It can be smart or risky, depending on the seller and terms.
As you are buying from a private party, there is a lot more risk. It is a student at your college, so that may be a mitigating factor: you should have the opportunity to inspect the book before the sale is final, unless she is talking about shipping it to you from her hometown (or whatever).
In that case, you need to be more careful. For example, if the books are very expensive, it is advisable to use a standard rating system for used books: ask her to rate the books using the amazon.com condition standards: http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/d鈥?/a>
It is not likely the books are missing pages or are so badly marked up as to be unusable. Do check amazon.com merchants, bookfinder.com, and ebay.com, for comparable prices on the same ISBN or edition. I often bought my textbooks through these sources (be careful to check ebay.com sellers ratings).
I also networked with other students in my major (and others) a year or two ahead of me, to buy their books for a few$ more than the bookstore's buyback. And I sold my books to the bookstore for closer to what I paid for them!Buying college books online=smart or risky?Is it ok to ask if the books are in good condition?
On my way through school I've saved thousands buying my books online. You can use amazon and save ridiculous amounts of money if you feel unsure about an exchange via facebook. But more than likely they are in good condition, just make sure those books are on your actual book list for this semester and not unused editions.Buying college books online=smart or risky?Is it ok to ask if the books are in good condition?
Check the seller ratings on Amazon. I use Amazon to buy books sometimes and you should favor the seller with 100k ratings and a 99% favorable over someone with only a few ratings.
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