Letters to the editor: Bookstore buybacks unfair to students

In my first semester at this University I paid around $200 for my books. I tried to sell my… In my first semester at this University I paid around $200 for my books. I tried to sell my books back to an off-campus bookstore and got $20 back. My father contacted the University to see if there was any way to get a better price. A woman from the office of the Executive Vice Chancellor contacted my father by e-mail. She said she contacted the director of the Book Center to find out what they pay students for their used textbooks. She found that if a textbook will be used at Pitt the following term, they pay 50 percent of the new book purchase price until they have bought a sufficient quantity for the next term’s enrollment.

She stated I should have received $136.40 from selling my books to the University. Now to the present … At 10:35 a.m. on Thursday, I went the Quad to sell my philosophy of religion book. The book cost $60 and yet they would only give me $18 for it. This is only 30 percent of the original price. So an hour into the buyback, the University has enough copies of this book for next semester. Has the University ever considered that maybe they purchase too many new copies to begin with? In my opinion, they just don’t care about the student. In the next week or so I will be graduating and this University will never see a dime of my money again. I have gotten into contact with the office of the Vice Chancellor once again to see what they think about this situation. Until then, I tell all students DO NOT buy your books from the University’s bookstore. You can get them cheaper at many of the local bookstores. Secondly, only sell your textbooks to friends on the Internet. Third, support BookPitt.com. I have no affiliation with them, but it is an excellent idea and if the bookstore sales start to drop then maybe they will have to do something about this whole buying and selling back textbooks.

Tara Matcuk

senior, accounting