What is Shortboxed?

Shortboxed is the premier app to discover, buy and sell collectible comic books. We grew frustrated with the old way of buying and selling - scammers, expensive buyer’s premiums and commission fees, antiquated websites, comic cons without comics - the list goes on. We believe there's a better way. Shortboxed is a modern, mobile marketplace featuring a curated collection of third-party authenticated comic books from dealers and collectors all over the U.S.A.

How does it work?

Sellers, including dealers, comic shop owners, and individual collectors, list their items for sale on Shortboxed, while buyers browse and discover thousands of third-party graded comic books. When a user buys a book, the seller confirms if the book is available, then the order gets processed and the seller receives a pre-paid shipping label to ship the book out. Sellers get paid after the book is confirmed delivered.

Is Shortboxed available outside the United States?

Right now, Shortboxed is only available in the United States. We will be expanding internationally in the future, with Canada being the first expansion outside of the United States. We do not have a timetable set, however, but we’re working on it!

How do I contact you?

For general inquiries and support: [email protected]
For questions regarding seller accounts and seller applications: [email protected]
For questions regarding confirmed orders: [email protected]

How do I delete my account?

Email [email protected] and we’ll take care of it for you.

Are you hiring?

Yes! We’re always looking for highly motivated, talented people to join the team. See our current open positions on Shortboxed.com, and if you don’t see something that fits your background, send us a note anyway at [email protected] and let’s chat!

BUYING ON SHORTBOXED

How do I place an order?

Just tap the “Buy” button to go straight to checkout - there is no “add to cart.” Every order is handled individually, since books are listed for sale by hundreds of different sellers.

Upon checkout, we only authorize the payment - you are not yet charged for the sale. Once the payment is authorized, Shortboxed will automatically and instantly notify the seller to confirm if the book is currently available. If the book is confirmed available, only then do we complete the payment and you will receive an order confirmation and tracking number via email. If paying by check, your book will ship after the payment clears, which can take up to 5-7 days depending on your bank.

What if I buy a book that isn’t available?

If in the rare case the book you ordered is no longer available, we will notify you immediately and remove the book from the Shop and you will not be charged. You may still see the authorization on your bank statement, but that is not a charge and your bank will typically release it within 24 hours.

Can I buy more than one book per order?

We use a single item checkout process, meaning there is no “shopping cart” to add multiple books to an order. Each order will go straight to checkout, which allows us to confirm and ship orders much faster, since books are listed for sale by many different sellers. This drastically reduces the time between order placement, order confirmation, and delivery.

How do I submit an offer?

Buyers can submit offers by tapping the “Make an Offer” button on a product listing. When an offer is submitted, you will see a notification popup telling you that it was submitted as well as receive an email confirming your offer submission. If the offer is too low or not higher than the current high offer, your offer will automatically be declined. All your active offers are available to see under Profile > Offers.

Once the offer is accepted, declined or countered by the seller, you will be informed via email. If the offer is accepted, the discount will automatically be applied to the product once you go to checkout. There is no promo code to copy/paste to get the offer discount.

The offer promo code is not a guarantee to purchase the book, nor is it a guarantee that the book will still be available, as someone else can submit a higher offer or purchase the book before you check out.

Please do not submit an offer if you do not intend to purchase the book if it is accepted. Repeated abandoned offers will be subject to account suspension.

Are there any fees to buy?

No. You only pay for the item, shipping, and sales tax, if applicable. We do not charge a buyer’s premium or any additional payment processing fees.

How much is shipping?

Shipping is a flat $15 for one graded comic book. We only ship within the United States via USPS Priority Mail with Signature Confirmation. We take great pride in ensuring sellers pack books safely. We cannot ship orders without Signature Confirmation, to ensure the safety of each delivery. It is the buyer’s responsibility to make sure a package can be delivered or picked up.

To protect both buyers and sellers for high value items, orders over $2,500 require Registered Mail with Signature Confirmation. We absorb the extra cost of these services ourselves - there is no additional cost to the buyer above the standard shipping rate.

Will I be charged sales tax?

In light of a recent Supreme Court decision in South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc., and based on applicable state tax laws, Shortboxed collects and remits sales tax on orders of taxable items shipped to customers in certain states.

We currently collect sales or use tax (collectively “Sales Tax”) on purchases of taxable items from buyers located in California (CA), where we have a legal obligation to collect Sales Tax for such purchases. We will remit the tax collected from buyers to the appropriate taxing authority. To help provide a total cost inclusive of tax, we will estimate the applicable Sales Tax based on the delivery address entered at checkout. The estimated tax amount displayed may be updated when your order is finalized and completed.

All sales are subject to applicable state and local taxes unless a properly completed state issued resale certificate is physically on file with Shortboxed prior to a purchase. If you have an applicable certificate please email [email protected] with a copy of your valid certificate before making a purchase.

When will I receive my order?

