Frequently asked questions
Buying Books
- How do I buy a book?
- How do I return a book?
- What if my book doesn’t arrive?
- How much do books cost?
- Is there a minimum order?
- How much is delivery?
- Can I select a different delivery address?
- Do you deliver overseas and the Channel Islands?
- Can I order a book which isn’t in stock?
- How do I check on the status of an order?
- How long does delivery take?
Selling Books
- How do I list books for sale?
- Does it cost anything to list and sell books?
- How do I rate the Book Condition?
- What if my book doesn’t have an ISBN number (such as a Book Club or Proof edition)?
- I’ve listed books for sale, but they don’t appear to be displaying?
- What happens when I sell a book?
- I’ve sold a book, but can’t find the book to send?
- Who pays for postage and when are Postage Payments available?
- Postage Rates
- What if my book is sent but not received?
- How long will it take to sell my books?
- How do I cash in on the money I’ve made?
Managing Your Account
- What’s the Members Profile Page?
- How do I change my Profile Picture, change my Account Details or get a Password Reminder?
- How do I check my account balance?
- How are my Star Ratings calculated?
- How do I change the font size on the web page?
Forum
- What’s the Forum?
- How do I find my way around the Forum?
- How do I post on the Forum?
- How do I create a new Topic?
- How do I Reply to a Topic or Post?
- How do I use the Quote button?
- Why does it ask for an ISBN or books search when I make a post?
- What are the Subscribe and Feed buttons for?
Buying Books
How do I buy a book?
In order to make a purchase, you must first register and open an account. Click the 'Log on' button to Register. It’s quick easy and costs nothing. You can then simply browse our book categories in the normal way or if you’re after something specific, use our Search facility. Once you’ve found a book, simply ‘Add to Basket’ and ‘Proceed to Checkout’. You’ll then be asked to credit funds to your account (if there’s not sufficient funds already in your account) and to select a delivery address. Once your order is placed you’ll receive a Confirmation e-mail giving details of your order and your book should arrive within 7 to 10 days. You can also follow the status of your order on-line from your MyAccount homepage.How do I return a book?
All our books come with our Buyer Promise therefore if you’re not completely satisfied with your book, simply return it to us at Customer Support and we’ll either source you a replacement or issue a full refund.If a book has been ordered in error, then again the book may be returned for a refund, but we will deduct a £1.00 administration charge to help cover our costs. Also if the book had a postage payment charge, then this cannot be refunded, as this cost has already been incurred by the seller, in sending the book.
What if my book doesn’t arrive?
Unlike auction sites, when buying books from GreenMetropolis.com your transaction is always with us and not with the selling member, therefore if your book doesn’t arrive you can rely on our Buyer Promise to either source you a replacement or issue a full refund.How much do books cost?
We are a company dedicated to encouraging our members to recycle their books, therefore whether it’s a latest release or last year’s bestseller, all paperbacks, hardbacks and audio books all cost just £3.75 to buy (and include free delivery on all standard sized paperbacks). Plus we donate 5p from the sale of each book to the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity the Woodland Trust, to support Woodland Creation.Is there a minimum order?
There is no minimum order and there is no minimum commitment. You’re free to come and go and use our site as often or as little as you wish. We like to think our low pricing and great customer support retains our customers, not contracts!How much is delivery?
We continue to offer FREE delivery on all standard sized paperbacks, which are all cleared labeled with our ‘Free Delivery’ stamp on our summary page. However heavier books such as hardbacks or large format paperbacks may incur a small delivery charge, in order to help cover the extra postage costs. Delivery charges are tailored to individual books but usual range from 50p to £4.50 depending upon the books size and weight. Books which have a delivery charge do not display our ‘Free Delivery’ stamp and clearly show the delivery costs on the ‘More Info’ book page.Can I select a different delivery address?
Yes. There’s no limit to the number of delivery addresses you can have, plus you can ‘name’ each address so that when you’re placing your order you can simply select your stored ‘Home’ address or ‘Work’ address without the need to enter it each time.Do you deliver overseas and the Channel Islands?
At present we do not offer overseas delivery. This is simply due to the fact that all our books currently sell for £3.75 and are priced to include UK delivery. Currently we do not offer the facility to change the pricing of our books or to increase postage charges to allow for overseas delivery. We do however deliver to the Channel Islands, as this is part of the UK and therefore standard Royal Mail postage rates apply.Can I order a book which isn’t in stock?
