FAQ

1. What is an ISBN?

International Standard Book Number. It's basically the ID for a book. An ISBN comes in a 10 or 13 digit format.

Ex. 978-0778312697 or 0778312690

2. Where can I find the ISBN?

The ISBN can be found on the bottom back cover of the book by the barcode. If the ISBN is not there you can also find it inside the book on the page after the title page.

3. Do you buy books with no ISBN?

No we do not. We ony buy books that have an ISBN.

4. Do you buy antique or collectors books?

No we do not. We buy books that have a post-1970 publishers date with an ISBN.

5. Can I sell books to Marathon Books if I live outside of the United States?

Not currently. We only offer free shipping to customers in the United States that sell their books to us.

6. Can I purchase a book if I live outside the United States?

Yes. We do ship Internationally if you a buy books from us.

7. What kind of books do you buy?

We buy a wide selection of books. We buy mostly high school and college textbooks and non-fiction books. We do buy some fiction books, mostly current bestsellers. We buy both hardcover and paperbook books.

8. What kind of books don't you buy?

Great question. Please read our book condition policy to see what kind of books and conditions we do not accept.

9. Why don't you buy all of my books I want to sell?

We buy thousands of different titles. We don't buy every book because not everybook can be resold in the marketplace. We base what books we buy on the supply and demand in the market.

10. How long will it take for you to get my books after I have shipped them to you?

The free shipping label we provide you is Media Mail from the United States Postal Service and shipments can take anywhere from 4 days up to 3 weeks.

11. Where are you located?

We are headquarted in Palatine, Illinois. Palatine is located about 30 miles northwest of Chicago.

12. How do I sell my books to Marathon Books?

You can go either to our homepage or our sell books page and enter the ISBN's from the books you want to sell in the ISBN box. You will then see if we are buying and what we are paying for your books. When you checkout you will print a free shipping label, box up your books and ship them to us. When we receive your books we will inspect them and issue you your payment within 2 business days.

13. How do you pay me for the books I sell to you?

We have two options. We can pay you through PayPal or by mailing you a business check.

14. When do you pay me for the books I sell to you?

When we receive your shipment at our headquarters in Palatine we will inspect your books to make sure they meet our book condition requirements and will then issue you payment within 2 business days. We will pay you through PayPal or by business check.

15. What if the books I sell to you don't meet your condition requirements?

We will do everything we can to work with you to honor the price we quoted you for your books. If your books show obvious condition differences we will contact you to let you know and it may result in a reduction of the quoted price for that book.

16. What kind of shipping options do you have?

We have a wide variety of shipping options including: Media Mail, Priority Mail, Express Mail, International Mail and Local Delivery (for Chicago area customers only)

17. What is Local Delivery?

Local Delivery is a service we offer to a select number of towns in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. We deliver you books to you within 1 business day after you order them. To see what towns/zip codes we offer this service to please check out the qualifying towns and zip codes page.

18. What is your return policy?

We have a 15-day return policy from the date you received your item. For example, if you received a item on August 1st you have until August 16th to return it. You must notify us in writing that you would like to return your item via email at support@marathonbooks.net or through our contact us form. The item must be in the same condition as when you received it. Please enclose your packing slip/order receipt in the package. Will will issue you a refund within 7 business days after receiving your returned item.

19. Are people who live in Chicago or the state of Illinois the only ones allowed to buy, rent or sell textbooks and books on the website? No. Anyone across the United States and Internationally can buy or rent textbooks from us. Anyone in the United States can sell books to us. We do not buy books from people living outside of the United States due to shipping costs.

Marathon Marketplace FAQ's

Marathon Marketplace allows buyers and sellers to come together from all across the United States and world. When you become a seller on Marathon Marketplace your potential buyers include college students, parents of elementary, high school and college students, other booksellers, and everyday people looking for a book or textbook.

1. How much does it cost to list my items on Marathon Marketplace?

Nothing. We charge a 15% commission only when an item of yours sells.

For example, If you sell a book for $20.00 and the buyer selects Media Mail shipping ($3.95 credit) - $20 – 15% Marathon Books commission ($3.00) = $17.00 + $3.95 shipping credit = $20.95 paid to you.

2. Do you offer Fraud Protection?

Yes.

3. Is there a limit to the amount of items I can list?

No. You may list as many items as you would like on the marketplace.

4. How do I add inventory?

When you login to your seller account you can either add inventory one at a time or upload a bulk file. Just remember to have it in csv format.

5. How do I get paid?

Seller payments close on the 15^th and last day of the month. Checks are mailed within 10 business days.

6. What is the Marathon Marketplace Return Policy?

All Marathon Marketplace sellers are required to have a 15-day return policy from the date the item was received by the buyer. For example, if the book was received by a customer on August 1^st , it is eligible for return through August 16th. To be eligible for a refund, you must return your item to your seller in the same condition you received it, and the return must be postmarked within 15 days of shipment.

If you receive an item different than what was described, or that is clearly in worse condition than indicated, you must contact your seller directly to report the defect or damage within 14 days of receiving the shipment. You should be able to reach an amicable agreement with one another. If necessary, you can return your item to the seller for a refund. Please note that items purchased from Marathon Marketplace sellers need to be returned directly to the seller and not to MarathonBooks.net. Shipping and handling charges for returning Marathon Marketplace items are taken on by the buyer.

MarathonBooks.net strives to maintain a marketplace that is fair to both buyers and sellers.

7. What is a chargeback?

A chargeback is when the credit card company withdraws the money for a transaction from a merchant's account and deposited in a consumer's following a dispute. In so many words, you do a chargeback when you feel like you're not getting what you paid for, in terms of the quality or type of good or service. This is a last resort option.

8. Am I held responsible for all chargebacks filed for orders I have fulfilled?

Yes. Sellers are responsible for chargebacks filed for service related reasons, such as material difference in the merchandise and non-receipt. If a chargeback is received, Marathon Books will investigate the claim and provide the credit card issuer the shipping and tracking information that the seller has already provided to us for the particular Marketplace sale (tracking with a signature confirmation is highly recommended). The issuer's decision is final. If you are ruled against, there is no recourse to appeal that decision and all funds for the transaction will be debited from your seller commissions.

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