UTEP Bookstore: the last resort

The woman at the UTEP bookstore checkout counter was angry. By angry, I don't mean mildly perturbed, no, I mean she was livid. Sometime last week, my appetite and I made our way to the UTEP bookstore for a bag of chips and an over-priced bagel sandwich.

 

As I stood in line to pay, I couldn't help but overhear this woman as she complained to several bookstore employees about their book return and refund policy.

From what I could gather, one of her professors this summer had assigned a book before class started but when the class actually met, she informed the class that they would no longer need the book (which has happened to me more than once, personally).

Apparently, this particular student had already bought the book and was now asking to return it and get her money back.

 

The argument lingered on with one bookstore employee after another telling her that the book couldn't be returned anymore because of the return policy. The student went on and on about how she was a student with a small budget and she wanted her money back. One employee directed the upset student to another man who might be able to make an exception for her – but as with most UTEP departments, most likely not (my words, not the employees).

I left, jalapeño chips in hand, before I could hear how the situation was resolved ,but the entire incident got me thinking about the us-versus-them attitude that I think most students have toward the UTEP bookstore.

For one, the bookstore's textbook prices are easily the highest and almost any other bookseller is going to offer the same book for a much lower price. With websites like Amazon.com, eBay and Chegg.com, it's easier and cheaper for students to simply order their books ahead of time and often pay $20 to $30 less than what the UTEP bookstore is asking for.

At this point, I would consider it foolish to spend money on textbooks at the bookstore on campus when you can find used, new and rental books online.

Fortunately, it seems like the powers that be at the UTEP bookstore finally got

a clue about their ridiculous prices and will be instituting a book rental option starting this fall. The hope is that the bookstore will at least be able to compete with Chegg.com, which was the forerunner in renting cheap books to students. My prediction, textbooks at the bookstore will still be among the highest priced.

Despite the high prices, the UTEP bookstore has always had its location on campus as a plus over its competitors. However, with the location move of College Bookstore Alternative to a strip mall near campus, that advantage is also losing credence. For the most part, I think students would rather go a few miles off campus and save money than spend much more at a bookstore on campus.

Additionally, the bookstore's return policy makes it seemingly impossible to get a refund for an unneeded book. According to the UTEP bookstore's website, purchases made before Aug. 20 can be returned within five days after the purchase. If the book is bought after Aug. 20, the last day to return books is Aug. 30.

The fall semester starts Aug. 23, meaning that students have to choose between buying their books early to avoid the outrageously long lines and risk buying books their professor cancel when the semester starts or buying books later in the week but dealing with chaos. Not to mention, by the time the school year starts, most used books aren't even in stock anymore.

With the return/refund deadline being on Aug. 30, that means that students have a week from the time classes start to figure out if they will stay in the class or not. For students who drop courses in the second week of the semester, well I suppose they are left up a creek without a paddle – and a set of unwanted books.

I understand that every institution needs to have its policies, but the UTEP Bookstore, which should have the students' empty wallets first on their mind, is on the low end of the student-friendly scale right now. Unless some price and policy reform can be made, I predict the bookstore will only become more unpopular and more obsolete than it already is.

Vanessa Juarez may be reached at prospector@utep.edu.