📚 General FAQs
1. How do I get started as a seller?
Just hit Sign Up, make your profile, and start listing the books from your shelf. It’s totally free until you make a sale.
✨ Top tips:
- Snap some cute, clear photos
- Be honest about the condition (we love a well-loved book!)
- Add your preferred shipping options
Want the full lowdown? Check out our Selling Guide.
2. How do I get paid when I sell?
When your book sells, the buyer pays securely through Shimmy Books. Payments are processed by our trusted partner, Stripe, and released to you once the book has been delivered (or automatically after a set time if the buyer forgets to confirm).
3. Who pays for shipping?
Buyers always cover shipping at checkout. You just decide which options you want to offer - like easy QR-code drop-offs with DPD/Yodel, InPost lockers (usually the cheapest!), or self-organised postage if you’ve got a favourite courier.
📦 Peek at our Shipping Guide for all the details.
4. What are Shimmy’s fees?
It’s free to sign up and list as many books as your TBR pile can handle. When you make a sale, Shimmy takes a 20% fee. That keeps the platform running, safe, and sparkling with new features for our community.
5. Is Shimmy safe?
Yep! Payments are handled by Stripe (aka super secure), and funds are only released after delivery. Both buyers and sellers are protected.
6. Can I use Shimmy outside the UK?
For now, Shimmy is UK-focused. However, you can always ask a seller if they’d be willing to ship to your location. Stay tuned - we might shimmy our way further soon. 😉
7. Do I need to verify my email/account?
Yes, you’ll need to verify your email (and sometimes your identity through Stripe) before listing books and getting paid. It only takes a sec and keeps our community safe.
8. Do I need to pay taxes on my sales?
If you’re just selling your personal books, don’t stress - in the UK, sales like this usually aren’t taxed unless you’re making a profit of over £6,000 on a single item (and let’s be real, we don’t expect that to happen here!).
A few things to note:
- UK law requires us to share seller information with HMRC if you hit certain thresholds. We’ll let you know if that applies to you.
- If you’re a business seller trading for profit, you’ll need to handle your own tax reporting - so follow your accountant’s advice.
9. Will I get my money back if a seller never ships the book?
Of course! If a seller doesn’t ship your book, we’ll refund you in full - including shipping.
10. Is Shimmy responsible for the books bought and sold here?
Shimmy is a peer-to-peer marketplace. That means the actual deal is between the buyer and seller. We just provide the cosy bookish space to make it happen. 💌
We do step in if there are issues (like missing books or rule-breaking), but the responsibility for listings rests with buyers and sellers.
11. Can buyer reviews be changed?
Yep - if you’ve left a review and want to update it, just email us at support@shimmybooks.com and we’ll help.
If you’ve received a review that breaks our Community Guidelines, report it to our team and we’ll take a look.
12. How can I contact Shimmy?
Easy! Pop us an email at support@shimmybooks.com and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
13. How do I delete my Shimmy account?
We’ll be sad to see you go 😢 but if you’d like to delete your account, just email support@shimmybooks.com and our team will sort it for you.
📦 Buying FAQs
1. How long will it take for my book to arrive?
Most sellers ship within 3 days of your order, but many post even sooner. Delivery time then depends on the shipping option picked at checkout.
If your book seems delayed, just drop us a note at support@shimmybooks.com and we’ll help.
2. What do the listing conditions mean?
Every book on Shimmy Books has a condition rating so you know what to expect. These ratings are a guide (one person’s “excellent” might be another’s “good”), so always check the photos carefully and message the seller if you’re unsure.
✨ Shimmy’s Condition Guide ✨
- New – Fresh from the shop. Never read. Perfect condition.
- Excellent – Read once (maybe!) but looks brand new. No spine cracks, no marks.
- Good – A gently read book with light signs of use, but still well cared for.
- Used – Loved and clearly read. May have spine cracks or folded corners, but perfectly readable.
