E-BOOK FAQs

What is an e-book?
e-books are digital files of books specially designed to be read on electronic devices. They contain all of the same content as the print edition.

Is it safe to download e-books?
Yes. You will not download a computer virus or any other malicious file when you download eBooks from Oxford.

How to purchase an e-book
You can purchase your e-book in ePub or ePDF format that works on most devices. Once you have purchased the eBook you will receive a link to download the eBook immediately. The download will open in VitalSource. Visit VitalSource to download the software.

How long will it take to download an e-book?
The download time depends on the size of the eBook you order and the speed of your Internet connection. Download times for an average-sized eBook vary between 10 seconds and 2 minutes.

What is the difference between an ePDF and an ePub?
In ePDF documents, the page layout is fixed. Text and pictures do not move. The zoom buttons will zoom in or out on the entire page. ePub documents reflow their text and pictures to fit your screen size. The zoom buttons will increase or decrease font size, and the text and pictures reflow accordingly.

Can I read my e-book on Kindle?
Only if the e-book was purchased on amazon.com. 

Can I read my e-book on an iPad?
Yes, you first need to download an e-reading App such as Bluefire Reader.

What browser will my e-book run on?
OUP e-books are expected to work on any device supporting modern mainstream browsers, IE 8 and above, Firefox 5 and above, Chrome (release not older than 1 year) and Safari. If Flash (version at least 9) is present, more functionality is available.

Can I download e-books onto my hand held device?
In most cases, yes. This does depend on which operating system your hand held device is running however, as different e-book formats are compatible with different operating systems.

How do I open my e-book?
To save an e-book to your PC, right-click on the link and select Save Target As (in Internet Explorer) or Save Link As (in Netscape). To access the saved file: if you are using Windows, double-click on the file, which will be opened in your web browser; if you are using Mac, drag the file icon into a browser window. With a full licence, you will not need to connect to the Internet again unless you wish to move your license to another computer.

Do I have to be online to view my e-book?
You need to be online in order to retrieve licenses initially if you have purchased a license. Once you have downloaded the e-book file onto your computer or device you can view the e-Book offline.

What can I do if my license is stuck on a different PC?
You need to de-authorise the license on the PC.

What can I do if I've lost my laptop or my PC hard drive has crashed? 
You can authorise your new computer using your existing Adobe ID.

When will I receive my products after paying?
If your order contains a digital-only product, such as an e-book or Access Code, you can access these products immediately after you have purchased them. A download link or Access Code will be sent to your registered email address.
If you order a print product which also includes a digital product (for example, a book which includes an Access Code or an Access Code Card), the product will be dispatched by courier, and you will not be able to access the digital product until you receive your book.
Can I order e-books by phone?
No, only via our website

Payment methods
Payment can be made using a Visa or MasterCard.

Do I have to pay delivery charges for e-books? What about taxes?
You do not have to pay delivery charges for eBooks. However VAT is payable on digitally downloaded products if purchased within South Africa and already included in the price shown on the site. For purchases outside South Africa, VAT will be deducted.

Can I order multiple copies of the same e-book at once?
Yes you can order multiple e-books at one time. You will receive links to each e-book in the confirmation email your receive from us.

What is the return policy for e-books?
All e-books are non-returnable.

Can I print and copy my e-books?
No

Once I have purchased my e-book, will it always be available?
Yes, once you have purchased the e-book it is yours. Most formats allow you to download the title as many times as you like however, Adobe format e-books have a license which enables you to download three times. If you need to download your e-book again and you are receiving an error message indicating that you have used all of your licenses, please contact our Support Staff who will be happy to reset this license for you.

What if I delete the email with my download link in it?
You can access the e-book download link again either by following the instructions on the confirmation email you receive from Oxford University Press.

Why can I not see all the e-books I have ordered?
Each subject that you have ordered will require a separate username and password.
Login details for each subject will be emailed to you separately, with each email detailing the e-books for which the username and password gives access. It also may be possible that your order has not yet been processed. You should receive your login details within 3 working days from when you placed the order.

Should the above not have answered your questions, please contact us:
Customer Services Team
Telephone: 021 596 2300
Email: oxford.za@oup.com