Bookstore Sounding Board
I bought on Jan 28 a CD package identified with #60212700014 "Messiah complete" it had 3 CD`s one of them was damaged how can I return?
If you take the CDs back to the Music Department, they will give you a new set. If you want a refund, take your receipt to them and get all your money back. If you have no receipt, take the set to the Service Department on the textbook floor and they will help you. If you are not satisfied with any of those places or procedures, write back and we’ll find another way to get you what you want.(Posted 2/8/2008)
Do you post a calendar of upcoming author/artist signings? I feel like I am always missing out because I find out that someone was doing a book signing after the fact.
You may find this hard to believe (we actually find it a bit hard), but we post notices for signings as soon as we know when someone is going to be here. Sometimes we know a month early, and then signs go up at all three doors. Same thing a week before the event. But other times, we don’t know until a day before the author will be on campus, and then we bring out a table, get a small sign to put on it, and make announcements over the PA system. In an ideal world, all authors and illustrators would commit early, let us know, and allow us to make proper preparations. Some forum speakers, for instance, are on a tight schedule and don’t have time for a signing; others are freer when in town and happy to sit at a table with a ballpoint. You also might check byubookstore.com from the comfort of your living room. When we know we are going to have a signing, we put an announcement there.(Posted 2/8/2008)
To go along with the last question asked about book information not being available early enough, it isn't the bookstore's fault, but rather the faculty. To me the question is how can we get the faculty to do a better job giving the required text info to the bookstore so the students can know about them before we find out during the first day of class?
About 80% of the faculty requests are complete and clear. Those other requests do take some time, but that’s why we are here. That the book information isn’t available earlier rests with us, not the faculty. I have included an accurate but unbearably long explanation explaining why, should you want to know. Yes, but it’s not going to happen. Here re the reasons why. Textbooks, ISBNs, and the BYU Bookstore Students can find ISBNs six weeks before classes begin by looking on the shelf tags or the comprehensive list at the information desk. We don’t put ISBNs online until a week before the semester starts for three reasons. But first, an overview. Compiling an accurate list of almost 5,000 textbook titles each semester takes considerable expense and effort. All facts have to be verified. In addition to the standard information (author, title, edition, etc.), some texts come in different packages with options like an online homework and grading system, password packet, workbook, CD, web site access code, DVD, different configurations of music CDs, anthologies with one name but different volumes (1A, 2A, 3C, 3D, ABL, G, or I?) Does the professor really want to order the 4th edition as requested when the current edition is the 6th? We make calls to professors and publishers to be sure everything is correct. And we can’t simply cut and paste from the previous semester because each time more than a third of the texts are new. Now the three reasons. 1. If we post the final, polished list online six weeks early, the possibility exists that an enterprising entrepreneur will take it and open a competing bookstore. That can and does happen. No university bookstore, of any kind, wants to donate its labor and business information to a competitor. Even state universities, because of the Freedom of Information Act, must provide the raw data from the professors but a legal ruling protects them from having to share the final, polished list. BYU is a private school and is not required to provide data to potential competitors. 2. The major reason students want ISBNs online is to make shopping easier by being able to cut and paste data into online stores. If students want ISBNs, they are available early in the Bookstore. So why don’t we make things completely easy and post them online? The Bookstore, like all on-campus businesses, is expected to be self-sustaining and must pay all its expenses. In our case, that means fixtures, shelving, payroll, utilities, shipping, upkeep, remodeling, and rent (yes, rent-—we don’t even get the space free), plus making a small profit which then goes back to the university. We can’t keep the profit, but we have to earn it. And we don’t get a dime from outside sources--not the Church, not donations, not tuition. This is not our decision. This is our mandate. We are a self-sustaining business, and as long as the university wants us to be a business, we have to make a profit. 3. When you buy from the Bookstore you are protected even when a mistake is made (inevitable with 5,000 titles) or situations change. The nature of a university is that faculty will change their minds and students will change their schedules. We give you a full refund no matter the source of the problem. But we can’t offer a refund when you buy elsewhere. One example. A student bought a required text from another source. On the first day of class, the professor said that text is optional. The student brought it to us wanting a refund because he bought it from our information in good faith, identifying it as required. We pulled the written request from the professor, showing he required it. When called, the professor said he changed his mind and forgot to notify the Bookstore. Had the student bought it here, he would have had a full refund. We know you can sometimes buy for less elsewhere. Some online sellers do not offer refunds, so if the book is the right one and you paid less, you win. If the book is the wrong edition or not needed, then you lose. If you want to be protected, we simply caution you to investigate the support you get from your seller. The BYU Bookstore has the same markup (25%) as Amazon, other university bookstores in the USA, and the publishers themselves when they sell online. In addition, we offer instant and full refunds, whatever the reason you return a book. The final comment: If you have any questions or concerns, Tom Hirtzel, Textbook Manager in the Textbook Office on the upper level of the Bookstore, would honestly be happy to visit with you. (By the way, he is a genuinely nice guy. Give him a chance.)(Posted 1/18/2008)
