Lonely Planet Shop
ONLINE HELP: Shop Terms & FAQs
ORDERING
Searching for products
Adding items to your Shopping Cart
How the checkout works
Pre-orders & backorders
Changing/cancelling orders
PROMOTIONAL CODES & SPECIAL OFFERS
Promotional codes and how to use them
Things you need to know about promotional codes
Bonus offers
PAYMENT
What forms of payment does Lonely Planet accept?
Credit card Verification Codes
Maestro cards temporarily not accepted
How safe is it to use credit cards on Online Shop?
International transaction charges on your credit card statement
International Sales Taxes
DELIVERY
Pre-order & backorder items
Shipping charges
FedEx Brokerage Fees
How long will your order take to arrive?
Tracking your order
Return to sender & lost parcels
RETURNS POLICY
Damaged or defective products
Oh dear! You’re unhappy with your Online Shop purchase
GUIDEBOOK PACKS
What are they and what makes them so damn good?
Can you make your own Guidebook Pack?
How much does it cost to ship your Guidebook Pack?
DIGITAL PRODUCTS (GENERAL)
What types of digital products are available and how do they work?
Any special equipment needed to use these products?
What about limited editions?
Having trouble opening your file?
Can you send digital products to a few of your mates?
Buying digital products as a gift
PICK & MIX DIGITAL CHAPTERS
What's Pick & Mix?
How do you download a Pick & Mix chapter?
You're having trouble downloading a Pick & Mix chapter. What should you do?
If you're using the Safari browser on a Mac, your attention please...
A tip about printing your chapters
Pick & Mix pricing structure. Buy more, save more
Will Pick & Mix chapters work on a phone, an iPod, or handheld device?
Are there any restrictions or limits to accessing your Pick & Mix chapters?
GENERAL INFORMATION
When are new editions of Lonely Planet guidebooks published?
www.lonelyplanet.com/upgrades (RIP)
Having trouble adding items to your Shopping Cart?
About your privacy
Feedback
ORDERING
Searching for products
You can browse by product, by region, or search by simply typing in a word or place into the search box at the top of the page.
Adding items to your Shopping Cart
Placing an order on Lonely Planet Online Shop is easy! The first step is to tell us what part of the world you’re from. You’ll see a “Deliver to” option just below the Checkout button to the right of the product image. This will also convert the currency depending on which Lonely Planet warehouse is closest to you.
Once you have found something to buy, simply click on the Add to Cart button, and the item will be added to your Shopping Cart. If you haven’t finished shopping, click on Continue Shopping.
When you’ve finished shopping, if you’re lucky enough to have a special promotional code, make sure you enter it on this page. When you are happy with your selection(s) and are ready to pay, click on Proceed to Checkout.
How the checkout works
STEP 1: Your Details
First, complete both the Billing Address and Delivery Address fields. Your Billing Address (home/work details) is how we’ll contact you about your order (if we need to). Your Shipping Address is the address to which you want your order delivered. They may be the same or they may be different - either way, please review this information carefully before submitting to avoid problems or delays with your order.
Next, select your preferred Shipping Method: Goods can be sent via standard mail (ie by land/airmail) or express delivery (eg. by Fedex) and applicable charges are displayed here. (See the Delivery section below for more information.)
Finally, you can opt-in to receiving information and updates from Lonely Planet, or Comet, our monthly e‑newsletter. You can opt‑in to either, neither or both – it’s entirely up to you.
STEP 2: Payment
First up, review the details of your order. Have you given us the right addresses? Have you selected the exact items you want? Do you have a promotional code that you’d like to use? If any of these details are incorrect, just click back to the Shopping Cart and start again.
Once you’re ready to pay, enter your credit card details, including the verification code (also known as the CVC). For Visa and MasterCard, these are the last 3 numbers as they appear on the signature panel on the back of the card. For American Express, it is the 3 or 4 digit number that appears on the front of the card. (See the Payment section below for more information on payment options.) All done? Click Make Payment.
STEP 3: Order Confirmation
Confirm your order details on this page. Once your order has been accepted and payment approved, we will send you confirmation by email. You can also print out the order confirmation screen for your records.
