Every year when a new influx of students enters college, the bookshops make an absolute killing. You need your textbooks so go to the store and pay out at least $150, as they buy them back you think you will have a head start on the next ones you need. This goes out the window when you return the book in good condition and they give you $25 for it.
You can bet your bottom dollar that if you return to that same store next semester your book will be there with a used price on it of around $120. This is a game the student will never win so it’s pointless even trying. So the way to go is to sell your book online, there are always new students looking for a bargain and you will get a much better return than you would ever get from a book store.
The best places to sell your used textbooks are sites that you have probably visited many times before; eBay and Amazon. Even though eBay will charge a fee for selling it, you will still get a lot more for it than you would have done.
Amazon is a well respected site and has a good reputation. A lot of people don’t realize that are buying from individuals using the site, and think they are buying from Amazon itself.
Another good thing is that they run on a no sale no fee basis, so you only pay if your book sells.
You may want to try your luck on a public forum to avoid the fees, but there is a major possibility that you will be offered less than you would on one of the auction sites, even after the fee is deducted. Trust plays a major part on these sites too, and if you are a first time seller people will be reluctant to pay out money.
Both eBay and Amazon have well respected ratings systems so you can see a sellers reputation, a few forums have this but most don’t.
The easiest, and safest way, to receive the money for your book is through PayPal. Once it’s in your account you can either use the money to shop online or transfer it into your bank account. A standard fee of approx 3% applies for the transaction.
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