| Guaranteed textbook buy back programs have | | | | textbooks you can sell for something, you probably |
| sprung up all over, online and off. You just have to | | | | know how much, and you save time. Cool. You get |
| keep an eye open for the right books. You know | | | | cheap textbooks and cash back. |
| what textbook buy back is - wait in line, offer the | | | | Online and On Campus Differences |
| university cashier your used textbook and hope they | | | | Textbook buy back will be a bit different online and |
| give you something other than loose change for it. | | | | on campus. You will have to ship for an online |
| But now you can get guaranteed textbook buy back. | | | | bookstore, but not on campus. And you will have to |
| The store will tell you what they will pay you for | | | | wait for the online bookstore to acknowledge your |
| your book when you buy it, and you avoid the | | | | books. On the other hand, an online store may have |
| problems of keeping a book you don't need after the | | | | a wider variety of books with a guarantee. You may |
| class is finished. | | | | also be able to return the books earlier than at the |
| Does This Work for Used Textbooks? | | | | bookstore. Also, I have seen online bookstores |
| Even used textbooks can also be guaranteed. The | | | | provide the postage for you, so you just drop it in |
| department and the professors at your school have | | | | the mail. |
| to using the book for a few years, then the store | | | | On the other hand, your on campus bookstore will be |
| will offer a guarantee on that book. Online stores use | | | | close by, no waiting for a check. They will give you |
| a slightly different method, but the result is the same | | | | cash, and hopefully the line will be short. |
| - if they see significant and continuing usage of the | | | | Both will decide if the books have been damaged |
| book, they can offer a guarantee for a used book, | | | | before they pay - severe damage invalidates the |
| too. | | | | guarantee. Don't drop it in a lake, or clip out the |
| The Numbers | | | | pages you like. Some wear is normal, some writing, |
| This breakdown won't be perfect, but you will get an | | | | some highlighting. You have to have all the pieces - all |
| idea of how these programs work. When a college or | | | | the pages, and any disks or student workbooks if |
| an online bookstore offers a guaranteed textbook | | | | included when you bought the book. |
| buy back on a new book, they will often promise | | | | Go For It |
| you 50 percent of the book price you paid at the | | | | You can't expect to get all your textbooks cheap. I |
| beginning of the class. Then, they will add half of that | | | | managed to do it in several classes, and even made |
| when they resell it used, a total of about 75 percent | | | | money on one book. But over a full term of classes |
| of your price. | | | | or a year, you have to expect to spend some |
| Used textbooks will work similarly but with slightly | | | | money. In those cases, the guaranteed textbook buy |
| different numbers. You may get a higher percentage | | | | back fills the bill, and helps reduce your expenses. |
| for your used book, say two thirds of what you paid. | | | | Maybe you'll even have money for a First Run movie |
| If you have access to a guaranteed textbook buy | | | | ticket - with popcorn! |
| back, you get a pretty good deal. You know which | | | | |