Pre-orders & backorders
Generally speaking, our guide books are reviewed, and updated editions published, once every two years or so (there are some exceptions). These titles will be made available for pre-order up to one month before their release date. Sometimes, for reasons beyond our control, the arrival of these new books can be delayed for short periods. We're as excited to get our hands on the new books as you are, so rest assured that we will get your order out to you as soon as possible!
If a title has a backorder status on the site, this simply means that we are out of stock in the warehouse but expecting more to arrive soon. Go ahead and place your order and we'll ship it out as soon as stock is available.
You will not be charged for your pre-order or backorder until the stock leaves our warehouse.
Changing/cancelling orders
If you have made a mistake with your order you’ll need to call your nearest Lonely Planet office as soon as possible – click here for contact details. We'll do everything we can to fix the problem, but please understand that your order may have already left the warehouse. If this is the case, your purchase can be returned or exchanged as per our returns policy.
PROMOTIONAL CODES & SPECIAL OFFERS
Promotional codes and how to use them
Promotional codes are like digital coupons. If you receive a promotional code from Lonely Planet or one of our partners, it means you'll score a discount or a special gift with your next purchase from our Online Shop.
If you received a promotional code through a print, e-mail or online promotion, simply enter the code on the Shopping Cart page (before you proceed to Checkout). When entering your promotional code, make sure it’s exactly as it appears in the offer, including upper and lower case letters.
Things you need to know about promotional codes
- Lonely Planet promotional codes can only be used at the time of order and are only valid on our Online Shop.
- They cannot be used towards payment after you’ve submitted and paid for your order. If you forgot to use your code, then you can either use it on your next order or give it to a friend.
- Promotional codes are not valid with other offers or promotions and you can't use more than one promotional code for a single order.
- Each promotional code can only be used once, unless otherwise stated.
- Promotional codes can’t be used to buy goods that are already discounted (such as Guidebook Packs), unless otherwise stated.
- You don’t need to have a customer account to use a promotional code.
- Promotional codes are only valid for a limited time and expire on the date specified in the offer.
- Promotional code discounts don’t apply to delivery charges unless specified.
- Promotional codes can’t be used towards the purchase of any 3rd party or digital products unless specified.
Bonus offers
These are the freebies or discounts that we promote on the site as often as we can. Sometimes it’s a free t-shirt, a book, or even a discount you can use anywhere on the Online Shop (we like to keep things interesting after all). No codes are required here – just do what you need to do to qualify, and the offer appears in your Shopping Cart automatically.
Just remember, we like to spread the love, so unfortunately these offers will not work together with promotional codes, so you’ll need to pick one or the other. Offers apply for a limited time and are subject to availability, so get in while the going’s good!
PAYMENT
What forms of payment does Lonely Planet accept?
We accept the following credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Visa Electron, Eurocard, Maestro and Solo (UK only).
Credit card Verification Codes
The Card Verification Code (or CVC) is a number that appears on your credit card, and we request it so that we can verify that the person placing the order has direct access to the credit card being used.
For Visa and Mastercard, this is the last 3 numbers as they appear on the signature panel on the back of the card.
For American Express, it is the 4 digit number that appears in the top right corner on the front of the card.
Maestro Cards temporarily not accepted
Current upgrades to our payment gateway mean we are temporarily unable to accept payments using Maestro Cards. We apologise for the inconvenience and ask that you use another card to complete payment - Lonely Planet also accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Visa Delta. If you do not have another card at hand, please call our UK Customer Support Team on +44 207 106 2167 between 10am - 4pm (Monday to Friday) and we'll arrange payment over the phone.
How safe is it to use credit cards on Online Shop?
We’ve made it as safe as we can. When you make a purchase via our Online Shop you are transacting via a secure server, which means your credit card and personal details are encrypted before being sent over the internet. Your card details are removed from our online server a matter of seconds after they arrive and then stored on a separate secure server which is not accessible via the internet.
International transaction charges on your credit card statement
In around 2005, both VISA and MasterCard introduced an International Service Charge for cross border transactions (i.e. where merchant and shopper are in different countries). All transactions submitted through the Lonely Planet online shop are processed centrally in the UK, so all orders placed outside this region may be subject to these charges depending on the credit card issuer. Please note that not all card issuers have implemented this charge, and the amount of the fee is subjective (between 1-3% of the purchase total). Lonely Planet does not take receipt of these fees, and therefore we are unable to refund any amount of them.
