Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is consignment?
Consignment is easy - bring in books you want to sell, and we'll sell them for you. You set the price - and get 80% of the price you set for your books when they sell. All you have to do is pick up your cheque after the sale.

Who can consign at Haven Books?
Anyone can: students, faculty, or the public.

What kinds of books can I consign?
We specialize in current academic textbooks, so older textbooks and other types of books are much less likely to sell. We may accept some novels or reference books if you are willing to sell them at bargain prices, but keep in mind that we may have to limit these due to space considerations.

Why should I sell my textbooks?
Many students save their textbooks thinking they will use them later, while the truth is few ever open them again. This costs students lots of money - few things depreciate faster than textbooks! Convert your textbooks to usable cash while they still have value, and if you ever need a textbook later, you can buy the latest version for a reasonable price at Haven Books - maybe even less than what you sold yours for.

Can I consign my Course Packs or Lab Manuals?
Sorry, since they change every year they are unlikely to sell and we generally cannot accept them.

Can I consign Study Guides?
Yes! Study guides are especially useful to prospective buyers when the textbooks they accompany are also available. You can choose to bundle study guides with textbooks for a combined sale only, or sell them individually.

How much should I ask for my books?
Almost anything you wish. Remember that the lower you set the price, the more likely your book is to sell, and quickly. But the higher you set the price, the more money you make. The price you choose should depend on the condition of the book and the likelihood of it being used in a future class. As a guide, most used books should be between 25% and 75% of the original (new) book price.

How do I consign a book?
Just bring your books to the store, and say you want to consign them. If it's your first time we will take down some details like your name, student number (or drivers licence number if you're not a student) and your email address or some other way to contact you. Then we add your books to the system, after you have chosen a price. Each book gets a unique Barcode Number. You then sign a Consignment Agreement for the books, which states you agree to abide by the terms of the Haven Books Consignment Terms. That's it!

Will my personal information appear on or in the books?
No; we only list the price and barcode numbers on each book, they are only tied to your information in our secure database so we can pay you.

Will you protect any personal information I give?
Haven Books will guard any personal information you give and will never release any such information without express permission or a court order. We will never sell your information to any third party, and we collect only as much information as necessary to contact you upon sale of your books and issue payment. Your privacy is paramount, and ensuring its integrity is central to our business. See our Privacy Policy for more information. We take security seriously, and visitors to this site must respect the User Terms to prevent abuse of the personal information of others.

How will I know when my books sell?
When your books sell, we'll send you an email to the address you specified when you consigned your books, so check that account once in a while. If you can't access that email account anymore, stop by the store with photo identification and change your email address with us.

I don't have an email address!
We may be able to notify you some other way. When you consign your books we will try to arrange notification that is convenient for you.

How do I get my money?
We pay out by cheque, so you never have to wait more than 2 days for your money. Cheques are made out to the name given on the Consignment Agreement and can be picked up at the store. You need your student card (or other photo ID) to get them.

What if I want to consign something but I am moving away?
If you're out of town we can mail your cheque. You can reply to the automatic e-mail you get with an address and we'll mail a cheque for your sold books that you haven't picked up funds for yet. If you are an international student, an exchange student or traveller and are out of the country, we can often send you a cheque or international money order in local currency for your convenience.

How long will you hold my cheque?
One year, then the cheques expire and funds become property of Haven Books. Please don't let this happen! We are interested in you profiting from your relationship with us, and becoming a return customer. After all, they are your books and you paid enough for them new.

What happens if my items don't sell?
Books are usually offered for sale for 12 months, at which point an email is sent asking you to pick up your books. Books generally cannot be re-consigned after they have been in the store for a year without selling, and they are unlikely to ever sell if they haven't sold in this time. If you leave items in the store for over 14 months, they become the property of Haven Books. We don't want this to happen! Please pick up your books after the 12-month Expiry Date.

Professors - save your students some money
The cost of new textbooks for each class is very high for students today. Many just can't afford to get books for every class, and may suffer academically for it. Please take a minute to visit our Profs Page for ways to save your students money on textbooks, or even order your class books at discounted rates.

Do you sell new textbooks?
We have a limited selection of new textbooks in stock, all priced at least 5% below suggested retail! If you're lucky enough to have a conscientious prof who has ordered through us, we'll certainly have your book at a great price. But even if your prof hasn't heard about us yet, we may have new books for your class in stock - check out our Search Page for the latest inventory or call us for expected delivery.

Is the store accessible to students with disabilities?
Unfortunately there is no ramp access for people in wheelchairs yet. But in the meantime your support is important to us, and we will try to accommodate your needs as much as possible. Browse our online inventory for the books you need, and contact us by telephone on (613) 730-9888 or via email atinfo@havenbooks.ca with the book barcodes you are interested in. If you live on or near campus we can deliver the books to you when convenient, at no cost and under no obligation to buy.

How can I pay for books I want to buy?
We accept cash and debit cards (sorry, no cheques), as well as MasterCard and Visa. You can also use the money you made from selling your books towards purchases for later semesters.

I bought the wrong book! Can I return it?
Due to the nature of consignment sales, we regret that we cannot give refunds, exchanges or returns on consigned (used) books, but you can certainly re-consign the book. You may return new books for a full refund if in original (saleable) condition with receipt within 3 days of purchase. New books purchased in January may be returned until February 1 of the same year; new books purchased in September may be returned until October 1 of the same year.

What's the Consignor Appreciation Card?
We appreciate you selling your current textbooks at Haven Books. The Consignor Appreciation Card is a card we give you as a small token of our appreciation for consigning your books. Each time you consign a current textbook, you get a stamp on your Card; get 5 stamps and you get $5 off your next purchase at our store. For more details click here.

Where is your store and how can I get there?
We have moved to a new location (we ran out of space!) Haven Books is now only a 5 minute walk east from campus, on Sunnyside at Seneca - that's only 1 block from campus. By bus, take the 7-St Laurent for 1 minute and get off at Sunnyside & Seneca.

More questions?
Please contact us on (613) 730-9888 or via email at info@havenbooks.ca if you have any questions that are not answered on this site. We'd be happy to help you any way we can.