Most orders are confirmed within 24 hours, and ship out within 72 hours. Most packages shipped via USPS Priority arrive within 2-3 days. While most orders are shipping on-time, due to COVID-19 and government restrictions, your order may experience some unforeseen shipping and fulfillment delays. We appreciate your patience.

What payment methods can I use?

We accept all major credit or debit cards, PayPal, or checks (personal checks, money orders or cashier’s checks). Credit card, debit card, and account-funded payments via PayPal are accepted for all purchase transactions up to $2,499. For PayPal payments, your shipping address must match your PayPal address. If it does not match, please update your PayPal address before checking out. Checks (personal checks, money orders or cashier’s checks) are required for any purchases $2,500 and above. You can also pay by check for purchases under $2,500. Your book will ship after payment clears.

Can I cancel my order?

Once an order is placed, we automatically send an order confirmation to the seller, so orders cannot be canceled once placed. Buyer payments are authorized upon checkout and processed upon order confirmation, but for check payments, if a buyer does not send the payment within a reasonable timeframe or doesn’t update us when asked for status, the order will be marked as a non-payment and the account will be suspended indefinitely.

Can I return my order?

Due to the certified and guaranteed nature, all sales are final on third-party graded books by CGC or CBCS.

What if the case is cracked?

If a book is delivered with a cracked case and was not disclosed in the product listing, we will work with you to offer a partial refund to cover the cost of a reholder and round-trip shipping to CGC or CBCS.

What if my package is damaged in transit?

We work with our sellers to ensure all items are packaged well and arrive safely, but in the very rare case that your package arrives damaged from USPS, send an email to [email protected] and notify us of the issue as soon as possible. You will need to take the entire order (all contents and all original packing material) to your local U.S. Post Office to file a claim. The U.S. Post Office will send the claim to us for processing. Do not repack and do not mail the damaged items back to us. This will void the U.S. Post Office insurance and we will not be able to give you a refund.

Do you offer any buyer protection?

Yes. We do not charge you until the order is confirmed, so if a book is unavailable, you will not be charged. If a book arrives damaged, we will offer a full refund and pre-paid return shipping label or we will process a reholder for you. All orders are also fully insured, so if a package gets stolen, we will file a claim with our insurance company and will work with you, any local authorities and the post office, to meet any requirements for the claim.

SELLING ON SHORTBOXED

How do I sell on Shortboxed?

To ensure a quality buying experience for users with reliable and trustworthy service, we only allow a limited group of sellers. We encourage you to request to become a seller on Shortboxed by tapping on the Sell icon on the app and filling out the application. We’ll notify you as soon as your request has been approved.

We approve seller applications on a rolling basis, and after you submit your seller application, you can expect to hear back within 24 hours. We occasionally follow up to request additional information if needed.

Shortboxed actively protects our buyers and sellers. In order to do so, federal and state laws require us to obtain each seller’s full name and home address. This information will only need to be entered once on the application and should be entered as it appears on a government issued identification, such as a driver’s license or passport.

All personal information on Shortboxed is secure and only used for order processing and account related matters.

Why was my seller application rejected?

There are multiple factors involved with a rejected seller application. It could be poor feedback, lack of sales history or referrals or in some cases, we’ve simply reached our limit for sellers at the moment.

We limit the number of sellers to ensure a high quality experience for users, while still offering a healthy amount of books that are regularly being listed. If we reach a critical mass and can’t support the current number of sellers, we will close new applications.

Can I share a seller account?

Users may not share seller accounts. Users who are found to be sharing seller accounts may be suspended from selling.

Can I create more than one seller account?

Each user is only allowed to create one seller account. Users who are found to have created more than one seller account may be suspended from selling.

What is the seller fee?

The seller fee on sold items is 10% of the product sold price. There are no listing fees and you only pay the fee when a book sells.

All credit card processing and PayPal fees are absorbed by Shortboxed in the commission fee; these fees are not passed onto you.

How do I list items for sale?

After your account is approved for selling, just tap the Sell icon to list your items. You will be asked to take a photo of the CGC barcode on the label (skip this step for CBCS books), front of the book, back of the book, and enter a price then submit for approval. Submissions are typically approved within 24 hours.

What is the minimum required fair market value to list a book for sale?

$50

Can I list raw or ungraded comics for sale?

No, we currently only list third-party graded comics from CGC or CBCS.

How do I take good photos?

Photos must be best effort; ensure the book is aligned within the outline in the photo window on the submission screen. Photos must be clear, non-blurry, well-lit. No extreme angles or reflections. Details in the photo must be very clear, with the label text sharp and legible, and major defects visible. Do not take photos in dark rooms or with “warm” (yellow tint) lighting; natural indirect lighting provides the best results in the absence of studio lighting, such as a room with sunlight but out of the direct light. Take the photo on a plain white or light-colored background, such as a table; avoid patterns or colored backdrops. We recommend using a plain white poster board as the backdrop, if possible. Do not hold the book in your hand - lay it flat or stand it upright. Do not crop or edit the photos. Submit them as-is, unedited.

