Every semester the same desperate search begins again. Where are the cheapest books? Students spend hours looking at prices on their computers and more time trying to think of clever ways to get books for free. If they try to buy their textbooks used or to rent them, they can often look forward to marked-up pages and distracting, overly highlighted paragraphs. If they end up ordering them online, the book often arrives late for classes. If students buy textbooks from the store, they often walk out feeling disheartened, taken advantage of and sometimes, broke.
There was once a solution to this madness, or at least a soothing balm. It was called price match, and it was one of the main reasons why the University Bookstore was named top collegiate retailer in the nation in February 2013, according to an article by Shayne Schroeder on Inside CSULB, a campus blog.
“The store employees are very active citizens within their campus community. They offer many programs, options and initiatives—such as the Information Exchange Luncheon and a price-match guarantee . . .” said the committee when it gave the Campus Bookstore the award.
According to Kc Schaper, bookstore employee and public relations major, several students have come to her ready to check out using price match, only to be disappointed upon finding out that the bookstore is no longer offering this program.
Price match is not the same thing as price comparison, which is what the bookstore still continues to do. The price match policy meant that if a student could find a new book offered at a different retailer (including those online) for a lower price than the same book at the bookstore, the bookstore would then match that price. This was an excellent program because it allowed students to save money and to feel confident that they were getting the best deal. With the bookstore being as expensive as it is, finding cheaper books isn’t difficult.
As of last semester, the year after the store received its award, the bookstore stopped allowing students to use the price-match guarantee without making any announcements that it would do so.
“If they had price match, I wouldn’t have to wait for the book to get here,” said Danny Martinez, a criminal justice major. It is his first semester at CSULB. He said he would appreciate the ability to shop at just one place.
As it is, buying books is chaotic and stressful; it only adds to the difficulties that the first couple weeks of school pose. If students were able to shop confidently in one place, the experience would certainly improve.
The University Bookstore should bring back price match and stay true to its supposed commitment to being “one of the most student success-oriented organizations on campus.”
The only employee you quote is a contributing writer for the daily 49er, and isn’t even an employee that deals with customer sales. Also, price matching has been gone from the bookstore for over a semester already. Way to sensationalize a story that doesn’t have any sort of timeliness.