Customer service

General

What or who is Acco?

Acco is a non-profit cooperative organization. Keeping study materials affordable is our goal. You may know us from our shops in Leuven, Antwerp, Ghent, Kortrijk and Heverlee. Did you know that we are also a publishing and printing company and that we also make learning solutions for companies? Basically everything you ever need to learn, you’ll find at Acco.

Why does Acco have a second-hand platform for study materials?

As a cooperative organisation, we know: studying is expensive. We want to keep study materials affordable for everyone. Offering second-hand books is one way to do that. That is how you save money and save the planet at the same time.

Is the price I quote as a seller also the sales price?

Not quite. We add 15% on top of your asking price as a service cost, that we use to maintain the second-hand platform.

Why should I sell second hand through Acco?

We have been thé partner for study materials in higher education for more than 60 years. As a result, we know which textbooks are still relevant to students. Moreover, every year students find their way to Acco and consequently to the book you want to sell! Win-win, right? In addition, it is completely free to sell books via our platform.

 

 

Which books do you accept?

Almost everything! Books from three years ago, half-annotated copies or books from other publishers. All the latest textbooks at higher education institutions that we know of in our database are accepted on our second-hand platform. Is your book not found but do you still think it is relevant to sell? Then let us know!

 

Why should I buy second hand through Acco?

You can search in the drop-down on your degree and selection a list of all second-hand books relevant to your studies. Because we have been a partner for study materials in higher education for over 60 years, we know which books you need! You can also always search by title, ISBN or author, and we will indicate in the label whether the book is on a reading list.

We also offer sellers the option to deliver your order to an Acco store, where you can collect! We are testing this in the shops in Leuven and Ghent, and if successful we will expand to Antwerp, Heverlee and Kortrijk.

Where can I find new (study) books and course materials?

You can still visit shop.acco.be for your books! You can consult and order the list of study materials in a specialized webshop per university/college, via the ‘Course material’ button. Is your university/college not mentioned? Then your teachers will share a specific link with you.

Sellers

What do I have to do to be able to sell?

All you have to do is create a profile (if you already have an Acco profile, you must add your bank account number) and indicate delivery methods. You can then immediately add books to your offer by searching for the ISBN. You enrich your books with additional explanations, photos and choose a price. And then… you wait for buyers!

How can I ensure that my books are being sold?

Clearly indicate the condition of your book and choose a fair price. We give a recommended price based on the new price in our database + the condition. Additional photos of the inside of your book can certainly help convince buyers!

How do I set the price of my book?

Just be fair and don’t charge full price for those half-marked works of art. If you sell a second-hand book with us, you indicate what condition it is in. We give a recommended price based on this. Please be aware that we charge a 15% service fee, so your price is not the final sales price. You can always check whether the book is already for sale and at what price? Asking too much for a book reduces the chances of sale.

How do I determine the condition of my book?

An important factor of a second-hand book is the condition of the book. We use a 3 star system:

• 1 star: The book is in an acceptable condition. You’ve studied hard in it and made notes and highlights – but everything is still legible. The cover and pages are in good condition.
• 2 stars: The book still looks good. There are some notes in there and you highlighted some words. There are hardly any signs of use on the cover and pages.
• 3 stars: The book is (as good as) new. You didn’t write  or mark in it . There are no signs of use on the cover and pages.

 

Which delivery methods can I offer?

You can choose which methods you use to ship to the buyer:

• Home delivery via bpost. The buyers pays €4.50.
• Delivery to a collection point or parcel locker via bpost. The buyer pays €3.50.
• Collection in Acco Leuven or Ghent. That is completely free!

How do I ship an order?

• The buyer opted for shipping with bpost (home delivery or to a collection point): send the package in a suitable (recycled) box. It is important that items are not damaged during shipment, so also use some padding material. Ship the package within 5 working days.
• The buyer opted for collection in an Acco-shop: you can bring the book(s) to us at the information desk/checkout. Show the e-mail you received. The book(s) does not need to be packed. Bring the book(s) to the Acco store within 5 working days.

I did not receive a label from bpost.

Contact us via our contact form with the order number and the buyer’s name. We can check  via bpost which labels have been created.

Why is my ISBN not found?

We use our own database to search – it is very extensive, especially with relevant study material. But that does not mean that we have every ISBN in our database. Do you think our platform is the ideal place to sell your book, but it was not found? Contact us and we will look into it!

When do I receive the money from my sales?

We try to make the payments at least once a month. You will receive an automatic email when your payout has been made!

The payout does not appear in my bank account.

Contact us via our contact form and state the bank account number on which the payment should be made.

I made a sale, but would like to cancel the order.

Contact us via our contact form and state your name and the order number of the order you wish to cancel. We will contact the buyer and arrange the refund.

I am on holiday/sick and cannot send the package within 5 working days.

Contact us via our contact form with the order number and the buyer’s name. We will inform the buyer.

I made a sale with collection in Acco, but the shop is closed (for a longer period of time).

Contact us via our contact form with the order number and the buyer’s name. We will inform the buyer.

I shipped something, but the package does not arrive.

Contact us via our contact form and state the order number. We will contact bpost. If the package is lost at bpost, we will still pay you.

I shipped an item, but the buyer informed me that it is not in the stated condition.

It is your responsibility to describe a fair condition of the book. The buyer can notify us if the condition is not as described and has the option to request a return and refund. Return shippings are at your expense.

I shipped the wrong article.

