Press Releases

05/12/08 - Students Have Choices When It Comes to High-Priced Textbooks

01/15/08 - CampusBooks.com Boosts Price Comparison Engine, Increases Choices and Savings for Back-to-School

07/08/07 - CampusBooks.com Provides Savings, Choice for Back-to-College

Contact Information

Need more specific questions answered for an article you're working on? We'd be glad to help! Just email press@campusbooks.com or call (858) 625-4633.

Who we are

CampusBooks.com was founded in 1998 and is the leading textbook comparison shopping Web site, serving hundreds of thousands of students each year. Our goal is to make buying textbooks easy and affordable with the lowest price on new and used textbooks and friendly service. CampusBooks.com features the latest technology and security features, including multiple book price comparisons, textbook buyback and marketplace, mobile book searches, and textbook price alerts. CampusBooks served over 1.5 million book price comparisons to students in 2007.

How Does CampusBooks Work?

It's easy to buy textbooks on CampusBooks.com. The search tool (located on the home page) allows you to find your book using the ISBN, title, author, or keyword. After you locate your book, select the "compare prices" link to see real time pricing and inventory of your book, including tax and shipping, from several dozen of the top online bookstores. Simply click the price you like and you will be linked to that bookstore where you can complete your purchase.

Will Campusbooks help me sell back my books?

Yes. CampusBooks works for students to help them sell back used textbooks. Students can visit: http://www.campusbooks.com/books/sell.php. Search for your book using the ISBN (from the back of the book). After you locate your book, select the "Sell this book" link to see real time list prices for your book on the CampusBooks Marketplace and the top buyback websites. You can choose to list your book at your own price for sale on the Marketplace, or you can sell your book to a buyback website (if available).

Does CampusBooks have a support staff if I experience any issues with my search?

Yes. Campusbooks has telephone and live web chat avaialble Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm PST. In addition our US based customer service team accepts emails and responds within 24 hours.

What sources does CampusBooks use to collect data and price comparisons?

Our bookstore partners include dozens of the top online bookstores in the U.S. Major bookstores include Amazon, Amazon Marketplace, eBay, Half.com, AbeBooks, Alibris.com, Barnes & Noble, Textbooks.com and many others. Students can search over 5 million new and used books on our site, not just textbooks. CampusBooks also includes trade books, fiction, non-fiction and other general interest books. Most prices are shared with us on a real time bases giving one of the most accurate views of the current marketspace.

What is the average savings over bookstore and competitive sites?

At CampusBooks.com, students save an average of 58 percent off the list price of their book (based on our comparison of the average retail price and the best price on CampusBooks). Students experience vast savings on both new and used textbooks with the average savings on used textbooks at $56.17 and for new textbooks at $40.11. As a differentiator from some of our competitors, we offer a book bundling service where students can compare prices on all the books they need with the option to purchase one-time and save even more money.

CampusBooks.com Facts and Figures

Source: CampusBooks.com records and log files:

• CampusBooks offers a textbook price alert service where you can get the lowest price emailed to you as soon as it becomes available.
• The typical student sells his/her book online for an average of 25 percent more than the campus bookstore buyback, according to CampusBooks log files.
• The used textbook market was estimated at $1.7 billion in the 2003-2004 school year. (Source NACS Faq on Used Textbooks)
• Approximately 16% of students order textbooks online. (Source: NACS)
• The average price of a used textbook is $40.01. (Source NACS Faq on Used Textbooks)
• The average price of a new textbook is $52.36. (Source NACS Faq on Used Textbooks)

Source: United States Government Accountability Office in a 2005 report: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d05806.pdf

• "Retailers purchase used books from wholesalers at 50 percent of the new retail price and in turn charge students 75 percent of the new retail price to purchase the book."
• "If the bookstore has not received a faculty order for the book at the end of the term and the edition is still current, bookstores may offer students the wholesale price of the book, which could range from 5 to 35 percent of the new retail price."
• "Increasing at an average of 6 percent per year, textbook prices nearly tripled from December 1986 to December 2004, while tuition and fees increased by 240 percent."
• "In the last two decades, college textbook prices have increased at twice the rate of inflation."
• "While many factors affect textbook pricing, the increasing costs associated with developing products designed to accompany textbooks, such as CD-ROMs and other instructional supplements, best explain price increases in recent years."
• "In academic year 2003-2004, students and their families spent over $6 billion on new and used textbooks."
• Additional information can be found at http://www.maketextbooksaffordable.com, the joint Web site of various states. Public Interest Research Groups.

Resources

• Google News Textbooks
• www.nacs.org: National Association of College Stores
• www.maketextbooksaffordable.org: PIRG

Press Inquiries

Please direct all press inquiries to:
Raymee Alper
Publicity
314-479-8099

Email: raymeealper@gmail.com or press@campusbooks.com