So, every semester I would check our college online bookstore and get the ISBN for our books that semester and search www.chambal.com to see if I could find the book cheaper.
So, nothing different this semester...checked online and the ISBN's weren't listed. So, I called the bookstore and asked them for the ISBN and they said they couldn't give them out anymore...that they had been told by the college that they couldn't do that. WHAT???? :angryfire I asked her why...she didn't really give me a straight answer (and I couldn't really understand her and didn't want to sit there and try to figure it out).
But I know why!!! They want you to order from them and not get it cheaper online! Now, the only way I can get the ISBN to be certain I get the absolute correct book is by going into the bookstore at the college and getting it that way (which is not convenient for me at all with a full-time job and a baby).
AND...I am taking an online course this summer and she said I HAD to get my book from them because now they have some kind of web code with the books...come on - as if everyting else isn't expensive enough...now your going to try to force the students to buy books from you that I could have gotten for 1/2 the price online? Whatever!!! Just a little frustrated...thanks for letting me vent! :smackingf
Our books go up tomorrow, so it'll be interesting to see if they've changed posting the ISBN #. I know last semester when I was able to get the info early enough, I couldn't find any books online that were much cheaper (new) than our bookstore, so I just went ahead and bought directly from them for required texts.
I do spend a bit more time researching any suggested texts that are mentioned in class however. And those I don't mind getting a used or older copy for research purposes. For required texts, I always like to be sure I have the latest edition and any included CDs, etc. as there's often a wealth of information on those.
That's the problem...they don't give you ANY of that information!!! No more Author listed, no more edition number, etc... So, it's impossible for me to order it! If they had all that, I'd take my chances, but seriously, I have no information to go off of!! Just annoying!
As someone else mentioned, I would just e-mail the Professor and bypass the bookstore completely.
Our school sends a list with all the info including ISBN. Usually if you have the wrong version of the book, e.g. a cheaper earlier version, and you talk to the teacher they say that it's OK.
On the other hand we usually save some, but not a huge %, by buying online.
They want you to order from them and not get it cheaper online! Now, the only way I can get the ISBN to be certain I get the absolute correct book is by going into the bookstore at the college and getting it that way.
Let's go a step further and talk about payment.
We have been told that our first quarter books cost about $1K and we need to bring our checkbook to orientation.
I don't have a grand in the bank to spend on books. I have loads of plastic and my financial aid will come through in a few weeks but I simply can't pay cash to the bookstore.
I guess I'll have to wait until somebody else gets their books and hopefully will let me look at their ISBN's so I can buy the books on eBay.
school bookstores can be so hateful and greedy. i've been buying my books from barnes and noble.com. if you are a nsna member you get an additional small discount but the real savings has been through their b+n membership card. i resisted buying it for a long time but then did the math and found the savings to be substantial. at least our school bookstore makes the isbn available online.
2) networking, one student buys the books at the book store....the rest of the group gets to see the numbers, and gives the "up front" person a little kick back......
i actually took a course once WITHOUTH ever buyng the book......
We have been told that our first quarter books cost about $1K and we need to bring our checkbook to orientation.
I don't have a grand in the bank to spend on books. I have loads of plastic and my financial aid will come through in a few weeks but I simply can't pay cash to the bookstore.
I guess I'll have to wait until somebody else gets their books and hopefully will let me look at their ISBN's so I can buy the books on eBay.
Oh man...I agree. I wouldn't have that in my checking either!!!! Hope you can figure something out!
2) networking, one student buys the books at the book store....the rest of the group gets to see the numbers, and gives the "up front" person a little kick back......
i actually took a course once WITHOUTH ever buyng the book......
Camera Phone...very clever!!!
I know there were plenty of courses I could have taken without ever buying the book, but I know the one time I do that, it'll come back to bite me!
Specializes in future speciality interest: Nurse Midwif.
I haven't read all the post in this thread, so I don't know if
anyone has mentioned what I'm about to say...
I know the IBSN is the best way to get the correct book
but if you can't get the IBSN and searching for the book by title or author REMERBER TO CHECK FOR THE RIGHT EDITION
(4TH Ed., 8th Ed.)
I spent 150 dollars on a book with similar titile, similar authors, but wrong edition. I couldn't return it since it was purchased online from www.half.com (part of Ebay, with very cheap prices compared to bookstore in school.
I have to take back what I said. The school I previously attended roped off the books at certain times and put stickers over the ISBN numbers.
My new college - WOW. I went to this bookstore today. Someone met me at the stairs and asked how they could help. Very nicely. The clerk took me to my books. He even showed me how I could have gotten the ISBN number, edition, etc off of the student website in my account.
There I saw that next to a list of my books for my classes on my student account there is a link to automatically check prices on Amazon.com. No searching...the computer does it automatically for all my books in my booklist. There's also a link on the college website's student account to a student network where students at that university buy and sell on their own. All right there on the screen, just by signing on to my account.
Specializes in Critical Care: Cardiac, VAD, Transplant.
I was able to purchase several of my books at Walmart.com. One book was $40 cheaper than the school bookstore. I also discovered that Target is selling some textbooks online.
BTW, Borders bookstore offers a discount card for free, no need to pay for a membership at Barnes and Nobles.
Soon2BNurse
71 Posts
How weird.. thankfully my school hasn't started that.. I always go in early to get the prices so I have on hand what I need to spend anyways... EEEK!