<p>If you are considering purchasing books online, please try to check the return policy -- for returning to a retail store or returning by a shipment. Know that the full policy might not be posted online and/or may depend on the store's individual policy. Also, check to see if textbooks are return'able. Also, be very careful with free shipping offers -- check each and every screen when ordering, as we've seen a default to expedited, even after declining it. Have learned that our student will take a huge loss if trying to return books, will only get store credit "if the store decides to even accept the return," and the list goes on. Barnes & Noble lost us as a customer, being unable and unwilling to correct an order within 5 minutes of apparently ordering (used a gift card, another big mistake). Lesson learned. The campus bookstore is looking better and better, for those books that are close-enough in price!</p>
<p>In our experience, Amazon is the way to go. Purchase the Student Prime membership—it’s worth every penny. Order used books when available (check the ratings via Amazon Marketplace). They always saved a lot of money via Amazon and never had an issue. The campus bookstores (in our experience) were a rip off.</p>
<p>If you’re boycotting, you should probably know that Barnes and Noble runs the bookstores at hundreds of colleges!</p>
<p>I’ve never had an issue with returns, because my kids never bought books until they were sure they were taking a class. In recent years, used books purchased online were the most sensible route–usually cheaper than used books at the college bookstore–though these days rentals are an ever growing segment of the college book market and a way to really cut costs. Even my D’s college bookstore offered rentals.</p>
<p>Barnes & Noble runs the main bookstore at the college DS is going to. So we would have to go online to completely avoid them. I checked and their prices really aren’t much different than amazon.com.</p>
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<p>This may explain some of the prices in school bookstores. ;)</p>
<p>@nysmile: What does the student prime membership add to save money? JW.</p>
<p>The prime membership includes free 2 day shipping. My son just loves it and uses Amazon to order things other than textbooks as well. And - I can have him order stuff for me and have it shipped to our house for free, too.</p>
<p>Look for a free trial period for the Amazon Student Prime. Last I heard, they were offering 6 months free, and then they email you an offer with a discounted price if you renew. Prime membership also provides access to many movies and TV shows online. You can also link a current Amazon account to the student prime.</p>
<p>Yes, you can definitely get a 6 month free trial of Student Prime if you connect a student’s .edu/school e-mail to an account. They don’t get the free book lending or streaming, but you get the Prime sales and free 2-day shipping.</p>
<p>Thanks for the B&N heads-up. I’m going to use it to see the ISBN number of the textbooks I need (alternating with e-mailing professors and asking what they specifically want - a science professor saved me $170 by telling us we didn’t need a manual!), then just get them off of Amazon or other students.</p>
<p>About two years ago, B&N instituted a stricter return policy.</p>
<p>Online purchase policy is here:</p>
<p>[Help</a> Desk: Refund and Return Policy - Barnes & Noble](<a href=“http://www.barnesandnoble.com/help/cds2.asp?pid=8121]Help”>http://www.barnesandnoble.com/help/cds2.asp?pid=8121)</p>
<p>I wasn’t aware that individual stores could set their own policy (as stated above) but based on the wording here, that does seem to be the case:</p>
<p>[Help</a> Desk: Refund and Return Policy - Barnes & Noble](<a href=“http://www.barnesandnoble.com/help/cds2.asp?pid=8121#stores]Help”>http://www.barnesandnoble.com/help/cds2.asp?pid=8121#stores)</p>
<p>As others have stated, Amazon is always the way to go.</p>
<p>thank you for the reminder. I was going to order some books and am glad to read your post.</p>
<p>I will NEVER purchase a book from Barnes and Noble again. Their rerun policy is ridiculous. We had a book that was never even cracked open that we thought our daughter would need in the Peace Corps. Turned out she didn’t. BUT by the time we got the book back from her remote site, we were entitled to no refund and they would not take the book as a return (purchased in the retail store). I takes to the manager and explained the situation…mail is slow from third world Africa. They honestly didn’t give a hoot. </p>
<p>That was in December 2010 and I have never steppe foot in the store again…and won’t.</p>
<p>No wonder they are going to likely close. I love bookstores, but I hate being fleeced.</p>
<p>Mine was a French dictionary…and the very same book is still for sale.</p>
<p>P.S. my kids did not buy books at the college bookstore either, and one was a BN.</p>
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<p>Be aware that the Prime membership only gives you two day delivery if the book (or whatever) that you order is “eligible for Prime shipment”. Most used books are not.</p>
<p>You can also get the “Grown-up” Prime membership for @$80 and use it for the whole family.</p>
<p>^ My husband has the grown up version. He orders stuff on amazon a lot so its worth it. He also watches a lot of the free movies/tv shows that Prime has.:)</p>
<p>I have some sympathy for people who run independent college bookstores. It’s a tough business with thin margins. But B&N has long been regarded as a hardball player at the college bookstore that they operate. Avoid them If you can.</p>
<p>I got the Amazon Prime Student membership free for one year about a year and a half ago. You normally have to pay some annual fee, but with my .edu email address I got it for free for one year. I use Amazon all the time, so for me it was worth it. Also, Amazon offers the free student prime membership per .edu email address. I have 2 .edu email addresses and was able to “continue” my student membership even though it had ended by deleting my first .edu email address from my account and adding in the second. A friend of mine had 3 .edu email addresses and was able to get the service for free for 3 years.</p>
<p>I stopped buying textbooks from the school bookstore a long time ago. They overcharge you when you buy and underpay you when you try to sell back. Ebay, half.com, Amazon, Chegg, and even the school library are much better options.</p>
<p>I’m ordering through my school’s Barnes and Noble. Yes, they’re overpriced, but based on my courses the difference between them, Amazon, and Chegg is about a $100. Not that big of a difference money wise. Plus, I’ll be able to have my textbooks before I start school. I’ll see if everything is smooth rolling in the upcoming weeks.</p>
<p>It is interesting to see the difference in return policies. My school’s policy is that you have a week to return the book in its original condition.</p>