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Terms of Service

The Bookshelf, LLC
Last Updated: November 29, 2025 (EU Compliance Amendment: June 24, 2026)

By signing up for an Account on The Bookshelf (as defined in Section 1) or by using any Services (as defined below), you are agreeing to be bound by the following terms and conditions (the “Terms of Service”), including the Privacy Policy.

As used in these Terms of Service, “we”, “us”, “our”, “Bookshelf” and “The Bookshelf” means The Bookshelf, LLC, a Texas limited liability company with offices located at 5900 Balcones Drive #6509, Austin, TX, 78731, and “you” means The Bookshelf User (if registering for or using a The Bookshelf Service as an individual), or the business employing The Bookshelf User (if registering for or using a The Bookshelf Service as a business) and any of its affiliates, each a “Party” and together the “Parties.”

The Bookshelf provides a platform that includes a range of tools for Bookshelf Users to build and customize online stores, sell in multiple places, manage products, inventory, payments, fulfillment, shipping, business operations, marketing and advertising, and engage with existing and potential customers. Any such service or services offered by The Bookshelf are referred to in these Terms of Service as the “Services.” Any new features or tools which are added to the current Services will also be “Services,” subject to these Terms of Service.

 

1. Account Terms

You are responsible for your Account, the Materials you upload to The Bookshelf Service and the operation of your Bookshelf Store. If you violate these Terms of Service, we may cancel your Account or access to the Services. If we need to reach you, we will communicate via the Primary Email Address.

  1. To access and use the Services for purposes of conducting, promoting, managing, or otherwise engaging in any commercial activity on behalf of yourself or others (“Business”), you must register for an account with us (“Account”). To complete your Account registration, you must provide us with your full legal name, business address, phone number, a valid email address, and any other information indicated as required. The Bookshelf may reject your application for an Account, or cancel an existing Account, for any reason, at our sole discretion.
  2. You must be the older of: (i) 18 years, or (ii) at least the age of majority in the jurisdiction where you reside and from which you use the Services to open an Account.
  3. You confirm that you are receiving any Services provided by The Bookshelf for the purposes of carrying on a Business activity and not for any personal, household, or family purpose.
  4. You acknowledge that The Bookshelf will use the email address you provide on opening an Account or as updated by you from time to time as the primary method for communication with you (“Primary Email Address”). You must monitor the Primary Email Address you provide to The Bookshelf and your Primary Email Address must be capable of both sending and receiving messages. Your email communications with The Bookshelf can only be authenticated if they come from your Primary Email Address.
  5. You are responsible for keeping your password secure. The Bookshelf cannot and will not be liable for any loss or damage from your failure to maintain the security of your Account and password. We may request additional security measures at any time and reserve the right to adjust these requirements at our discretion.
  6. You agree not to reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, resell or exploit any portion of the Service, use of the Services, or access to the Services without the express written permission by The Bookshelf.
  7. You agree not to work around, bypass, or circumvent any of the technical limitations of the Services, including to process orders outside The Bookshelf’s Checkout, use any tool to enable features or functionalities that are otherwise disabled in the Services, or decompile, disassemble, or otherwise reverse engineer the Services.
  8. You agree not to access the Services or monitor any material or information from the Services using any robot, spider, scraper, or other automated means.
  9. You understand that your Materials may be transferred unencrypted and involve (a) transmissions over various networks; and (b) changes to conform and adapt to technical requirements of connecting networks or devices. “Materials” means Your trademarks, copyright content, any products or services you sell through the Services (including description and price), and any photos, images, videos, graphics, written content, audio files, code, information, product reviews, or other business content and data provided or made available by you or on your behalf to The Bookshelf or its affiliates.
  10. You agree that your conduct of the Business, and use of the Services, will comply with all applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
2) Account Activation

The person signing up for the Service by opening an Account will be the contracting party (“Store Owner”) for the purposes of our Terms of Service and will be the person who is authorized to use any corresponding Account we may provide to the Store Owner in connection with the Services. You are responsible for ensuring that the name of the Store Owner is clearly visible on the Store's website.