It is your responsibility to ship the correct article. The buyer can notify us if the incorrect book has been sent, and has the option to request a return and a refund, or new shipment. Returns and additional shipping are at your expense.

Buyers

How do I find books to buy?

You can search in the drop-down on your degree and selection a list of all second-hand books that are relevant to your studies. Because we have been a partner for study materials in higher education for over 60 years, we know which books you need!

You can also always search by ISBN (an ISBN is unique, so you will only find books with exactly the same ISBN) or by title (then you may see multiple editions of the same title), or author, and then we will provide label whether the book is on a reading list.

What does the label ‘Literature list’ mean?

This means that the book is prescribed by a teacher. If you search by title and there are multiple results, the books labeled are the correct/latest versions.

Is the price I pay as a buyer the amount the seller receives?

Not quite. We add 15% on top of the seller’s price as a service cost, that we use to maintain the second-hand platform.

How much are the shipping costs?

The seller chooses which methods he can use to ship. On the article detail page of the book you can see what is possible. In your shopping cart you choose a delivery method for each package. The options are:

• Home delivery via bpost = € 4.50
• Delivery to a collection point or parcel locker via bpost = € 3.50
• Collection in Acco Leuven or Ghent = completely free!

I chose for collection at an Acco store, how does that work?

The seller brings the book to the chosen Acco store. The employees in Acco will let you know by email when the book has arrived. You can then collect it at the information desk/checkout, stating your name and order number. Make sure to mention it is a second-hand book!

I chose for shipping (to a home address or bpost Collection Point), how does that work?

The seller receives a label from bpost by email and must send the book. Bpost will keep you informed via Track and Trace.

I bought an article, but the seller is taking longer than 5 working days to process.

Contact us via our contact form and indicate whether you want to remind the seller or cancel the order. We will contact the buyer for you.

I bought an article, the seller sent it, but the package did not arrive.

Contact us via our contact form and state the order number and the link to bpost Track & Trace. We will contact bpost. If the package got lost, we will refund you.

I received an article, but the condition is much worse than expected.

Contact us via our contact form and state the order number. We will contact the seller for you. It is his responsibility to provide a fair condition of the book (additional shipping/returns are at the seller’s expense). Remember: each book is unique. The margins on second-hand books are small. Sending and returning an order takes effort for the seller (and you).

I received the wrong article.

Contact us via our contact form and state the order number. We will contact the seller for you. It is his responsibility to send the correct book (return shippings are at the seller’s expense). You can choose to request a refund or a new shipment (the new shipment is also at the seller’s expense).

I received an article, but it was damaged during delivery.

Contact us via our contact form and state the order number and the link to bpost Track & Trace. We will contact bpost. Depending on bpost’s response, we will (partially) refund you.

Can I buy these item in one of the shops?

No, these books are not in our stores, we will put you in touch directly with the seller!

I bought an Acco book with a Sofia code, but it is no longer usable. What now?

Sofia is Acco’s online learning platform. Unfortunately, we are currently not able to generate new codes for second-hand books. You may not be able to access the online materials. We are working on a solution for this in the future.

I bought a book with an online code, but it is no longer usable. What now?

Unfortunately, we do not have acces to the online materials from other publishers. You can always contact the publisher – in some cases they also sell separate online codes.

Problems with ordering and payment

How can I place an order?

So, you’ve found the product you want. What next? Easy! Just put the item in the shopping cart. Once your shopping cart has all the items you need, you can complete the order. In the overview we summarize the number of packages your order consists of. For each package you must choose a delivery method (choice from options indicated by the seller).

Enter all your details as correctly as possible and make your payment online. Your online order is then complete and you will receive confirmation from us by email.

I’m experiencing problems when ordering.

If it’s not possible to order via your standard browser, why not try another browser? And if this doesn’t work, please describe the problem via our contact form giving us as much information as possible (a description, the URL where the problem occurred, if possible with a screenshot).

I’m experiencing problems when making my payment.

If you receive an error message during the payment process there may have been a temporary interruption. Often the problem just sorts itself out. We would advise you to try at a later time. If the problem persists you can contact us via our contact form.

Why haven’t I received confirmation?

Confirmation of your order may have ended up in your spam box. Can you find it there? If not, you should contact us via the contact form.

Delivery

When will I receive my order?

The length of time you wait depends on the actions of the sellers. They are given a maximum of 5 working days to ship the order. As soon as you have placed an order, we will send you confirmation by email. The email will contain a summary of your order. For shipments with bpost, bpost will keep you informed about the delivery. For orders with collection in an Acco store, Acco will keep you informed.

The status is stuck on ‘sender preparing item’.

If the status of your order is stuck on ‘sender preparing item’ this can be for several reasons:

• Your package has been sent by the seller, but has not been scanned by the postal sorting office.
• The postal service may have delays sending out deliveries which means it will take longer before they are distributed.
• If your package has the same status for more than 10 days, it is likely it has got lost and you should contact us via the contact form.

I’ve ordered several items, but not yet received everything.

If your order consisted of packages from multiple sellers, that is certainly possible.

I want to have an order delivered outside Belgium.

Unfortunately, that is not possible at the moment. We are exploring the possibilities.

Account

Can I use my Acco share on the second-hand platform?

As an Acco shareholder, you currently have no additional benefits on our second-hand platform. To be continued…

I’ve forgotten my password.

This can always happen! When you log in, click on ‘Forgot your password?’ and we will send you an email so that you can reset your password.

Can I view my purchases?

Yes, you can view your purchase history when you are logged in, under your profile – ‘My orders’.