Is the loaning of eBooks really legal? Isn't this the same as file sharing?
Yes, loaning of certain eBooks is legal and No, it is not the same as file sharing. The key difference between the two is that the loan status of an eBook is directly dictated by the publisher and file sharing is usually done without the publishers consent. Working with Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble, the publisher's make their eBooks available for loan under very strict rules. The actual book loaning process is handled by Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble, not by Lendink.

I am a Publisher or Author of a book on Lendink, how did you get a copy of my book?
First, let us explain up front, we do not have a copy of your book. This is actually a common misunderstanding of how Lendink functions. No book has or will be stored on any Lendink server, ever. The title of the book is entered by our members and the book information is fed to us by an automated link between Lendink and Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Our servers only store our member contact information and the basic book information such as the author, ASIN and book description. We do not even store the book cover artwork.

I found a book with incorrect information, how did this happen?
The book title is entered by our members and an automated link pulls in the details. As is with most cases involving human data entry, mistakes happen and are not caught. We can generally get the data corrected within 24 hours if you send us an email detailing the incorrect information.

Borrowing Books

Can I borrow books if I live Outside of the United States?
Unfortunately, No. Currently, Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble restrict the lending and borrowing of books to residents of the United States only. We are hopeful that they will soon change this policy and allow all to participate in these wonderful programs.

How do I borrow a book?
Once you have a found a book you would like to borrow, click on the Borrow for Kindle or Borrow for Nook buttons. At this time a email will be sent to the lender for them to lend or keep the book. If they lend you the book you will get two emails. One from LendInk telling you that you are lent the book and the other from the lender with instructions on getting the book.

Can I cancel a request to borrow?
Yes. Click on Your Library and find the book you've requested and click Cancel. The borrower will get an email telling them you've canceled the request.

I've made a request to borrow a book. How long do they have to respond?
All requests to borrow a book expire in 48 hours. If you don't receive a response you will be given one credit back and are free to find the book from someone else.

How many books can I borrow at once?
You can request and borrow up to 3 books at once. Once you request a book you will be deducted one credit. Once the request is either canceled, rejected or the book is read and returned you will get one credit back.

Why do you cap the number of books I can borrow?
We do this to limit abuse in the system. Realistically, you can only read a few books at once since in most cases you only have 14 days. If you finish reading them early simply click Return from your library and you will get one credit back.

Do I get the book from LendInk?
No. LendInk simply matches lenders and borrowers together. The actual lending happens through Amazon, Barnes and Noble or email depending on the eBook format.

Do the credits cost anything?
No, credits on Lendink never cost anything. They are simply there to allow us to track how many loaned books you are borrowing at any one time. We cap the number to 3 credits in an attempt to reduce the chance of abuse.

Lending Books

How do I post a book to lend?
It's quite easy. Login to your account and click on Add Book. Enter in the information about the book and a short description or review. We will attempt to pull the cover artwork based on the title. Indicate what type of eBook it is and if you can lend it multiple times. Click Save and the book will be shown for others to request.

I've received a request to borrow my book. Now what?
From your email you can now decide if you would like to keep or loan the book. Click on either link within the email to finish the request. If you decide to lend the book you will be taken to a page where you will see borrowers name and email. You will then finish by lending the book through either Amazon, Barnes and Noble or email.

Can I add any type of book to LendInk?
You can only add books that you have the legal right to lend. We do not accept illegal copies of books for others to borrow. For more information please read our Terms of Service.

Do I have to loan books in order to use Lendink?
At this time no, but we do ask that if you borrow a book you also loan a book. Lendink relies on its members active participation in order to successfully work. If we start receiving complaints of abuse, we will have to make loaning books a requirement to borrowing.

Can I pay for additional credits?
No, we do not sell credits as we feel this crosses a line in which we would have to pay royalties to the publisher or authors. We are aware of some services that allow you to purchase credits to borrow books and this is fine for them. For us, we would like to stay online for the long term and don't want to cross this line.

Can Lendink automatically add books from my Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble account?
No, this would require scripting that would violate the API rules of both Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.

How many times can I loan an eBook?
This is entirely up to the eBook publisher. Lendink has no control over this. In most cases, the eBook is only eligible to be loaned once. We are hopeful that the Publishers will realize the benfits of allowing eBooks to be loaned and remove these rather unfair restrictions. We encourage our members to write to Amazon and Barnes and Nobels to express your desire to have this restriction modified.

Returning Books

Can I return a book early?
Yes. From Your Library click Return for the book you are done reading. You will get a credit back.

What happens at the end of the 14 day lending period
At this time your book will automatically be returned and you will be given one credit back.

Your Account

How do I change my password
Click on Profile from the top menu and click on Change My Password.

What information do you share with others?
When your request to borrow a book is accepted your name and email address is shared with the lender. This is the only time we will show your email address.

Reading Platforms

Can I only read these books if I have a Kindle or Nook eReader?
No, you actually do not have to own a Kindle or Nook eReader in order to enjoy eBooks from Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble. Both Amazon and Barnes and Noble have reader applications for the iPad, iPodtouch, iPhone, Android, PC and Mac.

My question isn't here?

No problem.
Contact us at contact@lendink.com