Why do I find some textbooks for very cheap?

I've been looking at textbook on Amazon and sometimes I find used textbook at a very cheap price. Sometimes it seems like too good of a deal (85% off)





The textbooks are not sold by Amazon.





I was wondering if there's a catch to those cheap textbooks. Can they be fake copies, illegal in any way, false information, bunch of typos, and etc?|||No, but you have to make sure its the right edition. I used to buy them on Amazon all the time because the textbook store on campus are way too expensive. You are risking that the person might not send it out on time or not send it out at all. Just make sure the seller has a good score and ask questions if you need to, and order early before the quarter/semester starts.|||I'm a college student and I buy all my books from Amazon. Sometimes they'll sell them on Amazon for 20-50$ where as if I buy them at my college's book store they'll range from 100-200$ each.





Amazon is Walmart's biggest competition. As such they are competing on who can have the lowest prices on everything.





The books are the same. However I have accidently ordered the wrong version of a book before. You need to be specific in your order. Also you need to be specific when ordering if you want a new copy or a used. The price of is typically the used version. if you request a new version the price is often higher, but not significantly.|||Sometimes people have spent a lot of money on textbooks and want to get a little of it back. Therefore they sell them through Amazon. College bookstores don't pay much for used textbooks, but they charge a lot when they sell them.





Today one of my friends bought a new textbook on Amazon. It was about $25 less than what the college bookstore was charging.





I think that the textbooks are legitimate. You should, however, read carefully to be sure that it is the correct edition.|||Check out multiple sources (e.g., college bookstore, private bookstores, online deals, rentals, eBook, other students) and compare to get the best price. Check out the free price comparison websites. Use caution in selecting a reputable seller.