and not an official invoice as the buyer is your legal trading partner. If a buyer asks for a receipt/invoice please do provide one as they may be ordering on behalf of a company or library where they need to reclaim the purchase amount. If you have any questions about what should be included in an invoice please Contact Us.

How do I receive notifications for ordered books?

AbeBooks sends booksellers an email confirming every order placed for one of your books. Depending on our order volume, the delivery time for these emails can vary slightly. We recommend that you process your orders via our online system to ensure that all orders are processed promptly.

Email is an indispensable tool, but it is fallible. Changes made by your ISP, spam filters, and virus protection software can all contribute to problems receiving your AbeBooks email. Our order notifications are convenient reminders, but should not be solely relied upon to inform you that you have orders, therefore we kindly ask that you check your orders online.

To check and process your orders online:

How can I process my orders?

AbeBooks coupons for buyers: more information

At regular intervals AbeBooks hold coupon promotions for buyers. With such promotions we offer buyer paying with credit card, a discount on the prices of books ordered.

Buyers can redeem their coupon by entering the code in the field provided in their shipping basket. The book price(s) is/are then displayed with the coupon discount value deducted. This amount is also displayed on the order details page in the buyers' AbeBooks accounts.

AbeBooks charges the reduced amounts from the buyers' credit cards. The booksellers processing these orders are of course credited the full book price values by AbeBooks.

We do advise buyers carefully that the discount is only valid for orders where payment is made by credit card (processed by AbeBooks). If you process a direct payment from a buyer then this does not class as a credit card payment and you are of course not expected to make such a deduction on the order payment.

The AbeBooks coupons cannot be redeemed after expiry or on a previously placed order.

Should you receive enquiries from buyers regarding AbeBooks coupons please ask them to contact our Customer Service. Thank you!

All information about our coupons can be found on our buyer help pages.

Related subjects:

How can I process my orders?

How can I arrange payment with buyers?

How can I contact the buyer in case of questions?

Transaction Taxes

This page is intended to provide general tax information. For tax advice related to your specific needs, please consult a tax advisor. No information on this page may be considered formal tax advice.

Australia

Low Value Import Tax

As of July 1st, 2018, Australia has implemented legislation to impose a Goods and Services Tax (GST) on imported goods which have a customs value of $1,000 AUD or less (Low Value Import Goods or LVIGs). From this date, AbeBooks will remit 10% GST on LVIG sold on AbeBooks orders shipped from outside Australia to customers in Australia.

As the seller, you are only required to ensure your packages are correctly labeled as AbeBooks will remit this tax on our customer’s behalf.

Special instruction for order shipped to Australia

If you are shipping a taxable order valued at $1000 AUD or less into Australia from outside of Australia, you should affix the following information to the outside of the package to help ensure successful import into Australia.

AbeBooks’ Australian Taxation Office Reference Number (ARN):

If you are on the AbeBooks North American seller agreement, use “ARN 300009041524”
If you are on the AbeBooks European seller agreement, use “ARN 300013623425 ”

The phrase “GST exemption code PAID”

Sellers located in Australia are required to list prices that include Australia’s Goods and Services Tax (GST). Requesting extra charges to collect the GST on domestic Australian orders is not permitted.

Resources:

Ship To Location	Resource
Australia	https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/International-tax-for-business/GST-on-low-value-imported-goods/

New Zealand

GST on Low Value Goods

On December 1, 2019, New Zealand implemented legislation to impose Goods and Services Tax (GST) on the sale of items that have a value of $1,000 NZD or less (Low Value Goods or LVG) sold by a seller established outside New Zealand to customers in New Zealand.

AbeBooks is required to calculate and remit 15% GST on applicable orders.

Sellers are required to ensure packages are correctly labeled. Please note AbeBooks will remit any applicable tax on behalf of our sellers.

If you receive an order via AbeBooks that meets the New Zealand GST criteria, you should affix the following information, in English, to the outside of the package:

One of AbeBooks’ New Zealand GST registration numbers: 120751298 (if you are on the AbeBooks North American seller agreement) or 130552161 (if you are on the AbeBooks’ European GmbH seller agreement)
Information indicating items in the order have where GST has been collected, collected at the point of sale at the rate of 15%, if applicable
Information indicating the items in the order where GST has not been collected.

Norway

VAT On E-Commerce (VOEC) on Low Value Goods

On April 1, 2020, Norway implemented legislation to impose Value Add Tax (VAT) on the sale of goods that have an item value of NOK 3,000 or less being shipped into Norway.

