Alibris customer service can help with book, music and movie orders, returns, refunds, missing shipments, incorrect items, account access and marketplace seller problems. Because Alibris is a marketplace with thousands of independent sellers, shipping, item condition and fulfillment can vary by seller.
How to Contact Alibris Customer Service
- Customer Service form: Contact Alibris Customer Service
- Automated order information: 510-594-4586
- Help Center: Alibris Help & Customer Service
- Order history and status: Alibris Account and Orders
- Returns policy: Alibris Returns Policy
- Mailing address: Alibris, 2560 9th St., Suite 215, Berkeley, CA 94710-2565
- Official website: Alibris.com
Alibris does not currently publish fixed staffed customer-service hours on its main contact page. The online contact form is the primary route for questions that cannot be answered through the Help Center or account tools.
Best Alibris Support Route by Issue
- Wrong book, movie or music item: Open the order in Order History and begin the return process, identifying how the received item differs from the listing.
- Item condition does not match description: Use Alibris’ return process and keep photographs showing the condition.
- Missing shipment: Check Order History and shipment information, then contact Customer Service if the delivery is substantially overdue.
- Refund delay: Keep the return tracking information and wait for Alibris to receive and process the return before escalating.
- Changed your mind: Start the return process, but be aware that the independent seller may need to approve a return when the seller was not at fault.
- Order cancellation: Alibris generally cannot cancel an order after it has been placed.
- Seller problem: Review the seller’s listing and rating and contact Alibris through the order-specific support process.
- Mailing-list removal: Use Alibris’ official unsubscribe page rather than submitting an order complaint.
Information to Have Before Contacting Alibris
- Alibris order number
- Email address used for the order
- Book, movie or music title
- ISBN or other item information when available
- Seller name
- Order and shipment dates
- Shipping or tracking information
- Photos showing an incorrect item or condition problem
- Return authorization information
- Return tracking number
- Previous Customer Service correspondence
- The requested resolution, such as a refund or replacement review
How Alibris Marketplace Orders Work
Alibris is an online marketplace that connects buyers with thousands of independent sellers of new, used, rare and out-of-print books, music and movies.
This means products in the same Alibris order may come from different sellers and locations.
Items purchased together may:
- Ship in separate packages
- Have different processing times
- Have separate tracking information
- Arrive on different dates
Before reporting part of an order missing, review every shipment associated with the purchase.
Check the Alibris Seller Before Ordering
Alibris provides ratings for marketplace sellers.
The seller rating considers customer feedback and how often the seller successfully fulfills orders. Buyers can select the seller name on an Alibris listing to review available seller information before purchasing.
This can be especially useful when comparing several copies of:
- A used book
- A rare or collectible edition
- An out-of-print title
- A CD or vinyl record
- A DVD or other movie
For collectible or expensive items, read the individual listing carefully rather than assuming every copy shown for the same title is in the same condition or edition.
Alibris Book Condition and Wrong-Item Problems
Alibris guarantees that the condition of an item should match the description shown on its website.
If you receive:
- The wrong title
- A paperback instead of a listed hardcover
- A different edition
- An item in materially different condition
- A damaged item
open the order in your Alibris account and begin the return process.
Before repacking the item:
- Photograph the item received.
- Photograph identifying information such as the cover, edition page or ISBN when relevant.
- Save a copy or screenshot of the original listing if available.
- Keep the original packaging.
- Follow the return authorization instructions provided by Alibris.
A clear comparison between what the listing promised and what actually arrived can make the problem easier to document.
Alibris Return Policy
Alibris provides a Purchase Satisfaction Guarantee for qualifying purchases.
To start a return:
- Sign in to your Alibris account and open Order History.
- Select the order number for the item.
- Choose Return This Item.
- Complete the return form and explain the reason.
- Print the return authorization page and return label.
- Repackage the item securely with the required authorization page.
- Ship the return using the instructions provided.
Alibris states that an item returned more than 60 days after its shipment date is not eligible for a refund.
For merchandise valued at more than $100, Alibris strongly recommends using delivery confirmation or another trackable shipping method.
Changed-Mind Alibris Returns
A return is handled differently when the item matched its listing but the buyer simply changed their mind or ordered it by mistake.
Not every independent Alibris seller accepts these returns.
When selecting a return reason such as Changed My Mind Or Ordered By Mistake, the buyer may be required to contact the seller and obtain approval before Alibris authorizes the return.
For that reason, do not assume every Alibris item has an unconditional return right simply because the product is still within the general return period.
Alibris Refund Timing
Alibris says an approved refund is normally issued to the same payment method originally used for the purchase approximately two to three weeks after the returned item is received.
Keep:
- The return authorization
- Carrier receipt
- Return tracking number
- Alibris refund email
If tracking shows that a return was delivered and more than the normal processing period has passed, contact Customer Service with the order number and return information.
Can You Cancel an Alibris Order?
Alibris currently says orders generally cannot be cancelled once they have been submitted.
When a customer selects the Place Order button, the order notification is sent to the applicable seller. Some items can ship within minutes, while others may take several days to process.
Because the merchandise can be held by Alibris or by an independent marketplace seller, Alibris says locating and stopping an individual order in progress is generally not possible.