When a book isn’t in stock, you may add it to your Wish List. Then when a member lists the book for sale, you’ll automatically receive an e-mail notifying you that the book’s back in stock. This way you’ll no longer need to keep checking the site for your book, or worry that you’ll miss it. Instead we’ll simply e-mail you as soon as it comes into stock.How do I check on the status of an order?
At any time you can logon to your Delivery Status page to check the status of a current Order including the dispatch date. From here you can also mark books as received and also rate the Seller or leave them feedback.How long does delivery take?
We ask all our sellers to dispatch their books within 2 to 3 days of receipt of the order, therefore most books are received within 7 to 10 days for ordering.Selling Books
How do I list books for sale?
In order to list books for sale, you must first register and open an account.1) Click the 'Log on' button to Register. It’s quick easy and costs nothing.
2) To list your books, simply select the ‘Sell a Book’ option. For each book you wish to sell you’ll need to enter the ISBN (that’s the book’s number on the back, next to the barcode), the condition of the book and if it’s a heavier book, select a Postage Payment.
The ISBN enables us to retrieve the details of the book from our database including an image of the book cover, reviews it's received, details of the author, listing category, the price you would pay if you were to buy it new and the format of the book. The whole process takes just a few seconds and then it's immediately entered into our bookstore for sale.
Does it cost anything to list and sell books?
There are no charges or fees for listing books for sale. We simply pay you £3.00 for every book sold (plus any postage payment if it’s a heavier book). All our books cost just £3.75 to buy, of which we pay £3.00 to the seller and 5p to the Woodland Trust.How do I rate the Book Condition?
As a company dedicated to encouraging members to recycle their books, we recognise how important it is that books are accurately described, for both our buyers and sellers. All books must meet our minimum condition rating of 'Acceptable'.| Condition Rating | Description |
|---|---|
| As New | Book looks brand new. Great for a gift! |
| Excellent | Book looks new. May have been read, but no easily visible signs. Cover and pages undamaged, binding as new. No staining or creasing of pages. A pleasure to receive! |
| Good | A used but well cared for book. Undamaged cover, no missing pages, minimum creases to pages, minimal scuff marks and staining. Doesn't automatically open at a particular page. Nice to read! |
| Acceptable | Minimum damage to cover. All pages intact, but possible minor damage. Some creasing or staining to pages. Very minor writing on inside cover. A well read book, but still has some distance to go. Not a good gift, more a good read! |
| No way José! | Damage to cover and/or pages, tattered and torn appearance. Binding damaged. It's survived the beach, but only just. Good for filling the bookcase, levelling a table or to fuel the fire. Don't even think of selling it here! |
What if my book doesn’t have an ISBN number (such as a Book Club or Proof edition)?
When listing a book for sale, the ISBN (the books number) must be on our database for it to be accepted, but you may find some older books, special editions or books specifically printed for a book club may not be listed or sometimes may not actually have an ISBN number. Please note we do not allow the listing of Proof Copies for sale due to legal reasonsIf your books have a CN number (instead of an ISBN number) on the back, then try listing them in the normal way, using this code number (including the CN followed by the number without spacing ie, enter CN1234).
If the number entered is not recognized, then select our Smart Match facility. Our Smart Match system will then automatically ask you for the title and author of each book and match the details to the normal version already in our database.
If you cannot find an ISBN or CN number on your book, then simply follow the link to "add a book without an ISBN" from the Sell a Book page to use our Smart Match facility.
I’ve listed books for sale, but they don’t appear to be displaying?
Our system is designed to encourage members to recycle their books therefore our system works by listing and selling books in the order in which they were listed for sale. This means for a particular book, the first 20 copies to be listed, will be the first to be displayed for sale and the first sold. This is to ensure when members are browsing books for sale, they're not simply shown 30 or 40 copies of the same book for sale. We hope you agree it is also the fairest system to ensure all books are equally recycled. Occasionally you may see a number of different copies of what appears to be the same book, but in all cases, this will be a result of different versions of the book and therefore different isbn's. We hope you agree this is the fairest system to ensure all books are equally recycled.What happens when I sell a book?
