F....College Textbooks

Now I thought the textbook industry was always a big FU to us students, but this takes the cake....

I took a winter class so I could graduate this May. I bought it two weeks ago for 115 dollars...ONE HUNDRED FIFTEEN DOLLARS. I finished up the class, and went to return the book today in a buyback, so that they could have the book since I had no use for it anymore and they wanted to give me....

FOURTEEN DOLLARS. 14. FOURTEEN!!! I then asked how much they were selling the used copies for now, and he said 115. So I told him i'd rather have it sit on my shelf and rot than you guys make 100 dolalrs off me.

Unreal.

I hate when they say "We're not buying this book back, but if you just want to give it to us, we'll take it". Right. I'll just give you something you'll ship to another school and sell for $100. :angry-smi

Same exact thing happened to me while I was in college. I remember buying an Astronomy book for $114.99 and when the semester was done I wanted to sell it. They told me a new edition was coming out soon but they would be willing to buy it back for $5. I was enraged, I told them I would rather give the book away to a friend or keep it than sell it for $5! Needless to say, I kept the book and I enjoy reading it now and then.

A big FU goes out the the publishing industry. They certainly know how to frisk college students. I have even heard that publishers smooch university employees responsible for choosing and procuring books pharmaceutical industry style. What's even more amazing is that professors are willing to change to new editions of books even though there were no significant changes.

Same exact thing happened to me while I was in college. I remember buying an Astronomy book for $114.99 and when the semester was done I wanted to sell it. They told me a new addition was coming out soon but they would be willing to buy it back for $5. I was enraged, I told them I would rather give the book away to a friend or keep it than sell it for $5! Needless to say, I kept the book and I enjoy reading it now and then.

A big FU goes out the the publishing industry. They certainly know how to frisk college students. I have even heard that publishers smooch university employees responsible for choosing and procuring books pharmaceutical industry style. What's even more amazing is that professors are willing to change to new editions of books even though there were no significant changes.

I think the thing that pisses me off more than anything, is that the book is sitting on the shelf right now and I walked back and checked and sure enough is selling for 115 bucks.

The other thing that pisses me off, is I bought it two weeks ago. So you mean to tell me the value of that book has depreiciated 100 dollars in two weeks? Common.

The best thing to do is buy your books on Amazon and sell them back there too.

College bookstores are running quite the racket that's for sure.

That is horrible! I remember when I was in college back in 88, the same thing happened to me. F...these thieving whores!

I think the thing that pisses me off more than anything, is that the book is sitting on the shelf right now and I walked back and checked and sure enough is selling for 115 bucks.

The other thing that pisses me off, is I bought it two weeks ago. So you mean to tell me the value of that book has depreiciated 100 dollars in two weeks? Common.

Come on man, you know that as soon as you drive it off the lot, it depreciates 50%.

Well now i'm not looking forward to going to college lol :(

Even worse prices in law school. Bought one for $200 once.

At my school a student organization would hold its own used book sale as a fundraiser every spring and sell text books around 60% off. I would buy one there for $40, use it a semester, then re-sell it on half.com for $100. It was a nice change to be paid to use text books.

I've also bought several books off half.com, good site.

If you can, always buy used! And most times, you can get away with an older edition...just be sure to buddy up with the hot chick in class, so you can borrow if need be.

I was fortunate that the company my Mom works for used to have a partnership with Follett (publishing company), and I used to get my textbooks hellacheap. So we were just about breaking even at the end of the semester when selling them back.