Help Desk

General Questions

  • How is myBookCrate different?

    myBookCrate is different from the already existing online marketplaces because we are focused on providing the most convenient and fair marketplace in which students can buy and sell their textbooks on-campus without an intermediary. We eliminate the additional costs that come with buying and selling books by focusing on creating local student driven marketplaces at colleges and universities around the nation. There are no more packaging and shipping costs for sellers and no more waiting for shipped books to arrive for buyers, on all on campus transactions. Students around the nation now receive more money for their used textbooks, so the overall cost of ownership drops well below the cost of renting.

  • Isn't myBookCrate just another middleman?

    No. A middleman is someone who takes physical possession of your books with the sole intention of selling them to a different buyer at a higher price than what you were paid. myBookCrate is a marketplace that automatically pairs students together in order to buy & sell textbooks locally. By removing the middleman, we are able to receive the fair market value for our textbooks and, as a result, the cost of ownership is dramatically reduced well below any other option. myBookCrate does not take physical possession of your books.

  • Will my contact information be made publically available?

    Absolutely not! You will be able to communicate directly with other users and none of your personal contact information will ever be shared. It's magic!

  • How does myCrate work?

    If a specific book is not currently available in your local marketplace, you may add it to your personal crate and  we'll notify you immediately when a copy that fits your specific requirements becomes available.

  • Seller Responsibilities

    All sellers on myBookCrate are asked to describe their items with 100% accuracy and to deliver sold items within a reasonable time frame. For local transactions, sellers must schedule a meeting location and time with the buyer. Sellers need to show up on time with the correct item(s) and item(s) must be in same condition as described in listing(s). For items that must be shipped, sellers agree to properly package said items in order to prevent any damage during shipping and sellers agree to ship said items within 3 business days of date on which order was placed.

    By using our service, each seller understands that mBC cannot and will not process payments for sold items until and only once we have received the proper confirmation that the transaction has been finalized. Please check your order confirmation for more details.

    In order to make sure that buying on myBookCrate is a pleasant experience for all, we closely monitor all sellers to ensure that rules and regulations are being followed. Any seller who is mentioned in a Buyer Protection Claim will be subject to review and we reserve all rights to remove sellers who are found to be negative contributors to the local community.

  • Do I have to pay to join or be a member?

    myBookCrate is free to use! There are no start-up or listing fees. In addition, buying and selling in cash is also free. We instantly connect students on campus and will notify you when your books have sold or have become available for free. There is a small commission charged to sellers only when using myBookCrate's advanced mobile payments platform (10%).

    You can join for free here: Join Today

  • The register page won't let me click Save & Continue.

    Please be sure that you have filled in each of the 4 very basic questions before trying to click Save & Continue. Please do not use abbreviations or acronyms when spelling your school name in order to ensure that the most accurate results are shown.

  • How do I cancel an order?

    After an order has been placed, but before the transaction has taken place, the seller may cancel the order under the Sales History tab. Go to My Recent Sales and then click "Manage Order" to find the "Cancel Order" button.

  • I joined through Facebook and can't login to the iPhone app

    In order to login to the iPhone application, all Login with Facebook users must first set a manual password. In order to do so, please visit your My Account page. Next, on the left side navigation menu select Create Password. The email address associated with your myBookCrate account will be listed. If you would like to change it, you may do so under Contact Settings. Once you have set your password, simply login to the myBookCrate iPhone app using your email address and password you just created.

Buyer Questions - Local Transactions

  • Do I have to input my payment information before receiving my book?

    When using myBookCrate's advance mobile payment platform, you are asked to input payment information prior to the actual transaction meeting in order to streamline in-person transactions. Instead of having to worry about trips to the bank to withdraw cash, you can now pay sellers directly and conveniently through a simple text message or our iPhone application* (available this fall 2012).

  • How am I guaranteed that the book is as described?

    You will not be charged until you are able to physically inspect each purchased item on all local transactions. Therefore, if you disagree with the description of a purchased item, then simply notify us that the transaction did not occur. Upon receiving notification,  we'll make sure that your payment method is not charged.

  • What is the refund policy for local transactions?

    Because you are able to verify an item’s condition prior to paying, there are no refunds, returns or exchanges on local transactions. We strongly recommend that you carefully inspect each book to ensure that there are no discrepancies between the description and actual condition prior to notifying us that the transaction has occurred. Once we have processed a local transaction your payment method will be charged and the funds will be deposited into the seller’s account.

  • Where do I meet the seller?

    We strongly advise that buyers and sellers meet in well-lit and well-traveled public venues within or close to their academic institutions. This can include classrooms, student unions, coffee shops or academic offices. You could also locate your academic institution’s police station and meet outside the entrance.

  • How do I pay for my books?

    We recommend that you use myBookCrate's advanced mobile payments platform to pay sellers. Our system allows you to pay each seller conveniently and securely through a single text message, or our iPhone application (coming this fall 2012), once you have received your books. No more hassling with cash and change! Our mobile payments solution is the most convenient way to pay.

    You may also choose to pay sellers in cash, if you'd like. You may update your payment method at any point after checkout and before confirming the transaction.

  • What is the myBookCrate number for order confirmation?

    Either the buyer or the seller may text the Buyer Pin Code to 626-768-9388.

Buyer Questions - Shipped Orders

  • What if my requested book is not available in my local marketplace?

    If this occurs,  we'll automatically notify you when the book you need becomes available.

  • If I ask for an item to be shipped, when will I be charged?

    When you elect to have a seller ship a book to your place of residence, your payment method will be charged immediately upon checkout. You are protected under myBookCrate's Buyer Protection Policy on all shipped orders.

  • How are buyers protected when placing orders to be shipped?

