<p>a few tips from an online bookseller:</p>
<p>1) make sure you are getting the right book. 'shady' booksellers sometimes try to list the previous edition of a book under the listing for the newer edition, only mentioning that it is the older edition in their comments.</p>
<p>2) be prepared to see a lot of 'international' editions. these usually arent intrinsically bad, but they are always of lesser quality than the american editions (softback v hard, lesser quality paper, fewer colors used in pictures, etc) and ARE against amazon/halfs listing guidelines, meaning you will not be able to sell them back at the end of the semester. nonetheless, they may still be a better buy. (if you do end up with an international edition with content different than than the american one, follow the directions below on receiving the wrong book.)</p>
<p>3) shop around. individual book prices on some selling sites occasionally become inflated. so before you buy your book, go to bookfinder.com or addall.com and do a search for it. both sites search multiple online venues (amazon, half, alibris, abe, a1, b&n, etc) and return a list of the lowest available prices. </p>
<p>4) feedback, feedback, feedback. if a seller doesnt have 98% or higher feedback on amazon (99% or higher on half), skip the listing. good feedback means that the book you are buying has most likely been graded properly (it is actually 'new' or 'very good'), will be packed well and shipped in an efficient manner. further, if something does go wrong (for example, i accidentally shipped the wrong poetry book with 'eden' in the title to someone a few weeks ago (who knew i had two!)), these sellers will be very likely to work with you to make things right (i refunded the buyer the full cost of the book and shipped out the right one via priority mail the next day).</p>
<p>5) make sure you are getting everything you need. many used textbooks will not include the access keys and cds that may be required for the course. if a listing does not state that they are included, either email the seller or skip the listing.</p>
<p>6) understand the condition guidelines. a 'new' book should be brand new. a 'like new' book should appear to be pretty much brand new as well; it may show a tiny bit of wear, but nothing you wouldnt find on many new books at a book store. a 'very good' book can show a bit of shelf/corner/cover wear but should be free of writing/highlighting beyond a name inside the front cover. a 'good' book is your standard used book and can contain moderate highlighting and overall wear. 'acceptable' is anything worse than that. stay away from 'acceptable' books; youll almost never be happy with what you receive.</p>
<p>7) be sure to get expedited shipping on all books that you need within a month. media mail can be SLOW, especially around the holiday season when the usps is in over its head. </p>
<p>8) know your rights. all major venues have controls in place to protect the buyer. if you dont receive the correct book, if its not in the proper condition, if it doesnt come within the required timetable, if it doesnt include all stated materials (if the book should come with a cd and its not noted that its missing, it should be there), etc, email the seller. if he is non-responsive or unwilling to provide an acceptable solution, go to the website itself. they have claims departments and, in the cases outlined above, the buyer will win virtually every time. further, some sites like amazon have 30 day no-questions-asked return policies, meaning that if you email the seller and return the book, in the same condition, to the him within 30 days, he is required to give you a refund. he can, however, withhold shipping expenses and charge a restocking fee, so if the reason for return is his fault, ask for a full refund before saying you simply want to return it.</p>
<p>9) as mentioned in passing, dont be afraid to email a seller with any questions you may have as taking the minute to do so may save a ton of aggravation down the road. that said, dont expect an immediate response (most sellers have day jobs), but if the seller wants your sale, he should be able to get back to you within a day or two. </p>
<p>10) last, do check the college/local bookstores before you buy online. after expedited shipping (typically 6.99), many cheaper (philosophy, literature, etc) books are usually less expensive or of about the same cost in bookstores as online. this is true of many very recently released books, as well. add the convenience of having the book in hand and being fully aware of its condition and buying in person can be a much better way to go. </p>
<p>11)on that same note, also check the facebook book pages and the local craigslist. buying locally from an ad on either of these sites will allow you to both see the book before you buy it and save on shipping.</p>