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Customer Service & FAQs



Ordering Online

Submit your order securely to us via this web site. Visit us again after you have placed your order to easily track your shipment and view order history.


Web Order Pickup

Shop online and pick up your order at any U of T Bookstore location.

  1. Place your order online
  2. Select your pick up location at the time of checkout
  3. When your order is ready, you will receive an email confirmation from us
  4. Pick up your order from your selected pick up location within 14 days

Reminder: Please have your order number and government-issued photo ID ready at time of pick up.

Orders take 3 – 7 business days to process.

Pickup orders will be held for up to 14 days and then flagged as Abandoned.
You will lose ownership of the items at this time. No refunds are available on Abandoned orders.
If you are unable to pick your order within 14 days, you can request that it be shipped for an additional cost. Please contact weborders@uoftbookstore.com for more information.


Shipping Policies

University of Toronto Bookstore is proud to offer you the most competitive shipping rates. All of our shipments are professionally packed to ensure the safety of your items en route.

All shipped orders require a signature upon delivery. The signature requirement cannot be waived.

On average, your order will be shipped in 3 - 7 business days. During August or December, delivery time may take longer.

Taking Care Takes Time. We've implemented special procedures as we work to keep our teams – and you – safe, so shipping of orders may be delayed.

Free Canada - UPS Standard Shipping on Orders Over $150

  • Limited time offer subject to change without notice
  • Cannot be applied to past orders
  • Gift Cards do not contribute towards order eligibility
  • $150 order minimum before taxes

International Shipping

UofT Bookstore does ship internationally. Please read our policy carefully before placing your order.

International Shipping Fees:

Please note that you, the buyer, are responsible for international shipping charges. We cannot provide an estimate of shipping charges because it varies widely depending on destination, package weight and size among other factors.

In order to get your items to you as quickly as possible, we will automatically charge you the rate that we receive from our shipping company. We will only contact you if this charge exceeds $75. Please proceed if you agree to this condition. Please review our Refund/Return Policy.

Charges for Custom Clearance:

You are also responsible for import charges such as VAT, tariff, duty, taxes, handling fees, custom clearance charges, etc. required by your country of for importing consumer goods. We do not collect these import charges beforehand and cannot give you can estimate of the cost because it varies widely around the world. Please do your research so you are ready to get your package cleared through customs and have an idea of what the import costs will be for your location.

When ordering outside of Canada, the recipient is responsible for assuring the product can be legally imported to the destination country.

The recipient is the importer of record and must comply with all laws and regulations of the destination country. They may be subject to import taxes, customs duties and fees, which are imposed once a shipment reaches the recipient's country. Additional charges for customs clearance must be fulfilled by the recipient. The University of Toronto Bookstore has no control over these charges, nor can The University of Toronto Bookstore predict what they may be.

Customs, duties, and taxes are non-refundable: so a shipment that is refused because of unexpected import fees, the cost of the original shipping and any return shipping charges will not be refunded. Customs policies vary widely from country to country; you should contact your local customs office for more information before placing an order. When customs clearance procedures are required, it can cause delays beyond our original delivery estimates.

To avoid a delay in receiving your order from customs, we strongly suggest:

  • Providing a phone number where you can be reached by customs when your product arrives. This phone number will be listed on the commercial invoice so customs can reach you to clear your order.
  • Please do not refuse a shipment or ignore requests from carriers regarding duty and/or tax liability charges. Be aware that most carriers will hold a shipment for 5 days after arrival in your country before they return it to the sender, abandon or dispose of.

We do not refund original shipping charges for goods that are refused for delivery at customs.

If you have any questions regarding your international order, please contact us.

Please note: Our carriers are unable to deliver to PO Boxes. Also, our carriers are experiencing higher than normal volumes so deliveries may be delayed. Please track your order using the tracking information you received by email.


Order Cancellation

Once your order has been placed you will be unable to automatically cancel or modify your order.

You can send us a cancellation request within the same day of your order submission. You can still request a cancellation later, however please note that cancellation at that stage is not guaranteed.

If you no longer want an item you ordered, you can return the order/item to us. Please refer to our return policy. Orders for final sale items including digital course materials cannot be modified nor cancelled.



In-Store & Online Shopping Promotions

All sale items are final sale; including flash sale, clearance & seasonal promotion items.