International Sales Taxes
Depending on where you are in the world, your internet order may be subject to a sales tax that is calculated up-front as part of your purchase. However, delivery to some regions may incur a customs/sales tax that is payable on delivery of the goods. Please be aware that Lonely Planet do not receive any amount of these additional taxes. So far we've learned that these areas include parts of Central & South America, Canada and Mexico, so if you're located in these areas check out the local tax laws before placing your order. If you aren't sure, contact us and we'll do our best to help out where we can. Being aware of your local sales tax legislation is the responsibility of the consumer, and we are unable to refund any amount charged at the point of delivery.
DELIVERY
Pre-order & backorder items
Items in stock are shipped immediately. If any of the items in your order are not in stock (ie. on pre-order or backorder), we'll wait until they have all arrived and send all items out in the one parcel. We will only charge your card for the goods once they have been dispatched.
Shipping charges
Lonely Planet distributes your orders from 3 major warehouses across the globe - Melbourne (Australia), London (UK) and Oakland (California, USA). Shipping charges from these locations are based on weight and distance and costs are made clear before you finalise your purchase. Remember, Free Shipping applies to orders over UK£25 / US$40 / AU$60 / EU€40!
FedEx Brokerage Fees
When you have something shipped from the US to Canada, Central & South America, you're essentially hiring FedEx to represent you to bring goods across the border. The brokerage fees are usually a percentage of the shipment's value or a minimum fee. These may be requested up front when you sign for the goods, if not Fedex will send you an invoice in the mail. Lonely Planet receives no part of these funds and therefore cannot provide a refund on the costs incurred.
How long will your order take to arrive?
Most orders sent via standard mail to metropolitan areas within the UK, Australia and the US will arrive within 3 - 7 business days after dispatch. Please allow extra time for delivery to regional & remote areas, and those places where your order travels by standard sea/air.
Orders sent by express delivery will only be dispatched same day from our Australian and US warehouses if they are placed before midday. If you're in a hurry, check the time zone of the Lonely Planet warehouse closest to you before placing an order - it will be either Melbourne (Australia), London (UK) or San Francisco (US). Unfortunately we do not offer express delivery from our London offices to countries in Europe, Middle East and Africa at this time.
Due to inconsistent postal standards around the globe we are unable to guarantee delivery times on standard mail parcels. We do understand that you may be hitting the road soon, but goods cannot be reshipped at Lonely Planet's expense until the situation has been thoroughly investigated with our couriers. We work closely with all our couriers to make sure all issues are resolved as quickly as possible, so if time is a pressing factor, you may choose to place and pay for a new order. In the event your original order is deemed lost, Lonely Planet will refund the cost of the original order.
Tracking your order
Only parcels sent via express delivery can be tracked and traced. If we are shipping your order to the Americas or the Caribbean using FedEx, simply email us and we can send you your tracking number. You can then track your order through the FedEx website.
Return to sender & lost parcels
The shipping address details you provide are the exact ones we put on the label, so it’s really important that you enter them correctly. If your parcel is taking longer than expected to arrive, the first thing to do is check at your local post office. If you have addressed the parcel delivered to your work, check with everyone in reception or your company mailroom. If you have no luck there, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
If your parcel is returned to us, we will get in touch with you straight away. If you supplied us with the complete and correct delivery address, we will resend the parcel free of charge via the standard shipping method only. We are happy to arrange the resending of your parcel by an express postal service, but please be aware that the additional costs are to be covered by the customer.
If the Shipping Address details you provided are incorrect or incomplete in any way, we may have to bill you for an additional freight charge. Lonely Planet does not take responsibility for parcels that are incorrectly or insufficiently addressed, but we will do whatever we can to recover the parcel on your behalf.
Due to inconsistent postal standards across the world, Lonely Planet are unable to provide a delivery guarantee on parcels delivered by standard (i.e. non-trackable) methods. Where your provide the option to have your parcel(s) shipped via methods which can be tracked and traced. We strongly recommend that our customers take up this option
RETURNS POLICY
Damaged or defective products
If a product you’ve purchased from our Online Shop is defective in any way or has been damaged prior to reaching it’s destination, please contact us straight away and we will either refund you in full or send you a replacement product.
