What is “The Book Stand”?
The Book Stand is a place online where you can advertise the used text books
you want to sell.
(back to top)
Does “The Book Stand” sell books?
No, The Book Stand does not sell new
or used books at this time. The Book Stand
simply facilitates initial communications between buyers and sellers.
(back to top)
Briefly, how does the site work?
Sellers list their books for free.
Buyers search for free.
Buyers then contact sellers from the site (by email, sms or phone) to arrange to
transact. There are three ways to transact;
1. meet on your campus,
You can make contact via email, sms, or telephone, depending the methods chosen
by the seller.
The site doesn't handle books or money and takes no commission - using the site
is 100% free.
(back to top)
How much will I make?
You can list books at any price. We recommend listing most books somewhere around
50% off the original. If you can recoup 50% of the cost of 5-10 books a year this
really adds up.
(back to top)
Is it safe to meet people in person?
You be the judge. If you're not entirely comfortable, don't.
It is probably best to meet during the day in a
public place like a library
and maybe take a friend and maybe get their mobile number before you meet.
(back to top)
What happens when my used books are sold?
Login to the site and mark your second hand book has sold. That way no
one will email you wanting to buy it. As a community space, keeping the database
up-to-date is a good thing to do.
(back to top)
How do I remove a book I no longer want to sell?
Login to the site and click on
the “Remove” link for the book in question.
(back to top)
How do I edit my details and books listed?
1. Login, 2. Go to the "My Account" page. All your contact details, books
etc appear on this page and can be changed.
(back to top)
Smart search tips...
> Start with a broad search (few terms - maybe just the title key words), then
narrow it down by adding more criteria once you see what shows up.
> A lot of books listed don't have all the authors listed, so maybe just search
the
main author.
> What
edition do you want? You can save heaps more if you don't need
the latest edition.
(back to top)
Is my contact information safe when I use “The Book Stand”?
The Book Stand does not sell your personal information to any third party of
any sort. All information offered is at the discretion you the user. A security
conscious user may prefer not to disclose information such as home telephone numbers and choose instead to communicate using e-mail or SMS.
(back to top)
I have registered but can’t log in to my account?
Recheck your user name and
password. Ensure that you have typed
the correct information in the correct box. Click the “forgot password”
link and your login and password will be emailed to you. If you don’t receive the email within a few minutes, you may have mistyped your
email address when first registering. In this case you will need contact the site administrator to have that
rectified. Got the right login and email and still having problems: Empty the "cache" in
your browser preferences.
(back to top)
How does SMS work? SMS (Short Message Service)
is a service which allows cellular phone owners to send short text messages. The Book Stand uses these Text messages potential buyers to contact sellers,
briefly stating their interest in a particular book.
(back to top)
How do I post a book I wish to sell?
- Login to your account.
- Click the “My Account” link
to enter you account.
- Click the “Add Book” link
to add a new book to your list.
-
Look for the ISBN Number
of the book you wish to sell.
- Enter the ISBN Number into
the designated box at the top and click the “Get Book Info” button.
- Double check the information
is accurate.
- Set the price, negotiability, condition rating and comments to the book profile.
- Click the “Add Book” button
Book will be added to list and will be viewable buy other users and is now for sale.
(back to top)
What is an ISBN Number?
An ISBN number is a unique
number given to all commercially printed books (such as textbooks). The use of the
ISBN number on The Book Stand Online
is to ensure accuracy of information so that the buyer receives the exact books
they are looking for.
(back to top)
I have entered my ISBN Number into the appropriate field
but I get no information or the information provided is wrong, what do I do?
Double check the ISBN number. If this problem persists
contact The Book Stand administration.
(back to top)
How do I rate the condition of the book I’m selling?
The following
are categories and descriptions of those categories, under which the condition of
books can be rated. These ratings however are subjective so honesty is the best
policy :)
- Excellent:
These books will look brand new, with little to no evidence of previous ownership.
-
Good:
These books are not quite in mint condition but bare no major markings or
blemishes.
-
Average:
Some minor damage to book, which may include highlighted pages or a small tear on
a couple of pages, but otherwise is in very good condition.
-
Poor:
These books suffer from noticeable damage. May have torn, bent pages or missing
pages, these books while not ideal may still be useful for reference.
(back to top)
What is this
mean?
This the "negotiable" icon, it is used to indicate that the quoted price of a book is up for negotiation with
a contact.
(back to top)
How do I set a good price for the book I’m selling?
Setting prices are up to
the users’ discretion. A user can also indicate that the quoted price is negotiable
with by enacting the negotiable icon. The following are some simple guidelines by
which a user can set a price.
-
The better the condition
of a particular book the closer to the original (brand new) price a user can ask
for that book. For example a book in excellent condition may be worth 75% of its
purchase value, while a book in poor condition may only be worth 30%.
-
The latest edition of a
book is worth more than an older edition.
-
If you simply want to sell
the book as quickly and easily as possible, set a price that will be hard to resist.
-
Many people will purchase
textbooks simply as reference materials, at the right price.
-
An informative description
of a book rated as poor or satisfactory may help to reassure potential buyers of
its acceptability.
-
You can always change the
price of your book if you find it isn’t selling as fast as you had hoped. Simply
log onto your account to change the details of the books you are selling.
-
If a book is in high demand
or rare a user may sell for a profit regardless of the condition.
(back to top)
How do I deliver a book to a buyer? / How do I receive a
book from a seller?
Delivery of
books is entirely up to the users’ discretion. There are several established meeting
points on the major campuses which users may choose to use. However, private arrangements
can be made between users. The Book Stand Online
is not responsible for any delivery arrangements. We suggest Cash on Delivery (COD):).
(back to top)
Are there any fees I should know about when using this site?
The Book Stand is currently 100% free to use for all users.
(back to top)
I don’t see the book I am looking for what do I do?
The Book Stand will soon implement a wanted list where users will be able to
post books which they wish to buy. This will help to encourage persons who own the
books to sell it.
(back to top)
I am being harassed/abused by another
user, what do I do?
Write a complaint to The Book Stand administration and report
the user and the nature of the abuse. From there we will first caution the user,
if abuses persists we will then ban that user from the site. If abuses border on
criminal The Book Stand Online administration
and management will contact the authorities.
(back to top)
How can get The Book Stand Online on my campus?
Send an email to the webmaster@thebookstandonline.com and volunteer to put up some
posters at your campus. We will send you some posters and help you get started.
This can be a great service for student organisations to offer their members.
(back to top)