Consumer
Alibris Protects Students From Fraudsters
Source: Alibris
Aug 31, 2005, 17:26

EMERYVILLE, Calif.--(COLLEGIATE PRESSWIRE)--Aug. 31, 2005--Alibris, the premiere online bookseller that saves students up to 90% off textbook prices, today announced measures to protect students who use www.alibris.com from fraudulent textbook sellers during the back-to-school season.

The company warns students to beware of false savings from online scam artists who target students with out-of-date and non-U.S. editions, and even photocopied textbooks. To fraudulently market textbook bargains to unsuspecting students, these sellers frequently list books using International Standard Book Numbers (ISBNs) that match course requirements but that do not actually represent the listed item.

''Fast-growing markets always attract ethical as well as unethical sellers,'' says Alibris CEO Martin Manley. ''Students annually spend an average of $900 on textbooks, so this year we`ve taken extra measures to monitor, identify, and remove independent sellers from our Web site who attempt to mislead our customers.''

Over the last year, Alibris has enhanced proprietary software that spots signs of misrepresented ISBNs in inventory records and then alerts Alibris personnel to review the suspicious records and to take action. Since the adoption of the improved technology, more than 50 sellers have been banned from selling on Alibris, and thousands of records have been stripped of misleading ISBNs.

By enforcing high professional standards for booksellers and aggressively removing fraudulent sellers of new and used textbooks, Alibris has become the most trusted online source of new and used textbooks for students looking to save money at the start of each school year.

The payoff for students comes not only at the beginning of the semester, but also at the end of the term. Campus bookstores rarely buy back non-U.S. or out-of-date editions. So students who purchase the required copies in the first place ''usually end up with a lot more money in their pockets once their coursework is done,'' according to Manley.


About Alibris

Alibris connects people who love books, music, and movies to thousands of independent sellers from around the world. One of Internet Retailer`s ''Top 100'' largest online retailers, Alibris is the choice of millions of book lovers each month. We employ proprietary technology and advanced logistics to offer more than 50 million used, new, and out-of-print books from more than 10,000 sellers to consumers, libraries, and retailers. Founded in 1998 and based in Emeryville, California, Alibris is a rapidly growing business with strategic partnerships with the best and largest players in the bookselling industry.


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