The Retirement Guru says…

you could buy textbooks at half price… International Editions.

What are they?

International Editions are just what they say they are. They are the editions of the textbooks that are designed to be sold internationally.

To learn about how the textbook industry works, click here.

Why are they cheaper?

U.S. students have more money, therefore the publishers know they can make more off of a better binding, or higher quality paper. International editions are usually paperbacks with very thin paper. The cover can rip by dropping it a few times.

Are they the same content?

International Editions are the exact same, word for word and page for page. Just make sure it has the same ISBN number (for those that don’t know, the ISBN is basically the social security number for books). I have heard a few horror stories about them, but it’s usually about textbook quality not the content of the page.

Can I get in trouble?

Not at all! Some books will actually say it’s illegal for this product to be sold in the United States. First, that’s a lie. Second, even if it were true it wouldn’t matter. As a consumer, you are protected. How? It’s perfectly legal to purchase certain stolen goods in the United States, but it’s illegal to sell it. The government sees it this way; The standard consumer shouldn’t be held accountable for finding out the suppliers and legitimacy of the products we buy. So, we’re protected by making it only illegal to SELL and not BUY contraband (excluding things like drugs weapons). This is not to say you should go out and buy stolen goods. Doing it on purpose is a crime that can get you in more trouble than you ever dreamed possible (by multiple countries in some cases). What I’m saying is that the law is on your side and you shouldn’t be intimidated by a book saying something on the back cover. Do your research.

For the Six Best Ways To Avoid The Textbook Trap, click here.

What is the good and bad?

The good is that you get to buy your books at around half price. The bad is that you can’t sell it back to most book stores.

Beware:

You’ll probably have to buy them online and shipping can do some damage to them. This is because they are made of such flimsy materials. Don’t worry though. Just make sure you buy them from someone that has a legitimate return policy and you should be all set to save some money!

For more of my articles, click here.

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