AbeBooks Review: Low Prices On Used Textbooks

AbeBooks is an online marketplace where you can buy and sell textbooks, as well as regular books, fine art, and collectibles.

There is no shortage of places to buy and sell textbooks online, so how does AbeBooks stack-up against other popular textbook selling platforms, and is it cheaper to buy used textbooks or rent them?

Often, the math works out in favor of renting, but AbeBooks is challenging that assumption. Should you buy a used textbook from AbeBooks? Here’s what you need to know. 

What Is AbeBooks?

AbeBooks is an ecommerce platform where independent sellers offer new, used, and rare books, textbooks, fine art, and collectibles. AbeBooks originated in 1995, and AbeBooks.com was launched in 1996. Today, it's a subsidiary of Amazon.com, and is headquartered in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. 

What Does It Offer? 

While AbeBooks offers a wide range of products, this review will focus on the platforms as a seller of new and used textbooks. Here's what you can expect when you open an account. 

Buying Textbooks On AbeBooks

When you buy textbooks from AbeBooks, you’re likely buying an “international edition” of the textbook. Generally, international editions of textbooks contain the same text, problems, examples, etc. that the U.S. editions contain, but they may have a few differences. The photos in the book might differ, the cover will look different, and the international editions rarely come with supplemental materials.

However, the international editions are much less expensive than the U.S. editions, and they contain the same information. Since it’s now legal to buy used international editions in the United States, this is a great way to get low cost textbooks.

Just remember, these used books won’t contain supplemental materials (neither will rental books), so you may have to purchase those on your own.

Book Buyback

AbeBooks gives you the option of selling their used textbooks through one of its partners, TextbookRush. This provides students with an opportunity to make some extra cash. The process is fairly straightforward. Visit TextbookRush through the AbeBooks platform, get quotes on the books you want to sell, and mail them using prepaid shipping labels  supplied by TextbookRush. Payment is in the form of cash, store credit, or PayPal transfer. 

Search By ISBN

AbeBook's makes it easy to search for textbooks using an International Standard Book Number, or ISBN. This 10- or 13-digit number identifies a specific book, book edition, or audiobook. Because textbooks are frequently updated, searching by ISBN is critical to ensure that you're getting the exact edition of the textbook you need. 

International Editions

One of the best ways to save money when purchasing textbooks is to search for international editions – textbooks that have been published outside of the U.S. Many international textbooks have the same content as the U.S. versions, but they might be manufactured using cheaper materials (paper or book covers) to reduce costs. AbeBooks gives it's customers access to international edition textbooks. 

Is It Actually Cheaper To Buy Used?

I was surprised to find that purchasing a used international edition textbook was consistently cheaper than renting a textbook from Amazon and CampusBookRentals.  eCampus.com and ValoreBooks sometimes offered lower prices.

However, the place where used books become cheaper is on the “return” end rather than the buy end. If you don’t manage to return a book on time to a rental site, you’ll often have to pay the full list price of the book. When you purchase a used book from AbeBooks (or any other site), you don’t have to return the book ever. However, you may be able to sell the book back to AbeBooks or another retailer.

As a rule of thumb, if the prices are within a few dollars, you’ll probably be better off buying used and reselling if you want. Much less risk with this approach.

Are There Any Fees?

AbeBooks itself does not charge fees when you purchase textbooks through its marketplace. Instead, it makes money from the booksellers. When you purchase books, any applicable fees from the seller, including shipping fees, will be added to the final price. Some, but not all, sellers offer free shipping. 

How Does AbeBooks Compare?

MyBookCart is an online book marketplace that was founded in 2009. As with AbeBooks, MyBookCart makes it easy to find textbooks from various sources. It also offers free shipping on orders over $15. As with any online marketplace, we recommend shopping around at different sites for the best price.  

BookScouter is another textbook buying, selling, and renting search engine, and is connected to 25 online bookstores for buying. Have textbooks you want to sell? According to Bookscouter, they have the "world‘s largest textbook buyback price comparison tool." I recommend checking prices on Bookscouter before making a purchase on AbeBooks, as either site might offer a lower price at any given time.  

How Do I Open An Account?

If you want to buy textbooks via AbeBooks, you can open an account from its website. Start by clicking the "Sign In" button at the top right corner of the AbeBooks homepage. Then select "Create an AbeBooks Account". You will need to provide your full name, a valid email address, and create a secure password. 

Once you've agreed to terms, press "Submit" and you account will be created. You may need to confirm your account via email. Once you've opened an account, you can begin buying books. 

Is It Safe And Secure?

AbeBooks is a secure marketplace that uses Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology to protect customers credit card information, and transmitted data is encrypted, adding additional protection. 

AbeBooks.com also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee if the incorrect item was delivered, was not as described, was damaged, or did not arrive. Sellers are only permitted to list ebooks as "Final Sale." According to AbeBooks, most sellers will allow you to return an item if you no longer want it. However, always check the store policy before you purchase an item, and let the seller know immediately if you change your mind about a purchase. 

Contact

AbeBooks offers a contact form on its website if you have a question or issue. However, they do point out that it may take more than 24 hours for them to respond to your request. You can also access its Help Center for information, or join several online forums. We could not locate an email address or phone number on the company website. 

Is It Worth It?

With shockingly low textbook prices, particularly for international textbooks, purchasing used textbooks from AbeBooks could make a lot of financial sense, but you need to compare prices. You may find lower prices on other platforms or it might be cheaper to rent a textbook from a textbook rental site.

AbeBooks features consistently low prices on used textbooks, but buying isn’t always the right choice. And you also need to factor in shipping costs, if applicable. Do your homework (before class starts), and make the best choice for your needs and your wallet.

Keep in mind that as a book market place, AbeBooks doesn’t have a guarantee refund window. It’s up to the book seller (often someone in an international location) to decide whether to accept the return or not.

Check out AbeBooks here >>

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