Oh dear! You’re unhappy with your Online Shop purchase
If you’re unhappy with your purchase (other than where the product is damaged or defective), you must contact us within 30 days of receiving your goods. We will review your request and do our best to respond within 3 working days. Where a return is authorised, please note that the goods must be returned to Lonely Planet at the purchasers expense, and any refund amount will exclude delivery charges.
GUIDEBOOK PACKS
What are they and what makes them so damn good?
First and foremost, we put these packs together so that you can get the most out of your trip, but they are also designed to save you a few extra bucks. Each pack pulls together a fantastic collection of Lonely Planet titles according various themes like region, special interests (walking & hiking) or local cuisine. Browse our complete list of tried and true Guidebook Packs and save 20% off the RRP.
Can you make your own Guidebook Pack?
Our team is working hard to make this option available, but for the time being Guidebook Packs are only available as they appear on the site. But you can trust us: we have selected the BEST books for you!
How much does it cost to ship your Guidebook Pack?
This will vary depending on how you choose to ship it, but the shipping fees are based on the number of items in the Guidebook Pack. In other words, when you order a pack including three books, we calculate shipping as if you were ordering three separate books.
DIGITAL PRODUCTS (GENERAL)
We’ve been busy creating all sorts of Digital Products for your purchasing pleasure. Buy these on the site just as you would a regular book, and at the end of the checkout you can simply click to download.
What types of digital products are available and how do they work?
Mp3 and PDF files are currently available to purchase via our Online Shop. An Mp3 is an audio file which can be listened to. We recommend that you only purchase these if you intend to use them on an mp3 player that has a monitor as these language-learning files include spoken and written words.
PDFs are easy-to-download printable files. They are most suitable for colour printing only and on-screen computer use. You will need Base Tech Adobe 6 at least to download these PDFs.
Any special equipment needed to use these products?
Different products require you to have different software (such as Adobe Reader) or different devices (such as an Mp3 player or an iPod) to enable you to use the product. Each product description contains specifications which tells you what you need to be able to use the product. It’s up to you to make sure you have the necessary software and equipment.
What about limited editions?
Oh yeah. From time to time there will be Special Guides available that will relate to specific events such as festivals or major sporting events. These are perfect downloads for travellers on the road who might be landing in town during some such happening. These guides are limited editions in that they are time-sensitive and seasonal and won't continue to be available after the event has passed.
Having trouble opening your file?
If you have downloaded a file and just cannot open it or if you have any product-related queries, please contact us.
Can you send digital products to a few of your mates?
No, you can’t send it on to your nearest and dearest! Digital products are protected by the same copyright that applies to books. But sending it on is not only against the law, it’s not a very nice thing to do to us. You can download a maximum of 5 copies of each digital product you buy. And it’s fine by us to store your digital product on up to 5 devices (eg your PC, PDA, laptop etc). Lonely Planet reserves all rights to its digital content and no part of these products may be copied, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise (except as permitted here), without the written permission of the publisher. This means don’t copy or transmit your digital product (except as allowed above). If you like us, love that we do this kind of stuff, and want to support us, please make sure you do the right thing by us.
Buying digital products as a gift
If you're buying digital products as a gift, we recommend placing the order under your own name, and you will receive a confirmation email which contains the download link. Simply copy and paste this link into your personalised email and you're in business!
PICK & MIX DIGITAL CHAPTERS
What's Pick & Mix?
Over the years many travellers have told us they'd like to take just the parts of our books they really want and need. We've thought about how best to do this, and are happy to present our first foray into the world of Pick & Mix. Pick & Mix is just that - you can buy, download and print the individual chapters you need in digital (PDF) format. To start, we've (digitally) chopped up all of our guidebooks on North America, South America, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean. We plan to do the same for the rest of our guides, but this is a new idea for us, so we'd like to try it first and see how it goes. We don't expect to get everything right first up, so if you have any feedback we'd love to hear it.
How do you download a Pick & Mix chapter?
Pick & Mix chapters come as downloadable PDF files, a format which many web browsers can open automatically. If you're not sure whether your machine can view PDFs, try downloading one of the free chapters as a test (example). If it doesn't open, you'll need to download Adobe Reader software, available from Adobe for free.
On your order confirmation screen you'll see a link to your download page. Clicking these links activates the download; you can open a chapter directly, or save it to your computer. You'll also receive a confirmation email with a link to the download screen. You can download each chapter five times, and remember, some files can be up to 5MB in size, so they may take a little time to download.
