Guaranteed textbook buy back programs have sprung up all over, online and off. You just have to keep an eye open for the right books. You know what textbook buy back is - wait in line, offer the university cashier your used textbook and hope they give you something other than loose change for it. But now you can get guaranteed textbook buy back.

The store will tell you what they will pay you for your book when you buy it, and you avoid the problems of keeping a book you don't need after the class is finished.

Does This Work for Used Textbooks?

Even used textbooks can also be guaranteed. The department and the professors at your school have to using the book for a few years, then the store will offer a guarantee on that book. Online stores use a slightly different method, but the result is the same - if they see significant and continuing usage of the book, they can offer a guarantee for a used book, too.

The Numbers

This breakdown won't be perfect, but you will get an idea of how these programs work. When a college or an online bookstore offers a guaranteed textbook buy back on a new book, they will often promise you 50 percent of the book price you paid at the beginning of the class. Then, they will add half of that when they resell it used, a total of about 75 percent of your price.

Used textbooks will work similarly but with slightly different numbers. You may get a higher percentage for your used book, say two thirds of what you paid. If you have access to a guaranteed textbook buy back, you get a pretty good deal. You know which textbooks you can sell for something, you probably know how much, and you save time. Cool. You get cheap textbooks and cash back.

Online and On Campus Differences

Textbook buy back will be a bit different online and on campus. You will have to ship for an online bookstore, but not on campus. And you will have to wait for the online bookstore to acknowledge your books. On the other hand, an online store may have a wider variety of books with a guarantee. You may also be able to return the books earlier than at the bookstore. Also, I have seen online bookstores provide the postage for you, so you just drop it in the mail.

On the other hand, your on campus bookstore will be close by, no waiting for a check. They will give you cash, and hopefully the line will be short.

Both will decide if the books have been damaged before they pay - severe damage invalidates the guarantee. Don't drop it in a lake, or clip out the pages you like. Some wear is normal, some writing, some highlighting. You have to have all the pieces - all the pages, and any disks or student workbooks if included when you bought the book.

Go For It
You can't expect to get all your textbooks cheap. I managed to do it in several classes, and even made money on one book. But over a full term of classes or a year, you have to expect to spend some money. In those cases, the guaranteed textbook buy back fills the bill, and helps reduce your expenses.