ComplaintsforTextbookRush.com

• Initial Complaint

  05/16/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I was quoted a textbook buyback in the amount of 23.02. I shipped my book to textbook rush using the prepaid shipping label. They sent me an email on Friday, 5/10 stating they could not pay me, that they have seized my book as it might be counterfeit. I am a college student who bought the book from a reputable site, *** *****, not a counterfeiter. The book is my property, I expect payment or the book returned, of which they are holding up both and I will most likely receive neither. This counterfeit policy was not made clear when they initially quoted me the payout.

  Business response

  05/16/2024

  At TextbookRush.com we take the issue of counterfeit books in the marketplace very seriously, and we follow the industry standard anti-piracy steps as defined on the ********************************/ website.
  
  The book the customer sent us has been sent to the Publisher for review. They will make the determination of the authenticity of the book. If it is determined to be authentic, we will pay the customer the quoted amount. If they determine that the book is not authentic they will likely seize the book and may reach out to the customer for more details on where they sourced the book.
  We do explain this on our website, and require the customer check a box that says they agree to these Terms and Conditions (*************************************************************).
  
  The final paragraph on that page states:

  
  "All items are inspected by us upon receipt. You certify that all books sold and/or provided have been legally obtained and are not counterfeit. You understand and agree that if, in our sole discretion, any item is determined or suspected by us to be potentially counterfeit or otherwise infringing on any law or the intellectual property rights of any party, we may retain and not return the item without payment to you and without giving rise to any other obligation to you. You also understand and agree that we may forward your item to the rights holder for further review and may share your information with that rights holder or their representative. You will hold harmless and indemnify us for any claim arising from the receipt of infringing or otherwise unlawful goods from you."
  
  The review process for the publishers usually takes about three weeks, but this timeline is managed by the respective publishers, not TextbookRush.

  Customer response

  05/23/2024

  I accept the business's response to resolve this complaint. They issued my payment as promised. I think the statement about counterfeit books needs to be more prominently posted/explained up front initially to customers who are quoted a price and ship their books without understanding the risk for potential seizure of property. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* *******

• Initial Complaint

  03/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I sold this company two textbooks for a total amount of 98.93. That check was mailed to a billing address associated with my payment method on my account and not my current/shipping address. After contacting them to explain that the check was issued to the wrong address they have informed me that they will only reissue the check 45 days from the original date issued if the check hasnt been cleared from their accounts. I find this unacceptable. Whomever currently lives at my previous address which is the billing address on my account- its an apartment- could easily take this check and forge my name and cash it. I asked them for an immediate cancelation of the original check. They've told me they can't do that. I have to wait 45 days despite the fact that they have already received and accepted the products sent in. I'm more than sure they already have them listed in their inventory, if not already sold them. I am legally entitled to receive payment for these products.

  Business response

  03/05/2024

  While we are sorry that the customer is frustrated and concerned about the check falling into the hands of someone other than themselves, we mailed the check to the address they provided.  While in the Buyback Checkout process the customer was shown text that says "We will mail your check to:" - followed by their billing address.  An image of this checkout screen is attached.  We do not know why the customer did not update their address if they no longer live there.  This is the cause of the issue.

  We have responded directly to the customer informing them that we can reissue the payment earlier if the check is returned to us by the USPS, or else we need to wait the 45 days for the check to expire.  We provided alternative methods of payment to expedite the repayment process at that time (as long as the original check has not cleared our bank).  We have also asked the customer to update their account with the correct/actual address of where they live.

• Initial Complaint

  02/16/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I entered into a buyback agreement with them. My preferred method of payment was ******. I connected my ****** to their site so I could receive payment. They issued a check instead and mailed it to the wrong address. They would not fix their mistake telling me I had to wait 45 days for them to fix the problem.

