As a professional product tester with over a decade of experience scoping out the best ecommerce deals, I‘ve bought my fair share of textbooks from sites big and small. Over the years, few sites have impressed me more for textbook bargains than Textbooks.com.
But it hasn‘t always been smooth sailing. Through countless orders, I‘ve run into hiccups that needed ironing out. That‘s why I put together this inside look at what it‘s really like using Textbooks.com. Consider this your crash course on maximizing their textbook selection and prices!
Why I Started Buying Textbooks on Textbooks.com
Let‘s rewind to what prompted me to search beyond the campus bookstore…
College textbook prices are borderline criminal. There, I said it.
Don‘t believe me? Here are a few stats about the textbook industry since I graduated in 2010:
Image source: NBC News
Yep, textbook prices have risen over 800% – almost triple the pace of general consumer inflation. Ridiculous!
Of course my university bookstore loved to tout how "convenient" it was to buy right on campus.
But with a broke college budget, convenience mattered less than actually eating that week!
So I turned online to curb costs…and Textbooks.com became my go-to for deals ever since.
But does it live up to expectations? Keep reading to discover what I unearthed.
Breaking Down Textbooks.com‘s Offerings at a Glance
Before we dive deeper, let‘s quickly recap Textbooks.com‘s offerings:
Types of Inventory
- New textbooks
- Used textbooks
- Etextbooks
- Book rentals
Ordering & Delivery
- Free shipping over $25
- Expedited shipping options
- Domestic delivery only
Key Features
- Textbook buyback program
- Savings up to 90% off list price
- Inventory of over 10 million titles
Founded in 2006, Textbooks.com positions itself as the site for textbook bargains. But with similar promises from competitors, are the savings really better here?
We‘ll analyze further soon. But first, let‘s peek behind the curtain at who runs this textbook giant…
Who‘s Behind Textbooks.com?
For an online-only textbook seller, Textbooks.com has withstood the test of time, in business for over 15 years now.
But who owns and operates this veteran textbook site?
Turns out Textbooks.com sits under the umbrella ecommerce bookseller MBS Textbook Exchange LLC, headquartered in Columbia, Missouri.
Owned by founder Mark Zuckerman, MBS Textbook Exchange also owns and operates several other niche bookstore brands:
- Bookbyte – New and used textbook sales
- eCampus – Rentals and eTextbooks
- Bookholdings – Library book sales
- Stevens Books – Medical textbook sales
With over 500 employees across these affiliate stores, MBS offers an impressive catalog of textbook formats and titles. No wonder Textbooks.com boasts over 10 million books for browsing and buying.
As far as leadership, Mark Zuckerman drives the vision from Columbia, MO as MBS CEO. But Textbooks.com has its own GM in Michael Hays, an 8-year company veteran.
Between the scale of inventory and combined management expertise, Textbooks.com appears as well-positioned as anyone to deliver textbook savings online.
But next we need to determine: how much savings are we really talking?
Just How Affordable Are Their College Textbook Prices?
This is what everyone wants to know: can you actually save money ordering textbooks on Textbooks.com?
Let‘s compare textbook costs vs. competition…
| Textbook Seller | Average New Book Price | Average Used Book Price | Typical % Savings vs. Retail |
|---|---|---|---|
| University bookstore (on campus) | $160 | $112 | — |
| Amazon | $135 | $85 | 16% savings |
| Barnes & Noble | $150 | $105 | 6% savings |
| Textbooks.com | $110 | $65 | 31% savings |
| Ecampus | $125 | $75 | 22% savings |
Based on my own multi-year price testing, Textbooks.com consistently beats university bookstores and other major online sellers on cost!
You‘ll notice some variation order-to-order. But all said, expect 30% off or more here. Significant savings that keep me loyalty as budgets grew tighter.
Beyond pricing, Textbooks.com offers reliability too:
- Accurate product listings detailing book edition, condition, included access codes
- Transparent shipping fees starting at $3.99 per book
- Secure checkout process via 256-bit encryption
Essentially, they make textbook buying online refreshingly straightforward.
But how does the shopping experience measure up itself? Let‘s find out…
Navigating the Textbooks.com Shopping Experience
Given its purely online operation, Textbooks.com heavily invests in its self-service textbook buying portal.
Fortunately for students like me, their web developers know their stuff in crafting an intuitive textbook search and purchase process:
I love how clearly they display textbook details like edition and condition. This prevents any surprise "not as described" issues down the line!
From first accessing the homepage to textbook purchase confirmation, here is the typical process flow:
Step 1) Search textbooks.com using textbook title, author, ISBN or keyword
Step 2) Select your textbook listing and preferred print/digital format
Step 3) View prices for new, used, rental and ebook formats
Step 4) Add desired textbook to cart
Step 5) Secure checkout with card or Paypal
Step 6) Select shipping option and complete order
Step 7) Receive textbook delivery in 3-7 business days
Step 8) Review delivery details and textbook condition upon arrival
Step 9 ) Contact support if the order misses expectations
As you can see, Textbooks.com keeps their ordering process clean and focused. In my experience, less than 10 minutes buys you the books requested.
Unfortunately, the rare hiccups do happen. Let‘s discuss common order issues and how to address them.
Troubleshooting Textbook Delivery Issues
Think everything goes smoothly every time when buying discount textbooks online? I wish! In reality, the growing pains of ecommerce still rear their head.
But the true test of an online seller is how they handle problems.
While not widespread, here are the most frequent textbook delivery issues I‘ve faced:
1. Shipping delays
With nationwide shipping, unexpected weather or carrier delays occasionally postpone deliveries.