  1. If you are signing up for the Services on behalf of your employer, and name your employer as the true party-in-interest, your employer will be the Store Owner. To validly sign up for the Services on behalf of your employer, you must use your employer-issued email address, and in so doing you are personally representing and warranting that you have the authority to bind your employer to our Terms of Service.
  2. A given Bookshelf Store you have established in compliance with these procedures can only be associated with one Store Owner. A Store Owner may have multiple Bookshelf Stores. “Store” means the online store (whether hosted by The Bookshelf or on a third-party website), or any storefront built on top of the Bookshelf API, or physical retail location(s) associated with the Account.
3) The Bookshelf's Rights
  1. The Services have a range of features and functionalities. Not all Services or features will be available to all Bookshelf Users at all times and we are under no obligation to make any Services or features available in any jurisdiction. Except where prohibited by these Terms of Service or by applicable law, we reserve the right to modify the Services or any part thereof for any reason, without notice and at any time.
  2. It is in The Bookshelf’s sole discretion to refuse or remove any Materials from any part of the Services, including if we determine in our sole discretion that the goods or services that you offer through the Services, or the Materials uploaded or posted to the Services, violate these Terms of Service.
  3. Verbal or written abuse of any kind (including threats of abuse or retribution) of any The Bookshelf employee, member, or officer may, in our discretion, result in immediate Account termination.
  4. We reserve the right to provide the Services to your competitors and make no promise of exclusivity. You further acknowledge and agree that The Bookshelf employees and contractors may also be The Bookshelf customers or merchants and that they may compete with you, although they may not use your Confidential Information in doing so.
  5. In the event of a dispute regarding Account ownership, we reserve the right to request documentation to determine or confirm Account ownership. Documentation may include, but is not limited to, a scanned copy of your business license, government issued photo ID, the last four digits of the credit card on file, or confirmation of your status as an employee of an entity.
  6. The Bookshelf reserves the right to determine, in our sole discretion, rightful Account ownership and transfer an Account to the rightful Store Owner. If we are unable to reasonably determine the rightful Store Owner, The Bookshelf reserves the right to temporarily suspend or disable an Account until resolution has been determined between the disputing parties.
4) Your Responsibilities
  1. You acknowledge and agree to provide public-facing contact information, terms of service, a refund policy, and shipping policies (including order fulfilment timelines) on your Bookshelf Store. Public-facing contact information should include your name, address, telephone number, and email address. You should inform your customers if you use a third-party supplier.
  2. You are responsible for the creation and operation of your Bookshelf Store, your Materials, the works that you may sell through the Services, and all aspects of the transactions between you and your customer(s). This includes, but is not limited to, authorizing the charge to the customer in respect of the customer’s purchase, refunds, returns, fulfilling any sales or customer service, fraudulent transactions, required legal disclosures, regulatory compliance, alleged or actual violation of applicable laws (including but not limited to consumer protection laws in any jurisdiction where you offer products or services for sale), or your breach of these Terms of Service. For the avoidance of doubt, The Bookshelf has no responsibility for your Store, your Materials, the goods or services you may sell through the Services, or any aspect of the transaction between you and your customer(s).
  3. You represent and warrant that you will comply with all applicable laws, rules, regulations, and rights of third parties in your use of any of the Services and your performance of obligations under the Terms of Service.
5) Payment of Fees and Taxes
  1. You will pay the Fees applicable to your subscription to the Online Service (“Subscription Fees”) and any other applicable Fees, including but not limited to applicable fees relating to the value of sales made through your Store (“Transaction Fees”), and any fees relating to your purchase or use of any products or Services. Together, the Subscription Fees and Transaction Fees are referred to as the “Fees.”