I think the people who wanted the textbook information sooner were referring to receiving it through Route Y a lot sooner than by December 31, 2007. For me, this is my first semester here, so I had no way of coming to the bookstore to see the postings. It would have been really convenient for me to have my book list posted online back in November. Is that possible?
Yes, but it’s not going to happen. Here re the reasons why. Textbooks, ISBNs, and the BYU Bookstore Students can find ISBNs six weeks before classes begin by looking on the shelf tags or the comprehensive list at the information desk. We don’t put ISBNs online until a week before the semester starts for three reasons. But first, an overview. Compiling an accurate list of almost 5,000 textbook titles each semester takes considerable expense and effort. All facts have to be verified. In addition to the standard information (author, title, edition, etc.), some texts come in different packages with options like an online homework and grading system, password packet, workbook, CD, web site access code, DVD, different configurations of music CDs, anthologies with one name but different volumes (1A, 2A, 3C, 3D, ABL, G, or I?) Does the professor really want to order the 4th edition as requested when the current edition is the 6th? We make calls to professors and publishers to be sure everything is correct. And we can’t simply cut and paste from the previous semester because each time more than a third of the texts are new. Now the three reasons. 1. If we post the final, polished list online six weeks early, the possibility exists that an enterprising entrepreneur will take it and open a competing bookstore. That can and does happen. No university bookstore, of any kind, wants to donate its labor and business information to a competitor. Even state universities, because of the Freedom of Information Act, must provide the raw data from the professors but a legal ruling protects them from having to share the final, polished list. BYU is a private school and is not required to provide data to potential competitors. 2. The major reason students want ISBNs online is to make shopping easier by being able to cut and paste data into online stores. If students want ISBNs, they are available early in the Bookstore. So why don’t we make things completely easy and post them online? The Bookstore, like all on-campus businesses, is expected to be self-sustaining and must pay all its expenses. In our case, that means fixtures, shelving, payroll, utilities, shipping, upkeep, remodeling, and rent (yes, rent-—we don’t even get the space free), plus making a small profit which then goes back to the university. We can’t keep the profit, but we have to earn it. And we don’t get a dime from outside sources--not the Church, not donations, not tuition. This is not our decision. This is our mandate. We are a self-sustaining business, and as long as the university wants us to be a business, we have to make a profit. 3. When you buy from the Bookstore you are protected even when a mistake is made (inevitable with 5,000 titles) or situations change. The nature of a university is that faculty will change their minds and students will change their schedules. We give you a full refund no matter the source of the problem. But we can’t offer a refund when you buy elsewhere. One example. A student bought a required text from another source. On the first day of class, the professor said that text is optional. The student brought it to us wanting a refund because he bought it from our information in good faith, identifying it as required. We pulled the written request from the professor, showing he required it. When called, the professor said he changed his mind and forgot to notify the Bookstore. Had the student bought it here, he would have had a full refund. We know you can sometimes buy for less elsewhere. Some online sellers do not offer refunds, so if the book is the right one and you paid less, you win. If the book is the wrong edition or not needed, then you lose. If you want to be protected, we simply caution you to investigate the support you get from your seller. The BYU Bookstore has the same markup (25%) as Amazon, other university bookstores in the USA, and the publishers themselves when they sell online. In addition, we offer instant and full refunds, whatever the reason you return a book. The final comment: If you have any questions or concerns, Tom Hirtzel, Textbook Manager in the Textbook Office on the upper level of the Bookstore, would honestly be happy to visit with you. (By the way, he is a genuinely nice guy. Give him a chance.)(Posted 1/18/2008)
I think what the poster on 12/14/07 was asking (the anonymous person) was why you can make all that information available online as well. The Book List is not available until 12/31/07. You can say that it would take too much time to update, list, etc whatever. But I believe they weren't asking why the information wasn't available at ALL - just why you don't post it on our Book Lists online until the 31st.