  Business response

  02/20/2024

  The customer(s) have multiple Buyback Orders with us, and on most of them they have selected ******. However, the payment method must be selected at the time each Buyback Order is submitted, and for Buyback #******* they selected Check as the payment method. Our automated email confirming the Buyback Order contains the payment method, and was sent to the customer immediately after they submitted the Buyback.  This can be seen in the screenshot of the confirmation email we attached (which was sent to them when they created the Buyback online).  The check was mailed to the Billing Address they have on their account. The customer is responsible for maintaining the address on the account, as we do not know when someone moves.  

   The check was mailed on February 12th, and the first contact we have from the customer about the payment was February 16th, four days after the check was mailed. We explained that we can not change the method of payment since the payment had already been issued, and that the checks are valid for 45 days. We instructed the customer to contact us back after that time has passed, and if the check has not been cashed we will reissue the payment via ******.   

  While we regret that the error was made, it was not an error on our part, and we need to wait for the check to expire before the payment can be reissued. 

• Initial Complaint

  11/21/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I contacted textbook rush to buyback 4 textbooks for 151.20. I had also contacted several other book buy backs but the review seemed good with textbook rush. We agreed on the amount and I sent the books in one box on Oct 12th. They acknowledged on Oct 17th that they had received two of the books but not the others. When I tried to contact them by phone there was no way of reaching a live person. So I emailed back and stated that they were all in one box. They at first stated that was a mistake on my end and then acknowledged that they had found them and that I would be paid shortly. On October 20th I received 68.30 from ****** ******** ******** for two of the books. When emailed the help desk they stated that the other two books which were worth more and almost new had to be inspected closer. I waited a couple more days then received an email that they were counterfeit books. I had purchased the books from ****** and ****** guarantees their products. I want the remainder of $83 sent immediately or my exact books sent overnight. I am going to file a claim with the fraud division of the Ohio Attorney Generals office as well Utah Attorney Generals office with I have worked and know they love these cases. In addition my personal Attorney **** ******* will also initiate an investigation and try to determine through subpoena. I know this may seem pity but they really messed with the wrong person at the end of a very long year. This is fraud in the highest. I have already contacted ****** to provide proof that the books came straight from the manufacturer. I am attaching several documents. Sincerely, ****** **** ********** **********.

  Business response

  11/27/2023

  The summary of the issue is that two of the books the customer sent us had characteristics of counterfeit books, and we forwarded both books to their respective publishers for review. Both publishers responded that the books were indeed counterfeit.  As we state, online, books that are deemed to be counterfeit will not be paid for or returned. 
  We replied to the customer earlier today, and though we cannot provide specific information about the customer’s Buyback Order via the BBB website we will provide much of the same explanation that we gave the customer.  We will do the same to the Attorney General if the customer decides to contact them.  

  Here is the text we sent the customer:
  

  We take the issue of counterfeit books in the marketplace very seriously.  
  
  Two of the books sent to us on Buyback #XXXXXX  had characteristics that caused us to be concerned, and we sent both of those books to their respective publishers for review and determination as to the authenticity of the copies of the books sent to us.  Both publishers deemed the books to be inauthentic. Again, this determination was not done by TextbookRush, but by the respective intellectual property rights owners/publishers of these books.
  
  This issue is now between you and the publishers. As stated online, we will provide your information to the publishers is asked, and they may reach out to you for more information on how you/your daughter came to be in possession of these books.
  
  Link to our Anti-Counterfeit Best Practices page: **************************************************************
  
  More information about this process can be found online at this industry best practices website: website: *********************************
  
  (Specific book details ((ISBN, Title, Publisher)) from our email to the customer have been redacted)
  
  We suggest you contact Amazon to explain that the books your daughter purchased have been confirmed as inauthentic by the publishers.  Whatever steps they may take to resolve this is up to them, but that is what we can recommend. You may also want to contact the publishers, but each publisher has their own policy and process, and we cannot comment on what they may do to assist you. 
  
