I learned pretty early on in my college career that textbook sellback is not the way to salvage the crippling expense that comes from purchasing college textbooks in the on-campus bookstore.
All I had to do was hear a few reports from classmates about the measly amount of cash they received when trying to return their barely-used tomes because of newer editions being produced or other excuses given for receiving ten dollars for a book marketed for over ninety.
Yuck! So what method did I turn to in order to get more bang for my buck? Selling online, of course! Many websites are geared specifically toward marketing books, especially textbooks.
They allow you to set up your own account, meaning that surfing students can check out all of your "inventory," rate transactions, and more.
If you use websites that allow you to sell virtually anything, this can help you get rid of unwanted books, movies, and even clothes under the same account, which I confess has a tremendous convenience factor during the "off-season" for textbook selling (during the summer months).
To get started, you need to know a few things.
First of all, for each website you plan on utilizing, you need to check out their fees and commission.
Some sites charge an upfront fee simply for you to set up an account while others simply deduct a commission from each.
You might want to compare and contrast some of these.
Some commissions end up being fairly steep, but at least you don't pay anything until you actually sell something! Avoid simultaneous listing of the same item on several sites, especially for books you know may be in high demand, during high traffic times, like just before fall semester begins.
You can get a lot of angry customers if you have to keep telling them, "I'm sorry - I just sold that item to someone else.
" Be professional.
Contact buyers when you have shipped their item, and do so in a prompt manner.
Two business days is usually standard.
You might even want to have custom labels printed for your return address, as this gives the look and feel of a real business, which means that many people will be more likely to give you positive reviews on the selling website.
Check out the host website's policy on returns and refunds.
The site I use allows you to offer partial or complete refunds with just a few clicks and permits each individual seller to charge "restocking" fees or withhold shipping costs from the refund amount.
In cases like these, it's up to you to decide how generous you want to be, but it is my experience that offering full refunds means that you will build a more satisfied customer base.
If your little "business," begins to grow, consider adding custom barcodes to help you keep track of things you are selling within your home.
You might even add a logo or a fun label to your packing slips to make you more memorable as a seller.
Not only have I been able to beat the bookstore, I have been able to easily get rid of other unwanted materials and make a little cash in the process.
Isn't it about time you beat the bookstore, too?