If you or your friends have ever purchased a textbook from a bookstore or online seller, you have most likely encountered a situation when some of them are sold while being completely covered with stickers saying something like “USED BOOK!” But is this really the purpose of these stickers – to loudly inform you that this book is, in fact, used?
Such stickers and black tape (which sometimes covers half of the book) hide not very nice secrets. Underneath, there might be a wide variety of different markings.
1) Different ISBN
The most innocent thing that can happen to a book that has a sticker is that it can have a different ISBN.
For example, a bundle which includes a book and an access code has been sold to a student. The book, obviously, has an ISBN which corresponds to the bundle printed on the cover and is quoted by buyback websites accordingly. However, if the student has used this access code and sold the book back to the college bookstore, this bookstore often puts the sticker which has an ISBN and barcode of a standalone book and sell it again as such.
2) Instructor’s editions
Again and again, every day we receive hundreds of books covered with tape and stickers to such extent that it’s hard to recognize them. Markings saying Instructor’s edition or Teacher’s edition and their ISBNs is the most common thing that is hiding under all this.
3) Complimentary copies
Complimentary copies, examination copies, free copies, uncorrected proofs, not for sale, not for resale – you name it, we’ve seen it. They are not for sale. We cannot accept them. Absolutely. Please make sure to remove stickers and tape from the cover before selling textbooks. Continue reading “Watch out for Textbooks with Stickers and Tape!” →