  Again, the Publishers have retained your books - not TextbookRush. It was the Publisher of each book that made the determination that they were counterfeit. 

• Initial Complaint

  11/01/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  A specific book I needed for class was listed on their website so I ordered it 10/13/2023 because the price seemed good, as I found out too good. The package came within the week and it was not what I ordered at all the publication date was different the cover was different, plain and simply it was absolutely not the book that they advertised. I contacted them through their customer support and returns. The emails just keep going back and forth basically asking why I couldn't just use the book they sent me for class. I got fed up over the course of this back and forth emailing and said I'd report them to the better buisness bureau if they didn't just let me return the book and they stopped responding. I sent a fresh new message through their website with customer service again and they didn't respond. I did that about 3 times and they must have just blocked me. I'm extremely inconvenienced and quite irritated by all this, taking advantage of college students who have little money to begin with is incredibly dishonest and greedy. Just ignoring us because we have little to no recourse, they obviously cannot be legitimate if they are acting this way. I just wanted my rightful money back for them and also for them to not be able to scam anymore college students or potential book buyers in the future.

  Business response

  11/01/2023

  We are sorry that the customer is frustrated by their transaction with us, and we have reviewed the order and the previous communication to see what happened.

  The customer purchased a book from a Marketplace Seller who lists items on our website. The specific book they ordered was listed as "Brand New Paperback International Edition" on the product page at the time of their order.  We believe that the customer may have not noticed the "Public Note" stating that it was the International Edition, but, as explained below, we have not been able to communicate with the customer due to issues with their email.

  The customer contacted us when they received the book, and we contacted the Marketplace Seller. The Marketplace Seller reached out to the customer and CC'd us, asking for more details about their dissatisfaction.  This was on 10/23/2023.  We have not seen any response from the customer to that email. Our initial response to the customer bounced back as a failed mail from their email service.  We do not know if the email address was entered incorrectly or if there is an issue with their account. 

  Because we have not been able to have any back-and-forth communication with the customer, we will provide an update here:

  The order was for an International Edition of the Psychology text. If that was not what they received or if they need to return the item, they have 30 days from the order date (10/13/2023) to request a return. If the item was not the International Edition of the Psychology text that they ordered or if we have made any other error, we will provide a pre-paid return label to have the item returned to us for a full refund.  We hope that the customer can contact us soon to resolve this issue.

• Initial Complaint

  10/18/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  My husband order a book for a college class for our daughter on Oct 5th. There were some issues with order and didn't look like it was processed so when he pushed order again he actually ordered rwo books. He immediately emailed the company who said he would have to wait until delivery to send back for a full refund. We have been waiting 13 days for delivery. I reached out to the co.pany who said they are waiting on OSm worldwide to send item but that company says they have yet to receive the item from the company In which the items was ordered. I sent that email back to textbook rush and haven't gotten a response. The class has started and I dont want either book and just want a refund. This is horrible service and the estimated arrival date has past when entering zip code upon ordering. The two order number is ******** and ********. The total below is for both books which are still sitting in their facility as *** has not gotten the ordered the orginal order just generated a usps number. It has said osm has had the item since the 11th they say otherwise.

  Business response

  10/27/2023

  We understand that the customer made a mistake, and only one order was desired, but we did receive two orders, and they were both processed into our order management system before we were contacted (this happens almost immediately).  Both orders show as being delivered on the same day (10-23-2023).  We have responded to every inquiry in our CRM system regarding these orders. Our correspondences do include back-and-forth communication with this customer.  We provided information on 10/18/2023 for the customer to contact us back if they did not see the tracking updated by the following Monday, but we did not see anything from the customer after that. The items were delivered on that Monday.

  We have sent the customer a pre-paid label to return the duplicate copy of the book that was ordered in error.

   

   

  Customer response

  10/27/2023

  I am expecting a full refund for both books.  As they were received way late and not useful to me.  I have sent both back with the expectation that its a full refund. When that happens I will expect the response as it took almost a month for us to get college books. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* *****

  Business response

  10/30/2023

  We have not received either return yet. We will refund each order when it arrives.
  