Review the title, format, edition, condition, seller and shipping address carefully before submitting the order.
If an unwanted item is eventually delivered, check whether it qualifies for a return.
Alibris Missing and Late Orders
Delivery time depends on where the merchandise is located and which seller is fulfilling the order.
For U.S. shipments, standard delivery from Alibris and independent marketplace sellers can have different delivery estimates. International orders can take substantially longer.
If an order appears overdue:
- Check Order History.
- Review the shipment date.
- Check available tracking information.
- Confirm the shipping address.
- Determine whether another item in the same order is shipping separately.
- Contact Alibris Customer Service if the shipment has not arrived within the expected period.
Alibris advises customers to contact Customer Service if an order has not arrived within 30 days after shipment. The company states that it cannot refund a lost order that is reported more than 90 days after its shipment date.
Do not wait several months to report an unreceived order.
Alibris Shipping and Separate Packages
An Alibris order can contain merchandise from multiple independent sellers.
As a result, one checkout transaction may produce several packages.
For customers in the contiguous United States, current standard delivery estimates differ depending on whether an item is shipped by Alibris or directly by an independent seller.
Shipping prices and expedited-delivery availability also vary by item and seller.
Review the current Alibris Shipping & Delivery information before ordering if a book or other item is needed by a fixed date.
Rare, international or independent-seller merchandise may require more time than an ordinary in-stock domestic book.
How to Contact an Alibris Seller
Buyers can view information about an independent seller through the seller’s Alibris store.
To research a seller before purchasing, select the seller name from the item’s listing.
After ordering, use the order information in your account when the return or support process instructs you to contact the seller.
Do not move an Alibris marketplace transaction outside the platform in response to a request for a separate payment. Keep order, payment and support communication connected to the Alibris transaction whenever possible.
Alibris Mailing List and Newsletter Removal
Customers who no longer want Alibris promotional email can use the company’s official unsubscribe process.
Use the Alibris Newsletter Unsubscribe page and enter the email address that receives the messages.
Unsubscribing from marketing email is different from closing an Alibris account or resolving an order problem.
If unwanted messages continue after an unsubscribe request has had time to process, contact Customer Service.
How to Escalate an Alibris Customer Service Problem
- Start with the Alibris Help Center and the order-specific options in your account.
- If the issue remains unresolved, submit the official Customer Service form.
- Provide the Alibris order number and seller information.
- Explain what was ordered, what arrived and how the item differed when applicable.
- Provide photos for condition or wrong-item disputes.
- For a return, retain the authorization and shipment tracking.
- Reply through the existing customer-service correspondence when following up so the history remains together.
Alibris Reviews and Complaints
CustomerServiceNumbers.com currently displays an Alibris rating of 2.6 out of 5 stars based on 5 reviews.
The visible reviews are older and date from 2014 through 2018.
Three of the five posts describe receiving either the wrong item or an item that did not match the listing and also report difficulty obtaining customer-service assistance.
One October 2014 reviewer reports a positive experience with an independent seller, Silver Arch Books in Auburn, Washington, describing fast delivery, a good price and satisfaction with the book’s quality.
The August 2018 post is a request to be removed from the Alibris mailing list.
Because these reviews are several years old and some concern individual marketplace sellers, they should not be treated as a complete measure of current Alibris customer service or seller performance.
What to Include in an Alibris Review
Helpful reviews can describe:
- Whether the item came from Alibris or an independent seller
- Book, music or movie order accuracy
- Whether the item’s condition matched the listing
- Shipping and delivery timing
- Return authorization experience
- Refund processing
- Customer-service response
- Whether the seller or Alibris resolved the problem
Privacy Warning for Alibris Reviews
Do not publish your full Alibris order number, home address, email address, telephone number, payment information, account password or other sensitive personal information in a public review.
Crop addresses and identifying information from invoices, shipping labels, return forms and screenshots before posting them publicly.
Provide account and order-identifying information privately through Alibris’ official support system.
Related Books and Marketplace Customer Service Pages
- eBay Customer Service
- Amazon Customer Service
- Audible Customer Service
- History Book Club Customer Service
Why Trust CustomerServiceNumbers.com?
CustomerServiceNumbers.com has helped consumers find customer-service information and share service experiences since 2004. We independently organize official contact routes, marketplace policies and public customer feedback so readers can identify the appropriate company or seller to contact about an order problem.
Share Your Alibris Customer Service Experience
Have you contacted Alibris about a wrong book, item-condition problem, missing shipment, return, refund, seller issue, account problem or mailing-list request? Leave a rating and review below. Explain which support route you used, whether an independent seller was involved, how long the response took and whether the issue was resolved.
Comments are moderated. Do not include order numbers, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, payment information or other sensitive personal information.
Customer Service Information Disclaimer
CustomerServiceNumbers.com is an independent consumer-information website and is not affiliated with Alibris, Inc., any independent Alibris seller, Amazon, eBay, Audible or any publisher. Alibris does not provide customer support through this website.
Phone numbers, shipping charges, delivery estimates, return requirements, seller policies and marketplace procedures can change. Contact Alibris directly or review its official Help Center for decisions concerning a specific order or return.
