Students turn to bartering to save on textbooks

With the announcement of new book lists before each new semester, the scramble to find the most affordable options is the true test of a college student’s determination.

While the campus bookstore conveniently makes textbooks available by course number, penny-conscious students trade with one another and search discount websites for cheap – although not always easy -solutions.

Websites such as Amazon.com and Ebay.com have become major names in the search for discounted textbooks, but Swapsimple.com, a new online service, is poised to become the easiest and cheapest option for students trying to save a buck, said site co-founder and president Elliot Hirsch.

Swapsimple.com is an online community of students who trade textbooks with each other instead of buying and selling at a bookstore or discount website.

Hirsch, who graduated from the University of Arizona in 2001, said his experiences in buying textbooks inspired him to develop a new type of service for students.

“I remember going to the campus bookstore and selling back a textbook that I paid $200 for and getting nothing in return,” Hirsch said. “Then, they turn around and sell it to the person behind you for 80 percent of the cover price.”

Hirsch said he and co-founders Eric Haszlakiewicz and David Goldblatt considered several ideas for their service, including basic buying and selling, but decided students would benefit most from an online marketplace where users could trade their textbooks without having to buy anything

Any student looking to trade textbooks can register with the website free of charge. The student then lists whatever books they are willing to trade.

Website members are required to list information about a book, such as its ISBN, edition and its condition. Swapsimple then uses a formula to determine how many trade credits that book is worth, and once a member receives trade credits, he is able to trade books with other members using his credits.

Swapsimple members only pay for shipping and handling and a $2 fee for each transaction. Members are required to provide a credit card to ensure that they actually have the books they listed.

Hirsch said that Swapsimple.com was created specifically with student needs in mind and has eliminated typical problems with online websites.

“If a student needs to get a textbook right away and doesn’t have time to shop around, Swapsimple gives him the chance to find and get that book immediately,” he said.

Students admit they take risks in shopping with third-party websites. They might not always have the exact edition of a book they need and it takes time to process and ship the orders.

Tim Sullivan, a College of Arts and Sciences sophomore, who estimated his textbook expenditure to be $350 each semester, said he usually buys his books from Barnes ‘ Noble to avoid the hassle of purchasing online. Still, he said he liked the idea and that Swapsimple is something he would consider using in the future.

“I’ve tried using discount websites, but it generally takes too much time,” Sullivan said. “Plus, the Barnes ‘ Noble website usually lists half of my classes and it doesn’t list the ISBN, so you have to go to the store to find your books. Otherwise, you might not be getting the right book.”

Hirsch admitted that because students are trading old textbooks on Swapsimple, the newest editions may not be available for members to trade. However, he said students recognized that textbook companies unfairly create new editions in order to make more money.

“It’s ridiculous how much textbook companies really boost up prices by coming up with a newer version of textbooks that just have a couple of pages added from the old book,” Hirsch said.

Boston University professor Chris Daly said publishing companies are to blame for their practice of coming out with new editions too often.

“Some publishers print new editions in hopes to make older, used versions unmarketable,” Daly said in an email. “I rarely change texts in hopes that students will be able to find used copies and save their money.”

Hirsch said his company has been encouraged by recent legislative efforts to place stricter standards on textbook publishing companies to prove that a new edition of a book they want to print is fundamentally better than an old one.

These stricter laws would create a larger market for used books.

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), citing a report issued by state Public Interest Research Groups, has been the most outspoken on Capitol Hill in the effort to lower textbook costs.

The report titled “Rip-off 101” found that students spend an average of $896 on books each year, up 186 percent from 20 years ago.

Schumer proposed legislation last February that would allow students or parents to deduct the cost of their books from their taxes. Pending state legislature in Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey and Washington, if passed, would eliminate sales tax on textbooks.

Meanwhile, Hirsch said his company is improving the Swapsimple server to enable it to accommodate the 50 new members per day and has expanded the website to include a trading market for used video games and DVDs so freshmen, whom do not have old textbooks, would have something to trade.

“We don’t have any megalomaniacal goals,” Hirsch said. “We’re not going to try to sell you iPods, we don’t have advertising on the website, and we don’t plan on it. That shows you how focused we are on providing a service.”