Sell Your College Textbooks Online

Yep. It’s that time again. Students are finding quarters under the futon, taking back all those bottles from the closet, and of course, selling back their books. Now the traditional way to do this would be to:

1. Walk slowly, almost defeated, to the campus book store

2. Hand them your books

3. Get offered $3 on your $80 Biology text OR

4. Hear those horrible words “we’re not buying this back right now”

I know. It is one of the saddest things in the world, but that’s how it goes. In my personal experience, from this morning actually, I refused to offer my books to the bookstore and went searching for online gold. Here’s what I’ve found.

NOTE: I offer up a few things to assist you in your decisions. First, I list what they offered on a “test” textbook, in this case Human Genetics by Ricki Lewis (ISBN: 978-0073525273). Second, I will let you know their reliability and trustworthiness best on their Better Business Bureau (bbb.org). Finally, I will offer up their timeline for payment, method of that payment, and whether or not shipping is free. Hope you enjoy.

NOTE NOTE: All these companies require the book to be in good condition, allowing for highlights and margin notes, but not missing pages or beat up covers. I suggest you check their requirements before sending you books in. For the most part, the company will not send your book back to you if it is deficient in any way.

Cash4Books.net

Method: Enter your ISBN number and they make an offer to you. Using my test book, Human Genetics, I was offered $32 plus FREE shipping. It usually takes 8 to 15 days for them to receive the book and another 3 days to process payment. Payments are made with either a check or a valid PayPal account. If your book doesn’t meet their condition requirements, they’ll send the book back to you, BUT AT YOUR EXPENSE (click here for requirements page). BBB ranking is an A, and they have been accredited since October, 2006.

Powell’s Books

One of my favorites for books of any type; this is one helluva independent bookstore online. They allow you to sell textbooks online, by arrangement, or at their stores in Portland, Oregon. For the “test” book they offered $30 in Powell’s credit, or $25 in PayPal funds. I was unable to find out if shipping is free, but if you’re a lover of “indie” stores, this is the right place for you. They have an A rating with the BBB and have had 0 complaints listed in the past 36 months.

ECampus.com

A little too glitzy and gimmicky of a site for me, but they did offer $49 for the book in cash, or $51.45 in store credit. They pay for the shipping and offer up direct deposit, check, or store credit for payment. Their book standards are pretty much like everyone else’s – clean in appearance, no missing pages or massive abuse to cover, highlights and margin notes are ok. THEY WILL NOT SHIP BACK TO YOU if it doesn’t meet their standards – they actually list that books are “destroyed”. BBBeware - Their BBB rank is C-, so be careful. They are not accredited and have 105 complaints listed in last 12 months.

ValoreBooks.com

So far, offering the best in our “text” book price with $51.45 and FREE shipping. I have purchased books from here before and am pretty confident in their professionalism. They state clearly they do not buy international editions or teacher editions and they require any media – likes CDs, program keys, etc – be included in the book. They’re offer is good for 30 days, but they must receive the book by then. If you do not meet the basic condition requirements, which are the same with all these companies, then they will recycle your book. They have an A+ rating and are accredited with the BBB.

Amazon.com

Don’t hate on the big guys. This place is still the biggest, and some would say best, online bookstore. They only offer STORE CREDIT, but if you like buying books, including used, then this is the right place. On our “test” case they offered THE MOST MONEY coming in at $77.72. You need to ship within seven days, but SHIPPING IS FREE, and they will return the book to you at no cost. I don’t need to list the BBB rating, as they are well established and actually have a huge customer service department.

If None of this Works, Try One of These

Craigslist – you list, you talk to them, you have no guarantee of payment unless it’s in your hand

Half.com – Ebay’s answer for selling media, they offer price ranges and flat rates for consumers on shipping. Plus, it doesn’t cost a thing to list a book, just to sell it.