  Customer response

  11/07/2023

  I accept the business's response to resolve this complaint. Just as stated the fees have been returned so I will accept the officer. The last response said they have not received the books, which I provided a response to.  Refund has been issued so again will be accepted. 
  Regards,
  
  ******* *****

• Initial Complaint

  09/25/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was given buybuck quote of $26.85 for 3 books. 9/16/2023 On buyback order number #******* payment was issued $15.66. I was not paid 11.19 for Beyond Candlesticks New Japanese Charting Techniques Revealed ISBN ************* because they claimed bogus water damaged. Book is worth over $45 on Amazon website. Book wasn't damaged. Book was bubble wrapped and packed carefully in a box. Textbook Rush need to pay back $11.19 owed or shipped the book back to me.

  Business response

  09/25/2023

  We only purchased books that are in condition we believe will be acceptable to other students. This book just simply wasn't in a condition we felt we could sell to anyone else, as it was received with warping and wrinkled pages.  We attached several images to this Buyback in your online account, but have included one in the BBB response as well.  We do address this online in our Book Buyback FAQs here: (link redacted)

  We do not see any contact from you regarding this item. Please reach out to our Customer Service Team for specific assistance. 

• Initial Complaint

  03/31/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I shipped both of my textbooks out last week And we’re checked in at 10 yesterday. I checked the site before I sent the books there and I was “roughly” quoted 19.25 for one book and $68.25 for the other. I then get message, the same message others have gotten as well “We were unable to determine that this textbook is a copy authorized by the publisher. We are working with the publisher of the book to determine whether it is authentic” To quote another consumer “ The company has held my book, hostage, saying it's a fraudulent copy and counterfeit and that they are "investigating" and that it's "out of their hands" and waiting for the publisher. “ I have sold many textbooks back over the years and never had an issue like this. I find it hard to believe the higher priced item, the ***** was fraudulent, that’s very convenient for them. They can either produce the refund as quoted Or ship my books back in the condition they were sent. I am also alerting their state Fraud department of their antics. This is classic bait and switch behavior.

  Business response

  04/03/2023

  This is not an issue that impacts just TextbookRush but is an issue for every online book company.  We take the issue of counterfeit books in the marketplace very seriously and follow the industry-standard guidelines for reviewing books that may not be copies of the text authorized by the publisher.  If a book has traits that cause us to doubt the authenticity of the copy, we send it to the publisher for their review and their determination.  In this case, the book has been sent to the ******** *********** *********** for them to make the determination. This issue is now between the customer and the intellectual property rights holder (the publisher). We will reply to the email the customer sent us with the tracking information for the shipment of their book and other pertinent information on how they can follow-up with the publisher.   

  Customer response

  04/03/2023

  A.) the book isn’t fraudulent, and if you guys were not going to accept it and pay the $68 as you stated, then you should have returned it to me. Not shipped it off without my permission and then give me a fed ex tracking code that doesn’t work

  B) this has been an ongoing issue with specifically THIS company, there are dozen of reviews and comments citing this specific example of how you guys, compared to every other book dealer find multiple “fraudulent” copies, only THIS company. This response is not nearly enough for what you have done to not only myself but other consumers.
   ****** ****

  Business response

  04/03/2023

  We provided the customer with this information:

  The book has been forwarded to the Publisher for them to review. We told the customer that their Buyback has just recently been processed (Friday) and that the tracking will be available later today (Monday).  We explained this when we provided the tracking information so we do not understand their complaint about the tracking. We also explained to the customer that it is the publisher who will determine if the copy of the book is authentic or not. We have NOT stated it was counterfeit - we have just sent it to be reviewed by the publisher so that they can make that determination.