If your submissions are rejected for poor photo quality, we will let you know and ask you to resubmit new photos.

Why was my submission rejected?

The most common reasons for a rejected submission are either the book has a fair market value below $50, the book features nudity or adult content, or the photos are low quality:

• The book is not in clear view or is blurry.
• Label text is blurry or illegible.
• Low or dark lighting.
• Patterned background.
• Other objects or distracting patterns or items are in the photo.
• Personal information shown in photos.
• Raw and not graded

How do I edit my listings?

Tap the Sell icon to see your current listings and tap the pencil icon to edit the price, or the trash icon to delete the book and remove it from the marketplace. If you delete a book on accident, you will have to resubmit it for approval.

Can I list my books at auction while they are listed for sale on Shortboxed?

If you put your book up for auction with any auction house, the item must be removed from Shortboxed. Listing books for sale that are up for auction violates auction house policies as well. This only applies to books that are being sold in an auction format, not direct listings.

I just received an offer. What do I do next?

When a user submits an offer on your book, you will receive an email notification to either accept, decline or send a counter-offer. Once an offer or counter-offer is accepted, the buyer will have 48 hours to complete the purchase, or the offer will expire.

You can also accept, decline and send counter-offers directly within the app. Just tap on the Sell icon and all your existing offers will be listed at the top. To accept, tap the green check icon, to decline tap the red cross-out icon, and to send a counter-offer, tap the “Counter” button.

Accepting an offer does not mean the book is sold, it simply means the user has 48 hours to check out. You may also receive other offers after already accepting an offer, or the book may sell for full price.

My book just sold. What do I do next?

Congratulations! When someone buys one of your books, you will receive an email to confirm if the book is available or unavailable/no longer for sale. To ensure the best possible experience for users, we require you to confirm the book’s availability within 24 hours of receiving the order confirmation, or the sale will be canceled. Once you confirm, the buyer’s payment gets charged and you will receive a pre-paid shipping label via email. All order confirmations come from [email protected], so please add it to your approved contacts list or check your spam folder and mark it not spam if it gets sent there.

What if a book is unavailable?

Please keep your inventory as accurate as possible! It is your responsibility as a seller to make sure your inventory is up to date. If a seller repeatedly receives orders for unavailable books, we will permanently suspend the seller account and de-list all their items.

How do I ship the items I’ve sold?

Once you receive the prepaid shipping label via email, we recommend you follow the shipping best practices below and drop it off with USPS within 3 business days (72 hours) of the order being placed. All orders are shipped via USPS Priority Mail with Signature Confirmation. Orders over $2,500 are shipped via USPS Registered Mail with Signature Confirmation and need to be dropped off with a clerk at your local USPS office.

• “Sandwich” the book using two stiff pieces of cardboard taped together.
• Wrap the book using multiple layers of bubble wrap; enough to keep it secure and tightly-fit into the box. Use additional bubble wrap, packing peanuts or newspaper to fill any gaps to ensure the book does not shift or move around inside the box. Movement causes the most damage in packages. If you shake the package and hear it moving around, then it needs more padding.
• Please note that USPS Flat Rate boxes cannot be used, since the shipping method is not Flat Rate shipping. If you need boxes for shipping, you can get free USPS Priority shipping boxes directly from USPS, which we encourage you to order ahead of time. We recommend double boxing with the Priority Mail Box 1092 inside a Priority Mail Box 1095. These are not Flat Rate boxes and USPS offices typically do not keep them in stock, so you’ll have to order them ahead of time. It sometimes can take up to two weeks to receive them.
• Print the packing list and insert it in the box, print the pre-paid shipping label, and drop off the package at your local USPS office.

What if the case gets cracked during shipping?

It is the responsibility of the seller to pack a book safely to ensure it arrives undamaged. If a seller repeatedly ships books that get damaged in transit, we will permanently suspend the seller account and de-list all their items. Please refer to the shipping best practices above to ensure all books get shipped and arrive safely without any damage.

What if the book gets lost in the mail?

To reduce the chance of a package getting lost or stolen, we recommend dropping off packages with a mail clerk at your local USPS office, instead of leaving it on your porch or in a mail room to be picked up, where it can be stolen (it does happen).

Since Shortboxed facilitates the entire payment and shipping process, we assume responsibility for shipping and require sellers to use our pre-paid shipping labels and follow our recommended packaging guidelines to ensure books arrive on time and undamaged. All orders are also fully insured, so if a package gets stolen, we will file a claim with our insurance company and will work with you, any local authorities and the post office, to meet any requirements for the claim, provided you as the seller followed our guidelines.

When and how do I get paid?

Upon successful delivery confirmation, we will send you a payment notification email. You can choose to be paid via PayPal or check. Check payments will be sent out within 7-10 days of delivery confirmation. There are no fees charged to be paid via check. PayPal payments can be sent immediately, minus a 2.9% PayPal transfer fee.