Buying Textbooks Online Not Always Safest Bet

National Association of College Stores calls local campus stores a 'sure thing'

OBERLIN, Ohio, Aug. 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- OnCampus Research, a division of the National Association of College Stores (NACS) found that 26% of college students went online to purchase their textbooks in 2009. However, buying online is not always the safest option.

According to the 2010 Identity Fraud Survey Report by Javelin Strategy and Research, a financial industry research and consulting firm, new accounts opened from stolen information on web sites doubled in the past year. Along with the increase, 18- to 24-year-olds were found to be the slowest to detect fraud and least likely to monitor their financial accounts.

In addition, complaints of online fraud hit an all-time high for the second consecutive year, according to the Internet Crime Complaint Center's 2009 Annual Report. The Center received a total of 336,655 complaints, in 2009, a 22.3% increase from 2008. The total loss linked to online fraud was $559.7 million; this is up from $265 million in 2008. Non-delivery, identity theft and credit/debit card fraud together accounted for 44.4% of the complaints filed.

Clearly, students opting to purchase textbooks from various online sites must be wary of these threats. To avoid being victimized by online fraud, students should:

• Purchase textbooks from their easily identified college store's web site
• Order textbooks in advance through their college store
• Purchase textbooks and other course materials directly from the college bookstore and pick them up all in one stop.

By purchasing textbooks from the college store, whether online or in-store, students can avoid:

• Receiving the wrong product in poor condition due to a misleading description or false information
• Receiving books late or not at all
• Being unable to return books easily
• Exposing themselves to fraudulent activity or viruses from unknown sites.

"While many students mistakenly rush to the Internet thinking they get deals on textbooks online, there is clearly a risk involved," says NACS Director of Public Relations Charles Schmidt. "In addition to the theft risk, often the lowest price found online is misleading due to extra shipping costs. Unknown online sites might also point a student to the wrong book, wrong edition, or a book in poor condition or missing required supplemental materials."

Schmidt adds that, "while it is possible to find the correct course materials safely from online sources, it is important for students to understand that their college store is the only source that guarantees them the correct textbook and accompanying supplemental material that a faculty member may require – new OR used. College stores also have clear, plainly documented return policies in case a student drops a course."

For more on how college stores are working to offer students reliable, affordable textbook choices click here.

About NACS

Headquartered in Oberlin, Ohio, the National Association of College Stores (NACS) is the professional trade association of the college store industry. NACS represents more than 3,000 collegiate retailers and approximately 1,100 associate members who supply books and other products to college stores. NACS member stores serve America's college students while supporting the academic missions of higher education institutions everywhere. Additional information on NACS can be found online at www.nacs.org.

SOURCE National Association of College Stores

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