Coupon Codes & Discounts

Coupon Codes and Discounts are not combinable with any other promotions or discounts and cannot be retroactively applied to purchases / orders. We will choose the better of the discounts that you may have to apply to your purchase.


Ontario First Nations Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) Rebate

Eligible First Nations people, bands and band councils of an Ontario First Nations reserve, may claim a rebate of the 8% Ontario portion of the HST paid on qualifying goods and services purchased at the UofT Bookstore. The rebate can be claimed at time of purchase in-store and online.

To claim in-store, present your federal government-issued Certificate of Indian Status card or Temporary Confirmation of Registration with a piece of government ID at checkout.

To claim online, place your online order and email weborders@uoftbookstore.com with your confirmed order number and photo of your federal government-issued Certificate of Indian Status card or Temporary Confirmation of Registration with a piece of government ID.

More information on the Ontario First Nations Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) rebate can be found at the Government of Ontario website here.


Frequently Asked Questions

Web Order Pickup

Once your pickup order is processed, you will receive an email confirmation from us to pick up your online order. Please remember to bring a government issued photo ID along with your order number when picking up your online order during store hours. You do not need to wait for any confirmation or further instructions.

Processing times are 3–7 business days. Once your order is processed you will receive an email confirmation from us. Processing times can be longer than usual if there is a high volume of orders.

Pickup orders will be held for up to 14 days.

If you are unable to pick your order within 14 days, you can request that it be shipped for an additional cost. If an online order is not picked up within the 14 day window, it will be deemed Abandoned, and will not be valid for refunds nor exchanges. Please contact weborders@uoftbookstore.com for more information.

All pickup orders will be held for up to 14 days and then flagged as abandoned. You will lose ownership of the items at this time. No refunds or exchanges are available on Abandoned orders. If you are unable to pick your order within 14 days, you can request that it be shipped for an additional cost. Please contact weborders@uoftbookstore.com for more information.

Yes, your order can be shipped for an additional charge. Please contact us at weborders@uoftbookstore.com for more information and next steps.

When you book your appointment you will be able to add this information if someone else is picking the order on your behalf. Please make sure that when they visit the bookstore they know your order number and have their own government issued photo ID.

Please keep your order numbers and government issues photo ID ready. Our customer service location is on the second floor in the technology department.

Orders

Processing times are 3-7 business days. Once your order is processed you will receive an email confirmation from us. Currently due to high volumes processing times can be longer than usual.

There can be a couple of reasons for the delay in processing the order. Some of the items might be in a transfer from another location and is delayed due to the current COVID situation. It is also possible that some of the items are running low in stock and are going to be replenished soon. If there is a reason for the delays, we will send you an email with an explanation for the delay with your order as well. As always if you have any doubts or concerns please email us at weborders@uoftbookstore.com

Once you place your order, you should receive a confirmation email that states the details of the items you placed the order for and also give you an order number that starts with ‘WO-‘. If you did not receive this email, chances are the order did not go through.

Some of the items in your order might be unavailable at a certain location, and are being transferred from a different location. You will only be charged for shipping once even if it is being shipped from multiple locations. Processing times might take longer than usual due to the transfer between locations. When an order is delayed due to transfer you will receive an email from us as well explaining which items are delayed and are in transit from another location.

If you have already placed your order, then you will have to contact our web orders team at weborders@uoftbookstore.com and send a request for the cancellation along with your order number. Please note that if your order is already processed for shipping before we receive your request, then we will be unable to consider this order for cancellation. You can always return the order back to us if you do not need it. Please refer to our returns/exchange policy for more information.

When we cancel your order, an email will be sent to you with the details of the items cancelled in your order and an explanation of the reason as well. There can be a number of reasons for the order cancelled. It can be that the items are out of stock, the payment was declined or an address or order information was incorrect and prevented us from processing your order.

Our website shows inventory for a total of 3 locations. Due to orders being fulfilled from different locations, sometimes an inventory update can take longer to reflect the changes on the website. In such situations we will try our best to fulfill the order by asking for a replacement or a substitute.

If you would like to buy an item that is sold at the UofT Bookstore, but is not currently showing on the website, please email us at weborders@uoftbookstore.com and provide us with the product information you would like to buy. Once we verify your request and inventory, we will send you a link to purchase the product. Once we receive your order through that link, we will process it as normal.

