AbeBooks is a web-based market the place you should buy and promote textbooks, in addition to common books, high-quality artwork, and collectibles.
There isn’t any scarcity of locations to purchase and promote textbooks on-line, so how does AbeBooks stack-up in opposition to different well-liked textbook promoting platforms, and is it cheaper to purchase used textbooks or hire them?
Typically, the mathematics works out in favor of renting, however AbeBooks is difficult that assumption. Must you purchase a used textbook from AbeBooks? Right here’s what it’s good to know.
30-days (see phrases & circumstances)
What Is AbeBooks?
AbeBooks is an ecommerce platform the place unbiased sellers supply new, used, and uncommon books, textbooks, high-quality artwork, and collectibles. AbeBooks originated in 1995, and AbeBooks.com was launched in 1996. At present, it is a subsidiary of Amazon.com, and is headquartered in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
What Does It Supply?
Whereas AbeBooks affords a variety of merchandise, this evaluation will concentrate on the platforms as a vendor of recent and used textbooks. Here is what you possibly can anticipate while you open an account.
Shopping for Textbooks On AbeBooks
Once you purchase textbooks from AbeBooks, you’re possible shopping for an “worldwide version” of the textbook. Usually, worldwide editions of textbooks include the identical textual content, issues, examples, and so on. that the U.S. editions include, however they could have just a few variations. The pictures within the ebook would possibly differ, the quilt will look totally different, and the worldwide editions not often include supplemental supplies.
Nonetheless, the worldwide editions are a lot inexpensive than the U.S. editions, they usually include the identical data. Because it’s now authorized to purchase used worldwide editions in america, this can be a nice option to get low value textbooks.
Simply bear in mind, these used books gained’t include supplemental supplies (neither will rental books), so you’ll have to buy these by yourself.
E-book Buyback
AbeBooks provides you the choice of promoting their used textbooks by means of certainly one of its companions, TextbookRush. This offers college students with a chance to make some further money. The method is pretty easy. Go to TextbookRush by means of the AbeBooks platform, get quotes on the books you need to promote, and mail them utilizing pay as you go transport labels equipped by TextbookRush. Cost is within the type of money, retailer credit score, or PayPal switch.
Search By ISBN
AbeBook’s makes it straightforward to seek for textbooks utilizing an Worldwide Commonplace E-book Quantity, or ISBN. This 10- or 13-digit quantity identifies a selected ebook, ebook version, or audiobook. As a result of textbooks are ceaselessly up to date, looking out by ISBN is essential to make sure that you are getting the precise version of the textbook you want.
Worldwide Editions
Top-of-the-line methods to economize when buying textbooks is to seek for worldwide editions – textbooks which have been revealed outdoors of the U.S. Many worldwide textbooks have the identical content material because the U.S. variations, however they could be manufactured utilizing cheaper supplies (paper or ebook covers) to scale back prices. AbeBooks provides it is prospects entry to worldwide version textbooks.
Is It Truly Cheaper To Purchase Used?
I used to be stunned to seek out that buying a used worldwide version textbook was persistently cheaper than renting a textbook from Amazon and CampusBookRentals. eCampus.com and ValoreBooks typically supplied decrease costs.
Nonetheless, the place the place used books change into cheaper is on the “return” finish reasonably than the purchase finish. In the event you don’t handle to return a ebook on time to a rental website, you’ll usually must pay the complete listing worth of the ebook. Once you buy a used ebook from AbeBooks (or every other website), you don’t must return the ebook ever. Nonetheless, you could possibly promote the ebook again to AbeBooks or one other retailer.
As a rule of thumb, if the costs are inside just a few {dollars}, you’ll in all probability be higher off shopping for used and reselling if you’d like. A lot much less danger with this strategy.
Are There Any Charges?
AbeBooks itself doesn’t cost charges while you buy textbooks by means of its market. As a substitute, it makes cash from the booksellers. Once you buy books, any relevant charges from the vendor, together with transport charges, shall be added to the ultimate worth. Some, however not all, sellers supply free transport.
How Does AbeBooks Examine?
MyBookCart is a web-based ebook market that was based in 2009. As with AbeBooks, MyBookCart makes it straightforward to seek out textbooks from varied sources. It additionally affords free transport on orders over $15. As with every on-line market, we advocate buying round at totally different websites for the most effective worth.
BookScouter is one other textbook shopping for, promoting, and renting search engine, and is related to 25 on-line bookstores for purchasing. Have textbooks you need to promote? In response to Bookscouter, they’ve the “world‘s largest textbook buyback worth comparability software.” I like to recommend checking costs on Bookscouter earlier than making a purchase order on AbeBooks, as both website would possibly supply a lower cost at any given time.
How Do I Open An Account?
If you wish to purchase textbooks by way of AbeBooks, you possibly can open an account from its web site. Begin by clicking the “Signal In” button on the high proper nook of the AbeBooks homepage. Then choose “Create an AbeBooks Account”. You will want to supply your full title, a legitimate electronic mail deal with, and create a safe password.
As soon as you’ve got agreed to phrases, press “Submit” and also you account shall be created. Chances are you’ll want to substantiate your account by way of electronic mail. As soon as you’ve got opened an account, you possibly can start shopping for books.
Is It Secure And Safe?
AbeBooks is a safe market that makes use of Safe Socket Layer (SSL) expertise to guard prospects bank card data, and transmitted knowledge is encrypted, including further safety.
AbeBooks.com additionally affords a 30-day money-back assure if the wrong merchandise was delivered, was not as described, was broken, or didn’t arrive. Sellers are solely permitted to listing ebooks as “Remaining Sale.” In response to AbeBooks, most sellers will permit you to return an merchandise in the event you now not need it. Nonetheless, all the time verify the shop coverage earlier than you buy an merchandise, and let the vendor know instantly in the event you change your thoughts about a purchase order.
Contact
AbeBooks affords a contact type on its web site when you’ve got a query or subject. Nonetheless, they do level out that it could take greater than 24 hours for them to reply to your request. You may as well entry its Assist Middle for data, or be part of a number of on-line boards. We couldn’t find an electronic mail deal with or cellphone quantity on the corporate web site.
Is It Price It?
With shockingly low textbook costs, significantly for worldwide textbooks, buying used textbooks from AbeBooks may make quite a lot of monetary sense, however it’s good to examine costs. Chances are you’ll discover decrease costs on different platforms or it could be cheaper to hire a textbook from a textbook rental website.
AbeBooks options persistently low costs on used textbooks, however shopping for isn’t all the time the fitting alternative. And also you additionally have to consider transport prices, if relevant. Do your homework (earlier than class begins), and make the only option to your wants and your pockets.
Understand that as a ebook market place, AbeBooks doesn’t have a assure refund window. It’s as much as the ebook vendor (usually somebody in a world location) to determine whether or not to just accept the return or not.
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Options
Purchase and promote books textbooks on-line
AbeBooks doesn’t cost charges to consumers
No (some sellers could supply this)
30-days (see phrases and circumstances)