  Furthermore, we provided the link to our website where we explain the policy for reviewing potentially counterfeit books on our Buyback Terms and Conditions page. That can be found here: ************************************************************* 
  

  The last paragraph of this page is below:

  All items are inspected by us upon receipt. You certify that all books sold and/or provided have been legally obtained and are not counterfeit. You understand and agree that if, in our sole discretion, any item is determined or suspected by us to be potentially counterfeit or otherwise infringing on any law or the intellectual property rights of any party, we may retain and not return the item without payment to you and without giving rise to any other obligation to you. You also understand and agree that we may forward your item to the rights holder for further review and may share your information with that rights holder or their representative. You will hold harmless and indemnify us for any claim arising from the receipt of infringing or otherwise unlawful goods from you.

  By agreeing to the Terms and Conditions the customer gave us their permission to ship this book to the Publisher to review the book.

  We understand that the customer is frustrated, as are we.  This issue has become one of the most predominant issues in the textbook industry, and has caused great financial hardships for publishers and resellers.  We suggest that the customer visit this industry page for more information on this issue: *********************************

   

• Initial Complaint

  02/01/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I shipped this company four books and have the FedEx tracking to prove it. The company said they only received one book because of a shipping label irregularity. This makes no sense. If the label was defective, how could they receive one book and not the others? The immediately said they opened a FedEx claim on my behalf which was denied. I believe this company is receiving packages, telling customers they didn’t receive what the customer sent, opening fraudulent claims with FedEx on behalf of their customers which they know will be denied and then telling defrauded customers too bad. It seems like they ar engaged in a patter and practice of fraud. The original buyback quote was for $144 and they are not only offering $2.75.

  Business response

  02/02/2023

  While we understand the frustration that the customer is experiencing they are not correct in their statement of what occurred.  The customer packaged and shipped books to us using a pre-paid FedEx label that we provided.  The tracking shows that the package was delivered to FedEx in Los Angeles on 01/19/2023.  The next day, while still in Los Angeles, the tracking shows: "Shipment exception
  Barcode label unreadable and replaced".  Unfortunately, this message is something we see often when we research packages that arrive empty or missing contents.  We would like to point at that at this time the only people involved in handling the package were the customer and FedEx - we are the recipient and are in Ohio. Additionally, the customer says the package arrived weighing the correct amount.  We would like to clarify that the FedEx weight shown on the tracking is what was weighed when they accepted the package - not when it was delivered. We believe that the damage happened after the acceptance scan.  We processed what we received, and filed a claim with FedEx, but that was denied. We regret this, but we do not control the handling of the packages or the claims decision. We will provide the claim # to the customer so that they can contact FedEx themselves to confirm this.  We do state information about the Buyback shipping process online here:  ******************************************************  
  
  That includes this text: TextbookRush is not responsible for packages lost or damaged in transit.
  
  We provide packaging guidelines online, but we have seen many books arrive wrapped in giftwrap paper, placed into manila envelopes, or many heavy books placed into boxes not rated to withstand that weight.  Fortunately, the great majority of the tens of thousands of buybacks we receive annually arrive in good condition, but while we regret those that don't, We simply can't control the variables involved in shipping (packaging, weather, carrier mishaps) and so we can only pay for the items we receive.

  Customer response

  02/02/2023

  [If you do not say why you are rejecting the company's response, BBB must close your complaint.] 
  
