It’s simply routine at the start of every semester: lining up to buy that stack of textbooks we may only read a handful of times. What has also become too routine, though, is the amount we end up paying for those textbooks.
At the start of the fall semester, I contemplated whether to order books through websites like Amazon instead of at Carleton’s bookstore. In the end, I decided the lines would be worth it. I didn’t want to take the risk of ordering through a site I hadn’t used before.
Out of all the books I was forced to buy at the campus bookstore, I decided to rent two of them. I felt this was one way I could try to save some money. After making my way through the line, I reached the cash, swiped my card, and while still somewhat reluctant, I walked out the CU bookstore’s doors the proud renter of two new hardcover textbooks.
Not to worry, though. They were both the newest editions, which is notable because of the corporate pattern we’re all too familiar with: publishers releasing a new edition of essentially the same book every few years.
I used these textbooks up until the last day of the December exam period, when the exams for the rented textbooks were scheduled.
Like many of you, I was excited to leave Ottawa to go home for Christmas break. The last thing on my mind was returning either of these titles to the always festive CU bookstore. In fact, it never even crossed my mind.
However, over the holidays, I noticed the rented books and realized I was late returning them. I promptly brought them into the bookstore and was told that since I was late, the purchase amount of the textbook would be charged to my account instead. I figured this wasn’t so bad, since I could still sell them back at Haven Books and get some money for them. But no such luck — neither textbook is being used this semester.
The real shock came when I opened my credit card statement the following month. The bookstore charged $189.28 to my account Feb. 16. Goodbye Toronto travel plans for reading week.
I took a closer look at the numbers being charged to my account. Although I’d already paid $113.81 in rental fees, the bookstore felt it was within their right to charge me an additional $16.28 in “non-return processing fees.” On top of that, they also charged $162.75 in “non-return charges.”
What I take issue with is not the fact that I was charged extra for not returning the books on time. Rather, the amount I am being charged is far too high. I’m now paying $292.84 for the two books, which is far too high in any event.
Something was still not adding up, though. When I calculated the extra charges it only came to $179.03. I was confused, then, as to why $189.28 was being charged to my account instead. I brought this complaint to the bookstore and they said it was “simply an error” on their part.
I found it interesting that they could dismiss their own error as minimal, while the error I happened to make is now costing me nearly an extra $200 in charges.
In addition, the bookstore staff was already aware of the potential for this extra charge of $10.25, which I happened to come across. I overheard one of the clerks informing the manager that another student had made the same complaint earlier that afternoon.
The manager did credit me back the $10.25, but refused to do anything more. They disagreed that their policy of charging students at such a high rate was outrageous. Needless to say, they’d already had their full dose of “corporate Kool-Aid” that day.
All of this being said, I’m calling on the CU bookstore to drastically change these sorts of policies. It’s clear the store is capitalizing on the convenience of being the only textbook retailer on campus. They also know that, given their monopoly on campus, professors are more likely to send students there to pick up their books, regardless of how we feel about it.
From what I’ve heard from other students at Carleton, I’m not alone in my frustration with corporate monopolies on campus. We need to boycott companies that uphold these bogus, outrageous policies, which only seek to take advantage of their customers. I’ll be buying my books elsewhere next semester, even if it means ordering from Amazon and other sites. My hope is that other students will do the same.
— Cody Wilby
third-year communications and law
