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Can I Get A Refund Under Kobo'S Return Policy?

2026-03-30 14:53:47
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5 Answers

Riley
Riley
Last year I accidentally bought the wrong ebook from Kobo. Their refund policy isn’t as easy to follow as some other ebook stores, but after some digging I found out that for unwanted purchases you can ask for a refund within 14 days of the purchase, as long as you haven’t yet downloaded the content. I emailed Kobo’s support team explaining my error and they promptly dealt with my request. After that it gets more complicated – they’ll only consider a refund for some technical issues with an ebook (e.g. it won’t open), but no such luck with audiobooks (e.g. poor sound quality) – and here their policy differs from that for ebooks.

What I find interesting is that audiobooks are treated a bit differently, in that apparently there is more flexibility with respect to poor playback for instance. As I said above though, it’s always best to contact Kobo’s customer service team directly and ask. You’ll just need to have the relevant order details to hand. They’re very helpful!
2026-03-31
Noah
Noah
I experience Kobo more as a publisher driven store than consumer friendly. (So different from physical book stores where returns are no problem even after long time – as opposed to downloads being a final sale for most e-books). But, yes, I was able to get a partial refund for an e-book where some of the chapters were unusable – after attaching some screenshots proving the issue. The support team seems to treat verified problems over verified problems + some arbitrary complaints.
2026-04-01
Bradley
Bradley
Kobo’s refund policy is sort of in the middle in terms of digital books, as opposed to video games on Steam for example. While not allowing returns of games without a question being asked, Kobo does require an explanation for returns and states in their FAQ that refunds are “evaluated on a case by case basis” which I understand to mean be polite and explain. Recently for example my friend received a refund for a duplicate purchase that he stated was caused by a gift being added to his account as well. A tip here: check the status of your download/purchase as soon as possible as this is the point of returnatched to a refund.
2026-04-02
Lila
Lila
In reading through Kobo’s return policy I found it’s one of those ‘read the fine print’ kind of deals. I just found out that the manga I bought in a two volume deal actually had VERY POOR translation, and after working with their team I managed to get store credit for the volume instead of a full return and having it sent back to me in cash. The credit will be good for future purchases however, and I can use it to buy a better translated version of the volume. Note that if you are looking to return books, prompt return and a valid reason for return (‘changed my mind’ isn’t a good enough reason after you’ve downloaded the book) are key.
2026-04-03
Owen
Owen
I have used Kobo's system a few times and it really depends on the content type and issue you have. Ebooks are almost impossible to get a refund for once they have been downloaded unless they are defective. Audiobooks are slightly better and you may be able to get a refund if you can provide proof of playback problems with your audiobook. I managed to get a full refund for a novel that kept crashing on my app but it took 3 days of back and forth emails. The customer service form is buried somewhere on the Kobo website so I have bookmarked it just in case.
2026-04-03

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