When a book is sold you’ll automatically receive our Sales Confirmation e-mail giving you details of the book sold and where to send it. You then simply dispatch the book to the buyer and update your account details by marking the book as sent. Your account is also credited with our standard £3.00 book payment (plus a postage payment if one was added). You can also check your sales online by logging on to your account and selecting the ‘Delivery Status’ page.I’ve sold a book, but can’t find the book to send?
If you’re unable to dispatch or complete an order, simply e-mail the details of the order to Customer Support making sure you include the order number and title of the book sold so that we can then cancel the order and make alterative arrangements to source the book for the buyer.Who pays for postage and when are Postage Payments available?
The seller pays for postage for all books sent. However when listing heavier books, our system will recognise the book and allow a Postage Payment to be added to help cover the costs of sending heavier books. As most standard sized paperbacks weigh between 200g and 500g, the cost of sending using second class post is between 81p and £1.95, therefore the £3.00 we pay for every book sold is usually more than enough to cover postage costs and still provides a contribution to the original purchase costs.However when adding a hardback or large format paperback for sale, our system automatically recognises the book and enables the seller to select a postage payment, based on the information we have on our database, regarding the books size, weight and recommended retail price. This postage payment is paid in addition to the £3.00 book payment in order to cover the extra postage charges to posting a heavier book. Most postage payments range from 50p to £4.50 depending on the particular book.
As a general rule the book payment (£3.00) and the postage payment combined must not be more than 50% of the books recommended retails price.
Postage Rates
A typical paperback book weighing 350g will cost either £1.11 if it can be sent as a 'Large Letter' (if it's up to 25mm thick) or £1.95 if it’s a 'Packet' (over 25mm thick). While a typical large hardback book weighing up to 1kg will cost £2.84 to send as a 'Packet'.For standard paperbacks - To ensure the best rates are obtained when posting books, we recommend all thinner books (up to 25mm thick) are posted in strong ‘Manilla’ type envelopes and sealed with tape, and not sent using padded envelopes. This will prevent extra thickness being added to the book, and will enable the book to be posted as a ‘Large Letter’ instead of a ‘Packet’ and hence will be cheaper to send.
For hardbacks, large format or graphic paperbacks and audio books - To avoid damage in transit we recommend these editions are placed in padded envelopes such as Jiffy or Bubble bags. If it is a large A4 paperback such as a graphic novel, please also write 'Do Not Bend' on the front cover of the envelope.
| Example of Book | Send as | Weight | Postage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paperbacks (thin) (up to 400 pages) up to 25mm thick |
Large Letter (2nd class) |
101g to 250g | 81p |
| 251g to 500g | £1.11 | ||
| Paperbacks (thick) (over 400 pages) over 25mm thick |
Packet (2nd class) |
101g to 250g | £1.51 |
| 251g to 500g | £1.95 | ||
| Hardbacks & heavy paperbacks over 25mm thick |
Packet (2nd class) |
501g to 750g | £2.36 |
| 751g to 1kg | £2.84 | ||
| A4 Hardbacks Cookbooks, academic books |
Standard Parcels | up to 2kg | £4.41 |
| up to 4kg | £7.06 |
For more information, visit the Royal Mail website.
When the postage payment is not sufficient, or where no postage payment is made, the cost or shortfall should be covered from the £3.00 book payment, as per all standard size paperbacks. If you think one of your books should have received a postage payment but hasn’t or should have received a high payment, then let us know the ISBN of the book you’re adding and we’ll check our records, it may be that the data we hold for your book is incorrect or perhaps the recommended retail price is out of date.What if my book is sent but not received?
We’re pleased to say only a very small number of books are sent but not received, and provided a free Certificate or Proof of Posting was obtained at the time of dispatch, full compensation will be paid to the seller. If we’re notified of a lost or damaged book, then simply complete a P58 form entitled ‘Damaged, delayed or lost UK mail’ from your local Post Office and return completed with your certificate or proof of posting. Upon receipt the Royal Mail will investigate and (usually with 14 days) issue a compensation payment consisting of the approximate value of the item (based on the book’s rrp) plus the original costs of postage.How long will it take to sell my books?
