The Biggies
What are these sites? Competition for your business online is fierce. Most of these sites offer some unique incentive in an attempt to distinguish themselves and win you over. I have outlined these incentives and the discounts the sites provide and ranked them accordingly.
- buy.com
- half.com
- amazon.com
- textbookx.com
- bookcircus.com
- ecampus.com
- barnesandnoble.com
- collegebooksdirect.com
- bookcloseouts.com
- powells.com
- booksamillion.com
- phatcampus.com
- classbook.com
- bunchesofbooks.com
- www.chapters.indigo.ca
- bookbyte.com
Current Rating: 5.0000
Currently claims that they are selling most books for 10% less than Amazon. I checked for a few books and this seems right! But they don't have the same volume of used books that Amazon does. Also, bonus for offering free shipping!
Current Rating: 5.0000
Another reliable place to check out for deep discounts on textbooks. They have over 5-million titles, many for more than 50 percent off the retail price. Definitely worth comparing to the prices on Amazon and whatever deals you find from the text exchanges.
Current Rating: 5.0000
Great for used books. Often able to find textbooks at a significant discount, and I've never had much of a problem with the condition of the books I receive. Right now, it's the most extensive and reliable network of used booksellers out there. But maybe your experience differs. Please add your reviews.
Current Rating: 4.0000
Site specializes in textbooks and has a widely used marketplace where you can sell and buy used books.
Current Rating: 4.0000
Superior commitment to customer service. Focus on textbooks. And a nice display of the discount you're getting from the retail price of each textbook. Site also allows you to sell back your used textbooks.
Current Rating: 4.0000
Bonus points for offering free shipping if you spend more than forty-nine dollars worth. Site claims to be one of the oldest and most reliable textbook comparison sites on the Web. Look on lower left of site for coupons at various online booksellers.
Current Rating: 4.0000
Used book market not as widely used as Amazon.com's, but still a good thing to check out. Periodically run promotional discounts and specials. Check forum for updates on this.
Current Rating: 3.5000
I don't know if this is a "biggie," but they have been around for twenty-nine years and only sell used books. They also guarantee quick delivery.
Current Rating: 3.0000
Sells "bargain books" which are new, unread books that the publisher sells-off in volume to reduce excess inventory. The books have often been handled a few times but are still in excellent condition. Sometimes the publisher may place a mark on the edge of the book to identify it as a Bargain Book. This ensures the book will never get returned to the publisher for credit. In most cases the mark is a small line or dot.
Current Rating: 3.0000
They sell all of their own used books they buyback from others, so they're able to offer a money back guarantee if you're not satisfied with the quality of the book. Check out the site history, it's somewhat interesting.
Current Rating: 3.0000
Not as widely used as Amazon, but they just launched a new "bargain book" section that might be worth checking. Also, they offer free shipping for orders over $ 25! Which is the best shipping deal out there.
Current Rating: 2.5000
Pretty big seller. And offers a Buyback program. Let us know about your experiences with the site.
Current Rating: 2.0000
Smaller, privately-owned textbook bookseller with a few warehouses in upstate New York. They also buy back books.
Current Rating: 1.5000
Smaller seller, but they specialize in selling used college textbooks. They buy textbooks back year-round at webuytextbooks.com, which is also a pretty cool resource. Let us know about their buyback rates in the the forum.
Current Rating: 1.0000
This site probably deserves a better ranking on this list because the prices look great. It is, however, a Canadian bookseller, so increased shipping negate the low costs.
Current Rating: 0.0000
With an inventory of 300,000 books, they're not the biggest, but the whole site caters to students. This is what they specialize in, and they do a good job of showing you used book prices. They also allow you to sell back your books as well. Rate and review this site yourself -- let us know about your experiences.