    Because buyers are not able to review the condition prior to paying, buyers who have items shipped to their addresses are covered under myBookCrate's Shipped Item Return Policy. Under this policy, buyers have a seven (7) day window from the time at which the book is delivered, during which he/she may contact the seller and raise any concerns about the item. Buyers may raise issue for the following reasons: 1). The item is not as described 2). The item is the wrong item 3). The item has been damaged in shipping due to poor packaging 4). The item was not delivered (i.e. Empty Box).

    Buyers must first raise any issues regarding a purchase with the individual seller within this seven (7) day period, prior to contacting myBookCrate. Individual sellers are able to provide refunds, if that is what both parties agree should happen. If both parties do not come to an agreement, buyers who have contacted the individual sellers within this seven (7) day period and whose claims fall within at least one (1) of the above categories are eligible for mBC's Buyer Protection Plan.

    Sellers are not required by myBookCrate policy to provide a refund and accept a returned item if the buyer simply purchased the wrong book.

  • What is the myBookCrate Buyer Protection Policy?

    All payments that are made through myBookCrate's payment platform are ensured under myBookCrate's Buyer Protection Policy. Buyers who would like to file an official claim with myBookCrate regarding an issue with a specific order may do so by clicking on the "Report an Issue" link under the transaction number under the Purchase History tab. Note: Because buyers are asked to communicate with sellers before filing a claim with myBookCrate, the "Report an Issue" link will not be available until the buyer has contacted said seller. myBookCrate will review all claims and may interview both parties involved. Both parties are required to answer any and all questions posed by myBookCrate regarding the investigation and failure to do so may result in a decision being made in the opposite party's favor. myBookCrate's decision regarding what steps should be carried out in order to rectify the situation (i.e. Refunds provided and item(s) returned, No refund provided, Partial Refund provided, etc.) is final and both parties agree to adhere by said decision. Both parties duly authorize myBookCrate to issue refunds on either parties behalf. myBookCrate reserves the right to change this policy at any time.

    Each buyer is allowed to file one (1) claim per academic year and each buyer has a lifetime maximum of two (2) claims. However, since some issues require special attention even if a particular buyer has reached his/her allowed number of claims, myBookCrate will review all claims. Intentionally trying to commit fraud and deceive this system is a criminal act and those who intentionally try to commit fraud will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. myBookCrate reserves the right to make adjustments to both the buyer's and seller's payments accounts in order to resolve fraudulent acts and member disputes.

    Buyers who ask their credit card companies to issue a charge back on a given transaction lose all rights to file a claim with mBC regarding said transaction and may be banned from using the service we provide.

Seller Questions

  • How do I confirm a local transaction?

    Please check your order confirmation email for directions regarding how to confirm a transaction.

  • How do I confirm I have shipped an order?

    Simply login to your My Account page and click on Sales History. Next click on the 'Confirm Item Has Been Shipped' link and input the correct shipping carrier name and tracking number. Here is the direct link: Sales History

  • How do I price my book?

     We'll either provide you with a recommendation based on the MSRP for each book, or we'll highlight the current lowest prices available within the local marketplace.

    The best way to price your books is to base your listing price on the price you paid and the current condition of your book.

  • What if the buyer doesn't show up to our meeting?

    If you and the buyer agree to meet to transact a recently purchased item and the buyer does not show up, please contact the buyer and see if the problem can be resolved. If no agreement is reached, please contact us and notify us of the situation.

    All members are asked to honor agreements in order to ensure that buying and selling on myBookCrate is a flawless experience. If there is an issue regarding a meeting time or location, please communicate directly with the other party well before the scheduled meeting time. There is no place for fraud on myBookCrate and those who are found to be intentionally trying to commit fraudulent acts will be removed.

  • What if the buyer doesn't want the book?

    Honesty is the best practice when selling on myBookCrate. Buyers are not charged for items until the buyer or seller has verified that the transaction has occurred with myBookCrate.

    Therefore, if the buyer determines that there is a discrepancy between the described condition of a purchased item and the actual condition, the buyer needs to notify us that the item was not received.  We'll ensure that the buyer is not charged for the transaction. In order to prevent this from occurring, as a seller please follow our Terms and Conditions as well as our General Guidelines when describing items.

  • When do I get paid? Where is my money?

    We recommend that buyers pay sellers using myBookCrate's advanced mobile payments platform. It is the safest and most convenient way to pay in-person. We automatically deposit funds into each sellers personal bank account every Friday.

    In addition, buyers may select the "Pay with Cash" option during check out to pay in cash.

  • What is the fastest way to sell my items?

    Make sure you price your books competitively to ensure that buyers select your book first.

  • How do I relist my books?

    Because myBookCrate was built by students, for students, we have implemented a system that makes relisting books for sale easier than it has ever been before. Now you can add all of the books you'd like to sell at once. In addition, each book you've previously purchased on myBookCrate can be relisted with the click of a button. Not ready to sell your books yet? We have a solution that automates the process so you don't need to even think about it down the road. You can list your books here: List Books for Sale

  • What do I do with my books before leaving for summer break?

    Sellers have multiple options when leaving school for summer break. Because we are available nationwide, you may take your textbooks home and sell them locally to the students who are attending summer session near your primary place of residence. Otherwise, simply store your books with your other supplies and you'll be ready to immediately sell your books for top dollar when you return to campus. You can schedule the time and location where you’d like to meet any potential buyers prior to even arriving back at school!

  • How do I sell used textbooks?

    In order to sell your textbooks on myBookCrate, simply enter the ISBN and we will automatically find the specific book you are looking to sell. Next, describe your book's condition and set your price! You can begin listing your books today: List Books for Sale