AbeBooks will calculate and remit any VAT due, at the appropriate rate, on all orders that meet the following criteria:

One or more item is the order has a item value of NOK 3,000 or less
The seller’s legal address listed on AbeBooks is located outside of Norway
The customer’s shipping address is located in Norway

If you receive an order via AbeBooks that meets this criteria, you should affix the following information, in English, to the outside of the package:

VOEC 2033593 (if you are on the AbeBooks North American seller agreement) or VOEC 2033607 (if you are on the AbeBooks’ European seller agreement)

An itemized shipping list including description of contents, quantity, net weight, value (NOK), HS tariff code and country of origin

Information described above will also be available in the following locations:

On the AbeBooks’ Shipping Manifest for qualified orders
The Order Update screen in your AbeBooks account for qualified orders
The “Messages from AbeBooks” notification section in the AbeBooks Seller Members Menu

Ship To Location	Resource
Norway	https://www.skatteetaten.no/en/business-and-organisation/vat-and-duties/vat/foreign/e-commerce-voec/

United Kingdom

VAT Legislative Changes

Effective January 1, 2021, as part of Brexit, a new set of VAT rules will apply in the UK. The current VAT exemption for sales of goods valued at £15 or less will be abolished. AbeBooks will be required to calculate and remit any VAT due, at the appropriate rate, on all orders that meet the following criteria:

The order has a customs value of £135 or less.
The seller’s legal address listed on AbeBooks is located outside the UK.
The customer’s shipping address is located in the UK.

If you receive an order via AbeBooks that meets this criteria, you should affix the following information, in English, to the outside of the package:

Information indicating which items in the order have already had VAT remitted, if applicable.
A list of items in the shipment for which the VAT rate is 0%.

Information described above will also be available in the following locations:

On the AbeBooks’ Shipping Manifest for qualified orders
The Order Update screen in your AbeBooks account for qualified orders
The “Messages from AbeBooks” notification section in the AbeBooks Seller Members Menu

Please note the above changes do not alter your VAT registration obligations. If you need help with VAT Registration and filing in the UK, we recommend consulting with a tax advisor.

Resources:

Ship To Location	Resource
United Kingdom	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/changes-to-vat-treatment-of-overseas-goods-sold-to-customers-from-1-january-2021/changes-to-vat-treatment-of-overseas-goods-sold-to-customers-from-1-january-2021

United States

Marketplace Facilitator Tax (MPF)

Marketplace Facilitator Tax is a tax collected from the buyer on an online marketplace transaction and paid to a government body. A Marketplace Facilitator is defined as a marketplace that contracts with third party sellers to promote their sale of physical property, digital goods, and services through the marketplace. As a result, AbeBooks is deemed to be a marketplace facilitator for third-party sales facilitated through AbeBooks sites.

Based on applicable state tax regulation, AbeBooks will calculate, collect, and remit sales tax on behalf of sellers for orders shipped to customers in the following states:

Resources:

Ship To Location	Resource
Alabama	https://revenue.alabama.gov/2018/07/03/ ador-announces-sales-and-use-tax-guidance-for-online-sellers/
Arizona	https://azdor.gov/news-events-notices/news/new-tpt-law-remote-sellers-and-marketplace-facilitators-starting-october-1
Arkansas	https://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/excise-tax/ sales-and-use-tax/arkansas-remote-seller-frequently-asked-questions-faqs
California	https://www.cdtfa.ca.gov/industry/MPFAct.htm
Colorado (only State tax, exclude city, county & district)	http://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb19-1240
Connecticut	https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/DRS/Publications/OCG/OCG-8.pdf?la=en
Hawaii	https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2018/bills/SB2871_.htm
Idaho	https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2019/legislation/H0259/
Indiana	https://www.in.gov/dor/3325.htm**
Illinois
Iowa	https://tax.iowa.gov/south-dakota-v-wayfair
Kentucky	https://revenue.ky.gov/News/Publications/ Sales%20Tax%20Newsletters/Sales%20Tax%20Facts-June%202019%20(8pt).pdf
Louisiana	https://revenue.louisiana.gov/
Maine	https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1064&item=1&snum=129
Maryland	https://taxes.marylandtaxes.gov/default.shtml
Massachusetts	https://www.mass.gov/info-details/remote-seller-and-marketplace-facilitator-faqs
Michigan	http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(ojogiiwifnbfl1mjrr4rufju))/mileg.aspx?page=GetObject&objectname=2019-HB-4541
Minnesota	http://www.revenue.state.mn.us/businesses/sut/Pages/Marketplace-Providers.aspx
Mississippi	https://www.dor.ms.gov/Business/Pages/Sales-Use-Tax-landing.aspx
Nevada	https://tax.nv.gov/
New Jersey	https://www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/index.shtml
New Mexico	http://realfile.tax.newmexico.gov/FYI-105%20-% 20Gross%20Receipts%20&%20Compensating%20Taxes%20-%20An%20Overview.pdf
New York	https://www.tax.ny.gov/bus/default.htm
North Dakota	https://www.nd.gov/tax/
Ohio	https://www.tax.ohio.gov/
Oklahoma	https://www.ok.gov/tax/faqs.html
Puerto Rico (taxes are exempt on Books)	www.hacienda.gobierno.pr
South Carolina	https://dor.sc.gov/
South Dakota	https://dor.sd.gov/taxes/business_taxes/MarketplaceProvider.aspx
Tennessee	https://revenue.support.tn.gov/hc/en-us/sections/360009672231-Sales-Tax-Collection-by-Marketplace-Facilitators
Texas	https://comptroller.texas.gov/
Utah	https://tax.utah.gov/
Vermont	https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2020/Docs/BILLS/H-0536/H-0536%20As%20Passed%20by%20Both%20House%20and%20Senate%20Official.pdf
Virginia	https://www.tax.virginia.gov/remote-sellers-marketplace-facilitators-economic-nexus
Washington	https://dor.wa.gov/find-taxes-rates/ retail-sales-tax/tax-obligation-marketplace-facilitators
West Virginia	https://tax.wv.gov/Business/SalesAndUseTax/Ecommerce/ MarketplaceFacilitators/Pages/MarketplaceFacilitators.aspx
Wisconsin	https://www.revenue.wi.gov/Pages/FAQS/ise-marketplace-providers-sellers.aspx
District of Columbia	https://otr.cfo.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/otr/page_content/attachments/ Wayfair%20Response%20Notice%20%281%202%202019%29_0.pdf
Nebraska	http://www.revenue.nebraska.gov/index.html
Pennsylvania	https://www.revenue.pa.gov/GeneralTaxInformation/ Tax%20Types%20and%20Information/SUT/ MarketPlaceSales/Pages/Marketplace-Facilitators.aspx
Rhode Island	http://www.tax.ri.gov/Advisory/ADV_2019_11.pdf
Wyoming	https://www.wyoleg.gov/Legislation/2019/HB0069