Our system works by listing and selling books in the order in which they were listed for sale. This means for a particular book, the first 50 copies to be listed, will be the first to be displayed for sale and the first sold. We hope you agree it is the fairest system to ensure all books are equally recycled. This also ensures when members are browsing books for sale, they are able to select from a selection of copies, where the condition, price or seller offers may vary, enabling them to pick the most appropriate book for them. As a result, you may find a book sells just a few days after it was listed for sale, if it’s a current bestseller where we only have one or two copies in stock, or you may find it takes a number of weeks, if it’s not so recent and we have a number of other copies already in stock. But either way, we’ll find a buyer.And providing you regularly login to your MyAccount homepage your books will remain listed for sale - there's no automatic housekeeping to remove books providing your account remains active (you must login at least once every 3 months).
How do I cash in on the money I’ve made?
Funds from book sales to 7 days to clear from the day the book is marked as sent. After this time, cleared funds can then either be used to make new purchases (which we hope you’ll do), or you can simply withdrawal funds from your account and cash in on the books you’ve sold. Withdrawals are transferred to your nominated bank account via automated bank transfer (BACS via Barclays Bank) and usually take between 5 and 10 days to reach your account.Managing Your Account
What’s the Members Profile Page?
Each member has a Member Profile Page, where a member can introduce themselves to other members by saying a little about themselves and their interests, list their favourite books and authors, and say what they’re currently reading. From the Members Profile Page you can also view all the member's books listed for sale and their forum posts.The Members Profile Page can be viewed simply by clicking the member's name or image displayed next to a forum post or from the seller's name displayed next to a book listed for sale. The Member’s Profile Page can also be bookmarked in websites such as Facebook or MySpace.
To view your own Member Profile Page, simply logon to your MyAccount homepage and select the ‘View/Update your Member Profile Page’.
To edit or update your Member Profile Page then simply select the ‘Edit Profile’ button. From here you can enter details about yourself, or by clicking on the Tabs below, enter what you’re ‘Currently Reading’, your ‘Favourite Books’, ‘Favourite Authors’ and set your own ‘Profile Picture’.
How do I change my Profile Picture, change my Account Details or get a Password Reminder?
The Profile Picture (avatar) is a fun way to represent yourself and your reading habits on GreenMetropolis. It is displayed next to your books for sale and any forum posts you make.To select or change your Profile Picture, simply logon to your Member Profile Page (from your MyAccount homepage) and select the ‘Edit Profile’ button. Then simply select the ‘Profile Picture’ tab at the bottom of the screen and select a picture from the selection displayed. At present we do not allow members to upload their own Profile Pictures, however this is something we will be adding in the near future.
To change or update your general contact details, such as your Delivery Address, your registered e-mail address, your Password or to enter a Holiday Setting, then just select the relevant option from the My Personal Details list on your MyAccount homepage.
If you’ve forgotten your logon password then simply click the ‘Log in’ button on our homepage and the select the ‘Password Reminder’ option. Then enter your registered e-mail address and our system will automatically send you your password details via e-mail.
How do I check my account balance?
When you become a member, we automatically open an online bank account where all your sales and purchases are made. From this account you can also add or withdraw money from your account at any time.To manage your GreenMetropolis Bank Account simply log on to your ‘MyAccount’ homepage and select from the My GreenMetropolis Bank Account section at the bottom of the screen.
To view your recent transactions on your account select the ‘View your Recent Bank Statement’ option. To transfer money into your GreenMetropolis Bank Account select the ‘Top-Up your Account Balance’ option, while to withdraw funds from your account select the ‘Cash-In or Donate Money’ option.
Please remember, funds on your GreenMetropolis Bank Account from book sales take 7 days to clear from the day the book is marked as sent. Cleared funds on your account can then either be used to make new purchases (which we hope you’ll do), or you can simply withdraw funds from your account and cash in on the books you’ve sold. Withdrawals are transferred to your nominated bank account via automated bank transfer (BACS via Barclays Bank) and usually take between 5 and 10 days to reach your account
How are my Star Ratings calculated?