- Very Used – A well-loved book with visible wear (spine cracks, dog-ears, creases). This is the most “worn” condition we allow, but still totally readable.
If your book doesn’t match the condition listed, contact support@shimmybooks.com as soon as possible.
3. What forms of payment can I use?
All payments go through Stripe, one of the most trusted and secure payment providers in the world. Your details stay safe, and you can pay easily with debit or credit card.
4. What if the seller asks me to pay off-platform or add extra costs?
Please keep all payments on Shimmy. If a seller asks you to pay offline or add unexpected costs, it’s against our policy.
Report it straight away to support@shimmybooks.com so we can step in and keep the community safe.
5. How do I contact the seller?
At the bottom of every listing, you’ll see a Contact Seller button. Click it to send a private message - you’ll find the conversation saved in your inbox so you can keep chatting if you need to.
6. Can I return a book if I’m not happy?
Returns are up to the seller. Some may accept them, some may not. Always check with the seller before you buy to see if they’ll allow returns (and who covers postage).
7. What if my book’s condition isn’t as described?
If your order arrives in worse condition than listed, let us know at support@shimmybooks.com. We’ll investigate and help sort it out.
Sellers: please list books honestly as it saves everyone time and hassle.
🛒 Seller FAQs
1. Can I cancel my sale?
No worries if you can’t ship or no longer have the book - you can cancel your sale. Just give your buyer a heads-up first. Shimmy is all about keeping the community kind and friendly. 💌
Tip: Check your listings now and then to make sure everything you’ve listed is still available.
2. Can I sell audiobooks, CDs, or cassettes?
Yes! Shimmy is mainly for physical books, but audiobook CDs and cassettes are welcome too. Just be sure to clearly say what you’re selling and set the shipping cost based on weight.
3. What’s your policy on ARCs?
If you’ve got an ARC (advance reader copy), please wait until after the book’s official release before listing it.
We’ll remove ARCs if requested by authors or publishers, or if flagged. Basically: share the love, but respect the launch date! ✨
4. Can I sell non-book items?
Yes - if it’s bookish, we love it! Bookish mugs, bookmarks, stickers, and totes are all welcome. Just make sure your listing is clear so buyers know exactly what they’re getting.
5. How do I describe the condition of my book?
Honesty is the best policy! Use our guide and snap some clear photos. Buyers love knowing exactly what they’re getting.
Condition Guide
- New – Brand new, never read. Perfect condition.
- Excellent – Read once or twice, but looks almost new. No spine cracks.
- Good – Light signs of reading, well cared for.
- Used – Clearly read, may have spine creases or folded corners, but fully readable.
- Very Used – Well-loved with visible wear, but still perfectly readable.
6. What if I have a heavy book or boxset?
No problem! We recommend weighing it first and adjusting your shipping costs so buyers aren’t surprised.
7. How should I price my book?
Take a peek at similar listings on Shimmy. Factor in:
- Condition
- Shipping costs
- How quickly you want to sell
Remember: a fair price + lower shipping = happy buyers and faster sales! 💖
8. Can I list multiple books together in one listing?
Absolutely! Just include photos of all books and make your description clear. Bundles are a great way to sell series or themed sets.
9. I’m an indie author or run a bookish business - can I sell here?
Yes, please! Just include your business details, keep your tax/accounting in order, and follow standard selling laws (like letting buyers return items within 14 days if you’re selling as a business).
10. Do I need special packaging to sell my books?
Not really - just keep it safe! Padded envelopes, cardboard wraps, or recycled boxes all work. And eco-friendly packaging always gets bonus points with buyers 🌿
11. How quickly should I ship my book?
We suggest shipping within 48 hour of a sale. If life gets in the way, just message your buyer - clear communication goes a long way.
12. How do payouts work?
Once the buyer confirms receipt, you will be paid. If the buyer forgets to confirm receipt, your payment will be automatically released after 14 days. Easy and secure! 💸