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University of Connecticut UConn Co-op

Textbook Buyback

Although we buy books all year, the best time to sell your books is during Buyback Week at the end of each semester. That's when we have the most information about future book needs The Co-op reserves the right to refuse buyback on multiple copies of the same ISBN/Title.

 

To find out which textbooks qualify for Buyback and the price being paid, click on the link below:

Buyback Checker
STORRS CAMPUS ONLY

Textbook Buyback frequently asked questions:

 

1. Why Does the Co-op Provide a Textbook Buyback Service?

The Co-op provides a buyback service for two basic reasons: (1) to provide our members cash for books they no longer need; and, (2) to provide a supply of used books for students to buy at substantial savings.

2. Do I Really Save by Participating in Buyback?

Yes, a lot! The immediate benefit is getting cash for books you no longer need. Last year the Co-op paid over $2 million to students for their books.
 
By aggressively purchasing used books and participating in buyback, you can save up to 75% off the new book price. (For example, if you bought a used copy of a $50 book for $37.50 and then sold it back at 1/2 price of $25, you would pay only $12.50 for the use of the book; that's only 25% on the new book price.)

3. What Benefits Does the Co-op Try to Maximize in the Buyback Service?

We strive to provide the following benefits in our buyback program:
  • Pay our members and customers the most we can for their books.
  • Buy as many titles and books as we can.
  • Provide fast and convenient service.
  • Provide our members as much protection as we can from book theft related to buyback.

4. What Determines How Much Is Paid for a Book?

The Buyback price is determined by a variety of factors. For buyback pricing purposes, textbooks fall into one of three categories. During the course of a semester or buyback period, a title may move from one category to another based on demand.
 
a. 1/2 Price Books.
If a faculty member has notified us that a book will be used on campus next semester, we will pay 1/2 of the current new book price, even if you bought the book used or the new book price was lower at the time of your purchase. When we have met our anticipated needs for that title for the upcoming semester, we will purchase that title for the used book wholesalers.
 
b. Books Not Ordered for Courses for the Upcoming Semester.
Used book wholesalers determine the prices they will pay for certain titles. The Co-op technically acts as the wholesaler's agent and buys the book for the company from the student, and thus we must use their prices. Nationwide demand, current wholesaler supply and anticipated revision dates are some of the factors that the wholesale companies use in determining the prices they offer.
 
c. Books That We Are Not Buying Back.

There are 4 reasons why a book may not have any buyback value:

  • a new edition has been published;
  • there is little or no nationwide demand;
  • there is excess wholesale supply
  • the book is in poor (non-salable) condition.

5. Proportionately, how much of the buyback is purchased at 1/2 price vs. at wholesale.

Despite what some people think, most books are purchased at 1/2 of the new book price. (It varies from year-to-year due to faculty selection and edition changes. Last year, of the over $2 million we paid students for their books, over 65% of the dollars and over 50% of the books were for 1/2 price books.)

6. When Does the Co-op Buy Back Books?

The Co-op offers its Textbook Buyback Service year around.

7. When Is the Best Time to Sell My Books?

The best time to sell your books is during the Buyback periods at the end of each semester. That's when we have the most information about what we'll need for the next semester so we are paying the most and buying more titles.

8. Does the Co-op Offer the Most at Buyback?

Yes, we do because it's not only good for our members, it's good for the Co-op. Paying the most we can at buyback is the best way to encourage students to participate in the buyback/used book programs. In fact we offer the Buyback Price Guarantee. This guarantee ensures that you will be paid at least as much as any other company in the area buying back your textbooks for UConn courses.

9. What Happens If the Co-op Receives a Book Order After I've Sold the Book to the Co-op as a Wholesale Book?

For a number of reasons we don't always have all the information for the upcoming semester's books at the time of Buyback. As a result, we occasionally will buy a book for wholesale when it will end up being reused here at UConn because we get a late order. UConn Co-op active members are protected against that situation through our exclusive Buyback Pledge. Under the provisions of the pledge, if we bought a book for an active member as a wholesale book and we end up using it here at UConn, we will pay them the difference up to the half-the-new-book-price.
 
We will try to contact active Co-op membersif it appears they may be eligible for additional buyback payment under this policy. However, if you think you might be eligible, please feel free to ask someone in the textbook department about it.

10. Why Does the Co-op Buy Back Textbooks on a Single-Campus Basis Rather Than On a System-Wide Basis?

As for the single-campus vs. system-wide market, Based on our 20+ years of experience in the UConn market, we firmly believe that the single-campus market policy that we use benefits the most students. A single-campus market prevents the varieties of exam timing and the influence of disparate enrollments to unfairly influence the opportunity to buy and sell used books. With a single-campus market approach, the opportunity to sell back books at 50% is roughly the same across all campuses for all students. The fact is that in many core courses, the ones taught at several campuses and the ones that tend to use the same book, we often are offered more books at Buyback than we need to meet demand. A system-wide market could also serve to undermine the intentions of the faculty member who considers the used book/buyback opportunity for their students when making textbook decisions, especially at the smaller-enrollment, regional campuses. Of course, there are circumstances where acting on a system or multiple-campus basis is a win-win situation. For instance, where the book has been dropped on one campus and continues to be used or is newly adopted at another campus, we will buy at 50% at the campus where it was dropped if we need the books to meet demand.

11. Does the Co-op Really Care About Offering Students the Best Deal They Can at Buyback?

Yes, the Co-op does for the simple reason of who the Co-op is. The UConn Co-op is a not-for-profit, cooperative corporation owned and governed by its members. Its governing body, the Board of Directors has a student majority, as required by the Co-op's bylaws. The Co-op was formed to provide the best possible services to the University community. Additionally, any surpluses (that's what not-for-profits call profits) that are earned are used for the benefit of the members, through distribution to members as a patronage rebate or by reinvestment into the Co-op to create new services or improve current services.

12. How Does the Co-op Help Protect Students Against Book Theft.

The Co-op devotes a fair amount of time and effort to a system that allows us to determine who sold us a particular book. In that way, once we determine that a book that was sold to us was stolen, we can direct the police to the person who sold it to us. We can also return the book to its rightful owner. This system acts as a deterrent to theft in that it increases the likelihood that the thief will be caught. It also gives us a chance to return the book to the owner as quickly as possible when it is usually needed most, during finals.