momee Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 I went onto Amazon and bought what I assumed was the correct edition of DD's first college textbook. However, once shipped it was the wrong edition and wasn't what was shown in the picture advertised. I realize she can contact the professor to ask if that particular edition would work but how can I avoid making that mistake again? I incorrectly assumed if the picture was the same, all used editions on that page were the same as shown. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 Find out the ISBN and search on that. You cannot go by picture as several editions of a text may use the same picture. Sometimes, the used section on Amazon gets confusing and wrong editions are mixed in. If you are looking at the used list for sale and see one you'd like to buy, click on "return to product information" to make sure it goes to the exact same ISBN book you were looking for. Still, some sellers might get mixed up, though I don't think that happens often. Also check abebooks or follet. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momee Posted June 24, 2015 Author Share Posted June 24, 2015 I think the wrong edition must have gotten mixed in. Thanks for information. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 Always go with the ISBN. Unfortunately, some sellers aren't great about making sure you get the right book. Return and repurchase. BTW....we have had excellent luck with Amazon's Rental program for textbooks. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustEm Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 I always send the seller an email asking what edition it is if it doesn't say in the description. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 The ONLY way you can be positive you are purchasing the correct edition of a textbook is with the ISBN number. Get the ISBN number from the information the student has about the course. Search on Amazon via ISBN number and verify that in the product information that comes up, the ISBN number is correct. They might use the same photo of the cover of a textbook for various editions. The ISBN number is printed on the outside of the back cover of textbooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbi in Texas Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 I am having an issue with an amazon seller right now. I paid for a $120 book and the invoice on the book I received was $60. I am not getting results with emails to the seller-three so far. This rarely happens, just giving you a heads up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Um_2_4 Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 You can also put the isbn in this site: www.bookfinder.com and they will give you the best prices (used & new) across several sites. I always use it to search for my books for the year and usually save $, even for used books that are .01+3.99 shipping on Amazon. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 I am having an issue with an amazon seller right now. I paid for a $120 book and the invoice on the book I received was $60. I am not getting results with emails to the seller-three so far. This rarely happens, just giving you a heads up. I would escalate that to Amazon Customer Service, today, and ask them to help you sort this out. If you have an Invoice with your name on it and the Marketplace Seller's name on it and there is that kind of a price difference, it might lead me to think that the Seller wasn't reporting their income correctly. However, if it is an invoice detailing that someone previously (possibly the Seller you purchased from) selling the book to you, for much more than they paid for it, then you are probably out of luck. I had an occasion with an eBay transaction, when I wasn't sure what would be fair to both the Seller and me (the Buyer) and I asked them to look at everything and then make a decision they felt would be fair to both parties. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 The ISBN will not always help. We're having that problem currently. Often a school will be given an ISBN just for that school's bookstore. If you search for it you'll come up empty because the only place it's available is in the college/university bookstore. Disingenuous? Yes, but that's the way it is. You need to find the right edition, which might mean contacting the instructor. You can still buy it on Amazon or other textbook rental sites, but it will have a different ISBN. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 The ISBN will not always help. We're having that problem currently. Often a school will be given an ISBN just for that school's bookstore. If you search for it you'll come up empty because the only place it's available is in the college/university bookstore. Disingenuous? Yes, but that's the way it is. You need to find the right edition, which might mean contacting the instructor. You can still buy it on Amazon or other textbook rental sites, but it will have a different ISBN. Same at the colleges where I teach. It's quite a game. The class I teach at one school has a custom book that you can only buy at the bookstore or from a student there, BUT if asked, I can give them the two ISBN's of the books that went into the bind-up and they can get those online for less. Thankfully this is the third fall we've used that book, and they always have a lot of used ones. The other college requires that they subscribe to a website with educational videos for the class I teach. I watched some of the videos (this is a "tool" class), and they aren't anything different than what is on YouTube or other places. On ratemyprofessor.com, several students said they used YouTube and pulled an "A." I don't know yet how reasonable that is (I don't teach it until October), but even that sort of thing might be optional. So yes, ask the professor is ultimately best if you can. Also watch out for the web access codes. When my oldest took the class I teach, he used my text, but I still had to buy him a $45 access code. Sometimes buying the bundle from the bookstore is LESS than buying a textbook elsewhere and an access code. Sometimes the bookstores don't even sell the access codes; you have to find the place to order them online. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 Also watch out for the web access codes. When my oldest took the class I teach, he used my text, but I still had to buy him a $45 access code. Sometimes buying the bundle from the bookstore is LESS than buying a textbook elsewhere and an access code. Sometimes the bookstores don't even sell the access codes; you have to find the place to order them online. This too! Right now I'm having to figure out if it's cheaper to get the book used online and buy the access code from the publisher, or just get the whole thing (still used but with the code included) at the college bookstore. It's quite a racket. Personally, I think colleges need to get out of the book-selling business. Times have changed and students will find a way around having to pay outrageous prices from the school bookstore, just like they always have even before the internet. They (the schools) would be better off letting book sellers compete sell and rent books and just concentrating on education. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 I agree ISBN, but that said I have encountered problems despite that. It's annoying, but it happens. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 I can't tell you how much money and trouble I saved by renting textbooks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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