FAQs

Contact Details & Our Location

General & Children's Books; Giftware & Stationery: University Book Shop
378 Great King Street
Dunedin 9016  

University Book Shop (Otago) Ltd
PO Box 6060
Dunedin 9059

Phone: +64 3 477 6976  |   Email : enquiries@unibooks.co.nz

Textbooks & Stationery: UBS On Campus Shop  (in the OUSA Archway building, underneath Radio One)
640 Cumberland Street
Dunedin

Phone: +64 3 477 6977  |  Email: textbooks@unibooks.co.nz

Opening Hours

University Book Shop

Monday to Friday: 9am - 5:30pm
Saturday & Sunday: 10:00am - 4:00pm

Public Holidays
We are closed on public holidays.

UBS On Campus Shop
Monday - Friday 9am-4pm. (Orientation hours may differ)

NZ Post

We are the North Dunedin Post Centre Plus for all NZ Post requirements including NZ-wide and International post and courier. Please note that we no longer offer Bill Pay.

Monday-Friday 9am-5pm
Saturday & Sunday 10.00am-4.00pm

Damaged / Faulty Book

If you find a fault with your purchase, please contact us as soon as possible and we will arrange a replacement. Where a replacement cannot be sourced in a reasonable timeframe you will be entitled to a full refund. At all times we will meet our obligations under the Consumer Guarantees Act.

Delivery Time

Orders are processed and sent to customers daily.  Packages are sent with Courier Post and are NOT ‘signature-required’.

Average Delivery Times: (providing your book is in-stock and available)
South Island: 2-3 Days
South Island - Rural: 3-4 Days
North Island - 3-4 Days
North Island - Rural: 4-5 Days

Urgent Delivery? Please phone us and ask to speak to the weborders team, and we’ll do our best to get it to you more quickly.

Signature Required? If you need your package to be signed for upon delivery, please let us know.

Postage Charges

Free freight on NZ orders over $100.00. Otherwise, $9.90 for orders under $100. Overseas flat-rate postage costs are as displayed.

Discounts - Staff & Students

Receive a 10% discount on ALL full-price items (upon presentation of ID Card).

Staff include: University of Otago; Otago Polytechnic; Ara Institute; Southern Institute of Technology

Discounts - Registered teachers (primary, secondary and early childhood), Southern District Health Board employees

Receive a 10% discount on ALL full-price items (upon presentation of ID Card).
See our Organisations area for discounts for invoiced purchases from your school, medical organisation, or hospital. A full list of other Partner Organisations is listed there.

Finding a Book

We are experts at sourcing books and we would be delighted to help you.

Please contact us:
Phone: +64 3 477 6976
Fax: +64 3 477 6571
Email: enquiries@unibooks.co.nz

Obligation to Purchase
Our Booksellers will advise at the time whether you will be obliged to purchase your order.

• There is no obligation to purchase if we are ordering in a book we would normally stock.
• There is an obligation to purchase if the book is not normally one we would stock.

Gift / Loyalty Cards

Booksellers NZ Gift Tokens: the original book token accepted by all Booksellers NZ members nationwide.
University Book Shop Gift Token: our own book voucher, which may be accepted by other University Book Shops and some independent bookshops throughout New Zealand.
Gift Cards: look like a credit card but work like a gift voucher / book token.
Booklovers’ (Loyalty) Card: Once you have collected 10 stamps (one for every $20 spent), you will receive a $20 book voucher.

Gifts

You can purchase a book for someone else and we will send it to them. You may also request gift-wrapping and inclusion of a card. Simply note in ‘Shipping Instructions’ the recipient’s address and message for the card.  

Online Orders

Creating an Account lets us look after you better and make your online shopping experience faster.
Your Account lets you:

• Easily manage your address and billing information
• Track current orders
• See your order history
• Manage your Wish List

Organisations

Book Clubs; Libraries; Hospitals & Medical Customers; Schools & Teachers

Please refer to Customer Service for Organisations for detailed information regarding:

• Discounts
• Delivery
• Ordering
• Specialist Procurement

Postage - New Zealand

Delivery Time
Please check under ‘D’ in the FAQs.

Postage - Overseas
We post to all countries via New Zealand Post.
Australia & South Pacific: $24.50 (up to 3kg)
UK, Europe, & US: $39.50 (up to 3kg)
Rest of World: POA

For other countries or heavier orders please use ‘Get Quote’ button at checkout to find out the cost of your overseas postage.

Privacy

We do not sell or supply customer information to third parties.

We may email you book suggestions matched to your purchasing history - it’s like getting your very own personalised bookseller recommendation right to your inbox! You have the option to opt-out of these emails.

