We hope that this page is able to answer any questions you may have about LoveReading and our service. If you are unable to find the answer you are looking for, please feel free to email us on books@lovereading.co.uk or call us on +44(0)203 004 7204.
What is LoveReading?
LoveReading is an online bookstore that gives 25% of the money you spend to provide books to the schools of your choice. We get more books in schools.
Launched by the UK’s leading book recommendation brand: reading, reviewing, shouting about and selling books right across the genres and the age ranges, we exist because books change lives.
Our mission is to get more books in schools and share book love by offering the content, tools, advice and information to help people find their first or their next favourite book.
Every time you buy a book from us, 25% of the cover price is donated to a school to help them buy more books for their libraries, encouraging reading for pleasure and delivering better outcomes for our nation’s children.
Contact Us
For any enquiries you have, you will get the best experience when you contact us by email at bookstore@lovereading.co.uk
Email is best for you as a customer as there is no hanging on the phone line, costing you money and we typically get back to you within the same day, if not within a few hours.
Using the website
Can you still download an extract to see if your child likes the book before buying?
Don't worry! The extracts are still there, but you access them in a different way, by clicking the Look Inside link just below the book jacket.
How does a school register for the 25% support?
Most schools in the UK have been emailed an invite to join the community and become a member school.
If you didn’t receive and act upon this invite, you are welcome to mail schools@lovereading.co.uk to become a member of our school community. Once verified, we will add you to the database (if you’re not there already) and customers will be able to start allocating money to you, to spend on books. At checkout, customers select a school to allocate their funds to. You will see straight away, the amount your purchase is donating.
Even if you are not a member, customers can still allocate money to you, by either finding you in our database and selecting you or by manually adding you to the site if they are unable to find you. You will then receive an email informing you, you have been allocated funds.
If the customer does not want to select a specific school, their contribution will go into the pot designated for schools, and will be split amongst our school members, prioritising a percentage for schools in particular need, supporting schools and pupils in deprived areas.
Why does LoveReading work with schools?
The Context
- School funding is in crisis.
- Balancing a budget is the school governing issue of our time.
- In 2019 the government gave a cash boost of £7.1 billion covering the period up to 2022-23. This was not even sufficient to restore per-pupil funding to 2010 levels in real terms.
- One in 4 schools are unable to balance their budget.
- Less than half (44%) of schools say that their school finances are sufficient to deliver their strategic priorities for pupils.
- 60% of classrooms have no access to a budget for new books.
The Power of Reading
- There is a deepening recognition of the fundamental importance of improving reading standards on a child’s future academic achievement, wellbeing and success in life.
- Reading is the key to unlocking the rest of the academic curriculum.
- Pupils who struggle to read struggle in all subjects
- Fluency of reading is also a key indicator for future success in further education, higher education and employment.
- Being a highly engaged reader has the potential to allow a child to overcome their background.
- Building a love of stories and reading is critical to success.
- Pupils who fail to learn to read early on start to dislike reading.
- Reading Matters. Reading Makes An Impact. Reading and Books Change Lives.
How does LoveReading work with schools?
Every time a customer buys a book from us, 25% of the cover price is donated to a school to help them buy more books for their libraries, encouraging reading for pleasure and delivering better outcomes for our nation’s children.
LoveReading supports schools in three ways:
- If a school is allocated funds by one of our customers, the school is invited to become a member…and then benefit from those funds and all future funds to spend on LoveReading as part of our community.
- Schools that sign up as members of our community will earn 25% of any orders delivered and allocated to them. This money can then be spent as credits on LoveReading. All orders are fulfilled through Gardners and LoveReading handles the inventory, fulfilment, shipping, customer service and returns.
- If a LoveReading customer does not dedicate their commission to a particular school, 10% of the sale will go into the pot designated for schools, and will be split amongst our school members, prioritising a percentage for schools in particular need, supporting schools and pupils in deprived areas.
The Business Model
Here is what happens if you buy a book for £10 on LoveReading or LoveReading4Kids.
How do I support a school?
