Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is SlugBooks?
A. SlugBooks is a free online comparison textbook shopping and classifieds website.
Q. I thought I was at GauchoBooks and BerkeleyBooks - why am I at SlugBooks instead?
A. SlugBooks, GauchoBooks and BerkeleyBooks are all run by the same small group of people - because we feature local book exchanges and we are completely customized to each campus, we figured the sites should have local names as well. For simplicity's sake, we will refer to the collective Slug, Gaucho and Berkeley as SlugBooks for the rest of this Q/A sesh.
Q. How much does it cost to use SlugBooks?
A. Whether you are using the website to buy or sell books, use of the site is FREE.
Q. Who runs SlugBooks?
A. We are run by a collection of former and current University of California students. We know first hand the pain of spending so much on textbooks and hope to continue a tradition of textbook savings.
Q. Why do you keep calling me a slug?
A. Slug is a term of endearment! The only other answer we can offer is that we first started at UC Santa Cruz (mascot: banana slug), and the name stuck. We certify all users of our site bonafied slugs - consider yourself honored.
Q. Are you hiring?
A. We are always looking for dedicated slugs to join our team. If you are interested, please send us an email to jobs@slugbooks.com.
Q. My parents tell me there used to be an actual bookstore at the base of campus called "Slug Books" in Santa Cruz. Are you an internet reincarnation of that bookstore?
A. Good question, young banana slug. We are a completely separate entity from the former Slug Books, which was located at the corner of High and Cardiff for many years. Although a different business, we aim to deliver the same textbook savings to college students that the late bookstore did. In fact, in many cases we believe we can grant even higher savings than were previously attainable by making YOU the decision maker. We provide the price comparison information and you enact your right to choose, purchasing the book that makes the most sense for you.
Q. I already purchased my books from the bookstore. Is it too late for me to save on books?
A. NO! Well... most likely NO! Remember that you have up until the bookstore's deadline for returning your books. If you find that the savings are worthwhile, save your receipt and use your book until your internet order arrives. Don't forget to return the book to the bookstore before the deadline! If you have unwrapped a book with a "no return if unwrapped" sticker on it, this strategy will not work.
Q. I just ordered my book from a used book seller on Amazon.com - how long do I have to wait until it arrives?
A. If you selected expedited shipping, the book should arrive within 2-6 business days. If you selected standard shipping, the book should arrive within 4-14 business days. Detail of projected shipping times for Amazon marketplace orders can be found here. Please note that ordering from a seller located on the west coast drastically reduces these estimates; if you are ordering from someone who has good ratings and is located in California, you should have no trouble receiving your book soon - more tips for textbook savings are located here.
Q. My course and/or book isn't listed on your website? WHY?
A. Your answer could be any of the following: a) there are no books and/or only a reader for your course, b) your course has a highly customized book bundle that only the bookstore sells (example: Aplia), or c) it is possible that we were unclear on the edition of the textbook and decided to not list the book, rather than take a chance on a wrong edition.
Q. I have an idea about how you can make the website better - where do I tell you?
A. Great! We love hearing feedback from our users and we are always interested in making the website better - click here to leave us feedback. If the situation warrants, we will get back to you as soon as possible.