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Quick Links
CSBE Publications and Resources
Buying Textbooks
Selling Textbooks
Textbook Returns
Consignments
Answers To Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How can I obtain a copy of your catalogue?
A. CSBE no longer prints our catalogue as our online version is fully up-to-date and available all year long to better server teachers across Canada.
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Q. Where can I find forms for submitting surplus and wanted requests by fax?
A. Feel free to use our online lookup to register your surplus and wanted textbooks. If you prefer to fax us your surplus, feel free to print the forms below.
Here are quick links to our Wanted Registration Form and our Surplus Registration Form.
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Q. What quality can I expect when I purchase textbooks?
A. All textbooks are carefully inspected, cleaned, reconditioned and if necessary, expertly rebound. In addition, all school identification marks are removed. These measures ensure you complete satisfaction. If any book does not meet or exceed your expectations, we offer a complete return policy.
Textbooks are available in four qualities - New, Very Fine, Good, Usable.
NEW
· Brand New.
· Applies only to Paperback Novels and many other titles from major publishers.
· Mass-Market English novels and department resources - such as dictionaries.
· Available at up to a 35% discount.
Used books at up to 85% off
VERY FINE
· New or virtually unused.
· Priced from 17% off the publisher's educational price.
GOOD
· Have been used by students.
· Have from 60% to 90% of their life left.
· After inspection and cleaning, these books are priced from 30% to 65% off the publisher's educational price.
· Any repairs are professionally done and designed to last for many years use.
USABLE
· Have sound covers, no missing pages and have been cleaned and repaired.
· To maximize your savings, these books are priced at about 70% to 85% off the publisher's educational price.
· Ideal when they are needed for a few terms
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Q. What shipping amount should I put on my purchase order?
A. For most regular used book and paperback orders we charge competitive shipping rates. This will be shown on checkout. Some remote destinations will be charged extra shipping at CSBE's discretion (we will contact you first to confirm shipping arrangements).
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Q. What can I expect to be paid for my textbooks?
A. Depending on a book's condition, we pay up to 55% of the current academic price. The price, quality, age, and demand are all factored in to give you the best price:
Our usable classification applies to books that need repair, new covers, pages replaced, etc. That is the minimum we pay for any book that can be reconditioned and sold.
Our pricing is adapted to ensure you receive fair reimbursement for older, but currently needed used copies. Imagine getting $7-$8 for a book published 25 -30 years ago!
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Q. What is the Criteria that CSBE uses when qualifying my textbooks?
A. We have three quality levels that we use to determine how much you will be paid for your used textbooks:
VERY FINE
· Original book as from publisher that is generally pristine.
· Miniscule amount of wear is acceptable on corners as expected from sitting on a shelf or shipping of books.
· Binding must be tight and the laminate cannot be wearing away.
· Limited markings on 1 or 2 pages, such as neat underlining, and no highlighting.
GOOD
· Book appears to be in generally good condition.
· A minimal amount of writing, and/or highlighting.
· Cover should be in sound shape with the spine NOT pulling away from the books.
· Corners requiring some repair is acceptable.
· Maximum of 25 pages that have some pencil or neat highlighting is acceptable.
USABLE
· Books not deemed in GOOD condition that can still be sold after major repairs.
· Require rebinding, replacement pages, erasing, gluing, reinforcing.
· Any mould or fungus is unacceptable.
· Minor water damage is allowed if the book is still usable once any repairs are made.
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Q. What does it cost to send books for sale on consignment?
A. Nothing. We will e-mail or fax you a consignment request document. When your shipment is ready we will arrange for and pay the shipping.
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Q. When will I be paid?
A. Cheques are sent monthly for all books that sell on your account, even on partial inventory sales.
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Q. What is a 'Credit Account' with CSBE?
A. It is a special account created for your department or school payments to go into. CSBE pays 10% extra when payments are put on-account. Amounts owing from books you have sold are put into this account for your future use. You may apply the account balance towards any future purchase.
When payments are deposited, a statement will be mailed to let you know what books sold and how much you were paid. You may request that your balance is 'cashed-out' (less the 10% bonus noted above) and a cheque mailed to the school at any time.
Our default policy is to send cheque payments unless the school or department requests a credit account.
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Q. How can I tell if you have the books I need?
A. Use our convenient search at the top of every page or contact CSBE and we will quickly tell you the availability of any title that you need. Be sure to know the books Title and also the ISBN number. We will let you know if we have books and the qualities that are available.
If we have books that you need, you may request us to reserve them for you while you process the purchase order/billing details at your school. We will hold books for up to three weeks at your request.
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Q. What should I do if I buy the wrong books or they are defective?
A. All reconditioned books come with a 30 day return policy. Call to receive authorization and arrange for shipping. The returns period is extended to September 30 for orders shipped during the summer. After the full-return period, please contact CSBE to arrange for a full or partial refund or sell your books on consignment.
To return new books, please contact us for authorization and to arrange for shipping. Some special order items are only eligible for a partial refund and/or we may try to sell them for you on consignment.
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Q. My textbooks were damaged in shipping?
A. Please keep the original packaging and call us immediately. We may need the courier to see the packaging. We will do our best to immediately send you replacements.
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Q. How do I find out the textbooks CSBE is interested in?
A. Use our online search tool! Or contact us by phone, email, or fax.
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Q. How can I tell if you have the books I need?
A. Use our online search tool! Or contact us by phone, email, or fax.
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Q. What is an ISBN number and the difference between an ISBN-10 and ISBN-13?
A. An ISBN number distinguishes every textbooks and is unique. It is often found on the publishing page in a book or on the outside back cover on the barcode label.
ISBN-10: Is the original ten digit isbn specifier. Each book has an isbn and if the book has been modified in any way then a new isbn number must be assigned to it. Packages (text and cd) have an isbn for the whole package and an isbn for each component.
ISBN-13: A new format that allows for more future resources and makes it also usefull as a UPC product code. It is 13 digits and must always start with 978 or 979. It follows the same format as the isbn-10. The creation of the 979 range will allow more future isbn's to be asigned.
On the back of a book an ISBN is found here:
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At CSBE, we use dashed isbns such, like '0-07-123456-5.' This is helpful amd makes it easy to identify major publishers: 0-07-XXXXX-X is Nelson, 0-13-XXXXX-X is Pearson., etc.
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Q. What happens to books I consign with CSBE?
A. When you entrust your surplus books with us, we use the following procedure:
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We send an e-mail or fax advising you that your books have been received in our warehouse and the “quality” category they have been placed in.
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We issue cheque/credits at the end of each month for books that have sold in that month.
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The cheques are made out to the department/school consigning the books but the envelopes are addressed to the person who made the consignment arrangements.
The books are still the property of the consigning school until they sell. You may request to have the books returned as long as they are still on consignment.
When books have not sold after three years, we will contact you for permission to send them to a charitable organization or recycle them if we feel they are unlikely to sell.
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