Terms and Conditions

Effective Date: 20 Sept 2024

Welcome to Mercury Books! These Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) govern your use of our website, services, and products. By accessing or using our website, purchasing products, or engaging with our services, you agree to comply with these Terms.

Please read these Terms carefully before using our website or making a purchase. If you do not agree with these Terms, please do not use our website or services.

1. Definitions

  • “We,” “us,” “our” refers to Mercury Books, an e-commerce company specializing in the sale of books.
  • “Website” refers to both of https://www.mercury-books.com (our online platform where products are listed for sale) and https://www.mercury-ebooks.com (our e-book storage and reader website).
  • “Customer,” “you,” or “your” refers to any person accessing, using, or purchasing products from our website.
  • “Products” refers to the books or any other items available for purchase on our website.

2. Eligibility

To make a purchase from our website, you must:

  • Be at least 18 years old or have the consent of a legal guardian.
  • Provide valid and accurate personal information, including shipping and billing addresses.
  • Use a valid payment method for all transactions.

3. Orders and Acceptance

  • Placing an Order: By placing an order on our website, you are making an offer to purchase the products. We reserve the right to accept or decline any order.
  • Order Confirmation: Once an order is placed, you will receive an email confirming the details of your order. This email is a confirmation of receipt and does not constitute acceptance of your offer.
  • Order Acceptance: The contract between you and Mercury Books is only formed when we send an email confirming the shipment of the products.

4. Pricing and Payment

  • Pricing: All prices listed on our website are in South African Rand (ZAR) and include VAT unless otherwise indicated. Prices may be subject to change without prior notice.
  • Payment Methods: We accept the following payment methods made through third party payment platforms (e.g., Payfast) made available on our site:
    • Credit or debit cards (Visa, MasterCard)
    • Electronic funds transfer (EFT)
  • Payment Terms: Payment must be received in full before an order is processed and dispatched. If there is an issue with your payment, we reserve the right to cancel your order.

5. Shipping and Delivery

  • Shipping Locations: We ship across South Africa and internationally. Shipping fees and delivery times will depend on your location.
  • Shipping Fees: Shipping costs are calculated at checkout and vary based on the destination and weight of the order.
  • Delivery Time: Estimated delivery times are provided at checkout. However, delivery times may be subject to delays due to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control, including customs clearance for international orders.
  • Risk of Loss: All products purchased from our website are shipped via third-party courier services. The risk of loss and title for such products passes to you upon delivery of the products to the courier.

6. Returns and Refunds

See our Refund and Returns Policy page, which is incorporated as part of these Terms and Conditions.

7. Cancellation

  • Customer Cancellations: You may cancel an order before it has been dispatched for a full refund. If the order has already been shipped, the cancellation will be treated as a return, and return shipping fees may apply.
  • Our Right to Cancel: We reserve the right to cancel an order if:
    • The product is no longer available.
    • There is an error in pricing or product information.
    • Fraudulent activity is suspected.

In such cases, we will notify you and issue a full refund.

8. Intellectual Property

  • Ownership: All content on the website, including text, images, logos, graphics, and software, is the property of [Your Company Name] or its content suppliers and is protected by intellectual property laws.
  • License: We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and use the website for personal, non-commercial purposes.
  • Restrictions: You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, modify, or create derivative works from any content on our website without our prior written consent.

9. Limitation of Liability

  • No Warranties: We make no warranties or representations, whether express or implied, regarding the availability, accuracy, or reliability of the products and services provided on our website.
  • Limitation of Liability: To the maximum extent permitted by law, we are not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from the use of our website, services, or products, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.
  • Maximum Liability: Our total liability to you for any claims arising from your use of our website or purchase of products is limited to the total amount paid for the products in question.

10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Mercury Books, its affiliates, and employees from and against any claims, losses, liabilities, damages, and expenses (including legal fees) arising from your use of our website, violation of these Terms, or infringement of any third-party rights.

11. Privacy Policy

Our Privacy Policy governs how we collect, use, and protect your personal information. By using our website or purchasing products, you agree to the terms of our Privacy Policy..

12. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites or services that are not owned or controlled by Mercury Books. We are not responsible for the content, privacy practices, or availability of any third-party websites. Accessing such websites is at your own risk.

13. Changes to Terms and Conditions

We reserve the right to update or modify these Terms at any time without prior notice. The updated Terms will be posted on our website with the effective date at the top of this page. Continued use of our website following the posting of changes constitutes acceptance of those changes.

14. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of South Africa, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any disputes arising from or relating to these Terms will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of South Africa.

15. Our Ebooks

The method of delivery of our e-books can be found here: Our E-Books. You acknowledge and agree to the format and delivery method of our e-books and undertake to agree to the stipulated minimum administrative withholding fee as defined in our Refund and Returns Policy if a refund is sought due to post-purchase dissatisfaction with the format or delivery method of these e-books.

16. Pre-Owned Books

Pre-owned books are those also known as used or second-hand.

Usually, pre-owned books are not offered for collection. We usually only offer them for delivery (either door-to-door or delivery to a PUDO locker as near as possible to you).

The customer agrees to pay special attention to the condition category of the pre-owned book:

  • Good to excellent means that the book may have some superficial wear, such as creased covers, somewhat worn edges, etc.
  • Fair condition books will certainly have signs of use such as creased covers, somewhat worn edges, somewhat bent corners, and so forth.
  • “Well loved” books may have conditions such as very creased covers, torn covers that have been repaired, worn or separating edges, bent corners, and so forth. However, the book is still eminently readable and we would not sell books that are excessively damaged.

By agreeing to these Terms and Conditions, the customer agrees to accept the book “voetstoots”. If the customer wishes to ascertain exact quality or issues, they should email us for photographs of the book before purchasing.

Not all book pictures in the website are the actual book covers, some cover pictures are publisher or other photographs.

17. Contact Information

If you have any questions or concerns regarding these Terms or your order, please contact us at:

Mercury Books
Email: info@silkroutepress.com

By using our website and services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to these Terms and Conditions.