Acceptable Book Conditions
Books submitted for buyback must meet minimum standards of quality. School volunteers and staff are only validating the quantity of books received; the validation process on-site does not represent an acknowledgement of quality. Upon arriving at the MBS Direct facility, books will be accepted or rejected based upon their condition. Acceptable books should exhibit only normal wear and tear.
Books will be rejected based upon deficiencies in any of the following four areas:
Severely damaged binding or broken spine - A damaged binding or broken spine is evident when a book is held up by its spine, pages will visibly hang loose from the cover. This will create a space between the binding and pages.
Books with broken spines have no resale potential.
Any type of fluid damage - Water, coffee, tea, or any other fluid will ruin the pages of a book. A liquid-damaged book is evident in several ways. Wet pages, once dried become warped and wrinkled, both visibly and to the touch. If pages look or feel warped, there is a good probability that they are damaged. Clusters of pages that stick together are also a sign of liquid damage.
Excessive writing - Excessive writing is subjective and often more difficult to discern. In a used book, limited amounts of highlighting and notes in the margins are permissible. Too many notes in the margin can make a book unacceptable. Markings on the side of the book and cover are taken into consideration as well.
Missing or torn pages or cover - Any amount of missing or torn pages makes a book unacceptable. Looking at the side of a book will help you to quickly determine if pages are missing. Spaces are evidence of missing pages.
Books deemed by MBS Direct to have an unacceptable level of wear and tear as described above will be held for two weeks before being discarded. Upon receiving unacceptable books, MBS Direct will notify the seller via email and inform them of how to arrange for a return shipment, at their expense, should they wish to recover their books.
Any questions regarding acceptable book conditions can be directed to EZDrop@mbsDirect.net.