You're having trouble downloading a Pick & Mix chapter. What should you do?
Try downloading the chapter onto your desktop, then double-clicking it on your desktop. Certain web browsers have trouble opening PDF files (not just our PDFs, by the way), and opening it from the desktop often gets around this problem.
If that doesn't work, try downloading the file in a different web browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Netscape, etc) , if you have one available. If this doesn't do the trick, contact customer service with your order number and system details (ie. what kind of computer and web browser you are using). If possible, don't use all of your 5 downloads – it will be much easier and quicker to help if you have a few downloads left
If you're using the Safari browser on a Mac, your attention please...
When the file is downloaded using Safari, it might incorrectly add the extension .html at the end of the file name, which causes the chapter to open as gobbledygook (a technical term). One of the two solutions above generally resolves the problem. If not, here's another option: download the file to your desktop, then rename or edit the filename to remove the .html extension. In other words, change filename.pdf.html to filename.pdf. The chapter should then open normally. Again, if you are still having trouble, contact customer service and we'll get onto it right away.
A tip about printing your chapters.
The settings on our PDF files will allow you to print chapters out at a good and legible resolution. For copyright reasons we are unable to provide the password-triggered high resolution printing option, but if you have any queries or difficulties please don't hesitate to contact us.
Pick & Mix pricing structure. Buy more, save more.
The price of a chapter is determined by the price of the book it comes from, and the length of the chapter. In other words, longer chapters cost more than shorter ones, but most fall within the US$2-5 range. Buy 3 or 4 chapters and save 20%. Buy 5 or more chapters and save 35%. Please note that these discounts will only apply to the Pick & Mix chapters and excludes physical and other digital Lonely Planet products in Your Cart.
Will Pick & Mix chapters work on a phone, an iPod, or handheld device?
Any device that can view PDF files should be able to handle Pick & Mix chapters.
If you are having trouble, please contact customer service.
Are there any restrictions or limits to accessing your Pick & Mix chapters?
To make them easier to use, access to Pick & Mix chapters is not digitally restricted. You can download each chapter up to 5 times, and printing is unlimited. In return, we think it's fair to ask you to use it only for personal, non-commercial purposes.
Pick & Mix chapters contain a tool (which you'll see as a dialog box that appears when you open your file) that allows us to track when and where each chapter is opened and printed. This may involve your computer sending your IP address back to Lonely Planet. Don't worry, we're not going to do evil cyberspace things with this information! It will only be used to track when you open, print and save your Pick & Mix chapter, and will help us to understand how Pick & Mix files are being used. You can block the tracking mechanism by clicking 'stop' on the dialog box.
GENERAL
When are new editions of Lonely Planet guidebooks published?
Generally speaking, our guide books are reviewed and updated editions published every two years or so (there are some exceptions). All publishing dates for the current editions appear in the product information, so this may be of some help. It’s also a good idea to check the Coming Soon/Hot Off the Press section, but if you don’t have any luck you can always contact us and we might be able to give you the inside word.
www.lonelyplanet.com/upgrades (RIP)
In the past, some of our activity books have directed travellers to www.lonelyplanet.com/upgrades for new and updated information. This service has been temporarily deactivated, but keep your eye on our new digital department for some exciting new developments.
Having trouble adding items to your Shopping Cart?
Like many websites, Lonely Planet uses “cookies”. Think of these as little ID cards that help you make your internet purchase with a minimum of fuss. Cookies can remember your name when you log-in to your account, switch you to the correct currency or, importantly, they remember what items you have added to your Shopping Cart as you browse the store. For this reason you need to have cookies turned on when using our Online Shop.
We do not match cookies to your registration details (if you are registered with us) and we do not use cookies to track your movements after leaving this website. Most browsers allow you to turn cookies on and off, and the help menu on your browser should tell you how. Remember, switching off cookies will restrict your use of our website.
About your privacy
Sleep easy, we will not sell your contact details to marketing companies for spamming! But we may disclose information about you to business partners who help us provide these services, such as credit card payment processing companies, and other companies in the Lonely Planet family. When ordering online, you may choose to set up a customer account with us. You can access and change the information we hold about you in your account at any time. If you'd like to find out more, please read our privacy policy.
Feedback
Whether you want to blast us or bless us, ask what happened to your book order or join our team, this is the place to start – contact us.