You can search for any UK school by postcode on our website by clicking on the Support our Schools section.
You might also arrive at LoveReading through a school’s dedicated page, which pre-selects your school to receive your funds.
If you have not, at the time of making your purchase selected a school, you will have the chance to do so before you checkout. If you do not want to select a specific school, your contribution will go into the pot designated for schools, and will be split amongst our school members, prioritising a percentage for schools in particular need, supporting schools and pupils in deprived areas.
My Account
How can I change my details?
Your personal details can easily be changed by logging into your profile. To register and become a member of our community please use the link at the top of our website. Once registered and logged in you can change your name, contact details, password, newsletter preferences, add books to your wish list and also rate the books you have read and share them with others.
What do I do if I've forgotten my password?
If you have forgotten your password, click here to visit our forgotten password page. Enter your email address into the field provided and a link will be emailed to enable you to create a new password.
How do I update my credit card information?
Once an order has been placed, we are unable to update the card details on your order. Also, for your security, we do not hold any card details on our servers. The details required for your order are held by Stripe or Paypal depending on how you have paid for your books.
My Order
Where do LoveReading’s books come from?
Our UK distributor Gardners fulfils all orders. We do not source books from bookstores or act as a seller marketplace.
Do you sell audiobooks and eBooks?
You can order audiobooks via our partnership with Audiobooks.co.uk whereby you can download or stream audiobooks on your smartphone or tablet with their free apps for iOS and Android. You can choose from more than 300,000 titles, including best-sellers, new releases, classics, and more. Also Free with every account, you gain access to 1.2 million podcasts and over 8,500 free audiobooks. Listen to your first 3 audiobooks on us and if you like the service, enjoy 2 new books every month.
We do not currently sell eBooks, but plan to do so in the very near future.
Do you offer a gifting service?
LoveReading enables you to add an optional gift message for free to any purchase.
Or you can add a gift envelope to your order for £2. By selecting this option, your items will be placed inside the gift envelope before being delivered. If your order contains an item that is too large to fit inside a gift envelope, we will individually gift wrap it at no extra cost.
All deliveries are sent without pricing information, and invoices are only included with your email confirmation. We also track all orders, so you’ll be notified when your gift has been delivered.
Can I cancel my order?
Once your order has been placed, it is processed very quickly, so it is not possible to cancel your order. However, you are able to cancel items that are out of stock, or pre-ordered titles before they are dispatched. We are however unable to amend the quantity or delivery address of your order.
If you are at all dissatisfied with your books, or change your mind, then you can return them to us. Please see the Returns section for more information on how to do this.
Can I track my order?
The easiest way to check your order status is through our website. If you’ve created an account with us, just click on the My Account link on the menu at the top right of the screen and then scroll down to where it says My Orders. The individual order links will then show the current status of your order, and will include tracking details once your items have been despatched.
If you don't have a LoveReading account as you checked out as a Guest, or don't currently have access to it, the same information is available through the confirmation email you received from us upon making your purchase. This email will contain details of your order and a link to check its status.
Delivery
How long will my order take?
Many of our items are in stock and ready to dispatch from our partner's warehouse. These items are labelled as Available. We offer next day delivery (Royal Mail 1st Class Tracked) and delivery within 2-3 days (Royal Mail 2nd Class Tracked) shipped to the UK.
2nd Class tracked service if you order by 3pm for delivery within 2-3 days, Monday - Friday.
1st Class tracked service if you order by 3pm for next day delivery, 7 days per week.
Other items will clearly display an estimated lead time:
3-5 days: these items are temporarily out of stock at our partner's warehouse, but we're expecting more to arrive shortly
2 weeks: these titles are not usually held in stock, and some of them are printed once an order is placed. These items typically take two weeks to deliver.
3 weeks: these items are out of stock at our partner's warehouse and with the publisher. On average, they take up to three weeks to re-stock.
Pre-orders: these items are not yet published and will dispatch a day or so before the future publish date.
Delivery Time Unknown: these items are currently unavailable pending a reprint. The expected delivery can vary widely from days to months, so we choose not to show an estimate.