  2. You must keep a valid payment method on file with us to pay for all incurred and recurring Fees. The Bookshelf will charge applicable Fees to any valid payment method that you authorize (“Authorized Payment Method”), and The Bookshelf will continue to charge the Authorized Payment Method for applicable Fees until the Services are terminated, and any and all outstanding Fees have been paid in full. Unless otherwise indicated, all Fees and other charges are in U.S. dollars, and all payments will be in U.S. currency.
  3. Subscription Fees are paid in advance and will be billed in 30-day intervals, annually, or as agreed to by us in writing (each such date, a “Billing Date”). Transaction Fees and Additional Fees will be charged from time to time at The Bookshelf’s discretion. You will be charged on each Billing Date for all outstanding Fees that have not previously been charged. Users have approximately two weeks to bring up and settle any issues with the billing of Subscription Fees.
  4. If we are not able to process payment of Fees using an Authorized Payment Method, we may make subsequent attempts to process payment. If we are unable to successfully process payment of Fees within 28 days of our initial attempt, we may suspend and revoke access to your Account and the Services. Your Account will be reactivated upon your payment of any outstanding Fees, plus the Fees applicable to your next billing cycle. If the outstanding Fees remain unpaid for 60 days following the date of suspension, The Bookshelf reserves the right to terminate your Account.
  5. All Fees are exclusive of applicable federal, provincial, state, local or other governmental sales, goods and services, harmonized or other taxes, fees or charges now in force or enacted in the future (“Taxes”) for which you agree to remain responsible.
  6. The indirect Taxes, if any, that are calculated on your Bookshelf are calculated using tax rates based on the billing address(es) you provide. Such amounts are in addition to the Fees for such products and services and will be billed to your Authorized Payment Method.
  7. For the avoidance of doubt, all sums payable by you to The Bookshelf under these Terms of Service will be paid free and clear of any deductions or withholdings whatsoever.
  8. You must maintain an accurate location in the administrative console of your Bookshelf Store. If you change jurisdictions, you must promptly update your location in the administrative console.
  9. The Bookshelf may provide refunds in its sole discretion. The annual plan includes a 30-day refund window. If you submit a refund request within the first thirty days of your annual subscription, we will refund the Subscription Fees minus a non-refundable registration fee for a domain. If you have not yet registered a domain, The Bookshelf will issue a full refund.
6) Confidentiality
  1. From time to time either Party may disclose or make available to the other Party information about its business affairs, products, confidential intellectual property, trade secrets, third-party confidential information, and other sensitive or proprietary information in written or electronic form or media, that is marked, designated, or otherwise identified as “confidential” (collectively, “Confidential Information”). Confidential Information does not include information that, at the time of disclosure is: (a) in the public domain; (b) known to the receiving Party at the time of disclosure; (c) rightfully obtained by the receiving Party on a non-confidential basis from a third party; or (d) independently developed by the receiving Party.
  2. The receiving Party shall not disclose the disclosing Party's Confidential Information to any person or entity, except to the receiving Party's employees who have a need to know the Confidential Information for the receiving Party to exercise its rights or perform its obligations hereunder.
  3. Notwithstanding the foregoing, each Party may disclose Confidential Information to the limited extent required (i) in order to comply with the order of a court or other governmental body, or as otherwise necessary to comply with applicable law, provided that the Party making the disclosure pursuant to the order shall first have given written notice to the other Party and made a reasonable effort to obtain a protective order; or (ii) to establish a Party's rights under this Agreement, including to make required court filings.
  4. On the expiration or termination of the Terms of Service, the receiving Party shall promptly return to the disclosing Party all copies, whether in written, electronic, or other form or media, of the disclosing Party's Confidential Information, or destroy all such copies.
