2008 Woodie Awards
College bookstores cause students grief
Jared Johnson
Issue date: 10/2/06 Section: Opinions
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As a college student, it's very likely you've dealt with the following situation: you go to the campus bookstore only to walk out hundreds of dollars poorer. With the constant increase of college tuition and the rising costs of student living, simply buying the needed books for class has become more difficult on students' and parents' bank accounts. And some bookstores make the college experience even more difficult.
Why? There is a high markup for books, new and used. Expect to pay about $20 more than the usual price for a textbook. The main trick used by avaricious college bookstores is to deem a book a 'special edition,' forcing students to purchase for fear of missing 'extra material.' This scheme sends many students prancing around the bookstore, marking down the ISBN numbers in expectations of using alternative merchants, like Amazon.com, Half.com or Textbooks.com. However, the information in the special editions is almost exactly what is contained in the book it was derived from, with the only difference being a few additional side-notes. It is very unlikely that buying the original version will result in the lack of any information needed for class.
The bookstore madness continues with the difficult buy-back process. College bookstores make it seem as if it is a privilege for students to sell back their books. I would prefer to keep my books, but there are times when I need extra cash, so selling my books may be a way to recover some of my initial cost. Yet, oftentimes the method for return follows a system of demand-if the supplier has too many books, you get paid less, or they won't take them back at all.
The most obvious problem with the buy-back process is that most of the time students lose money. For example, if the book was originally $100, the bookstore can give the student $30 and collect a $70 profit. The bookstore then turns around and sells the book again for $80. This process continues until a student decides not to sell it back or there is a new edition forged. Instead of settling for a 30-50 percent return, one can easily sign up on one of the above-mentioned sites and pick the price at which he or she wants to sell.
The headache continues with the sudden switch to a newer edition. Summer students should be extra cognizant during this time period, for this is when the college may decide to buy newer editions, rendering everyone who bought the book unable to sell it back. It would be ideal for students to be informed of this process ahead of time.
For those fed up completely, Amazon.com, Half.com and Textbooks.com are your best options. No more worries about waiting until the next paycheck to buy the needed textbook due to the very high price. By working around the bookstore system, college life and learning can become easier and more efficient.
- Page 1 of 1
Why? There is a high markup for books, new and used. Expect to pay about $20 more than the usual price for a textbook. The main trick used by avaricious college bookstores is to deem a book a 'special edition,' forcing students to purchase for fear of missing 'extra material.' This scheme sends many students prancing around the bookstore, marking down the ISBN numbers in expectations of using alternative merchants, like Amazon.com, Half.com or Textbooks.com. However, the information in the special editions is almost exactly what is contained in the book it was derived from, with the only difference being a few additional side-notes. It is very unlikely that buying the original version will result in the lack of any information needed for class.
The bookstore madness continues with the difficult buy-back process. College bookstores make it seem as if it is a privilege for students to sell back their books. I would prefer to keep my books, but there are times when I need extra cash, so selling my books may be a way to recover some of my initial cost. Yet, oftentimes the method for return follows a system of demand-if the supplier has too many books, you get paid less, or they won't take them back at all.
The most obvious problem with the buy-back process is that most of the time students lose money. For example, if the book was originally $100, the bookstore can give the student $30 and collect a $70 profit. The bookstore then turns around and sells the book again for $80. This process continues until a student decides not to sell it back or there is a new edition forged. Instead of settling for a 30-50 percent return, one can easily sign up on one of the above-mentioned sites and pick the price at which he or she wants to sell.
The headache continues with the sudden switch to a newer edition. Summer students should be extra cognizant during this time period, for this is when the college may decide to buy newer editions, rendering everyone who bought the book unable to sell it back. It would be ideal for students to be informed of this process ahead of time.
For those fed up completely, Amazon.com, Half.com and Textbooks.com are your best options. No more worries about waiting until the next paycheck to buy the needed textbook due to the very high price. By working around the bookstore system, college life and learning can become easier and more efficient.
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