The answer lies in this statement, which is admittedly long but is written to help clarify things. Textbooks, ISBNs, and the BYU Bookstore Students can find ISBNs six weeks before classes begin by looking on the shelf tags or the comprehensive list at the information desk. We don’t put ISBNs online until a week before the semester starts for three reasons. But first, an overview. Compiling an accurate list of almost 5,000 textbook titles each semester takes considerable expense and effort. All facts have to be verified. In addition to the standard information (author, title, edition, etc.), some texts come in different packages with options like an online homework and grading system, password packet, workbook, CD, web site access code, DVD, different configurations of music CDs, anthologies with one name but different volumes (1A, 2A, 3C, 3D, ABL, G, or I?) Does the professor really want to order the 4th edition as requested when the current edition is the 6th? We make calls to professors and publishers to be sure everything is correct. And we can’t simply cut and paste from the previous semester because each time more than a third of the texts are new. Now the three reasons. 1. If we post the final, polished list online six weeks early, the possibility exists that an enterprising entrepreneur will take it and open a competing bookstore. That can and does happen. No university bookstore, of any kind, wants to donate its labor and business information to a competitor. Even state universities, because of the Freedom of Information Act, must provide the raw data from the professors but a legal ruling protects them from having to share the final, polished list. BYU is a private school and is not required to provide data to potential competitors. 2. The major reason students want ISBNs online is to make shopping easier by being able to cut and paste data into online stores. If students want ISBNs, they are available early in the Bookstore. So why don’t we make things completely easy and post them online? The Bookstore, like all on-campus businesses, is expected to be self-sustaining and must pay all its expenses. In our case, that means fixtures, shelving, payroll, utilities, shipping, upkeep, remodeling, and rent (yes, rent-—we don’t even get the space free), plus making a small profit which then goes back to the university. We can’t keep the profit, but we have to earn it. And we don’t get a dime from outside sources--not the Church, not donations, not tuition. This is not our decision. This is our mandate. We are a self-sustaining business, and as long as the university wants us to be a business, we have to make a profit. 3. When you buy from the Bookstore you are protected even when a mistake is made (inevitable with 5,000 titles) or situations change. The nature of a university is that faculty will change their minds and students will change their schedules. We give you a full refund no matter the source of the problem. But we can’t offer a refund when you buy elsewhere. One example. A student bought a required text from another source. On the first day of class, the professor said that text is optional. The student brought it to us wanting a refund because he bought it from our information in good faith, identifying it as required. We pulled the written request from the professor, showing he required it. When called, the professor said he changed his mind and forgot to notify the Bookstore. Had the student bought it here, he would have had a full refund. We know you can sometimes buy for less elsewhere. Some online sellers do not offer refunds, so if the book is the right one and you paid less, you win. If the book is the wrong edition or not needed, then you lose. If you want to be protected, we simply caution you to investigate the support you get from your seller. The BYU Bookstore has the same markup (25%) as Amazon, other university bookstores in the USA, and the publishers themselves when they sell online. In addition, we offer instant and full refunds, whatever the reason you return a book. The final comment: If you have any questions or concerns, Tom Hirtzel, Textbook Manager in the Textbook Office on the upper level of the Bookstore, would honestly be happy to visit with you. (By the way, he is a genuinely nice guy. Give him a chance.)(Posted 1/18/2008)
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