Terms of service

1. Terms of Service (Terms & Conditions) 1.1 Who we are Between Us Readers (“we”, “us”, “our”) is a sole trader business operated by Emily Ratzliff, trading as Between Us Readers, based in the United Kingdom. As a sole trader, Emily Ratzliff is personally responsible for the business. • Contact: betweenusreaders@gmail.com • These terms apply to purchases made through our website (betweenusreaders.co.uk) and at markets, fairs, and other in-person events where we trade. 1.2 Our products and services • New books, sourced through wholesale suppliers and sold at recommended retail price. • Curated secondhand books and “blind date” mystery books, sold through our website. Secondhand items are used goods and are described and priced accordingly. • Branded merchandise (bookmarks, stickers, pins, cards and similar items). • In-person trading at markets, fairs, and events, where the same range of new books, secondhand books, and merchandise is sold face-to-face. 1.3 VAT status Between Us Readers is not currently registered for VAT. No VAT is added to any price, and no invoice or receipt will show a VAT charge. If this changes in future — for example if turnover exceeds the UK VAT registration threshold — this policy will be updated accordingly. 1.4 Placing an order • Online orders are placed through betweenusreaders.co.uk. A contract is formed when we send you an order confirmation by email; this does not affect your right to cancel under section 3. • In-person purchases at a market, fair, or event are completed at the point of sale; ownership and risk in the goods passes to you once you have paid and taken the item. • We reserve the right to refuse or cancel an order — for example if an item is out of stock, mispriced, or we suspect fraud — in which case you will be refunded in full. 1.5 Pricing and payment • Prices are shown in pounds sterling (£) and include no VAT (see 1.3). Delivery costs are shown separately at checkout before you complete your purchase. • We reserve the right to correct genuine pricing errors before an order is dispatched. If this happens, we will contact you and give you the option to confirm at the correct price or cancel for a full refund. • Online payments are processed securely through our website’s payment system (Shopify). In-person payments are taken via a mobile card reader or in cash. We do not store your full card details. 1.6 The “blind date with a book” format Some products are sold as a curated surprise, where the exact title is not disclosed before purchase. This does not remove your statutory cancellation rights for online orders — see section 3. 1.7 Liability Nothing in these terms limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud, or for any other liability that cannot be limited or excluded under English law. Subject to the above, our liability for any loss you suffer in connection with a purchase is limited to the price you paid for the relevant item or service. 1.8 Complaints • If something’s gone wrong, please contact us at betweenusreaders@gmail.com and we will do our best to put it right. 1.9 Governing law These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, and any disputes will be dealt with by the courts of England and Wales. 2. Privacy Policy 2.1 Who this covers • Data controller: Emily Ratzliff, trading as Between Us Readers. Contact: betweenusreaders@gmail.com. 2.2 What we collect • Name, email address, delivery and billing address, order history, and payment confirmation details (we do not store full card numbers). • If you sign up to our mailing list or loyalty/trade-in scheme, your marketing preferences and contact details. • At in-person events, we only collect your name or email if you choose to sign up for our mailing list, such as via a QR code or sign-up sheet at our stall. 2.3 How we use it • To fulfil and deliver your order and respond to enquiries. • To operate our loyalty and trade-in stamp scheme. • To send marketing updates by email — only if you’ve opted in, and you can unsubscribe at any time. 2.4 Who we share it with We share data only where needed to run the business: our website platform (Shopify), payment processors, delivery/courier services, and email marketing tools. We do not sell your data to third parties. 2.5 Legal basis for processing • Contract — to fulfil your order. • Consent — for marketing emails. • Legitimate interest — for fraud prevention and basic website analytics. 2.6 How long we keep it • Order and transaction records are kept for 6 years. Marketing data is kept until you unsubscribe or ask us to delete it. 2.7 Your rights Under UK GDPR, you can ask to see, correct, or delete the personal data we hold about you, object to marketing, or ask us to restrict how we use it. Contact us at betweenusreaders@gmail.com to exercise any of these rights. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ico.org.uk) if you’re unhappy with how we’ve handled your data. 2.8 Cookies Our website uses cookies for essential site function and, with your consent, for analytics and marketing. You can manage your preferences through our cookie banner. 3. Cancellation Policy (Purchase Options) 3.1 Online orders — your right to cancel If you buy from betweenusreaders.co.uk as a consumer, you have a legal right to cancel your order for any reason within 14 days of receiving your goods, under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 — sometimes called a “cooling-off period.” This applies even to “blind date” mystery items, since the right to cancel a standard consumer goods purchase is not removed just because the item is a surprise. • To cancel, contact us at betweenusreaders@gmail.com within 14 days, clearly stating you wish to cancel — for example: “I want to cancel my order [order number], placed on [date].” You do not need to give a reason. • You then have 14 days from telling us to send the goods back to us. Unless an item arrives faulty or not as described, you are responsible for the cost of returning it. • We will refund you within 14 days of receiving the returned item (or evidence you’ve sent it back), using the same payment method you used to pay, including standard delivery costs you paid (though not any upgrade to a faster delivery option). 3.2 Orders cancelled before dispatch If you want to cancel an order before it’s been sent out, contact us as soon as possible at betweenusreaders@gmail.com — we will try to stop dispatch and refund you in full where we can. 3.3 In-person purchases at markets, fairs, and events Face-to-face purchases made at a market, fair, or event are not covered by the 14- day online cancellation right in section 3.1, because that right applies specifically to distance and off-premises selling, not to goods bought and taken away in person. Your statutory rights for faulty or misdescribed goods under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (see section 4) still apply in full to in-person purchases. 4. Returns & Refunds Policy 4.1 Faulty or not-as-described items Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, you’re entitled to a refund, repair or replacement if an item is faulty, not as described, or not of satisfactory quality. This applies to purchases made through our website or in person at a market, fair, or event, and is in addition to — not instead of — the 14-day cancellation right described in section 3 for online orders. For secondhand items, “satisfactory quality” takes into account the item’s age, price, and description — a well-loved secondhand paperback isn’t expected to be in new condition, but should match how it was described and be free from undisclosed damage. If a fault is found within 30 days of purchase, you’re entitled to a full refund. Contact us at betweenusreaders@gmail.com with your order details and a description (and photo, if helpful) of the issue. 4.2 How to return an item • Contact betweenusreaders@gmail.com first so we know it’s coming and can advise on the best way to send it back. • Return postage is covered by you unless the item is faulty, not as described, or we’ve made an error, in which case we’ll cover it or refund it. • We recommend using a tracked delivery service, since we can’t be responsible for items lost in transit back to us. 4.3 Refund timing Refunds are processed within 14 days of us receiving the returned item, or of you providing evidence you’ve sent it (such as a tracking number), whichever is sooner. 4.4 What can’t be returned Once a “blind date” mystery book has been opened, it can still be returned under your standard cancellation and faulty-goods rights — we don’t operate a “no returns on opened items” exception for this format, since UK consumer law doesn’t allow removing a consumer’s cancellation right just because packaging has been opened, unless the item falls into a specific legal exemption (for example, sealed goods that are unsuitable for return for health or hygiene reasons once unsealed). None of our current products fall into that category. 5. Delivery Policy • Delivery timing and cost are shown at checkout before you pay. We are legally required to deliver within 30 days of your order unless we’ve agreed a different timescale with you. Risk in the goods — responsibility if something happens to them in transit — stays with us until they reach you.