Buyers can now rate each purchase once a book has been received to reflect the accuracy of a seller’s condition rating, the promptness of dispatch and the level of packaging. This feedback is then used to produce a ‘Seller Rating’ for each seller, which is then displayed next to every book listed for sale, giving more choice to buyers when deciding which book to buy. These ratings are displayed next to the ‘Seller ID’, however we encourage all members to logon to their MyAccount homepage and set their ‘Display Name’ which will then be displayed next to their books listed for sale instead.For all new transactions, buyers will be asked the following questions, to give a possible 5 Star score:
1) Was the book dispatched within seven days?
2) Was the book packaged sufficiently?
3) Was the format and description correct?
4) Were you satisfied with the condition of the book?
5) Would you buy from this seller again?
How do I change the font size on the web page?
If you have trouble reading the print on our web pages, you can easily change the size of the font to fit your needs. Changing font sizes in your web browser is easy, however instructions will vary slightly from browser to browser.If you’re using Internet Explorer (v.5 or above) select from the menu bar at the top the ‘View’ pull down menu. Next select the ‘Text size’ option and then select one from the 5 options ranging from smallest to largest.
If you get really stuck, go to your browser's help menu (usually the button furthest right in any program). From there you should be able to get help on any problem you have.
Forum
What’s the Forum?
Our book Forum is a friendly relaxed corner, where book lovers can talk about their favourite books, authors and much more. Add the personal touch and meet other members, ask for title recommendations, post questions about books and authors, or simply share your green ideas across the community whilst you chat.How do I find my way around the Forum?
The Forum Homepage displays a list of the 4 main Forum categories - General, Fiction, Non-Fiction and Other, each one containing a number of Forums (specific subjects areas, such as Classic Fiction, Biographies or Food & Drink).Each Forum may contain a number of Topics (also known as threads) which may range from a question placed by a member, to a book review which a member wishes to share, or simply the start of a conversation or discussion.
Each Topic may then contain a number of Posts. A Post is simply a reply to a Topic, written by a member. A Topic may contain no Posts if it’s new and no one has yet replied, or several if it’s triggered a discussion by members.
The Forum Homepage displays a list of all the forums, with some basic details including the number of Topics and Posts attached to each, the last Post made and the last member to Post. To view more details, simply click on the Forum or Topic heading or to drill down and view the Topics and Posts.
How do I post on the Forum?
All visitors may view the Forum entries, but only members may post on the Forum, therefore if you’re not a member or logged-in, you must do so first before being allowed to post on the Forum.There are two primary ways to create a post. The first is to create a New Topic in a Forum, the second is to Reply to an existing Topic or Post.
How do I create a new Topic?
First select the Forum you think your Topic should reside in, for example if you wish to ask a question about a Jamie Oliver cookbook, then first select the ‘Food & Drink’ Forum. Then click the New Topic button at the top of the page. This will take you to the ‘New Topic’ form, where you can then enter the Title (such as the title of the book, if your Topic is specific to a book or the issue being discussed in your Topic) and your message (your question or issue etc). If your Topic is related to a specific book, then you can also add a book image and link by adding the ISBN (if you don’t know the ISBN simply select the ‘Search’ button). Once you’ve entered your Topic details, click the Post button to finish. Your new Topic will now be displayed in the Forum for other members to view and reply to.How do I Reply to a Topic or Post?
The other method of posting a message is to Reply to someone‘s Topic or Post. When reading a Topic or Post you may wish to join in by adding your own comments to the discussion.At the very bottom of every Topic (providing you’re logged in) there is a Reply Box, where you can simply add your message and click the Reply button. Your Post will then be added to the list and displayed to everyone viewing the Topic.
When Replying, if your Reply is related to a specific book (and different to the original Topic), then you can also add a book image and link by adding the ISBN (if you don’t know the ISBN simply select the ‘Search’ button).
How do I use the Quote button?
If when Replying, you wish to quote an earlier post, or comment specifically on a previous post, then simply select the Quote button next to the Post. This will create a new Reply box, but will automatically copy the details from the early post, into your Reply box.Why does it ask for an ISBN or books search when I make a post?
If your Post is related to a specific book, then you may wish to add a book image and link to the post. So that readers, can quickly see the book you’re talking about and easily click on the book image to view the book details and any copies listed for sale.To add a book image to your post, simply add the books ISBN to the ‘Book ISBN’ field (if you don’t know the ISBN simply select the ‘Search’ button). Then once the ISBN has been entered and your message simply click the Reply button to make your Post.