Once you place your order, please wait for your order to be processed. After your order is processed, you will receive a confirmation email. The VGC team will review all the details and send separate email with the card to the email id that was used to place the order.

Choosing a shipping method (shipping or pickup) is just a part of the checkout process to complete the order submission for VGC. You will never be charged for shipping irrespective of the shipping method you choose. Once your order is processed you will receive an email from us about the card details.

You will not be able to change order details yourself once submitted through the website. Please contact us at weborders@uoftbookstore.com with the information you want us to change and we will do it for you.

Shipping

We cannot provide an estimate of shipping charges because it varies widely depending on destination, package weight, number of items orders and other factors. Customer is also responsible for import charges such as VAT, tariff, duty, taxes, handling fees, custom clearance charges, etc. required by your country for importing consumer goods.

Please note: In order to get your items to you as quickly as possible, we will automatically charge you the rate that we receive from our shipping company. We will only contact you if this charge exceeds $75.

On average, your order will be shipped in 3 - 7 business days. During August or December, delivery time may take longer. Once the order is shipped from our end, we are unable to guarantee delivery duration for UPS or DHL (For international orders).

Once your order is processed for shipping, you will receive an email with the confirmation that your order is processed. A separate email will be sent to you from pkginfo@ups.com with the tracking number. Please make sure to check spam folder as well.

Please email weborders@uoftbookstore.com with the issue with your order. Also please attach any images of the damaged item and packaging boxes. Once we review your order, we will help you with further instructions on how to exchange or refund your order as per your request.

Returns & Exchanges

Please email weborders@uoftbookstore.com with the words 'Return Request' in the subject line to request approval for returns or exchanges.

Return or Exchange of Shipped Orders:

  • Refunds or exchanges of general merchandise can be made within 30 days of original date of purchase
  • Refunds or exchanges of textbooks & course materials can be made within 14 days of original date of purchase
  • All Black Friday, flash sale and clearance items are final sale

Return or Exchange of Pickup Orders:

  • Refunds or exchanges will not be granted without prior approval for returns
  • Pickup Orders that are not collected with 14 days will be flagged as Abandoned
  • The customer will lose ownership of the items at this time. No refunds are available on Abandoned orders

Once approval for the return/exchange has been granted, please mail the items to us to the following address. Make sure to also include the original receipt.

U of T Bookstore, Koffler Student Services Bldg.
214 College St.
Deliver to Dock off Huron St.
ATTENTION WEB ORDERS
Toronto, ON M5T 3A1

All returns are subject to inspection and must include the original tags, unopened in their original selling condition. Once we receive the returned item or order, we will inspect them and then refund will be processed. Normal refund processing times are 1-2 business days. Depending on your bank refund value may take 3-5 business days to reflect in your account.

Return labels are only provided for specific cases. These need to be approved by us before they are emailed to you. For more information please email weborders@uoftbookstore.com

Gift Cards

Physical gift cards are physical plastic gift cards that are purchased in-store. Virtual gift cards are digital gift cards or eGift cards that are purchased online and emailed to the customer. Both physical and virtual gift cards can be redeemed in-store or online.

Physical gift cards can be purchased and activated in-store. Virtual gift cards can be purchased on our website and are activated after the online order has been processed by our team.

Both physical and virtual gift cards can be redeemed at participating UofT Bookstores in-store or online. When redeeming in-store, please present the physical gift card or email containing the virtual gift card number at checkout. When redeeming online, select "Bookstore Gift Card" as your method of payment and enter the physical or virtual gift card number at checkout.

The purchaser is responsible of providing a valid email address for delivery. The valid email address can be that of the purchaser or a recipient different from the purchaser. The email containing the virtual gift card number will be delivered to the email address provided. Please ensure the email address being provided is correct. The UofT Bookstore cannot be held responsible for purchases delivered to incorrect email addresses.

Orders of virtual gift cards can take 1-2 business days to be processed. Please allow 24 hours for activation after receiving the gift card number. Please advise recipient of the 24-hour allowance if recipient is different from purchaser.

All purchases of physical and virtual gift cards are final sale. We cannot offer a refund or exchange on any UofT Bookstore gift card.

Please keep your gift cards and gift card numbers safe as the UofT Bookstore cannot be held responsible for gift cards and gift card numbers that are lost, stolen or damaged.