Direct Textbook Gives College Students and Parents Six Tips for Getting the Most Bang for Their Book Bucks

Portland, Ore. (PRWEB) January 1, 2010 -- For college students and their parents seeking to get the most for their money when buying textbooks (http://www.directtextbook.com) for the spring semester, it's important to know that all online bookstores are not created equal. This month, the team at Direct Textbook (http://www.directtextbook.com) is issuing six tips and guidelines to help college students and their parents make smart choices, get the best deals and avoid making costly mistakes when purchasing textbooks online.

"According to a Student Watch report released last year, 24 percent of college students purchase their textbooks online, however there is still a lot students and parents don't know about the textbook publishing industry and how to use online textbook buying to stretch their budget," said Chris Lindgren, president. "To save the most money, it's critical that families do their due diligence and make sure they're fully aware of what they're getting before they commit to online textbook purchases. This month, we've put together a few tips and guidelines to make the process easier for families who have purchased textbooks online in the past, and those who are new to the process."

According to the team at Direct Textbook (http://www.directtextbook.com), before committing to an online textbook purchase, college students and parents should know:

Free shipping isn't always free. Many vendors offer free shipping and then inflate the price of the textbook in order to offset the cost of shipping. Therefore, consumers should look for the total price before considering the purchase.

eBook purchases may come with restrictions. Digital textbooks are growing in popularity. According to the National Association of College Stores, they will comprise 10 to 12 percent of textbook sales by 2012. Consumers should know that upon purchasing an ebook, they might not own the book. Instead, they may only be purchasing the right to use the book for a limited amount of time.

Textbook budgets can be cut in half when opting to rent textbooks rather than purchase them. Rental companies can save consumers anywhere from 30 percent to 70 percent. Students return the textbooks after a specified amount of time. In some cases, purchasing may be an option if the student decides he or she would prefer to keep the book.

Many textbook vendors offer online coupons. Before making online purchases, consumers should invest the time in researching the Internet for available coupons that can help them save even more on their textbooks. Direct Textbook offers a list of coupon codes from leading textbook vendors for consumers' convenience.

Not all editions have identical content. Consumers hoping to save money by purchasing paperback or international editions should be aware that there might be slight variations. Therefore, it's important for students and parents to read the online bookstore's description of the book in its entirety to determine if the book will meet their needs.

Use a credit card to protect purchases in the event of a dispute. Purchases made by credit card are protected by the Fair Credit Billing Act, while debit card purchases are not. So when making large online textbook purchases, it's important to use a credit card to ensure zero liability and a hassle-free resolution in the event the textbooks are damaged, or the shipment is lost.

"The cost of textbooks is steadily rising and the recession has made managing the cost of education even more challenging this school year," said Lindgren. "We hope that these tips will help take some of the stress out of textbook shopping, and help families save significantly on this year's textbook purchases."

Since 2002, Direct Textbook has helped college students and their parents save money on textbook purchases, and get the best returns from textbook buyback programs. For more tips on purchasing or selling textbooks, visit the 'Textbook Help' section at www.directtextbook.com.

About Direct Textbook

First launched in 2002, Direct Textbook helps parents and students search more than 30 online bookstores for bargain textbooks, saving them money and time. The company has helped more than one million parents and students get more for their used books with its college textbook buyback price search, and save up to 90 percent on textbook purchases. Visit www.directtextbook.com for more information.

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