| General |
| This is my first time on Textbook411. Have I missed out on savings? |
| Yes... yes, indeed you have. Our only recommendation is that you use our service from now on and maybe that you tell a friend or two. |
| Does Textbook411 sell books? |
| Textbook411 does not sell books. We are a price comparison search engine that directs you to the best priced book among the inventory of the many bookstores we search. |
| Is Textbook411 free? |
| Yes, it's absolutely free to use our service to find the best price for your books. Use us often and tell your friends.... Tell everyone! |
| How does Textbook411 work? |
| We are a price comparison search engine for ALL types of books. When you submit a book search, we instantly go to dozens of bookstores and online marketplaces to find the best price. We then present you with an easy to read list of websites that sell your book and how much they are charging. All you have to do is click the lowest priced book and you will link through to the bookseller's website where you can place your order. In short: our free service shows you the cheapest place to buy your book. Its fast, its easy, and best of all its free! |
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| Searching |
| Can I search for non-textbooks? |
| Yes, Textbook411 can help you find all types of books. Bestsellers, classics, cookbooks, even audio books-- if it's a book we can help you find the best price. |
| What is an international edition? |
| These in an edition of a US book which is printed and intended for sale in a non-US market. These books have a different ISBN but usually have the same content as the US version. They are often bound with a soft cover, printed on lower quality paper in black and white ink, and are market "international version" somewhere on the cover. They might also have a label to the effect of "Not for sale in the USA". Despite these labels America's current copyright law does not seem to outlaw the import and sale of these texts. These editions have become very popular because they are usually much less expensive then their US counterparts. Be sure to check out the description of each book when shopping in marketplaces such as half.com or Amazon marketplace where these texts are often unrepresentatively listed under the ISBN of a US edition. |
| What is the best way to perform a book search? |
| In almost every case the best way to find a specific book is by performing an ISBN search. This type of search will match you with the precise book that you are looking for right from the start. In the unlikely case that your book does not contain an ISBN then your next best option is to search by title and author. Keyword or topic style searches often return mixed results. |
| Are your price comparisons done in real time? |
| Yes! When you submit a search inquiry we immediately run a comprehensive price check for your book. It sure beats visiting all those stores individually; Textbook411 does the work for you. |
| The search results have several books with the same title. How can I tell which is the right edition? |
| The best way to find the right edition is by the book's number. The ISBN is a unique 10 to 13 digit code that is usually printed on the back cover of a book. Different editions will have different ISBN numbers. Search by ISBN and find the right book! |
| I am looking for a particular book that I just can't seem to find, can you help me? |
| Well, finding books is what we do, but unfortunately we are unable to assist users on an individual basis beyond the regular searches that we perform. But we can offer a few hints on locating hard to find texts. First, make sure you are actually searching for the right text. Misspellings and miss wordings can really throw off a search! Second, try to search by ISBN, it's the best way to get an exact match. If you don't know your books ISBN you can probably find it with a Google search, or link through our homepage and search on Amazon, or ask your course instructor with an email (if it is a textbook). The collections that we search contain millions of volumes, if you aren't finding your book you might consider talking to your local reference librarian or a rare books expert. |
| When I arrived at the bookstore the book I wanted to buy was unavailable. Why is it still listed in your search results? |
| Some bookstores and dealers leave books in their databases even when they are no longer available for sale, our searches cannot always distinguish these cases. We understand how frustrating this can be and are striving to improve the quality of our search results. |
| Can I remove "marketplace" stores from my search results? |
| Yes, there is a drop-down menu on the results display page that allows you to remove such stores from your list of results. We understand that each user has unique needs but strongly recommend trying out marketplace stores--they are constantly improving their methods of operation and can offer truly amazing savings. |
| Can I search for audio books? |
| Absolutely. Just do a regular search and your results will specify whether a book is print or audio. Happy listening. |
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| Ordering |
| Can you help me track an order? |
| Textbook411 is a book search engine and does not sell books, nor are we involved in the processing of users' orders. These transactions occur on the booksellers websites and not ours, therefore we do not have the ability to track or check the status of your orders. It is important to take note of information such as dealer, bookstore, price, date, and order confirmation number when placing a book order. Retain this information until your order arrives so that you would be prepared for the rare case of a problem arising. |
| I bought a book but forget which store I ordered from. Can you help me? |
| We are not actually involved in processing you orders-- this happens on the bookseller's website and not ours. Therefore we cannot track down which store you made your purchase from. The best course of action would be to perform a search for the same book that you previously purchased and then contact the merchants that show up at the top of your results. Your credit card company should also have record of the merchant who charged your account. It is important to take note of information such as dealer, bookstore, price, date, and order confirmation number when placing a book order. Retain this information until your order arrives so that you would be prepared for the rare case of a problem arising. |
| I need a book fast! |
| There are a couple ways to make sure your book arrives by the time you need it. If available, choose an expedited shipping option from the bookseller. It will probably cost more, but if you need the book fast it may be worth it. You might also consider ordering from one of the "regular bookstores" they are usually very punctual with their order processing time and typically have a variety of express delivery options. |
| What is the difference between 'order processing time' and 'shipping time'? |
| Order processing time is the time it takes the bookstore to process an order and get it shipped out. Shipping time is the duration it takes for the book to travel from the bookstore to you. Bookstores typically offer a variety of shipping options each with their own time and price. |
| What is the return policy on this book? |
| Return policies vary with each bookstore or bookseller. Textbook411 is just a book search engine that shows you the lowest available prices. We don't actually sell books. Be sure to look into each merchant's policy before you place an order. |
| I don't want to pay with a credit card over the Internet. |
| Some merchants will allow you to order over the phone or through a fax. Just check with the specific merchant that you want to order from and they should be able to give you your options. |
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