<p>I found a textbook from a new user fairly cheaper than other established users. My concern is that I don't know if I can trust this user. Amazon says they'll refund your money if you don't recieve the book, however I have a feeling it's not that easy.</p>
<p>Should I buy a book from a new user to save money or should I spend more money for an established user?</p>
<p>I always go with established users. You'd PROBABLY be ok since it's probably someone selling their old textbook as opposed to a giant warehouse of books, but I like the peace of mind that the 5k reviews gives me, haha. How much cheaper are you talking about?</p>
<p>New User- $66
Established User- $90</p>
<p>And what does it cost brand new?</p>
<p>I don't know the answer to your specific question about used textbooks, but I have ordered used books from Amazon many times, sometimes with a new user, and have never had any problems.</p>
<p>Don't mean to hijack your thread, but this is a related question (and possibly a stupid question, but my oldest is an incoming freshman): </p>
<p>Can you save a lot by buying used textbooks from Amazon as opposed to your campus bookstore? If so, how do you know what to order and how do you find out the ISBN number ? Sorry if this is dumb but we have never done this before.</p>
<p>Borders and my University bookstore both sell for $120. I know which book it is because the school provides the ISBN number and a photo of the cover.</p>
<p>"Can you save a lot by buying used textbooks from Amazon as opposed to your campus bookstore? "</p>
<p>YES! A thousand time yes! There might be one or two books that the university publishes that you can't find elsewhere, but any textbook you can buy used from amazon or whoever do, the difference can be hundreds of dollars a semester. My school gives us the ISBNs of our classes books on the school bookstore website, but I'm sure not all schools do that. You could also email your professors if your schedule is already set and you have their names.</p>
<p>Kinglin: I'd probably go with the new guy there, but make sure you check shipping. It'll probably be cheaper with the established guy, but you never know.</p>
<p>Don't forget to try half.com - I bought a brand new AP USH text for my daughter there for a little more than 1/2 the price of Amazon.</p>
<p>Another place I always forget about is facebook. You can get students from last year to sell you books pretty cheap sometimes, and theres no shipping if you just meet up with them on the first day or something.</p>
<p>i know some college campuses some times advertises with posting of books for sale by students on bulletins. </p>
<p>otherwise amazon and half.com are great places and you will definitely save a ton. i recommend not buying it till class begins because sometimes teachers don't even use books, so i wait to get a feel for the classes first.</p>
<p>also, i went to a community college where the school doesn't give you the isbn. what a rip off!</p>
<p>kschmidt: You can find out what books you need by seeing if the bookstore of your school has a website, and then typing in what classes you have. Most University bookstores use a "chain" bookstore, like eFollett or CampusBookstore. For each class, required and suggested books could be listed, with ISBN numbers, and what they cost at the bookstore (new and used). Don't count on the bookstore having used books for classes that will update the text often, or for courses that people will tend to keep their books.</p>
<p>Or, if you get to campus early enough ( at least a few days, preferably a week, before classes) you can look at the bookstore and write down the ISBNs. This works better if you end up staying summers for work/classes/etc.</p>
<p>kinglin: Normally I'd go with an established user, but because of such a price difference, in this case I'd just go for the cheapest one. If you have problems, Amazon has awesome customer service. The seller may have priced it so low because they are new and do not have a rating.</p>
<p>CaliGuy07: I've bought books ahead of time online to save money, and ended up not using them. Didn't have a problem selling them again online for about the same price...maybe lost a few bucks on shipping, but that's about it.</p>
<p>I was wondering, do people usually buy books if they're enrolling as undecided? How long can you go without buying any books (if you're still undecided)? And if you change your mind about your major, is it a huge hassle to get new textbooks and get rid of your old ones? :S I have no idea about any of this....</p>
<p>Just buy it from the cheaper guy, and when you have problems tell amazon/paypal about it, They'll refund it back to you. Usually the users don't run off with your money. I had my money refunded like 3 times so I know what I'm talking about (i even had to use the paypal money back guarentee thing to get 15 dollars back. LOL.)</p>
<p>it does not matter what major you are spunky, you usually need books for your classes. i know with most professors refer to the text books but some usually just lecture from their own material/knowledge.</p>
<p>don't get books if you are not in the class yet, wait till your enrolled. usually buying and selling books is not a big hassle.</p>
<p>When you buy books from amazon(or half), make sure you read the details and make sure everything you're expecting (Cd w/ book, etc.) is what you're getting. I sold a book online and cleary stated that I was not including a CD and unfortunately she recieved the book damaged (due to the shipping).</p>
<p>I recieved a bad review, because I "claimed" that I was selling the CD with it and also because the book was damaged. Amazon has generic titles/names when you enter the ISBN, so make sure that you read the details as opposed to just what the title says.</p>
<p>Also, the international versions that say "Not for US students" are the same thing with a different cover, and cheaper.</p>
<p>The nice thing about buying used books in-person at the bookstore is that (if you go early enough) you can pick out the books labeled used but are completely new because someone either dropped the class and returned it early on or just simply never used it. Always be careful about the return policies; they can be confusing and unfair depending on the store and school.</p>
<p>if you wait to see if your teachers use the books in class, aren't you kind of screwed if you dont have them yet?
i've been wondering about this bc im afraid that i'll wait to buy the books and the professors give out assignments from the book during the first week x_X</p>
<p>bookstores will usually have a return period so if you have the means to do so, buy a book from the bookstore and return it when you get the cheaper one off the internet. for classes with multiple books (such as english classes) just buy the first one you'll use from the bookstore and get the rest online</p>
<p>Buying off amazon is a waste of time. I know this sounds too good to be true, but Half price Books trumps amazon, kills used bookstores in your college town, and MASSACRES your campus bookstore. I got my economics text for this summer for $8 at half price that would have cost $90 used at the college bookstore. And I checked the math section and saw my old calculus book that i paid friggin 120 for last semester for $10 at half price. Its ridiculously amazing, I'm getting all my books for next semester over there tomorrow, and I wouldnt be surprised if I walked out for under 50 bucks. Wikipedia says they're only in 14 states, and its possible the one I go to is the biggest in the country since the company is based in dallas. But man, if you can find one in your town, then RUN over there.</p>
<p>Now if you really want to make some money, buy from half price books and then SELL on amazon.</p>