Free shipping for book buy-backs sustains eCampus.com’s growth

Online textbook retailer eCampus.com is offering free UPS shipping for every book buy-back order placed on its web site. Packages now can arrive at eCampus.com’s facilities in as little as three days, compared to two to three weeks using the U.S. Postal Service, the company says.

Students selling books to eCampus.com now can print prepaid UPS labels with the tracking number already assigned. Payments for the books, withheld until the books are received, now will be issued within five days, the company says.

With this new service eCampus.com expects to provide faster shipping and payments and insured delivery. The buy-back system has helped continue near-40% sales growth that began in 2006, says Matt Montgomery, president and CEO. ECampus.com is No. 185 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide.

The new system helps book sellers in several ways, Montgomery says. “Our sellers can literally track their shipment right to our door, and we pick up the tab,” he adds.