Textbook FAQ
Textbook Rental FAQ
Yes both new and used.
No, but we add more titles every semester.
Last day of exams
Yes! Simply bring your rented book into the store. (you get a refund for the initial rental
fee you paid and then turn around and pay the shelf price at the register.)
The card used to secure the rental will be charged the remaining balance of the shelf price
(list price less the cost you paid to rent plus a 20% fee) Examples of damage:
liquid/moisture damage, rips, tears are the most common.
No, as long as you return the book by the due date and return it in re-saleable condition.
Yes, you may write and highlight in the book.
No, simply return your book by the final due date.
You return the book in the text department. There are signs letting you know where to return
it, just be sure to let the Book Store employee know that you rented the book.
No, you may return it at any time during the semester as long as it’s before the due date.
Yes, but be sure your friend gives the Book Store employee the name and student ID number of
the person who rented it.
No, just your student ID.
Online Textbooks FAQ
Most browsers have a pop-up blocker notification on the right hand portion of the address
bar. You will be able to access the book once you’ve allowed the pop-up window for the ebook
site.
You may find detailed instructions for enabling pop-ups here.
You may find detailed instructions for enabling pop-ups here.
You cannot be charged twice for the same order on the website. What you are seeing is the
"approval", which will usually disappear within 24 hours, and is not actually a charge.
A credit card is required for all orders. When an order is placed on our system no payments
are collected until we actually ship the order. Our system does check with your credit/debit
card provider to make sure that there are sufficient funds available to cover the total
amount of the order (your financial institution might list this fund check with a "Pending"
notation). That happens even if you have entered a gift card with a balance that covers the
entire cost of the order. When your order is shipped our system will apply the gift card
first. If that covers the total amount of the order your credit/debit card will not be
billed anything. If the gift card covers a portion of the order total your credit/debit card
will be billed the difference. Only if the gift card has no balance would the entire amount
of the order be billed to your credit/debit card.
The fourth book is probably on backorder. As soon as some copies arrive, you will be charged
for it, and you will receive an e-mail notification.
You can look up your booklists by course number. First select the department; then select
the course number; finally, select the section number (i.e. Math 100, Sec. 1). Listed under
each course are the required and recommended books the instructor has assigned. Booklists
are added to the website as soon as we receive them. Please note: the website does not
indicate stock of an item.
This means the instructor has given you the choice of buying one of these two books. In most
cases, they are slightly different editions, both of which the instructor has deemed
acceptable for the course. Do not order both of them.
Select each book that you would like to purchase and select new, used, rental, or digital
preferred. Then proceed to the checkout and follow the prompts.
Yes. When logging in, you will need to select "Wiscard Sign In" from the Login Options page
in order to use this payment method.
You can choose to either have the books shipped to you or to pick them up at the store. This
option is at the end of your order process. Please fill out the shipping address information
even if you are not having them shipped.
You may pick up your books on the lower level, during regular Book Store hours. You must bring
photo identification with you.
Order fulfillment time varies depending on availability of texts and quantity of orders. You
will receive a shipping confirmation e-mail when the order is ready. If you chose to pick up
at store, please wait two hours after receiving this e-mail to come in and pick up your
books.
Your books will be held at least through the second week of class.
This is only a price estimate, not the price you will be charged. We try to respect your
used/new preference as best we can, but we cannot guarantee new or used. You will be charged
after we pick the books for the amount of used/new books we were able to get for you. This
total will be indicated on your shipping confirmation e-mail.
Customer error means we found a mistake on your order. Most likely, you accidentally ordered
two of the same book. Therefore, we cancelled one copy of the order for you.
No. Unfortunately, we are not able to ship books ordered online overseas. Please call the
textbook department if you are interested in shipping overseas.
You cannot cancel the order online. You must contact the textbook department at (608)
257-3784 ext.5905
| Ground Shipping (5-7 days) |
|---|
| $7.00 + $0.50 for each item |
| 2nd Day Air |
|---|
| $21.00 + $1.00 for each item |
Incoming Student FAQ
The University Book Store receives information regarding textbook requirements from your
professors as early as months before the semester starts through the first weeks of classes.
We make every effort to get your books on the shelf as soon as we learn of the requirements.
If you don't find a book, you can keep checking back or you can go to the information
counter in the textbook department to inquire on the status of your book.
Textbooks are located on the lower level of the University Book Store at 711 State Street.
Class books are arranged first by department, next by class within each department. You
should bring a list of your classes with you when you shop for your books each semester.
This list should contain the names of your professors along with lecture and section
numbers. This will help you make sure you're buying the right books for the right classes.
It's not uncommon to have three professors teaching a particular class using three
completely different sets of books.
Yes, at text.uwbookstore.com. You will need the
same information as that listed in the previous answer when ordering textbooks online. You
may have your books delivered to your home or dorm, or you may pick them up on the lower
level of the University Book Store, 711 State Street, during regular Book Store hours. You must
present a valid picture I.D. at time of pickup.
Occasionally books are unavailable when you make your first trip to the University Book
Store. In most cases this is not because a book has sold out, but because it simply has not
arrived. Instructors are made aware of these out of stock situations and will usually adjust
assignments until books arrive. When enrollments are larger than expected, instructors
notify the Book Store of the increases and books are re-ordered. These usually arrive by the
end of the first week of classes. We do begin taking reservations for books at the end of
the first week. Stop in at the service counter in the text department and fill out a form so
that we can save a copy of the book for you and send you a card notifying you of its
arrival.
The University Book Store purchases textbooks from students year round. We also buy used
books from wholesalers across the country. These used books tend to be the best value for
the students, which also means they are in the greatest demand.
Yes. The University Book Store offers its buyback service for two basic reasons:
- to provide students cash for books they no longer need; and,
- to provide a supply of used books for students to buy at substantial savings.
The buyback price is determined by a variety of factors. For buyback pricing, 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. The categories are as follows:
- ½ Price Books
If a faculty member has notified the University Book Store that a book will be used on campus next semester, in most cases we will pay ½ 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. - Books not ordered for the upcoming semester
Used book wholesalers determine the prices they will pay for certain books. The University Book Store 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. - Books that we are not buying back
There are four 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
Every day that we are open which is Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 7:00
p.m., Friday and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 5:00 p.m.
The best time to sell your books is during the periods of May 1st through August 31st and
December 1st through January 20th.
Absolutely! 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 ½ price of $25, you would pay only $12.50 for the use
of that book; that's only 25% on the new book price.)
Some instructors provide books lists to other local shops. We may very well have used copies
of the books you need. Bring us a copy of your syllabus after you have gone to your first
class and we will do all we can to find used copies of the books you need.
The University Book Store accepts cash, check, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover
and Wiscard, the University of Wisconsin-Madison's debit card.
You can put money into your Wiscard Campus Cash account at the Memorial Union Cashier's
Office or online.
The average student spends $350-$450 per semester at the University Book Store.
The return policy for the non-textbook merchandise is 30 days with a receipt for a full
refund.
Collegiate clothing and gifts, school supplies, computer software and supplies, art
supplies, general interest books, even coffee too!
Your non-text supplies such as art supplies and general books, will be found on the first
floor in the University Book Store.
Madison Metro bus tickets, notary public, and custom framing.