Frequently Asked Questions

Check most frequently asked questions here, if you still need help then please contact us at info@booksforless.co.nz

About our Books

We upload books weekly for our 'Tuesday Book Drop' at 8pm every Tuesday. These books are a mix of fiction and non-fiction for all ages, but primarily feature adult and young adult books.

We update our children's book range once a month on the first Friday of the month.

In addition, we do monthly 'special drops' which range in theme from Young Adult, Fantasy/Sci-Fi, Romance, to Non-Fiction on the second Friday of each month. 

You can find the newest uploads under 'Shop New' or browse Bargain and Clearance titles here

All of our books are listed with a "grade" so you can easily determine the quality or condition of the book. In addition, each listing has specific notes about the condition of the book you are buying, as well as a photo of the actual book you are buying.

We endeavour to be extra cautious and transparent in this process, as we know difficulties of buying something second hand online. For this reason, you will often find you receive a book in better condition than expected!

A - Near New: A copy that has been read, but remains in excellent condition. Pages are intact and are not marred by notes or highlighting but may contain a neat previous owner name. The spine remains undamaged, but books have been opened and read.

B - Good: A copy that has been read but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact. The spine and cover may show signs of wear such as creases from reading. The copy can include "From the library of" labels or previous owner inscriptions.

C - Well Read: A readable copy. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact (the dust cover may be missing). Pages can include considerable notes - in pen or highlighter - but the notes cannot obscure the text.

We source our books from multiple places, including donations, book fairs, op shops, and through our waste minimisation partners. This ensures we have an ever changing range of books for you to browse and discover. 

As we grow, we are always on the hunt for more books to rehome. If you would like to donate books to us, please get in contact at info@booksforless.co.nz 

We cannot stress how much we appreciate book donations, small or large! Donations allow us to keep our prices low, while also being able raise funds for local charities through our monthly fundraisers. 

We can arrange drop off or collection for local donations (Hamilton/Waikato), and have two options for those further afield.

For a small amount of books (under 10 books) we recommend requesting a reusable SWOP bag with your next order. Once you're order arrives, you can put your donations in the bag and send it straight back to us! We will organise the shipping, so all you have to do is let us know when the books are ready to go. 

For larger doantions, we will arrange courier pick up from your door - all you have to do is box them up and let us know when they are ready! 

Please contact us to chat further. We will endeavour to get back to as soon as possible, but please note that replies are not always instantaneous due to health/disability, so please message us again if you've not heard back in a couple of days. 

If you are looking for something in particular that isn't listed on the site, feel free to email us at info@booksforless.co.nz and we will check to see if we have it among our books waiting to be uploaded.

 

Payments

We accept payment by debit/credit card, PayPal or internet banking. For faster processing of your order when using internet banking, we suggest emailing confirmation of the internet banking payment (a screenshot is perfect!) to us after ordering. 

We also offer digital gift cards! These can be used again and again across multiple orders (like a debit card), so make a perfect gift for a book lover. 

Shipping

We have two flat rates for shipping to make it as easy (and cost effective) as possible.

$7 for up to 5 books
$12 for as many books as you want 

Products other than books (e.g our candles and planters) are counted as one "book" for delivery purposes, unless otherwise stated.

Please note we do not charge extra for rural delivery - we believe books should be equally accessible to all no matter where you live, and that includes not charging an additional fee simply because you live further afield. 

Your order will be processed and packed for shipping within 48 hours (Mon-Fri) and sent via tracked courier.

Most orders will be delivered in 2-3 working days (excluding peak times) but rural and South Island deliveries can take up to 4 days. If you place your order on a weekend day or public holiday, it will be shipped the following working day. 

Yes! All of our orders are shipped in cardboard packaging (often reused/repurposed) and paper tape, or home compostable shipping bags. We strive to be as zero waste as possible, so aside from the compostable shipping bag, the only waste produced in packaging your order is a packing slip and the shipping label - both of which are compostable! 

As we do not use plastic, please ensure you have somewhere weatherproof for your package to be left. For information on how to compost these products, please visit the Better Packaging Co website.

Returns

If you have any issues with your order, please contact us in the first instance at sales@booksforless.co.nz and we will work with you to solve any problems. We do not offer change of mind returns, as we endeavour to be as transparent as possible in the book listing so you know exactly what you are getting.

Our full return policy can be accessed here