Delivery information relevant for each item is displayed on each book page, as well as in the basket and at checkout.
If you choose items with different lead times, you will receive each item as soon as they become available across multiple deliveries at no extra cost.
Christmas Office Opening Hours
Friday 22nd December 2023, closes 12pm
Orders placed on this date will be dispatched as normal but will arrive after Christmas.
Office Closed Saturday 23rd - Tuesday 26th December 2023
Orders placed on these dates will be dispatched on Wednesday 27th December 2023.
Wednesday 27th December – Friday 29th December 2023
Customer Care open 9.00-12.00 for retail order queries only contact us via the Contact Us form on the website. Orders placed on these dates will be dispatched as normal.
Office Closed Saturday 30th December 2023 - Monday 1st January 2024 Orders placed on these dates will be dispatched on Tuesday 2nd January 2024
Tuesday 2nd January 2024 Open for business as usual
If this isn't what you're looking for, check out our FAQs page for more information about our website and the service we offer.
We try very hard to provide accurate stock and delivery information. However, if you find you are waiting longer than you expected, you should contact us for an update, an alternative solution or a refund.
Why was my order cancelled?
Before we cancel an order we will make every effort to contact you to advise which items from your order will be cancelled. Sometimes we are informed by a supplier that an item is no longer available and they have automatically cancelled the order. This could be due to a product going out of print or becoming discontinued.
Is there a minimum order value?
No, there is no minimum order value where P&P is charged.
Do you deliver overseas?
At present we ship to the UK (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). That excludes the British Overseas Territories and BFPO (British Forces Post Office) addresses.
At this time, we are unable to dispatch outside of the UK. We hope to offer our service to non-UK addresses in the near future.
Can I change the delivery address on my order?
Not currently. Your order will be dispatched to the delivery address entered when you placed your order. If you would like to change the delivery address you will have to cancel your order and place a new order with us.
Which address will my order be delivered to?
Your order will be dispatched to the delivery address entered when you placed your order and confirmed in your order confirmation email.
What do I do if my order has not arrived in the specified timescale?
If your order has been sent, then we ask that you first view your tracking information (a link will be available in your order confirmation) to determine if your shipment has been lost, stalled indefinitely, returned or delayed. If it seems that your item is no longer on its way or has been lost or stolen, please contact us on books@lovereading.co.uk and we will do everything we can to rectify the situation.
What do I do if my order is incorrect or damaged?
Please contact us immediately at books@lovereading.co.uk so that we can rectify this for you. Please be aware that damaged items must be reported within 5 days of receiving your delivery, while missing items must be reported within 5 days of the date that it was marked as delivered on the corresponding tracking page.
I have not received all of my items, why?
If your order consists of both available and out of stock items, you may receive multiple shipments at no extra cost to yourself.
If you are missing items, please refer to your tracking numbers to determine whether they are still en route. If there isn’t a tracking number displayed next to your missing item, it is likely that it is out of stock and will be shipped as soon as it is available.
Payment and pricing
How much does postage cost?
We currently offer two delivery options with Royal Mail:
2nd Class tracked service which is £2.99 if you order by 3pm for delivery within 2-3 days, Monday - Friday. If your order is more than £40, shipping is free.
1st Class tracked service which is £3.99 if you order by 3pm for next day delivery, Monday to Friday.
The above delivery options are available on all orders shipped to the UK. However, the delivery times only apply to titles that are marked as Available on our site.
If you have placed an order for an item that is out of stock or not yet published, your chosen delivery speed will only apply once your item becomes available.
Are prices inclusive of VAT?
Items that are subject to VAT have the 20% rate reflected in their RRP. Please note, books are not subject to VAT, however for items where partial or full 20% needs to be applied the VAT is included in the selling prices reflected on our website. Full VAT items include DVDs, Music CDs, games and other non-book products.
Do you offer bulk discounts?
As our business model dictates that we donate 25% of the price to schools and the prices on our website already offer a 10% discount on RRP to customers, we are unable to offer further discounts at this time.
What is 3D secure?
