How to order

How long does it take to get a book? 
Most books that customers order come in 1-2 working days (usually in fact the following day). There are relatively few books we can't get inside a week. That will be because the book is in fact reprinting or out of print, or just because the publisher is incompetent ("Jim takes our parcels to the post office every other Thursday but only if there is a J in the month").

Increasingly, older books are available 'print on demand', in which case a copy may be printed especially for you: this is not particularly expensive (we can tell you the price) but it can sometimes entail a delay of 1-3 weeks.

Can you tell me how long a particular book will take? 
We can tell you if it will come in 1-2 days, or whether it will take longer. If it's longer we can't necessarily give you an exact date, but we can make an informed guess...

How do I order to collect from the shop?
Phone or email us and we'll tell you when the book is in. You pay when you pick it up. (If you are a new customer placing a large order, we may ask for payment with your first order.)

What about discounts? 
Most books collected from the shop attract a discount of 10% off the RRP ('cover price'). If you see a better offer in a newspaper or magazine, tell us: we can usually match it. (Remember to include postage charges when you make the comparison!)

Books from abroad
We can get many US-published books direct from the USA in roughly 3 weeks. We can also supply a number of books in French, German, Spanish and Italian, especially books required for courses as well as popular or classic fiction. These typically take 1-3 weeks to come.

Can you get e-books?
Yes, there is more information about ebooks here. As you will see, we can supply ebooks and the readers.


Mail order 
Our mail order service particularly appeals to people who prefer to talk to another person rather than interact with a distant computer, and/or to anyone who will not entrust their credit card details to the internet.

You can order by email or by phone (01608 819117). If you order by email, please give your home address (where your card is registered to) and a phone number where we can call you back to take your credit card details. (Note: we do not take Maestro or AmEx, so you can only use Visa or Mastercard.) You are advised only to give your card details over the phone and NOT to include them in an email: that's why we need to call you back if you email us.

We usually despatch a book to you the day we receive it, and we use 2nd class post or Parcel Force. Large parcels are sent by DHL, are sent from here the day after we receive them, and are usually delivered the following working day: DHL parcels must be addressed to a business address/workplace and have to be signed for.

There is a flat surcharge of £2 for 1st class post.

If you order more than one book, we will wait until all the books have arrived before sending them.

Discounts for mail order 
If the total cover prices of the books you order come to less than £20, there is no discount but we will send them post free. If the books come to £20 or more, we will give you a discount of 10% off the cover price as well as free postage.

Overseas orders
Books sent abroad attract 10% discount and air mail postage will be charged at cost.


Out of print books
We do not supply secondhand books, so please do not order books you know to be out of print. If a book is out of print, it is unavailable except secondhand. If a book shows as reprinting, it may become available in the near future, and we can put a copy on order for you in case it does.

Publishers hide their intentions or indecision behind a variety of terms. 'Reprinting' may be used to try and encourage orders, but the book will in fact only reprint should orders reach a certain total. 'Temporarily out of stock' may mean copies are in mid-Atlantic, or mislaid in a warehouse down the road, or it may just mean the publisher has none left and hasn't yet decided what to do. Sometimes we can find someone to give us more accurate informtion: sometimes we can't.

The most popular website for ordering secondhand books is here. If you want to value a book, you can use it to see what dealers worldwide are selling it for, and draw your own comclusions.

We do not buy secondhand books either, nor can we advise on their value. Locally, there are secondhand booksellers in Witney, Chipping Norton, Stow on the Wold and elsewhere. Check here for your nearest dealer.