ANSLEY ZECCKINE
The Corsair
Forty percent—that’s about how much a student can save by buying “The Bedford Handbook” (a text required for English composition classes) online instead of buying it in a bookstore.
Students planning to take Elements of Nutrition to fulfill their science requirement can save about $60 on their required text, just by purchasing it online instead.
The cost of textbooks has been rising about 19 percent nationally from 2003-2007, according to the Florida Board of Governors, the governing body over the Florida public universities.
Students want a way to drive down textbook costs, and online shopping offers the benefit of lower prices; however, there are other advantages and some disadvantages that come with buying new and used textbooks off the Web.
How bad are shipping costs, and what about tax?
The cost to ship a textbook purchased on the Internet under the cheapest shipping method is usually under $5. Free shipping deals aren’t that hard to come by either, especially when using sites that host a number of sellers, like amazon.com.
What’s more, most online sellers don’t charge tax, resulting in more gross savings.
Sites such as bigwords.com specialize in compiling search results from online textbook stores and show pricing and shipping costs right on the screen.
Finding a great deal is as easy as scrolling down the list, as long as the students know what they’re looking for.
Representatives from local bookstores suggest that students obtain enough information about the textbooks and any additional materials required for classes so that they can be sure they’re making the right purchases. The title, author, and edition number of a text are one of the ways to identify a book.
The International Standard Book Number, or ISBN, can also be used to identify a title, down to its specific edition or revision, according to isbn.org. This number is located on the back of the book, just above the barcode, and also on the copyright page.
Custom edition textbooks, such as “College Algebra Pensacola Junior College Edition,” can be nearly impossible to find when searching online stores.
Incidentally, this particular text is among the top three most-wanted books that Follett’s PJC Bookstore is buying back from students.
What if I accidentally order the wrong book, or the seller sends me the wrong one?
It’s not likely that an associate from Lemox Book Co. or Follett’s PJC Bookstore will sell the wrong book to a student, but they do offer quick and easy returns or exchanges as a bonus.
On the other hand, returns to online sellers will be a matter of inconvenience and waiting. The student will likely have to pay the shipping costs involved with the returned book.
Amazon.com provides information for obtaining refunds on merchandise bought through its store. The returns policy says, “You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. We’ll also pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error.”
Will I get my books in time?
A new state regulation deals with making textbooks more affordable to students, and it requires that information on all required textbooks for classes be posted on university Web sites 30 days before classes begin. As a result, students have time to comparison-shop online and have their books shipped before the start of their classes.
In addition, the regulation makes it possible for students to obtain textbooks before they actually receive their financial aid, and provides a way to make textbooks available to students who cannot afford them.
If I buy used books online, how can I know what I’m getting?
Ed Lemox, owner of Lemox Book Co., said with regards to buying used textbooks online, “It’s just like anything else you buy online; you can’t touch it or feel it. You just have to be aware when you’re shopping online to make sure you’re getting the right thing.”
However, buying used textbooks online isn’t necessarily a total shot in the dark.
Students can look at seller ratings and see how long they’ve been in business; with this information it’s easy to tell if a true retailer is selling the text or if an individual is trying to get rid of theirs. If seller ratings are high and there are a lot of ratings, then they can probably be trusted.
With the costs of textbooks rising students are paying about $900 per year for their books, according the Florida Board of Governors.
Fortunately, many students have realized how much they can save by taking time to comparison-shop online instead of heading to the same bookstores every semester.