MSE News: Amazon launches textbook trade-in: is it any good?

Former_MSE_Guy

This is the discussion thread for the following MSE News Story:

"Online retailer Amazon has launched a textbook trade-in scheme this week, yet you may be able to beat its prices ..."

Read the full story:
Amazon launches textbook trade-in: is it any good?

Kite2010

It's a good idea in theory, but like the article said you can get a better deal selling directly & at least that way your not limited to spending the money at one place.

karlie88

A poor idea by Amazon in my opinion.

If it's a recent textbook and info. relates to the current syllabus, then you would get more from selling to a friend, selling on eBay, gumtree etc. Additionally, you'd get cash as opposed to an Amazon gift card.

minerva_windsong

The idea's good in theory but you can definitely get better money on the likes of PlayTrade and Amazon Marketplace, so I'm not entirely sure why you'd do it as there's no real incentive. Ditto selling your books back to campus bookshops.

If you're not bothered about the money then I think a couple of the subject-specific societies at my uni used to do 'book amnesties' where you could trade in your old textbooks and swap them for those you might need the next year, which works quite well for the relatively obscure stuff. Alternatively if you have any relatives/neighbours/younger friends who are doing a similar course you can offload stuff on them - I did that with a particularly large poetry anthology which I gave to my cousin.

Gamestrade

Beware of Amazon Trade-in program. Did you know that if they closed your account there is no way of getting back your items or Any vouchers paid into your account will be lost. If they decline any trade-ins there is very little you can do to get back your items and I'm speaking from a very bad experience with that program.

marywooyeah

karlie88 wrote: »

A poor idea by Amazon in my opinion.

If it's a recent textbook and info. relates to the current syllabus, then you would get more from selling to a friend, selling on eBay, gumtree etc. Additionally, you'd get cash as opposed to an Amazon gift card.

definetly! at my uni theres a book sale every year and I got £65 for my first year books and am planning to do the same this year. I looked up the trade in price on amazon for a book I had this year that I paid £35 for and they were offering £3 trade for it! :eek: I could get around £20 for it at the book sale!

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver

Helpful Article as only MSE does.

alrk

Last week I listed all the old A level books I had bought for my daughter, and within a week half of them have gone.

Selling books second hand can work out really well! and earn more than trading in.

Bluecaster

For many years we ran a second-hand bookshop in a university town. We bought text-books from students at end of summer term for sale to next year's class.

Soon found big snag. Students would take a look at next year's reading lists. They would then offer us those deleted from the list and leave those still current with the Students' Union Book Exchange! So ours wouldn't sell!

So, if your textbooks have gone out of use, then anything you can get from Amazon is a bonus. Otherwise use the SU or, if you want the money up front, find a reputable book dealer.

(There's a sad little footnote to this. Ages ago I was asked to look at the stock of an academic bookshop which was moving. I was taken to the basement store which was packed with book-lined shelves and told I could buy any I wanted for one (old) penny each. Yes, they had fallen victim to the practise of changing texts from year to year. Needless to say I didn't buy any.)

megantay

University students everywhere have felt the horrible sting of the bookstore markup on textbooks. They could be egregious, but there are methods around it, say renting one's textbooks. Amazon used to only do that for the Kindle, but currently Amazon textbook rental reaches hardcopies. learn more about textbook rental in matchfinancial.com