Returns / Exchanges

Textbooks, General Books and Stationery
We are happy to accept goods back, for either an exchange for other books or stationery or a UBS Voucher to the same value. They just need to be in the same condition we sold them to you, within twenty-eight days of purchase and:

• you have an exchange card, either from University Book Shop or another bookseller; or
• you have the receipt of the original purchase from University Book Shop or a proof of purchase.
• We do not issue cash refunds for items unless damaged or faulty.

Faulty or damaged books
At all times we will meet our obligations under the Consumer Guarantees Act. If your books, or stationery, are in any way faulty or damaged then we will exchange them for you. If there is no exchange possible, then you can choose a credit note/voucher or a full cash refund. Full refunds only apply for damaged books that cannot be replaced, or at the manager’s discretion.

Returns Address for Website Orders
Please include the book and proof of purchase. Please contact us first by email or phone, if possible.

University Book Shop (Otago) Ltd
PO Box 6060
Dunedin 9059

Phone: +64 3 477 6976
Email: enquiries@unibooks.co.nz

Damaged / Faulty
If you find a fault with your purchase, please contact us as soon as possible and we will arrange a replacement.

Cancellation

Because we endeavour, for books in stock, to do same-day dispatch then orders are unable to be cancelled. To enquire about cancelling your order then please phone during our business hours (9am-5.30pm M-F, 10.00am-4.00pm S/S; NZ standard time) and we will do our best to stop the processing and organise a refund. If the order has already been dispatched then cancellation isn't possible.

Disputes

If you have a dispute regarding payment, delivery, cancellation, or any other aspect of your online purchase with University Book Shop (Otago) Ltd, then email details to weborders@unibooks.co.nz Usually the General Manager will be advised and part of the resolution of any issue.

Silver Fern Farms

We're delighted to work in partnership with Silver Fern Farms. If you have any questions about your order email weborders@unibooks.co.nz or phone 03 477 6976. UBS is celebrating 75-years in business next year and is one of New Zealand's premier bookshops with nation-wide reach, all from their flagship store in Dunedin. We are a not-for-profit entity and 100% owned by the Otago University Students' Association. We support OUSA who, in turn, provide student welfare, advocacy and activities in and around Otago. We've enjoyed putting our heads together to choose books we know you'll enjoy. And if you're lucky enough to be passing through Dunedin over the summer, then call in to experience the best in old-fashioned quality service, with a twist of modern savvy. We're open 7 days, just opposite the Otago Museum on the one way north with an amazing children's area - The Children's Room, helping spread the magic of reading to booklovers of all ages.

Textbooks

What textbooks do you stock?
The University Book Shop stocks prescribed and recommended textbooks for:

• Otago University (including the Schools of Medicine and Dentistry)
• Otago Polytechnic (including the School of Nursing)
• University of Otago College of Education.

Can I order in a textbook you don’t have in stock?
We are also happy to source and order in any books for all other New Zealand tertiary courses, particularly Massey University extramural study, Open Polytechnic, and Southern Institute of Technology (SIT). We can also order books for any other University, tertiary institution, or high school. Many professional development books can also be ordered in for a wide range of occupations.

I’d like a textbook list. Can you provide one?
Yes, just email us at textbooks@unibooks.co.nz and let us know what you’re studying and we’ll do our best to send you a list, or direct you to the right books on the website.

How do I order Textbooks online?
Use our Textbook link in the menu bar to choose your particular area or study. From there select on the right subject or department. Add each book to the checkout cart.

If you know the title or ISBN you can also use that in the search field.

Do I get Student Discount?
All textbooks are priced as a ‘nett’ price with the student discount already applied.

It’s not working, or I don’t have a credit card. What can I do?
You can email your textbook order to us: textbooks@unibooks.co.nz Please include both a mobile number and landline as we’ll need to phone you for payment details.

We’re also happy to take a phone call. Phone +64 3 477 6976 during our usual business hours.

Visit Us
Of course, you can also buy your textbooks in person from UBS on Campus (OUSA Archway, 640 Cumberland Street), or the main University Book Shop which is conveniently located at 378 Great King Street (opposite the Otago Museum Reserve).

I’ve changed my course but already bought my books. What can I do?
You may return a textbook for and exchange or for store credit (no cash refunds). We may ask to see your change of course form.

Conditions for Returns:

• New, unused, undamaged condition
• Proof of purchase
• By 31st March (for Semester 1).
• By 31st July (Semester 2).
• Within 28 days of purchase.

My book is faulty or damaged.
Faulty items will be immediately replaced. Where we do not have the title in stock we will order it in within a reasonable timeframe.

I have last year’s textbooks. Will you buy them back?
At the beginning and end of each academic year we produce a "Buy-Back list" of second-hand textbooks. We buy these from Queen's Birthday weekend for semester 2 papers, and from Labour weekend for semester 1 papers. We will only buy back the same edition and textbook as has been set for the semester by the lecturer. See our current buyback list.