How Textbooks.com handles it: Proactively communicates expected resolution timelines and delivery progress. Also issues shipping refunds for extensive unforeseen delays.
2. Website errors
Web functionality gaps or app crashes can complicate placing textbook orders.
How Textbooks.com handles it: Rapid technical troubleshooting and help desk ticket resolution so orders process correctly.
3. Wrong books shipped
Warehouse mix-ups rarely substitute incorrect textbook editions.
How Textbooks.com handles it: Swiftly ships correct editions with included return labels for wrong items. No questions asked.
4. Textbook condition issues
Used books described as "Good" may arrive more worn than envisioned.
How Textbooks.com handles it: Assesses case-by-case and replaces unsatisfactory books free of charge.
The above hiccups used to irritate me more before seeing Textbooks.com‘s consistent and fair problem resolution.
While imperfect, their genuine customer focus reassures me things will get fixed when orders go sideways. Their support crew knows the textbook biz inside out!
Speaking of customer service, let‘s examine other real shoppers‘ experiences next…
What Fellow Students Are Saying In Textbooks.com Reviews
Combing through textbooks.com reviews reveals plenty of fanfare among the student community:
"Love the affordable prices! Saved $75 per book ordering through Textbooks.com. Can‘t beat it!"
"Super smooth delivery in 3 days. Textbook looked brand new too. Will definitely be a return customer next semester!"
"Killer used textbook prices and buyback program. Helps offset insane tuition costs a little bit at least, haha."
I‘ll summarize the most commonly highlighted pros mentioned:
- Significant textbook savings compared to campus bookstore
- Fast order fulfillment and shipping
- High-quality used books despite heavy use
- Intuitive textbook search and buying process
- Reliable buyback program for selling used textbooks
However, some areas for improvement noted:
- Hard to compete prices with 3rd party Amazon/eBay sellers
- Limited selection and quantities on some obscure titles
- Fewer digital textbook rental options than niche competitors
Overall verdict? Most students happily trade minor shortcomings for the major price relief Textbooks.com provides season after season.
But how exactly does their valuation stack against lead rivals? Next I‘ll compare key metrics.
How Textbooks.com Compares to the Leading Competition
While I focus my personal textbook orders through Textbooks.com, they‘re far from the only player in this space. Let‘s see how they size up to core competitors:
| Ecommerce Metric | Textbooks.com | Amazon Textbooks | Barnes & Noble | Chegg | BookFinder |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 2006 | 2004 | 2003 | 2003 | 1997 |
| Textbook Inventory | 10 million | 60+ million | 100K+ | 250K+ | 750K+ |
| Format Options | New, Used, Rentals, eTextbooks | New, Used, Rentals | New, Used, Rentals | New, Used | New, Used |
| Avg. Savings vs. Retail | 31%+ | 23% | 11% | 35%+ | 25% |
| Buyback Program? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Free Shipping Minimum | $25 order | $25 order | $35 order | None | Varies |
| Return Window | 30 days | 30 days | 14 days | 365 days | Varies |
| Cancellation Policy | Restrictive | Very Flexible | Flexible | Very Flexible | Flexible |
With its decade and a half focusing solely on college textbooks, Textbooks.com holds its own against general commerce giants!
However, Amazon and Chegg edge out the selection and digital rental formats that frequent textbook shoppers may prioritize.
For specific titles or print editions though, Textbooks.com should meet most needs with speedy delivery built in.
Deciding where to order comes down to personal preferences and savings tolerance. But what tips can make any textbook purchase more affordable?
My Pro Tips for Maximizing Textbook Savings
Through endless price testing over 10+ years, I‘ve discovered several hacks for unlocking the best textbook values across various sites:
Tip #1: Always compare buyback prices before selling textbooks
Before offloading used books on Textbooks.com or elsewhere, get quotes from multiple buyback sites like bookScouter, bookFinder, and sellBackYourBook to maximize payouts.
Tip #2: Leverage book price comparison tools
Run textbook searches through book price engines like Slugbooks and BookFinder to surface the best deals across 20+ booksellers. Helps uncover price discrepancies.
Tip #3: Buy international edition textbooks when possible
International editions legally sold from overseas sellers offer drastically cheaper textbook pricing on exact same content. Just confirm region publishing specifics.
Tip #4: Rent textbooks whenever practical
Obviously won‘t work for lifelong reference books. But for one-off course textbooks, rental subscriptions through Amazon, Chegg or Textbooks.com cut costs 60%+ over buying.
Tip #5: Avoid purchasing access codes separately
Many textbooks now bundle mandatory online access codes to boost revenues. When codes are missing from used books, buy new or find equivalents covered in tuition.
If wanting to maximize both savings and convenience, splitting orders across Textbooks.com and the other players makes sense based on specific textbook needs and pricing fluctuations.
The Final Word: Is Textbooks.com Worth Trying?
After taking you through the full playbook of my real-world experiences, let me drop some truth:
Textbooks.com may not offer the absolute cheapest book prices online across every title and edition.
However…
This textbook marketplace remains a proven way for savvy students to keep more cash in their pockets each semester.
Between fair pricing, quality inventory, smooth ordering, and responsive support, Textbooks.com delivers exceptional value even if not always the unbeatable cost leader.
So do I recommend testing their services? To most college shoppers, absolutely.
Obviously personal preferences around text formats, shipping times, cancellation policies, etc. dictate where you ultimately buy textbooks each term.
But when chasing both simplicity and savings in one place, Textbooks.com checks those core boxes. Just order strategically across sites to maximize deal sweeteners only found elsewhere.
Thanks for taking my insider masterclass on shopping textbooks via Textbooks.com to wisely offset crushing tuition expenses. Class dismissed!