  5. Each Party's obligations of non-disclosure with regard to Confidential Information are effective as of registration of the Account and will expire five years from the date first disclosed to the receiving Party; provided, however, with respect to any Confidential Information that constitutes a trade secret (as determined under applicable law), such obligations of non-disclosure will survive the termination or expiration of these Terms of Service for as long as such Confidential Information remains subject to trade secret protection under applicable law.
7) Limitation of Liability
  1. You expressly understand and agree that, to the extent permitted by applicable laws, The Bookshelf, its affiliates, and its suppliers will not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or exemplary damages, including but not limited to, damages for loss of profits, goodwill, use, data or other intangible losses arising out of or relating to the use of or inability to use the Service or these Terms of Service (however arising, including negligence).
  2. You agree to indemnify and hold us and (as applicable) our parent, subsidiaries, affiliates, The Bookshelf partners, officers, directors, agents, employees, and suppliers harmless from any claim or demand, including attorneys' fees actually incurred, as a result of any claim made by any third party due to or arising out of (a) your breach of these Terms of Service or the documents it incorporates by reference; (b) or your violation of any law or the rights of a third party; or (c) any aspect of the transaction between you and your customer, including but not limited to refunds, fraudulent transactions, alleged or actual violation of applicable laws (including but not limited to Federal and State consumer protection laws), or your breach of the Terms of Service.
  3. You will be responsible for any breach of the Terms of Service by your affiliates, agents or subcontractors and will be liable as if it were your own breach.
  4. Your use of the Services is at your sole risk. The Services are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis without any warranty or condition, express, implied or statutory.
  5. The Bookshelf does not warrant that the Services will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free.
  6. The Bookshelf does not warrant that the results that may be obtained from the use of the Services will be accurate or reliable.
  7. The Bookshelf is not responsible for any tax obligations or liabilities related to the use of the Services, or the Business.
  8. The Bookshelf does not warrant that the quality of any products, services (including the Services), information, or other materials purchased or obtained by you through the Services will meet your expectations, or that any errors in the Services will be corrected.
8) Intellectual Property and Feedback
  1. “Bookshelf IP” means the Services, the Documentation, and any and all intellectual property provided to you in connection with the foregoing. For the avoidance of doubt, Bookshelf IP does not include Customer Data. “Customer Data” means information, data, and other content, in any form or medium, that is submitted, posted, or otherwise transmitted by or on behalf of you through the Services. The Bookshelf owns all right, title, and interest, including all intellectual property rights, in and to the Bookshelf IP.
  2. The Bookshelf acknowledges that, as between The Bookshelf and you, you own all right, title, and interest, including all intellectual property rights, in and to the Customer Data. You hereby grant to The Bookshelf a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to reproduce, distribute, and otherwise use and display the Customer Data and perform all acts with respect to the Customer Data as may be necessary for The Bookshelf to provide the Services to you.
  3. If you send or transmit any communications or materials to The Bookshelf by mail, email, telephone, or otherwise, suggesting or recommending changes to the Bookshelf IP, including without limitation, new features or functionality relating thereto, or any comments, questions, suggestions, or the like (“Feedback”), The Bookshelf is free to use such Feedback irrespective of any other obligation or limitation between the Parties governing such Feedback. You hereby assign to The Bookshelf on your behalf, and on behalf of your employees, contractors, and/or agents, all right, title, and interest in, and The Bookshelf is free to use, without any attribution or compensation to any party, any ideas, know-how, concepts, techniques, or other intellectual property rights contained in the Feedback, for any purpose whatsoever, although The Bookshelf is not required to use any Feedback.
9) Prohibited Uses