  Complaint: 18964012
  
  I am rejecting this response because: this makes no sense. I called FedEx and they said they denied the claim because the package was not damaged and it was received. Practically, what this seller is saying makes no sense. The box was sealed and shipped  their assertion is that somehow the books escaped their sealed box, it wasn’t their fault and it wasn’t FedEx fault  someone is responsible here and it isn’t me  there are also multiple multiple reviews saying this company did this to them also  

   

  
  
  Regards,
  
  **** ******

  Business response

  02/03/2023

  The customer is correct that FedEx does not clearly state that the package was damaged. However, FedEx does show on the tracking that the label was damaged and had to be replaced.  FedEx also shows that the package weight more than 8 pounds when they scanned it initially. Our systems captured the weight of the box as the first step as it was placed on our processing line, and we recorded a weight of just over 2 lbs for the entire box.  We do not doubt that the customer packed and shipped all of the books they state. We are just stating that the box we received via FedEx did not include all of those books, and we only pay for what we received.  Because we deal with heavy textbooks that are wrapped/boxed by consumers we do have multiple complaints over the years about missing/damaged books. However, those complaints are a small fraction of the millions of books we have processed over those years. We realize that this is not comforting to this customer, and so we offer one last attempt to resolve this with FedEx: We will ask our FedEx Representative (our Sales Rep, not the Customer Service Team) to review the case the FedEx denied and see if he can reopen it for a different outcome. We will specifically ask if they can retrieve recorded weights of the box as it transited from California to Ohio.  If the weights decreased between the initial and subsequent stops we feel that they should acknowledge the damage and pay the Claim. We will inform the customer what we hear back from our Representative.

• Initial Complaint

  01/27/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had a textbook that I bought from my college book store brand new. The company has held my book, hostage, saying it's a fraudulent copy and counterfeit and that they are "investigating" and that it's "out of their hands" and waiting for the publisher. I have a screenshot attached with the receipt of the book that I bought from the store. I cant imagine what other proof you would need.

  Business response

  01/27/2023

  The customer has every right to be concerned about this issue, but they are not correct in some of their statements. We take the issue of counterfeit boos in the marketplace very seriously. We follow the industry best practices as defined on this website: ********************************* 

  
  To clarify this situation, we are following the steps we state online in our Buyback Terns and Conditions (viewable at this URL: *************************************************************).
  Additionally, we did not state that the book was “a fraudulent copy and counterfeit”. We have just been unable to confirm it is a copy of the book authorized by the publisher (******* *********).  We will leave it to the publisher (the intellectual property rights owner) to make any determination.  Lastly, we are not holding the book “hostage”. At our expense we have shipped the book to the publisher for their review and determination.  The book was shipped on January 12th, and we will provide the tracking number to the customer via email. We expect a reply from the Publisher in a few weeks, but this timeline is solely up to the publisher. 

  They are correct when they quoted us as saying it is out of our hands. We are awaiting the review from the Publisher, as it is their intellectual property, and they will make the final determination.  
  

  
  

  Customer response

  02/02/2023

  
  I have not received a tracking number yet which is suspicious.  They said they sent my book out on the 12th but waited 3 weeks to tell me they did this.  It sounds totally fradulant.  All the reviews state that this company hijacks peoples books then rents them out while the book is being "investigated." total sham. 

  Regards,
  
  ******* **********

  Business response

  02/02/2023

  We have provided the tracking information to the customer previously.  Am email was sent to the customer on 1/27/2023 at 2:11:15 PM EST with the tracking information. We sent: "Below is the text of our response to your BBB Complaint. The BBB Website does not allow us to post user-specific information, including tracking numbers. Your book was sent to the publisher on January 12th, via tracking number ******* ********. It was delivered on January 17th by FedEx."

  The customer replied to us just a few minutes later with this response: "How is it you sent my property out almost 3 weeks ago and didn’t think to tell me or send me and email???" 

   We understand that the BBB Portal may remove certain information such as tracking numbers, so we will send this information to the customer via direct email. 

  Customer response

  02/02/2023

  Is that normal business for you to do this with someone elses property send it away without providing this information immediately.  Why did it take me filing a BBB complaint for you to offer up a tracking number in information?  Why was this not communicated immediatley?  You admitted that it took almost 18 days before you told me it was sent out.  Now its been out of your possession for almost 3 weeks, to confirm its real.... If thats even the truth.  I think this is a scam and should be investigated.

  Regards,
  
  ******* **********

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