subject: The Bama Bookstore Is Not A Rip-off [print this page] Some people view college bookstores as places that are only out to get students' money. They believe everything is overpriced and there's really nothing good that can come out of them. Contrary to what they may believe, this is far from the truth. Just take the Bama bookstore, for instance. One of the ways that these stores aim to help students is through the textbook buyback program.
By offering this particular program, a Bama bookstore is giving students an opportunity to get some of their money back for textbooks that they will no longer need. This is extremely beneficial, especially for struggling students. Many times, some people have to literally save up in order to afford some of their books. Others may have to take out loans. Some might say that the textbooks aren't worth that much. Therefore, the prices should just be lowered. Well, contrary to this belief, many of those books provide a wealth of information that can actually empower or help students gain knowledge that will help them to excel in their careers years down the road. Therefore, they will be able to make all of their money back, and more. Therefore, the answer isn't necessarily to lower prices. Although lowering prices may not be a feasible choice, the aforementioned program is a great way to help students.
They may not be able to get all of their money back for the books they have purchased at the Bama bookstore, but in some cases they can get half of it back. That means, when all is said and done, they really only paid half-price for their textbook. So, the price was actually lowered in a way. Getting money back for one book may not seem like a big deal. However, getting money back for five or six books can really add up.
Just imagine if a student purchased 5 textbooks at the beginning of the semester. The prices of the books were $150, $45, $89, $76 and $101. If the student were to only get just 1/3 back of what they paid for each book, they would get a little over $138 back. That's a nice amount of money, especially for someone who may be in a financial bind. That money can be used for groceries or even to pay a bill or two.
So, establishments such as the Bama bookstore shouldn't be shunned or seen as rip-offs. Although the textbook prices may be a little higher than some people would like, there is a way for people to at least get some of their money back.