The Bookshelf User shall not:

  1. Use the Services in a way that infringes, misappropriates, or violates anyone’s rights, including intellectual property rights.
  2. Use the Services in a way that breaks any applicable law.
  3. Upload, sell, or distribute content that is illegal, harmful, defamatory, obscene, or violates intellectual property rights.
  4. Misrepresent products, engage in scams, or impersonate others.
  5. Modify, copy, lease, sell or distribute any of the Services.
  6. Attempt to or assist anyone to reverse engineer, decompile or discover the source code or underlying components of the Services, including our models, algorithms, or systems (except to the extent this restriction is prohibited by applicable law).
  7. Interfere with or disrupt the Services, including circumventing any rate limits or restrictions or bypassing any protective measures or safety mitigations we put on the Services.
10) Term and Termination
  1. The term of these Terms of Service will begin on the date of your completed registration for use of one or more Services and continue until terminated by us or by you, as provided below, subject to any additional subscription terms (the “Term”).
  2. You may cancel your Account and terminate the Terms of Service at any time by contacting us and then following the specific instructions indicated to you in The Bookshelf’s response.
  3. Without limiting any other remedies, we may suspend or terminate your Account for any reason, without notice and at any time (unless otherwise required by law), including if we suspect that you have engaged in fraudulent activity in connection with the use of the Services. Termination of these Terms of Service will be without prejudice to any rights or obligations which arose prior to the date of termination.
  4. Upon termination of the Services by either Party for any reason:
    1. The Bookshelf will cease providing you with the Services and you will no longer be able to access your Account;
    2. unless otherwise provided in the Terms of Service, you will not be entitled to any refunds of any Fees, pro rata or otherwise;
    3. any outstanding balance owed to The Bookshelf for your use of the Services through the effective date of such termination will immediately become due and payable in full; and
    4. your Bookshelf Store will be taken offline.
  5. If there are any outstanding Fees owed by you at the date of termination of the Service, you will receive one final invoice via email. Once that invoice has been paid in full, you will not be charged again.
11) Modifications
  1. We reserve the right, in our sole and absolute discretion, to update or change any portion of the Terms of Service at any time. We will provide you with reasonable advance notice of changes to the Terms of Service that materially adversely affect your use of the Services or your rights under the Terms of Service by sending an email to the Primary Email Address, providing notice through the Bookshelf administrative console, or by similar means. However, The Bookshelf may make changes that materially adversely affect your use of the Services or your rights under the Terms of Service at any time and with immediate effect (i) for legal, regulatory, fraud and abuse prevention, or security reasons; or (ii) to restrict products or activities that we deem unsafe, inappropriate, or offensive. Any changes to the Terms of Service will be effective immediately upon posting at this location (unless otherwise indicated in our notice). Your continued access to or use of the Services after we provide such notice, if applicable, or after we post such updated terms, constitutes your acceptance of the changes and consent to be bound by the Terms of Service as amended. If you do not agree to the amended Terms of Service, you must stop accessing and using the Services.
  2. The Bookshelf may change the Fees for the Services from time to time. We will provide you with 30 days' advanced notice prior to any changes in Fees by sending an email to the Primary Email Account, providing notice through the Bookshelf administrative console, or by similar means. The Bookshelf will not be liable to you or to any third party for any modification, price change, suspension or discontinuance of the Services (or any part thereof).
12) General Conditions
  1. The Terms of Service, including the documents it incorporates by reference, constitute the entire agreement between you and The Bookshelf and govern your use of the Services and your Account, superseding any prior agreements between you and The Bookshelf.
  2. The failure of The Bookshelf to exercise or enforce any right or provision of the Terms of Service will not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. If any provision of the Terms of Service is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be contrary to law, such provision will be changed and interpreted so as to best accomplish the objectives of the original provision to the fullest extent allowed by law.
  3. Save for The Bookshelf and its affiliates, you or anyone accessing The Bookshelf Services pursuant to these Terms of Service, no person or entity who is not a party to these Terms of Service will have any right to enforce any term of these Terms of Service.
  4. These Terms of Service are governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Texas without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule. Any legal suit, action, or proceeding arising out of or related to this Agreement will be instituted exclusively in the federal courts of the United States or the courts of the State of Texas in each case located in the city of Round Rock and County of Williamson. Note: this choice of law does not affect the mandatory consumer.
  5. All the terms and provisions of the Terms of Service will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties to the Terms of Service and to their respective heirs, successors, permitted assigns and legal representatives. The Bookshelf will be permitted to assign these Terms of Service without notice to you or consent from you. You will have no right to assign or otherwise transfer the Terms of Service, or any of your rights or obligations hereunder, to any third party without The Bookshelf's prior written consent.
  6. Except as expressly stated herein, the terms and provisions of these Terms of Service are intended solely for the specific benefit of the parties-in-interest, and are not intended to confer third-party beneficiary rights upon any individual, business entity, government organization, nor other third party.
  7. If any provision, or portion of the provision, in these Terms of Service is, for any reason, held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, then such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability will not affect any other provision (or the unaffected portion of the provision) of the Terms of Service, and the Terms of Service will be construed as if such invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision, or portion of the provision, had never been contained within the Terms of Service.
  8. On termination, all related rights and obligations under the Terms of Service immediately terminate, except that (a) you will remain responsible for performing all of your obligations in connection with transactions entered into before termination and for any liabilities that accrued before or as a result of termination; and Sections 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 will survive the termination or expiration of these Terms of Service.
13. EU Consumer Rights