For orders shipped to customers in all other states, sellers remain responsible for their tax and remittance obligations.

Marketplace Facilitator Tax FAQ

Do I need to do anything on orders you have collected tax on?

With regard to your AbeBooks business, there is no action required of you within your seller account for tax calculation, collection, and remittance on orders affected by MPF legislation. Please contact a professional tax advisor regarding any personal or corporate tax obligation you may have.

Does AbeBooks charge for the automatic calculation, collection, and remittance of sales tax?

No, AbeBooks does not charge any fees for calculating, collecting, and remitting sales tax.

Who handles a customer tax-only refund request on orders?

AbeBooks will handle the refund request for any order where AbeBooks automatically calculated, collected, and remitted sales tax on your orders.

What are my reporting options and how do I identify AbeBooks collected sales tax?

AbeBooks provides a downloadable report available directly in your Members Menu that confirms if tax was collected by AbeBooks on your orders.

Simply select the [Statements and Reporting (Beta)] under the ‘My Payments’ section of your Members Menu to view the ‘Tax Report’ tab.

Customs Requirements

This page is intended to provide information about requirements for shipments into Brazil. For tax advice related to your specific needs, please consult a tax advisor. No information on this page may be considered formal tax advice.

The Receita Federal do Brasil (Brazilian Internal Revenue Service) requires that all packages sent into Brazil include the recipient’s tax ID on the shipping label and customs declaration. This tax ID could be Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas (CPF) for individuals or Cadastro Nacional da Pessoa Jurídica (CNPJ) for businesses. If you receive an order for an item shipping into Brazil, contact your buyer to request their applicable tax ID and include it on your customs declaration and shipping label. Packages without the tax ID are subject to return or disposal by Brazilian Customs.

How do I generate a buyer invoice?

You can easily print or save a PDF of an invoice for your AbeBooks orders directly from your Members Menu, after an order has been processed.

The invoice will include the order details, including any applicable tax information.

Do I need to include AbeBooks invoice in my packages?

No.

Important: UK e-commerce Value Added Tax (VAT) rules require AbeBooks to issue a VAT invoice to your customer for this sale. Please do not issue an invoice to the buyer. If you need to provide your invoice as well, please clearly label it as, "Duplicate. This is not a VAT invoice.”

For more information on when and why Transaction Taxes are remitted on your AbeBooks orders, please visit our Help Page below:

http://help.abebooks.com/sales-and-value-added-taxes/

To generate an invoice:

On your Members Menu, click View and Process Orders
Either search for the order number or click Review Order to open the order details
Click Printable Invoice

The invoice will open in a new browser tab. You can then use your browser's print function to print a physical copy or save as a PDF for your records.

AbeBooks UK Seller Help

How can I process my orders?

How do I increase or reduce shipping charges for an order?

How can I contact the buyer should I have any questions?

Security Tips

What payment methods may I offer my AbeBooks buyers?

How can I process my orders?

How do I receive notifications for ordered books?

AbeBooks coupons for buyers: more information

Transaction Taxes

New Zealand

GST on Low Value Goods

Norway

VAT On E-Commerce (VOEC) on Low Value Goods

United Kingdom

VAT Legislative Changes

Customs Requirements

How do I generate a buyer invoice?

Do I need to include AbeBooks invoice in my packages?

To generate an invoice:

Search Help

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