Textbooks Condition Criteria The most important thing to remember about textbook condition criteria is that you should be aggressive. When we say aggressive we mean that many times if a book has a hint of one of the conditions that should disqualify it, they will still accept the book. So don t short yourself by not sending in a book that is borderline. You will normally get the credit and that of course adds to your bottom line. Our suggestion with book condition is to simply pay attention to the things Amazon will reject you for. The most common things you are going to run into will be: Instructor copy, International Edition or Global Edition Looseleaf (printed copies, in a binder, etc) Missing or severely damaged front/back cover(s) Water damage The ISBN of the item you wish to trade in must exactly match with what is displayed on the website. Just matching the title is not enough, since some Books may have the same title with different editions, but a different ISBN. Also, look carefully for Books with multiple volume editions (Vol-I, Vol-II etc.) and make sure you have all of the items to trade in as a bundle or check if they are eligible as single titles. Note: The ISBN is a 10 or 13 digit barcode used to uniquely identify books, and is typically printed on the back cover. For example, the ISBN code for J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," Adult Edition, Paperback, UK edition is 978-0747595823, and this code uniquely identifies this book and edition.
Books having one or more of the conditions listed below WILL NOT be accepted: o Library copy o Instructor edition o International edition o Alternate edition o Custom edition textbooks (typically has a school name listed) o Water damaged (wavy, swollen or discolored, crinkled, stains, rings) o Broken spine or binding o Books with torn or taped cover o Missing, torn, or loose pages o Burns, fire, or smoke damage o Strong odor of any kind (including musty odor, cigar or cigarette odor) o Marked "Not for Resale" (or is otherwise marked not for sale) anywhere on the cover or inside Books having the conditions below WILL be accepted: Item shows minor wear from normal use and is clean in appearance Item has intact cover, pages, binding, and no tears Item may be lightly highlighted Item has no notes or markings Item has no torn or folded pages
Item has no personalization or name(s) on the cover or pages Study guides and workbooks should have no answers filled in Originally issued supplemental materials included (like CD-ROMs, access codes, study guides etc.) Below are more details as to book condition and guidelines. Remember, shown below are the very strict rules, which you can normally be aggressive with. An International Standard Book Number, is a ten-digit or thirteen-digit number assigned to every book before publication. Books Without an ISBN / Missing Copyright Page Only books with an ISBN that has been printed by the publisher are acceptable. No ISBN Listed ISBNs on stickers are frequently inaccurate. Only use the barcode that is printed on the book. ISBNs can be found on the back of the book or on the copyright page. Books with a "Creative Commons" copyright, like example to the right, cannot be accepted.
Always check a book to ensure it has a copyright page. The copyright page is on the flip side of the full title page. In this example the copyright page has been removed. Books without a copyright page cannot be accepted. This copyright page has been torn out
Books with 2 ISBNs / Books with more than one ISBN on Copyright page Some McGraw Hill books have two ISBNs. The first (top) ISBN will be on the copyright page as well as on the back of the book. It is for the book only. The second ISBN is only located on the back of the book. This ISBN is only acceptable to use if the book is being sold as part of a package. See Package Sets section of this guide. Sometimes there can be more than one ISBN on the copyright page. This usually happens if the book is released with different types of bindings (hardcover, paperback, looseleaf, ebook) or is sold as a package. Make sure that the ISBN used is for the binding type of the book being purchased. (hbk)=hardback (pbk)=paperback (ebk) = ebook Never use the Instructor's edition ISBN (also called "Professional copy"), which is oftentimes on the copyright page. See Instructor's Editions section of this guide.
Partial Sets: Package Sets or Kits Package Sets. In this example, this set includes 5 components, one of which is a 2-volume set. Several of the books have CDs or DVDs. All items must be present and need to be the correct editions. Kits. The kit to the right contains a textbook, a workbook, an easel, and an access code. If any pieces are missing from the kit, the ISBN(s) of the individual component(s) must be used instead of the package ISBN.
Multi-Volume Sets. This example is a set that is missing volume 2 and is unacceptable. Volume 3 Volume 1 Many times the set ISBN is printed on every book in the set. Always check to make sure the title matches the ISBN, and if it is a multi-volume set, all volumes are present.
Part 2 Book Condition Issues
Binding Damage / Cover damage Bindings cannot be torn or separating from the cover. All pages should be firmly attached to the binding. The binding cannot be held on by tape. Covers must be whole, present and firmly attached to binding. Holes in the cover are not acceptable even if they are covered by stickers or tape. All of these examples are unacceptable.
Torn / Missing Pages Pages must not have any cuts or tears which affect the the text. Every book should be checked for missing or loose pages. The easiest way to check for missing pages is to look at the edges of the book next to the spine. In this picture, it is obvious that several pages are missing.
Water or Moisture Damag. e / Stains Slight moisture exposure is okay as long as there is no staining or warping of the book. There cannot be any signs of mold or mildew. We cannot accept books with pages sticking together. Both books pictured here are unacceptable Books with stained pages are not acceptable. Books should never have a strong odor of any kind.
Writing in Textbooks or Workbooks / Excessive Markings Textbooks must not have practice tests or exams that have been filled in. Lab manuals, worktexts, study guides, test prep books, and workbooks must not have any answers filled in. Books with markings on over 50% of the pages are not acceptable. In addition, a book with any markings or underlining which obscure text are not acceptable.
Part 3 Types of Books/Items Not Accepted
Access Codes Books containing access codes are acceptable even if the code is exposed. If an ISBN is used is for a package of items, such as one that includes a chemistry book and a MasteringChemistry access code, then the access code MUST not be visible. Any standalone access code that is revealed is unacceptable. The "MyMathLab" (shown below) is an example of a standalone access code
Custom Editions A custom edition textbook is a book that was printed for a school or university or that is made up of other printed books then given a different name. It is important to be familiar with how they may look. Here are some photos: Sometimes the school name is large and easy to read: Sometimes the school name is smaller and not as noticeable. They may also say they are published by a custom publisher such as "Pearson Custom Solutions".
Instructor's Editions Instructor's or Teacher's Editions contain answers and/or ancillary information and are intended to be used by the teacher. The identifiers of these editions are usually covered up with stickers and/or black tape. These are some examples (The Operations Management book on the left below is an example where the entire book is covered by one giant sticker). We do not accept Instructor's Editions. Black Tape used to hide top of Front Cover Black Tape Used to hide wording on Back Cover Large "Used Book" Stickers are often used also. Examination copies are free copies provided to instructors in the hopes that they will adopt them for use in their classes. There is usually some verbage on the cover identifying them as "free copy for instructors or not for sale". These are also considered to be Instructor's Editions and are not acceptable. This book clearly states "Not For Sale"
Instructor's Editions (Cont.) Instructor Editions may also have text on the copyright page or the back cover (see below). Here are some additional examples of how to identify Instructor's Editions. Sticker commonly found on copyright page of Instructor's Editions This sticker states is was "distributed as a sampled copy for academic review" "Professional Copy" is another term used for an Instructor's Edition. The example to the right shows a Student Edition next to a Teacher's Edition, illustrating the similarity between the two.
Advance Reading Copies Advanced Reading Copies are books that are marked: Review Copy Uncorrected Proof Promotional Copy Free Copy Screening Copy Not for Sale Not for Resale Preliminary Edition Complimentary Copy These books are not legal to buy or resell. These markings can be located on the cover, copyright page, title page, or on the back of the book. Watch carefully for stickers covering up these mar