This Section 13 applies to end customers located in the European Union (“EU Customers”) who purchase Products directly through a Storefront for which The Bookshelf, LLC (“TBS”) acts as Merchant of Record. If you are a Store Owner or Author, your obligations with respect to EU Customers are separately addressed in the Reseller Agreement.

  1. Applicability. This Section 13 applies to end customers located in the European Union (“EU Customers”) who purchase Products through a Storefront for which TBS acts as Merchant of Record. Nothing in this Section 13 limits TBS’s rights or the obligations of Store Owners under Sections 1–12 above. In the event of any conflict between this Section 13 and any other provision of these Terms of Service, this Section 13 shall prevail with respect to EU Customers.
  2. Right of Withdrawal — Physical Goods. EU Customers have the right to withdraw from a purchase of physical goods (including print books and print-on-demand books) within 14 calendar days of physical delivery, without giving any reason. The withdrawal period expires 14 calendar days from the day on which the EU Customer, or a third party designated by the EU Customer (other than the carrier), takes physical possession of the goods. To exercise the right of withdrawal, the EU Customer must notify TBS before the withdrawal period expires, using the Withdrawal Function described in Section 13.4 or by sending a clear written statement to the contact address in Section 13.11.
  3. Right of Withdrawal — Services and Platform Subscriptions. EU Customers have the right to withdraw from service contracts and platform subscriptions within 14 calendar days from the date of contract conclusion. Where the EU Customer expressly requests that performance of the service begin before the expiry of the withdrawal period, and acknowledges by means of a separate mandatory affirmative checkbox at checkout that the right of withdrawal will thereby be lost once performance has begun, the right of withdrawal will be lost accordingly. The mandatory acknowledgment language for platform subscriptions is:
    “I agree that The Bookshelf will begin performing this service immediately. I acknowledge that I thereby lose my right of withdrawal once performance has begun.”

    This checkbox will be separate from and additional to the general Terms of Service acceptance checkbox and must be affirmatively ticked before the Order is confirmed.

