Refund and Returns Policy – Mercury Books | Digital business books and other titles

Returns for Individual Customers

Overview of Returns for Individual Customers

Our refund and returns policy lasts 30 days. If 30 days have passed since your purchase, we can’t offer you a refund or exchange.

To be eligible for a return or exchange, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it.

There are certain situations where only partial or no refunds are granted:

Book with obvious signs of use by the customer. If the book would not be re-saleable, we will not be able to refund. If the book may be resaleable on a reduced price basis, this is the amount we would refund pending other possible deductions as noted further below.
Any item that is returned more than 30 days after receipt is not eligible for refund or exchange.
Any item that is purchased for the reader by his or her employer, educational institution, or other institution is not eligible for refund unless we provided the wrong book. An exception is if the institution procured an e-book version for the reader and the reader wishes to upgrade to a hardcopy: in that instance, we will provide a store coupon to the value of the ebook for the purchase of the hardcopy.

Refunds

Acknowledgements of refund initiation: Once your return is received and inspected, we will send you an email to notify you that we have received your returned item. We will also notify you of the approval or rejection of your refund.

Mode of refund: If you are approved, then the customer may choose between store credit (applied using a coupon) or a cash refund (your refund will usually be made through an EFT).

Quantum of refund: If the refund is due to any mistakes or issues with the provision of product by Mercury Books (e.g., wrong book sent, damaged book sent) then a full refund will usually be applied. If the refund is due to factors attributable to the customer (e.g., cancellation of a sale after purchase, customer ordered wrong book) then either 10% of the value of the book or R25 (or the foreign currency equivalent) will be withheld for administrative expenses, whichever is the greater.

Late or missing refunds

If you haven’t received a refund yet, first check your bank account again.

Then contact your credit card company, it may take some time before your refund is officially posted.

Next contact your bank. There is often some processing time before a refund is posted.

If you’ve done all of this and you still have not received your refund yet, please contact us at the help email address listed below.

Exchanges

We only replace items if they are defective or damaged due to our storage or delivery or we provided the wrong item, which must be identified within 24 hours of the time of collection or delivery. If you need to exchange it for the same item, send us an email at the help email identified below, and send any hardcopy items to: 30 Jameson Ave, Melrose, Johannesburg, 2196. E-books can be exchanged on identification of the problem, but the customer will need to balance payments for more expensive e-books.

Shipping returns

If the return is due to any mistakes or issues with the provision of product by Mercury Books (e.g., wrong book sent, damaged book sent) then we will usually arrange for collection and replacement, if applicable.

If the return is due to factors attributable to the customer (e.g., cancellation of a sale after purchase, customer ordered wrong book) then you will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Shipping costs are non-refundable. If you receive a refund, the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund. To return a hardcopy product, you should mail your product to: 30 Jameson Ave, Melrose, Johannesburg, 2196.

Depending on where you live, the time it may take for your exchanged product to reach you may vary.

If you are returning more expensive items, you may consider using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We don’t guarantee that we will receive your returned item.

Returns for Trade Customers

Normal Returns

All provisions applying to individual returns as listed above also apply to trade customers with the exception of cash refunds which we do not provide to trade customers; in addition, clauses listed below also apply to trade customers.

Process for Trade Returns

Trade customers should initiate a return by providing a formal Return Request document which should include the customer’s details as well as the following specific transaction details:

The original Purchase Order number
The original Mercury Books or Silk Route Press invoice number
The precise items being returned by both product name and ISBN

The customer is responsible for returning the items to the address identified above. A delivery note must be signed at the Mercury Books destination. Items marked as deviating from the return document details or that are returned in unacceptable condition will be marked as such on the delivery note.

Mercury Books will communicate the eligible items for return based on the delivery note and may request an amended Return Request document to reflect amendments.

Store credit will be issued for the eligible return items. Mercury Books will not do cash refunds for trade customers.

Returns of Goods Bought on Consignment / Sale or Return

Goods bought on consignment (sale or return / SOR) must have been identified as such explicitly at the time of purchase through a clearly marked purchase order. As noted in our general Terms and Conditions, this may affect pricing of the goods.

Goods bought on consignment (sale or return / SOR) cannot be returned for a refund after 90 calendar days from the date of collection or delivery. After 90 calendar days from the date of collection or delivery, the buyer is presumed to have bought the goods in full as a standard purchase.