We want to protect you when you shop with us and this is an additional check when you enter your credit card details to help protect you against fraudulent use of your card. There are two schemes; Visa's is called 'Verified by Visa' and MasterCard's is 'MasterCard SecureCode'. These are both collectively referred to as 3D Secure.
3D Secure authentication requires the cardholder to register their card to take advantage of this service. This is a one time process which takes place through the card issuer's website and involves the cardholder answering several security questions to which only the card issuer and cardholder will know the answer. The cardholder selects a password and agrees on a secret phrase, which will be used by the card issuer during each online transaction.
3D Secure can be thought of as an online version of 'chip and pin' technology. Instead of entering a pin number you will be asked to confirm the password registered to that specific credit card.
Can I get a VAT invoice for my order?
Physical books are exempt from VAT, so we do not charge VAT. Your order confirmation email should have all the invoice information you require. If you still require an invoice with further details, please email us on bookstore@lovereading.co.uk
National Book Tokens and Bookily
We accept National Book Tokens gift cards and Bookily cards, both physical and digital, on our websites. We cannot accept paper National Book Token online, these are still redeemable in shops though.
How can I check the balance of my National Book Token?
You can check the balance of your National Book Token Gift Card or eGift in two ways:
Visit https://nbtbooksellers.co.uk/EGC/BalanceEnquiry.aspx
Add the National Book Token at our checkout, to see the current balance.
What do I do if I have a problem with my National Book Token?
If you are experiencing a problem with your National Book Token, you will need to contact National Book Tokens for assistance.
You can check your card balance and status at
https://nbtbooksellers.co.uk/EGC/BalanceEnquiry.aspx
You can check if your National Book Token has expired, here: https://nbtbooksellers.co.uk/nbtservices/expiredcard.aspx
For all other problems, please visit: www.nationalbooktokens.com/contact or contact their Consumer Helpline: 0845 6041698
National Book Token Gift Card Terms & Conditions
Please visit: www.nationalbooktokens.com/giftcardtandcs
Returns
LoveReading offers a 30-day returns policy.
If you have received damaged, defective, or incorrectly shipped merchandise, you may return it within 30 days of the delivery date for a full refund of the cost of the items returned, including initial shipping costs. You must inform us of any damage or defects to process your return in the appropriate manner.
If you have simply changed your mind, return your order within 30 days of the delivery date for a full refund minus the initial shipping costs. Return postage is to be covered by the sender.
All returns should be made using Royal Mail as we are unable to accept deliveries using alternative courier services. We recommend using a registered mail service that includes insurance for your returns, as we can only give you a refund or exchange if we receive the items.
Please note that as our returns address is assigned to a PO Box, the postcode may not show as an existing address on some online address finders. Should this cause problems whilst organising your return, please take your parcel to your local post office and they will be able to process this for you.
If an item is not returned in its original unused state, we may not be able to issue a full refund. Please be aware that we are not able to redeliver returned items that are not eligible for a refund.
Please also ensure that you include details of your name, address and order number so that we can ensure that your return is processed as quickly as possible. Please be aware that if we receive an item that is ineligible for a refund or exchange, we are unable to repost it to you.
Please return the item(s) in their original condition (ideally in the original packaging) to the address listed below. Remember to ask the Post Office for a "proof of postage" receipt for your records.
Books
I am an author/publisher - how do I get my books on your website?
The titles listed on LoveReading are delivered by a feed from Nielsen BookData. They provide a range of services to the book industry, aiding the discovery and purchase, distribution and sales measurement of books.
However you may not be able to purchase every item found on LoveReading. The books available for sale are reliant upon the stock catalogue of our suppliers, so may not cover everything available in the UK. However, if you would like to have your title/s listed, please contact us on books@lovereading.co.uk and we will forward your enquiry for consideration.
If you have any issues with how your product is listed on the website please contact us on books@lovereading.co.uk with full details of the issue and we will forward to the relevant department to resolve.
How can I provide feedback?
We'd love to hear from you and get your views on our site and service. To provide feedback on our website please email us on books@lovereading.co.uk