  4. Electronic Withdrawal Function. In accordance with Article 11a of Directive 2011/83/EU as amended by Directive 2023/2673, TBS maintains an electronic withdrawal function accessible at thebookshelf.io/withdrawal (the “Withdrawal Function”). EU Customers may use the Withdrawal Function at any time during the applicable withdrawal period. The Withdrawal Function will: (i) require the EU Customer to confirm their withdrawal decision and provide name and order details; (ii) present a two-step confirmation flow; and (iii) immediately send the EU Customer an automatic acknowledgment by email on a durable medium, confirming receipt and the date and time of the request. The Withdrawal Function will not impose unnecessary steps or dark-pattern interfaces that discourage its use.
  5. Effects of Withdrawal — Refund. If an EU Customer validly withdraws from a contract, TBS will reimburse all payments received for the relevant Order, including standard delivery charges (but not supplementary delivery charges arising from the EU Customer’s choice of a non-standard delivery method). Reimbursement will be made without undue delay and no later than 14 calendar days after: (a) the day TBS is informed of the decision to withdraw (for services and digital content); or (b) the day TBS receives the returned goods or the EU Customer provides evidence of having sent them back — whichever is the earlier (for physical goods). TBS will use the same payment method as the EU Customer used for the initial transaction, unless otherwise expressly agreed.
  6. Return of Goods and Return Shipping Costs. EU Customers must return goods without undue delay and no later than 14 calendar days from the day on which they notify TBS of their decision to withdraw. The deadline is met if the goods are returned before this period expires. EU Customers bear the direct cost of return shipping. This obligation is disclosed at checkout before the Order is confirmed and in the Order confirmation. EU Customers are only liable for diminished value of the goods resulting from handling beyond what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics, and functioning of the goods.
  7. Digital Content — eBooks and Audiobooks. The right of withdrawal does not apply to the supply of digital content (including eBooks and audiobooks) not supplied on a tangible medium, where performance has begun and the EU Customer has: (a) given prior express consent to immediate delivery before expiry of the withdrawal period; and (b) acknowledged, by means of a separate mandatory checkbox at checkout, that the right of withdrawal is thereby lost. TBS will present this acknowledgment using the following or equivalent language:
    ““I agree to the immediate delivery of this digital content. I acknowledge that I thereby lose my right of withdrawal.”

    Both conditions must be satisfied. This checkbox will be separate from and additional to the general Terms of Service acceptance. If this acknowledgment is not obtained before delivery begins, the right of withdrawal will not be lost and TBS will process any timely withdrawal request.

  8. Print-on-Demand Books. Standard print-on-demand books are subject to the full 14-day right of withdrawal from the date of physical delivery to the EU Customer. The right of withdrawal does not apply to print-on-demand books that are manufactured to the EU Customer’s unique specifications (for example, books personalized with the Customer’s name or other Customer- specific content printed within the book itself), provided that: (a) the Product listing makes the personalized nature clear; and (b) the EU Customer is informed of this exception by means of a clear disclosure on the product page and at checkout before the Order is confirmed.
  9. Exceptions to the Right of Withdrawal. The right of withdrawal under this Section 13 does not apply to:
    • goods that deteriorate rapidly or have a short shelf life;
    • sealed goods that are not suitable for return for health protection or hygiene reasons and were unsealed after delivery;
    • goods that are, after delivery, inseparably mixed with other items;
    • goods made to the EU Customer’s specifications or clearly personalized (see Section 13.8); and
    • digital content as provided in Section 13.7.
  10. Pre-Purchase Disclosures — Checkout. The following disclosures will be presented to EU Customers at checkout before payment is confirmed, and will be included in the Order confirmation:
    • a statement that EU Customers have the right to withdraw from the contract within 14 calendar days and how to exercise that right using the Withdrawal Function;
    • for physical goods: a statement that the EU Customer bears the direct cost of return shipping upon withdrawal;
    • for digital content (eBooks, audiobooks): the mandatory separate acknowledgment checkbox described in Section 13.7; and
    • for platform subscriptions: the mandatory separate acknowledgment checkbox described in Section 13.3.
  11. Contact for Withdrawal. To exercise the right of withdrawal, EU Customers may use the Withdrawal Function at thebookshelf.io/withdrawal or contact TBS at: The Bookshelf, LLC, 5900 Balcones Drive #6509, Austin, TX 78731, USA; email: withdrawal@thebookshelf.io. A model withdrawal form in accordance with Annex I(B) of Directive 2011/83/EU is available at thebookshelf.io/eu-withdrawal-form.
  12. Non-Derogation. Nothing in these Terms of Service limits any rights EU Customers have under applicable EU consumer protection legislation, including Directive 2011/83/EU as amended by Directive 2023/2673 and any applicable national implementing legislation. In the event of any conflict between these Terms and mandatory applicable EU consumer protection law, the relevant EU consumer protection law shall prevail.